A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)

Released in 1984, by which time the slasher movie had had it's peak, was a real shot in the arm for the flagging genre. It's production values may look a bit clunky by today's standards, but this movie still has the ability to scare better than pretty much any teen horror movie released since. Freddy Krueger was a genuinely terrifying character, and although he isn't on-screen much, and the iconic status and cheesy one-liners were a few movies away, he really is a massive presence throughout the movie, thanks mainly to Robert Englund's masterful performance and over-the-top use of body language. A good story and a strong villain lift this movie head and shoulders above the rest of the era, and even though the ending is a bit lame it certainly hasn't aged.

A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984) gets 9/10 Stars