WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Nightmare on Elm Street, A
Genre:Horror

Reviewed In Issue 19 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Johnny Depp, Heather Langenkamp & Robert Englund

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 2.5
Sound Rating: 1.5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Elite Entertainment
(Catalog Number): EE3734
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $39.95
(Running Time In Minutes): 91
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1984
(LD Release Date): 4/1/96
(THX® Digitally Mastered):

Credits Information
(Director): Wes Craven
(Screenplay/Written By): Wes Craven
(Story): NA
(Music): Charles Bernstein
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Greg Fonseca
(Visual Effects): Theatrical Engines
(Costume Designer): Dana Lyman
(Editor): Rick Shaine
(Supervising Sound Editors): Jess Soracin
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Stanley Dudelson & Joseph Wolf
(Co-Producers): Sara Risher
(Producers): Robert Shaye

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
(Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
A Nightmare On Elm Street concerns a group of high school friends who are having nightmarish dreams of a brutal killer named Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund throughout the entire series) who sports knives for fingers and endlessly stalks the teens in their shared nightmares. Also available in a eight-disc set that includes a separate disc with interviews, games, movie trailers, deleted scenes and DVD-ROM extras.

LaserDisc Picture:
The credits are windowboxed on this mediocre 1.85:1 picture. Images lack sharpness and detail, and fleshtones are inconsistent. Colors are rendered vividly though, with deep blacks. Shadow detail is wanting, and slight noise is apparent, especially in the darker scenes. Artifacts are virtually non-existent.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The sountrack features re-mixed surround audio by Chace Productions, from the original monaural elements. The sound is engaging and demonstrates the remarkable differences a good stereo presentation makes to mono. Chace as managed to create dramatically effective spatail enhancements and a stereo music score, which provides subtle surround envelopment.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: