Elm Street Revisited: ‘Freddy’s Dead’ Director Rachel Talalay on Camp, Comedy, and Closing the Coffin [Exclusive]
When it comes to the A Nightmare on Elm Street sequels, there’s one that’s almost universally regarded as the lesser of those first seven films: Freddy’s Dead. As someone who appreciates the sixth film in the nightmarish saga of Freddy Krueger, I’d argue that most simply don’t appreciate it for what it is.
For one, Freddy’s Dead marked a significant moment not just in the franchise but in horror as a whole by handing over the keys to director Rachel Talalay. Having been involved in the series since the beginning, Rachel made perfect sense to get behind the camera for what was supposed to be Freddy’s final nightmare. I don’t think I have to tell you how rare it was for women to be hired to direct horror in the ’90s—especially a sequel to a major franchise. To my knowledge, Talalay is one of the few women to direct a film in a horror series as prominent as Nightmare. That’s reason enough on its own to celebrate Freddy’s Dead.
The film is also hysterical in all the best ways.
Elm Street Revisited: Freddy’s Dead with Rachel Talalay
While speaking with Josh Korngut on Dread Central’s Development Hell podcast, Rachel was asked about the label of “camp” often applied to Freddy’s Dead and her relationship with the word as a result.
“I don’t like when I have to read that the film is campy because it’s seen as a negative. I think there’s got to be a better word to describe having humor and having energy… I think when people say about Freddy’s Dead that it’s campy, they mean it as a negative. So, my relationship to the word is curious and worried when I read that.”
She’s not wrong. Far too many people use the word “camp” to imply a film is “bad.” More often than not, what they really mean is that the film displays the sort of silly humor and energetic nature that Talalay describes. You may not like Freddy’s Dead, but the film accomplishes exactly what it set out to do.
Doctor Who and Freddy Krueger… Both Nightmare Fuel
Understandably, some fans were less inclined to pick up what Freddy’s Dead was putting down because of the prevalent humor. Freddy had always had a dark wit, but fans weren’t ready for such a heavy dose of comedy. Freddy was supposed to be scary, after all. And in Talalay’s view, he has that in common with another series she found herself working on as a director—Doctor Who.
“It’s the longest-running science fiction show ever… [Doctor Who] has such an incredible influence when you talk to people about the scary monsters within it. I mean really, really scary images within it. And yet it’s full of humanity. And I think that combination of elements makes for the perfect way that horror should work. I think there’s that in Freddy.”
That may surprise some of you to hear if you’re unfamiliar with the show, but I would second that Doctor Who is full of frightening horrors. From the Daleks to the Weeping Angels and the Cybermen, the universe of the sci-fi series is loaded with monsters far scarier than you might expect going into it. Those angels… I can’t.
What in the World Is Freddy Krueger Day?
When you’ve been involved with a franchise like A Nightmare on Elm Street for as long as Talalay has, you see some weird things come out of it. But the strangest, according to the filmmaker?
“I think the weirdest Freddy thing was Mayor Bradley in Los Angeles declaring Freddy Krueger Day before Freddy’s Dead came out… It’s probably in the mayoral records. We gave a funeral to Freddy there at the Hollywood Cemetery, and there were coffins and we all mourned Freddy… I have no idea what Mayor Bradley was thinking then.”
Will Freddy Live Again?
Personally, let’s bring Freddy Krueger Day back. Though I guess that would only make sense if we finally get a new entry in the franchise. Currently, the rights are held by Wes Craven’s estate. At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be much interest in doing another. Talalay appears to share that sentiment.
“I think people would go back to it. What’s important is making new horror films… it’s important to move forward.”
Amen. We’d all love to see Freddy make a triumphant return to the big screen. But sometimes, as they say, dead is better. Freddy had his moment—and he may well have it again—but the next generation deserves to have their own nightmares represented on screen, not unlike the fresh new terrors that continue to pop up in each season of Doctor Who.
To listen to the whole conversation with Rachel Talalay and her experiences with the Nightmare franchise, stream the latest episode of the new limited audio series Elm Street Revisited, now available exclusively on the Development Hell podcast feed from Dread Central. We promise your eardrums won’t explode like that poor kid in Freddy’s Dead.
Ready to revisit Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare? The new 4K Ultra HD Nightmare on Elm Street collection, featuring all seven original films, is out now from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It includes a set of 3D glasses and everything!
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