Guest Blog - Justin Ruff - Nightmare on Elm Street

So, while we're on vacation, we asked for guest bloggers. Thanks to Justin Ruff (@justinruff) for volunteering! Below is his review of Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - BY JUSTIN RUFF

So yesterday, I saw Nightmare on Elm Street in the dollar theater. (This is not part of the movie, but the theater did smell and my coke tasted funny.) I, like most people in my age bracket, hold the original Nightmare on Elm Street in sacred, reverent territory. Freddy Krueger was such a beloved villain and the Nancy character really paved the way for strong women’s roles in horror films.

We had a decent cast. Rooney Mara (sorry, Kate is still my favorite Mara sister), Thomas Dekker (Sarah Connor Chronicles), Clancy Brown and a VERY underutilized Aaron Yoo. I hate Kyle Gallner. I’m not sure why anybody casts him. Ever. So I had to sit through his inane… whatever he does on the screen. And from the beginning, I was ok with Jackie Earle Haley. I like him and I thought he’d be able to bring the same creepiness to Freddy.

To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I felt life they took a great movie and then injected it with all the angst of Twilight and withdrew everything that made the first one click. There were no over-the-top gore scenes (like Johnny Depp in the bed). There was no sex (not even with their bras on). It was dark and brooding and just depressing.

I’m not going to blame Jackie Earle Haley. I think he delivered his lines great and played the role great. There just wasn’t much there for him to work with. Freddy always had so much glee and joy behind what he did. He had a smile on his face, as sadistic as it was. Jackie never got the chance to do that charismatic glee.

As cruel as I’m being, the ending was a lot better than the first (even though it really made no sense). I’m trying to think of things I liked about it, but they’re just not there. I liked Aaron Yoo. It’ll be interesting where Rooney Mara goes in her career. She’s not the prettiest Mara sister, but she does have a plain look and does the Nancy role well.

So, should I see it or not? I say yes to completest or people who have no connection to the original. It has virtually no sexual content. The tub scene doesn’t show too much of Ms. Mara’s “assets.” The language wasn’t too bad and the violence was tame by today’s horror standards (and in my opinion, a lot tamer than the original). I’d let a mature teenager see it. Why not check it out?

Scream 4: On the Set

Several pictures from the set of the newest Scream movie have come out and we have them here for you thanks to beforethetrailer.com

Neve Campbell on set



Wes Craven



Seems Sidney is an author now. Hmm... wonder what the book's about?? (sarcasm)



One can't help but wonder what Gale Weathers will have to say about her books being on the "Bargain Bookshelf".



House from the original Scream is on the left and the house for Scream 4 is on the right. Looks pretty close to the original to me.



Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere and Craven on set.



Return to Woodsboro High

Scream 4: Kevin Williamson Out Ehren Kruger In

A major shakeup has taken place behind the scenes of Scream 4. According to Zap2It, screenwriter and creator Kevin Williamson has left the project and has been replaced by Ehren Kruger.

Apparently, Williamson is busy preparing for season 2 of “The Vampire Diaries” and won’t have a lot of free time to work on the film. In his absence Kruger, who wrote Scream 3, has been brought on to “assist.” Rumors have been running wild as to what will be done with the script that Williamson originally turned in.

Some say that there will be a complete overhaul and certain characters will be changed dramatically, like Hayden Panettiere’s. She’s supposed to play the nerdy best friend of Emma Roberts. Sources have claimed that Panettiere is "beyond frustrated with the changes" to the script as her character "used to be really sharp" but has been "dumbed down significantly".

The Deputy Sheriff role of Marley Shelton, recently vacated by Lake Bell, has also been cut down and additional reports have come in that Lauren Graham has quit the project because of losing screen time in her role as Emma Roberts's mother.

Williamson knows these characters better than anyone, if he penned a draft for the new film they should stick to it. I'm not very familiar with Kruger's work but I do know that Scream 3 didn't go over well with the horror community. It'll be interesting to see how well the show goes on with all the changes.

Kruger's other writing credits include Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and The Ring to name a few.

Source: screencrave.com; zap2it.com