A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984, d. Wes Craven, w. Wes Craven)

"Heather Langenkamp stars as Nancy Thompson, the Innocent Teen that has to battle Freddy Krueger. Because Nancy is the Innocent Teen (there is always one in a Slasher film, it's a Golden Rule or something), she has a boyfriend, but she isn't promiscuous. In fact, her promiscuous friend Tina (Amanda Wyss) is the first one Freddy visits and slaughters. You see, years ago Freddy was… Well, I won't spoil it for those who have yet to see the movie, but needless to say, ol Freddy has plenty of reasons to stalk the children of Elm Street. It's personal. Although the adults have all the answers (or at least the answers to Freddy's true identity), it's the kids, led by the independent and strong-willed Nancy, who must fight back. They have a big stake in the matter because Freddy is getting back at the adults through their kids!"

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "The whole concept of a bogeyman that can invade your dreams and kill you is a stroke of brilliance."

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (1985, d. Jack Sholder, w. David Chaskin)

""NOES 2" picks up 5 years after the events of the original "NOES". We learn that Nancy, having battled and (supposedly defeated) Freddy, is now confined to a mental institution. (She's never seen in the sequel.) We meet Jesse (Mark Patton), whose family has moved into Nancy's old house. Jesse, we learn, is having violent nightmares about Freddy, who seems to want/need Jesse for something. But for what nefarious purpose? Or is the better question: what did Jack Sholder and David Chaskin think they were doing? Or the much more crucial question: Where the hell is Wes Craven when you need him?"

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "...breaks all of Wes Craven's rules in an attempt to steer the mythology in a whole new direction."

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: THE DREAM WARRIORS (1987, d. Chuck Russell, w. Wes Craven, Frank Darabont, Bruce Wagner)

"It's now many years after the events of the original "NOES", and Freddy is once again on the rampage. This time he's targeting a group of troubled teens in a mental hospital. All the teens suffer from terrible nightmares, so much so that they will do anything to avoid sleep. The adults, of course, are of no help whatsoever. Enter Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), now all grown up and a doctor to boot. (Apparently her status as a mental patient ala exposition in the previous sequel was just bad rumors?) Nancy arrives at the hospital and begins to teach the kids how to defend themselves against Freddy."

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "Made two years after Sholder's sequel, "NOES 3" is so much more polish and expensive-looking."

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER (1988, d. Renny Harlin, w. William Kotzwinkle, Brian Helgeland, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat, Michael De Luca, Renny Harlin)

"Now resurrected by miracle of dog urine (in a dream, no less), Freddy returns for revenge. In short order, Kristen, Kincaid, and Joey are dispatched, making room for new Fair Hair Lead Alice (Lisa Wilcox) to step up to the chopping block. You see, before Kristen met her untimely (and rather lame) end, she "transferred" her "dream pulling" powers (I guess you'd call it) to timid Alice. Frumpy and shy, highschooler Alice is prone to daydreaming, especially about hunky jock Dan (Danny Hassel), who is friends with her kung fu obsessed brother Rick (Andras Jones). Rick is also the boyfriend of Freddy survivor Kristen (now played by Tuesday Knight, taking over for the non-returning Patricia Arquette; although the other original actors from "NOES 3" do return as Kincaid and Joey). With the last of the Elm Street kids dead, Freddy now needs new victims. He uses Alice as a vessel to "pull" her friends into her dreams, thus allowing Freddy access to them. Man, being Alice's friend sure sucks."

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "With five dead teens to its credit, "NOES 4" may actually be the bloodiest installment in the series yet."

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD (1989, d. Stephen Hopkins, w. John Skipp, Craig Spector, Leslie Bohem)

"Returning is Lisa Wilcox as Alice, who is about to graduate with boyfriend Dan (Danny Hassel, also returning). As the film opens, Alice finds herself reliving some of the events that led to Freddy's birth, including the accidental trapping, and then rape, of Freddy's nun mother. Freddy himself, thought killed, has somehow resurfaced in the dreams of Alice's unborn child, and plans to be "reborn" in the place of Alice's baby."

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "If "NOES 4: The Dream Master" got serious about the bodycount, then "NOES 5" has taken a big step backwards."

FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE (1991, d. Rachel Talalay, w. Rachel Talalay, Michael De Luca)

"John Doe, a teen suffering from amnesia, doesn't know that he is the last of the Elm Street children. Having escaped the town, John is now under the care of therapist Maggie (Lisa Zane), who, we come to learn, is actually Freddy's daughter. We also learn that John hadn't escaped, but that Freddy had purposely "sent him out" into the world in order to lure in more victims. Having finished off the last of the Elm Street kids in the 10 years since the events of the previous installment, Freddy is now itching to slay more kids."

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "...very noticeable is that the kids are no longer just dumb teens waiting to be slaughtered, they're now aggressive and angst-ridden teens waiting to be slaughtered."

WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE (1994, d. Wes Craven, w. Wes Craven)

"According to the movie, the "NOES" franchise was initially created by Craven not to entertain, but to keep an "ancient evil entity" trapped. By telling the story, this evil can't enter the world of the living to do harm. It's ten years after the original "NOES" and Freddy has become a big joke (see the sequels, natch), and the evil is once again seeking to enter the world of the living to ply its trade. Having enjoyed tremendous success with the Freddy incarnation, the evil has retained the Freddy "disguise". And now he's coming after actress Heather, who is presently married with a son (Miko Hughes). This time around it ain't no movie -- well, actually, yes it is, but you know what I mean."

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: "It's neither very bloody or very scary, but it does make for a fine capper to a highly imaginative franchise."