A Nightmare on Elm Street, 4: The Dream Master

The dislocated nightmare logic of Wes Craven's original has now been reduced to a black comic carnival ride designed to showcase cult-hero Freddy's stand-up act and some variable special effects. Before that, the negligible script has to explain how Old Pizza Face can extend his stalking-ground to a new generation of kids. In brief, he reaches out into the darkness to embrace shy, teenage Alice (Wilcox) who, once tainted by her knowledge of Freddy's existence, unwittingly forms a link between the two generations. There are a few genuinely inspired moments - notably the Roach Motel joke, and the extraordinary body-ripping climax. But while some of the monotonous effects are strikingly surreal, Harlin's direction creates an atmosphere which is more morbid than scary.