(A) Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 horror film by Wes Craven, and was the first in a long series of films (8 or 9...it's hard to know what counts and doesn't!). It introduces Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund (who had, up to that point, been most famous for V, though apparently been considered playing Han Solo in Star Wars...) as a murderer seeking revenge on those that killed him, which he does by killing people in their dreams.
It was a pretty low budget film ($1.8 million, which is low for a film ok!) but was an instant success and, like I said, spawned many many many more.
After a rushed wallpaper job, many wondered what happened to Freddy
It features lots of killings, some nice shadows and cinematography, and blood. Lots of blood. But what makes this film really, really scary isn't any of this. I'm pretty sure I can't just post such terror on the front page...
It was recently announced at Comic-Con that, in addition to Skarlet, Rain and Kenshi, the next downloadable character for Mortal Kombat will be none other than old razor fingers himself - Freddy Krueger! Or rather, "new" razor fingers, since it's the remake version that appears.
Whilst it might seem a bit odd to insert him into the MK series, Warner Bros. own both the MK and 'Nightmare on Elm Street' franchises now, so it's not really that surprising. I have to say though, the other new face (Skarlet) was just as out of place, in the sense that she'd never officially appeared in the games or storyline before either. (Skarlet was said to have been created by a colour glitch of Kitana in MK II but didn't previously have a name or backstory.)
However, as with every playable character, Freddy comes with a back story, which fully explains his presence. Whether or not it agrees with the biography created within the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies is another matter entirely, but the films don't even seem to agree with each other anymore anyway.
Freddy's Mortal Kombat bio:
"A malevolent spirit of the Dream Realm, Freddy Krueger preys on the souls of the living as they sleep. When Shao Kahn began to steal Earthrealm's souls - souls Freddy considered his own - Freddy battled the emperor in the Dream Realm. But Shao Kahn's will was too strong. He pulled Freddy into the real world, where he was mortal, and defeated him. A badly injured yet determined Freddy fitted both his hands with demonically enhanced razor gloves. Once he has killed Shao Kahn he will find a way back to the Dream Realm, where he will torment Earthrealm's souls for eternity."
Despite any inconsistencies and the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the be-hatted homicidal dream stalker in the first place, Freddy has his own moveset - including x-rays and fatalities - and, from the trailers it actually seems like he'll be quite entertaining to play as. Besides, he can't possibly be as annoying as Johnny Cage!
The Freddy Krueger DLC is available from August 9th 2011, on PS3 and Xbox 360, for $4.99/£3.19/3.95 Euros or 400 Microsoft points or as part of the "season pass" with the other 3 characters.
