I'm watching NOES right now. Always so impressed by how well this movie holds up over time. I loved the cast in this film, a young Johnny Depp and Heather Langenkamp is iconic as Nancy.
I was saying this earlier in the chat but it's quite easy to see why Depp became the star he did after this. Even in his first role he has so much charisma and star quality about him. Plus his character is great!
What really sets apart these films from other slasher movies is how much Robert Englund brings to the role. He's not just a guy behind a mask, he adds a lot of jazz to Freddy and seeing a horror villain crack jokes whilst he's murdering people in their sleep was unlike anything we'd seen.
His manerisms and everything is just on point. It's not easy to be equal parts scary and comedic and somehow he manages to pull it off with ease.
Wes Craven was a genius and he's sorely missed. After this I'm watching NOES 2 which is lot more different, but I do appreciate the serious tone of Freddy in that one.