I will always have a tenderness towards cheesy 80s horror movies. My mother, in an attempt at being protective of my psyche, would try to prevent me from watching them as a kid, but soon gave up with a sigh, saying, “Fine. But don’t come running to me when you get nightmares.” The reality was that I enjoyed the nightmares and I enjoyed the sensation that I had as a ten year old going outside in the late-night dark to feed my dog all by myself after watching a horror movie. Evil Dead, Fright Night, Night Of The Demons, Hellraiser, Return of the Living Dead, Children of the Corn, Child’s Play, Friday the 13th, the Halloween sequels – all pretty terrible movies by most people’s standards, but ones that I grew up watching repeatedly as a kid (and refuse to re-watch now, dare I destroy my nostalgia).

Of course, the granddaddy of all cheesy 80s horror flicks was A Nightmare on Elm Street, one of those movies I can still pop in every once in a while and get a kick out of watching. A killer that controlled the realm of dreams? If I enjoyed nightmares as a kid, I didn’t enjoy them so much when the possibility that I could be murdered in them presented itself – and like many young people at the time, Freddy Krueger haunted many of my dreams (although I survived). While he became a wise-cracking caricature of himself in the later sequels, there is no creepier character than Krueger in all of 80s horror movies.

While I may have hardened my heart at a young age (because of these movies, I no longer feel fear… or love), I still appreciate the rare good horror movie that comes out. Unfortunately, none of these have been recent horror remakes – with the slight exception of Dawn of the Dead, which had some interesting moments and a nice twist (running zombies!), although still lacked the atmosphere of the original. This is why I have no expectations for or faith in the remake for A Nightmare on Elm Street, even if it stars Jackie Earle Haley as Krueger, an admittedly perfect casting choice. I just doubt they’re going to capture the surreal zaniness of the dreams, opting instead for something darker and more “realistic.” Also, there will be no Johnny Depp in his first feature role, which is strike two.

Check out the new trailer for it below and make up your own mind.