VideoGameLand: The Legend Of Zelda (NES, 1986)

As someone who has never really read video game reviews or posted about video games at all, they are still something that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. And Zelda has always been a big part of my experience with them. In fact, the first game I ever recall playing (at least, at home on a console) was a Zelda game. So in a lot of ways it makes sense for me to do my first video game review of any kind on this series. Specifically the first one, released in 1986 -- which incidentally also brought us the first titles in both the Metroid and Castlevania serieses. What a year!

200 Items Or Less: Before I Hang (1940)

A few thoughts: It's almost comical to me how many times Boris Karloff has played a misunderstood scientist condemned for his wild views on preserving life, but here we are yet again. Normally I would complain about watching the same basic movies again and again, but with this coming in at just over 60 minutes, it never really feels like a waste of time. Karloff performing in his wheelhouse is something to behold, bringing a sort of calming grace to the role before slowly becoming more and more wild and menacing as the film progresses. Not only do we get Karloff in his prime, but one of relatively few appearances by Edward Van Sloan, who formerly played crucial supporting roles in Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy. He, too, is quite good here. It's a very familiar story and it plays out pretty much exactly as you might expect, but if you go into this knowing what it is, it shouldn't be a problem or keep you from enjoying yourself. The pseudo-science, tight run time, and solid performances make it very easy to watch. Just don't expect an underrated gem.

200 Items Or Less: Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)

A few thoughts: After the colossal misfire that was Freddy's Dead, putting the series back in Wes Craven's hands was definitely the right move. Since this movie takes place in the real world, it doesn't follow the story of the others, which allows for a fresh start and gives Craven a chance to infuse the series with enough self-awareness to set it even further apart. Although there is still a certain amount of humor in this one, it hits the reset button on Freddy's character and brings him back to his more creepy roots, even changing up his makeup design slightly. The main star is Heather Langenkamp playing herself, of course, but it's Robert Englund who totally steals the show. Are you surprised by this? He pulls double duty as both himself and Freddy, giving him a lot to do here. Anyone who says he doesn't have any range should give this movie a try. While it's hard to compare this to most of the rest of the series, it is a definite step up from the previous couple. Also worth noting, this is a game-changing slasher movie that is essentially led to the Scream franchise. Good stuff.

200 Items Or Less - Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

A few thoughts: If the title itself hadn't done it, the total failure of a movie that this is surely would have killed Freddy anyway. As a fairly loyal fan of the series, I enjoyed every movie up to this point, but it was evident by about 20 minutes in that this would be the one to break that streak. While it doesn't start off totally awful, the clownification of Freddy here reaches new heights and the result is not even remotely entertaining. He is flat-out annoying in this, and the fact he doesn't even really kill people in it just makes it all the worse. Poor Robert Englund, he tried so hard, the material just sucked. Desperate and annoying, even the production value seems to have slipped here. Attempts at humor fall flat, there is nothing creepy about it all, and the distractingly bad effects and hideous 3D work is baffling to say the least. What happened here? It shouldn't have been this bad and is a very unfortunate note to end the original series on. Oh well. At least New Nightmare was good, so the fun doesn't die here.

200 Items Or Less - A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)

A few thoughts: Five films into this series and I still enjoy them all. Granted, this movie does have its fair share of problems, but between the wonderful gothic set design, and the continued creativity of this kill scenes, I have to say I would still consider this a solid entry. Yes, the increasingly ludicrous treatment of Freddy does reach critical mass by film 6, I still don't find him too silly to be enjoyed here. The story is a bit of a catastrophe, but the resurrection of Freddy and further looks into his past make for solid character work, and give the film plenty of opportunity to get crazy with the visuals -- which as I briefly touched upon earlier, are pretty fantastic here. Though less clever and understated here, the dream sequences are amplified by high production value and great lighting, giving these scenes a completely different feel from the original. And that's just fine. The series evolved, giving each entry a chance to add to the story in different ways. This is by no means a masterpiece, but I still had plenty of fun.