Mediocrity on Elm Street

If you're tired of Hollywood churning out inferior remakes of horror movies instead of supporting scripts of new stories, then the imminent release of the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is unlikely to generate much excitement.

Despite them being very much "of my time" (I was a teenager and VHS was sweeping the nation) I wasn't a huge Freddy or Jason fan in the '80s. However I do now appreciate the qualities of the first 'Nightmare' film (and rather liked the post-modern twist that 'Wes Cravens New Nightmare' gave the series), so will approach the re-make with some trepidation.

There's no reason why the Nightmare remake can't be a good (or even great) movie. Its themes - the fear of dying in one's sleep, the power of nightmare, and the constant threat to our children - are universal and as relevant now as they ever have been. If the filmmakers approach the story from their own perspectives, and invest their own experience and ideas, then it could be as good a remake as John Carpenter's "The Thing" or David Cronenberg's "The Fly".

Unfortunately the current trend in Hollywood is toward the 'safe bet'. No new ideas, no variations on a theme, just shoot the same film that was made 20 years ago, just with a different cast and some undemanding CGI. Its a recipe for mediocrity.

I just hope the makers of the Nightmare remake tear up that recipe and take some risks - if they do, then perhaps they'll concoct something worth watching...