A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Warner brings 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' to Blu-ray with a strong and rejuvenated picture quality that looks far superior to previous renditions. Comparatively, this 1080p/VC-1 transfer (1.85:1) looks to have been taken from the same remaster job done for the 2-disc Infinifilm release in 2006, and it appears to be in fantastic shape as it shows a clear improvement. Contrast can be a tad hot in a few spots, but it's nothing that hinders the presentation and easy to overlook. Clarity and resolution are excellent for a 25-year-old print. Some scenes seem somewhat dated as would be expected, but for the most part, the image is crisp and very well-detailed. You can make out all the rust and defects in Freddy's signature glove, and the faint freckles on the faces of Langenkamp and Wyss are clearly visible. Colors are vibrant and cleanly rendered. Primaries appear boosted to some extent, but at least, they're not obnoxiously so. Black levels, which are important to the film's overall effect, are intense and mostly accurate while shadow details are evident and discernible in even the dungiest scenes.

One issue worth mentioning is some minor moiré effects noticeable in Nancy's blue sweater at the end of the movie. Other than that, this really is the best Freddy Krueger has ever looked on home video.

For this Blu-ray edition of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' Warner/New Line has ported over the same set of special features found on the two-disc Infinifilm release of 2006. Only things missing are the Freddy's Coming for You trivia challenge and DVD-ROM bonus material. The featurettes and commentary tracks are nothing to complain, but it would have been nice to have something completely original for previous owners to make the upgrade really significant.

• Audio Commentary - The two audio tracks are preserved, and both are quite entertaining and enlightening for fans and newcomers alike. The first is between director/writer Wes Craven, cinematographer Jacques Haitkin, Heather Langenkamp, and John Saxon. The conversation, while amusing, is typical scene-specific quips and comments. Craven and Langenkamp do most of the talking about working with the actors and other aspects of the production, but the solidarity between them makes the banter an enjoyable listen for fans.
  
  The second commentary is a bit of a Frankenstein monster, pieced together from separate recorded interviews, and remarks are continuously rotating with narrated intros. The observations are incredibly varied, covering anything from production anecdotes, history, influences, admiration of the cast and characters, special effects work, and on the lasting impression of Freddy Krueger. The track features Craven, Langenkamp, Haitkin, Robert Englund, Amanda Wyss, Ronee Blakley, composer Charles Bernstein, editors Rich Shaine and Patrick McMahon, make-up artist David B. Miller, mechanical effects creator Jim Doyle, film historian David Del Valle, and producers Robert Shaye, Sara Risher, and John Burrows. Although slightly jarring at first, listeners will quickly adjust to the constant switching back and forth between voices and find a thoroughly informative commentary track.
  
• Never Sleep Again (HD, 50 min) - This exhaustive and well-done documentary on all aspects of the film is the real highlight of the set and a must-watch for everyone. It starts with a quick introductory background on Wes Craven and the origins of 'Nightmare on Elm Street.' Then it moves on to casting, production difficulties, and the incredible work done by the special effects team. It finally ends exactly as one would expect with a look at the film's initial reception and its lasting impression. With plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew, this retrospective makes for good infotainment.
  
• The House That Freddy Built (HD, 23 min) - This is another good featurette that ultimately works best as an extension of the previous doc. It examines the impact made by 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' the franchise which quickly followed, and its influence on other horror films. The title is taken from the nickname given to New Line Cinema after the movie's commercial success transformed the minor distributer into a major film studio. Although the ending feels much like a promotional piece, the brief look at the importance of Craven's horror classic to the history of the studio is enjoyable.
  
• Night Terrors (HD, 16 min) - With interviews from various psychologists, this piece explores the strange things that can occur while we dream. From thoughts on the possibility of people dying while they sleep to disturbing accounts of murder, the conversation definitely makes a strange topic to consider. The only drawback is that I was left wanting a little more from the discussion.
  
• Alternate Endings (HD, 5 min) - The three slightly different endings which Sean Cunningham famously requested of the director are collected here. The happy ending is Wes Craven's original intention, but the ending used in the final print was the better - and still is the best - conclusion to the film.
  
• Fact Track - Identical to its DVD predecessor, this trivia track appears periodically on screen as a simple white text while the movie plays. Those intimately familiar with 'Nightmare' and its history will not find anything new, but neophytes can benefit from some of these finer points of the movie.
  
• Focus Points - Despite the name change, this featurette is also identical to what is found on the Infinifilm edition of 'Nightmare.' While watching the movie, a yellow icon that looks like a rotating DVD suddenly appears in the upper left corner. When clicking on it, viewers are shown either an alternate take of a particular scene or a short clip from the 'Never Sleep Again' documentary.