10 Greatest Use Of Practical SFX In Horror Movies

Released in 1984, A Nightmare On Elm Street was a revelation for the horror scene when it was created and directed by Wes Craven. A truly original take on the boogeyman tale, Elm Street created the iconic horror character of the decade in Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Freddy is a dream demon who infects his victims' nightmares, bringing them to the brink of fear before killing them, in which they then also die in real life. The visuals that brought the nightmares to life were also extraordinarily unique for the time.

The first time we see Freddy is horrifying, with repulsive make-up showing his burned face. He cuts his own fingers off and green gunk shoots out in order to scare his first victim, Tina, and as he grabs her she pulls the skin from his face, revealing his skeleton below. The movie then produces one of the all-time great and legendary kill scenes. as in the real world we see the slashes of his glove-knifed hand appear across Tina’s chest, before she is then dragged from her bed across the ceiling of her bedroom, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

Tina's school friend Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) then falls asleep in school and sees her deceased friend being pulled along the hall in a body bag before Freddy appears to her, cutting his chest, which oozes green gunge and maggots. It’s true that as the series progressed into a number of sequels and the budget increased, that the effects became more imaginative, but it is always the first time we met Freddy that stays in the forefront of our memories.