SPOILERS AHEAD!
Alright, let me preface this by saying that I understand internal logic is not a primary goal of any slasher series. It's enough that the killer is back in each sequel and hacking up as many nubile teens as possible.* Still, I can't help but attempt to fill in the gaps, build my own fan-wank, if you will.
With that being said, I've recently been working my way through the later day Elm Street movies and it's left me fairly puzzled. In the first and second films, it's pretty evident that, while our protagonists (Nancy and the bedroom-dancing clown) have beaten Freddy back, he's still out there and prepared to menace. In the third, Freddy appears to meet his ultimate demise insofar as his bones are buried in consecrated soil. Now, of course we know this can't be the end... there's simply too much crap--action figures, board games, candy treats, television series, breakfast cereals--that New Line needs to sell the kiddies.
So, along comes The Dream Master. Can someone explain Freddy's resurrection in this film?!? Was the fact that Kristen dreamed about Freddy enough to resurrect him? Was it the dog's napalm urine that did the trick? Anyone have any theories? Regardless, at the climax, we see Freddy again meet his ultimate demise as Alice (imbued with Kristen's dream powers) strips Freddy of all the souls he's taken and they, in turn, tear him to shreds.
Nevertheless, come 1989, we have The Dream Child. This time it appears as though either Freddy (hmmm, isn't he gone and incapable of doing stuff like this) or Alice causes Freddy's ghost mom to give rebirth to him. How, exactly does that work, was it the dream of Ghost Mom that did the trick? Or actual Ghost Mom? Is it because--as we discover at the very end--Freddy's been hiding in Alice all along? Regardless, at the climax, we have Sister Ghost Mom resorb Freddy into her Ghostly Womb like a mother rabbit in an overcrowded warren (What? Go read "Watership Down" if you don't believe me, chowderhead).
And then, as of 1991, we have the final kick to the nuts when we discover that, not only has Freddy continued making bad puns and killing teens, but he's decimated the entire teenybopper population of Springwood. The film doesn't even attempt to explain his return here.
So, what gives? Is there something I'm missing about these films? Is it simply that it's enough to dream of Freddy to resurrect him? Again, I'm not looking for deep meaning or brilliant narrative devices in a slasher flick, but I thought it might be an interesting topic here. Thoughts? Opinions?
*Although I'd argue that, no matter how crudely done, both the Halloween series and the Friday the 13th series attempt to explain the many returns of their respective boogeymen.
Alright, let me preface this by saying that I understand internal logic is not a primary goal of any slasher series. It's enough that the killer is back in each sequel and hacking up as many nubile teens as possible.* Still, I can't help but attempt to fill in the gaps, build my own fan-wank, if you will.
With that being said, I've recently been working my way through the later day Elm Street movies and it's left me fairly puzzled. In the first and second films, it's pretty evident that, while our protagonists (Nancy and the bedroom-dancing clown) have beaten Freddy back, he's still out there and prepared to menace. In the third, Freddy appears to meet his ultimate demise insofar as his bones are buried in consecrated soil. Now, of course we know this can't be the end... there's simply too much crap--action figures, board games, candy treats, television series, breakfast cereals--that New Line needs to sell the kiddies.
So, along comes The Dream Master. Can someone explain Freddy's resurrection in this film?!? Was the fact that Kristen dreamed about Freddy enough to resurrect him? Was it the dog's napalm urine that did the trick? Anyone have any theories? Regardless, at the climax, we see Freddy again meet his ultimate demise as Alice (imbued with Kristen's dream powers) strips Freddy of all the souls he's taken and they, in turn, tear him to shreds.
Nevertheless, come 1989, we have The Dream Child. This time it appears as though either Freddy (hmmm, isn't he gone and incapable of doing stuff like this) or Alice causes Freddy's ghost mom to give rebirth to him. How, exactly does that work, was it the dream of Ghost Mom that did the trick? Or actual Ghost Mom? Is it because--as we discover at the very end--Freddy's been hiding in Alice all along? Regardless, at the climax, we have Sister Ghost Mom resorb Freddy into her Ghostly Womb like a mother rabbit in an overcrowded warren (What? Go read "Watership Down" if you don't believe me, chowderhead).
And then, as of 1991, we have the final kick to the nuts when we discover that, not only has Freddy continued making bad puns and killing teens, but he's decimated the entire teenybopper population of Springwood. The film doesn't even attempt to explain his return here.
So, what gives? Is there something I'm missing about these films? Is it simply that it's enough to dream of Freddy to resurrect him? Again, I'm not looking for deep meaning or brilliant narrative devices in a slasher flick, but I thought it might be an interesting topic here. Thoughts? Opinions?
*Although I'd argue that, no matter how crudely done, both the Halloween series and the Friday the 13th series attempt to explain the many returns of their respective boogeymen.
