10 Horror Movie Sequels That Saved The Franchise

Believe it or not, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has lasted so long that it required not one, but two revitalising sequels to ensure its continuing survival.

With legendary horror director Wes Craven departing after the first film's success, the hastily-produced second instalment Freddy's Revenge was released only a year later in 1985... And was understandably utterly reviled.

A bizarre possession horror which missed the entire appeal of Freddy's dream-invading brand of evil, the film was an embarrassing misstep which was hated by fans of the franchise and critics alike.

It's just as well, then, that comedy horror hero Chuck Russell stepped in to direct 1986's Dream Warriors, the third entry into the series which revitalised Freddy’s potent promise as a horrifying dream demon.

Setting the horror in an asylum whose teen patients are besieged by Freddy, this film featured many of the franchise's most iconic kills such as Freddy turning into a television set and frying one unfortunate teen's head, or the genuinely ingenious and unforgettably gory sight of the Springwood slasher using a victim's veins as marionette strings to pilot him to his grisly demise.