Many people know and love Freddy Krueger. It’s true! No, you’re not dreaming. How many horror villains seem to have as much fun as Freddy? Most slash kingpins show so much hatred or a sense of other worldly compulsion. Yes, Freddy is as evil as Jason, but Freddy has FUN! He uses his imagination to dream up some very twisted, yet original ways to kill helpless sleepers. Who can forget the poor girl who was turned into a bug and squashed in a bug trap? Or the teen who wanted to be a star on TV so Freddy welcomed her to primetime by shoving her head in a TV? Classic.

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This chaotic circus act opens up to certain real world challenges and opportunities. With the old horror classics, viewers still needed to use their imagination.  If you’re watching Freddy’s arms expand in an ethereal mist, or seeing him tear apart a human body by stepping out of it like it’s some kind of suit, or seeing a young man being worked like a marionette with his own veins, you as the viewer have to imagine the horror of what sometimes appears a bit campy. But now the requirement for a vivid imagination is changing. Currently, CGI does all the work. There’s nothing wrong with that. The Avengers wouldn’t be the same without CGI I’ll admit.

However, therein lies the rub. Part of the beauty of watching old horror movies is the use of imagination of the viewer. You had to work for it a bit and use your own noggin to see what the artists were trying to portray. The greater attempts the artist made, the easier it was to dive into the story and visuals. No matter what, your own imagination played a part. The viewer and the maker participated in the movie. That’s harder to accomplish these days, with CGI taking this aspect away from the viewing process. That’s why old movies, especially horror movies, will always hold a special place in my heart. So, to all you young ones out there, don’t scoff or ignore the old classic horror movies. Embrace them. Save Freddy! Come on out to Bookmans and find yourself an old gore classic, shut off the lights, and let your imagination take over! And whatever you do… don’t, fall, asleep.