The Freddy Krueger Hour on MTV (1988)

Freddy brings the scares to MTV.

True horror came to MTV long before Tila Tequila and Making the Band, and one very special promotional tie-in united the popular Freddy Krueger, a scattering of rock music videos, and... this guy in Zubaz.  The video jockey (that's "VJ" to you) in question is Kevin Seal, who seeks out the star of 1988's A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master, inside his spooky house.  Seal, the initial host of iconic MTV staple 120 Minutes, doesn't fare all that well - first drugged by the Springwood Slasher before being skewered to end the program (spoiler:  he'd live and go on to host Headbanger's Ball, really!).  But Freddy's fans were led to believe Seal met a gruesome fate, despite giving Krueger's new movie some big-time publicity.

Freddy meets his nightmare -- VJ Kevin Seal

On August 20, 1988, a day after Elm Street 4 premiered, The Freddy Krueger Hour took over MTV, introducing fans new & old to clips from all four Elm Street films, as well as six music videos that fit the feel of the films, including:

Alice Cooper - "Welcome to My Nightmare" (1975)
Dokken - "Dream Warriors" (1987)
Yes - "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (1983)
Ozzy Osbourne - "Bark at the Moon"
The Fat Boys - "Are You Ready For Freddy" (1988)
Vinnie Vincent Invasion - "Love Kills" (1988)

Dokken rocks on Elm Street.

The special wasn't very "spoiler friendly" to those not lucky enough to catch the film opening night, as both Freddy's latest resurrection (via a dog taking a leak!) and the death of an important character are spoiled.

In the days before YouTube, readily accessible music downloads, and DVR... this was a "can't miss" deal -- a solid soundtrack for casual viewers and enough original Freddy scenes for the diehards.

The comedic aspects that took over to various degrees of success in later Elm Street films are noticed here.  Elm Street 4 is often called "the MTV Freddy movie," and at one point in this special, Krueger finds himself being mocked by the host.  While this certainly helped bring the character into the mainstream, it also continued New Line Cinema's decision to mold Freddy into a "cool," fan-friendly villain.  The comedy certainly didn't work as well here as the in the film, but Robert Englund had little to work with.

This guy...

Seal may be the most lifeless Freddy victim of them all, making the beloved "Wizard Master" from Part 3 seem like a tough guy. I think we learned that when it comes to interacting with Freddy, strong women are the best choice.  This guy was lame.

The Dream Master became the most successful of the Elm Street franchise due to heavy promotional tie-ins with mainstream media, amazing when you consider the lead character is a horrifically-burned, wise-cracking child murderer.  Would this fly today?

Severed heads were all the rage.

Check out all 5 parts, readily available on YouTube for your viewing pleasure, or snag the long out-of-print commercial VHS for bonus retro goodness.  YouTube has the original commercials intact (but is missing a short interview with the Vinnie Vincent Invasion) and is your best option.

-EM