Well, I'm not very difficult to please. I find that if I enjoy the first film in a series, odds are I'll be able to enjoy the rest. I'd even go as far as to say that each of the big horror franchises only have one weak link. For Friday the 13th that is Jason X, for Halloween it is Resurrection, and for A Nightmare on Elm Street it is the remake. All the rest of them, even if some of the sequels aren't technically "good" they're still fun.
I'd say horror fans are lucky to have all three of the franchises and each has provided me many, many hours of fun. So I thank all involved with each of them even though each has that one movie I just can't get into.

"Nightmare On Elm Street" was my favorite of all horror movies because Freddy Krueger talked. It was creepy when Michael Myers or Jason standing there making no sound, but with them they would play that music whenever they were close. It got boring.. Oh, there's the music again.
It was new for horror movies to have the killer talk, and I liked that.

It had some low spots with Freddy's Dead and the reboot, and Part 5 was underwhelming.
I think the least-flawed horror series is probably The Evil Dead. But to be fair, if they'd cranked out as many movies as the other franchises, they'd probably have a couple duds as well.
I prefer "lame" zombie Jason. Normal people can't keep coming back from explosions, gunshots, stabbings, falls, and having machetes and axes embedded in their heads. At least, not without occasional medical attention.

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jeeznot too much bias going on in this thread huh

Out of all the major slasher villains (Freddy, Jason, Myers, Chucky, Leatherface) I think that Freddy got the best sequels out of all of them. For me, even the worst Elm Steet movie is still fun and entertaining to watch.

Saw was a better franchise than all 3 of them.

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Well it was the first one to get it taken away despite being the youngest so hence it was the first one to get it back

I disagree. Stuff like Freddy's Dead and the remake were pretty bad.
Also, how does it keep its dignity when they turned Freddy into a complete joke?
In fact, one of the only things that was liked about the remake is that Freddy wasn't a a jokester, but more serious and menacing.

Nightmare 1: Tries too hard to be different from other contemporary slashers at the time, has a cheap look and feel to it, and the ending is ridiculous and stupid.
That's because it WAS different with layers of subtext that other horror movies only wish they could achieve. It may look sorta cheap, but certainly better than the Friday and Halloween originals, and it was made with only 1.8 million dollars and had the greatest element in horror history, a man who can kill you in your sleep. Something you cant escape. It had universal appeal as everyone can identify with nightmares. The ending was the fault of Bob Shaye and Wes Craven having to compromise with each other giving us a cluster beep of an ending that is the only thing bad in the movie, aside from some of the acting.
Nightmare 2: Little continuity with the original (especially compared with the sequels), and breaks the rules that the first movie set up.
There were no rules to break. The ending of the original leaves you with either the impression that none of the death happens, if its all a dream, or if Freddy has or will kill them. They had to make part 2 to see where not to go. I agree the human avatar thing was weak. But Freddy is dark and brutal in the film and it is a good horror film if looked at on its own.
Nightmare 3: Clashing in tone with the first two, being something of a dark fantasy rather than a horror film, and anti-climactic considering that it sets up its characters as formidable dream "warriors", only for them to be easily picked off within minutes of the final battle commencing.
You know, it has a great horror atmosphere and the mental hospital setting while bringing back Nancy was a great idea. Some of it is perfect Freddy, but he starts getting way to talkative in this one. I also agree the Dream Warriors were not even effecting Freddy, is was Neil burying the bones. So the plot is jumbled. Not my favorite but its considered the fan favorite by the actors who have been told so on multiple occasions.
Nightmare 4: Basically a comedic parody of the original movie.
I agree. I HATE this movie more than any other in the series. It took the horror element completely out of the series and made Freddy a lame one line spewing jokester.
Nightmare 5: Forgettable characters, nonsensical ending, and an overall bland, tired feeling throughout. It's the overexposed antithesis of that originality the first movie gave us only five years previously.
Nightmare 6: You'd think this actually was an intended parody. Overly cartoony, characters you care nothing for, a stupid origin story with "dream demons", and a completely anti-climactic ending (despite being the intended climax of the series) when Freddy had much for fitting deaths in previous movies.
Part 5 lost me when Amanda Krueger, who had ample opportunity to tell Neil in part 3 that her body needed to be found, pops up with that $hit. I mean really. And the gothic tones clash heavily with the jokey Freddy.
Part 6 was intended to be a parody but still really, you are going to send him out like THIS? Dream Demons were HORRIBLE.
[quote
New Nightmare: Like the original, it tries to be different from other horror movies of its day, but is long and boring, to boot! ]
Nope, New Nightmare is just as brilliant as the original and did what Scream did only better 2 years earlier. Exploring the effects of horror movies of kids, fans, and the actors who played them. Brought Freddy back to being dark and evil. Made him even more evil. Not shown much in the film which is a highlight as it adds tension. Plus it was a perfect 10 year reunion companion piece to the original.
Freddy vs. Jason: Disappointing given the fifteen year wait. Most of the movie features annoying, obnoxious caricatures that take up the movie's time when it could be spent more on Freddy and Jason.
I'm indifferent to it, but its about the best we could have gotten. The kung fu beep from Freddy in the real world was ridiculous.
Nightmare 2010: The only thing new this movie did was trying to make us think Freddy was innocent and wrongfully killed, then "surprising" us with the revelation that he was in fact evil all along (shocking!).
I actually love the remake over parts 4-6 because Freddy was dark again. But the innocent angle is ridiculous. Its already established by the time we find out he was in fact guilty that he was a pedo because of how he talks to Nancy and licks her face in a disgusting manner. Really stupid move.
Haters gonna hate

While I love this series and it is my favorite of the "Big Three" horror franchises, what you're doing here is being overly generous to these movies and pointing out only good things to say about them, while doing the opposite and being unfair to the other two franchises. Watch, I can do it, too:
Nightmare 1: Tries too hard to be different from other contemporary slashers at the time, has a cheap look and feel to it, and the ending is ridiculous and stupid.
Nightmare 2: Little continuity with the original (especially compared with the sequels), and
breaks the rules that the first movie set up
.
Nightmare 3: Clashing in tone with the first two, being something of a dark fantasy rather than a horror film, and anti-climactic considering that it sets up its characters as formidable dream "warriors", only for them to be easily picked off within minutes of the final battle commencing.
Nightmare 4: Basically a comedic parody of the original movie.
Nightmare 5: Forgettable characters, nonsensical ending, and an overall bland, tired feeling throughout. It's the overexposed antithesis of that originality the first movie gave us only five years previously.
Nightmare 6: You'd think this actually
was
an intended parody. Overly cartoony, characters you care nothing for, a stupid origin story with "dream demons", and a completely anti-climactic ending (despite being the intended climax of the series) when Freddy had much for fitting deaths in previous movies.
New Nightmare: Like the original, it tries to be different from other horror movies of its day, but is long and boring, to boot!
Freddy vs. Jason: Disappointing given the fifteen year wait. Most of the movie features annoying, obnoxious caricatures that take up the movie's time when it could be spent more on Freddy and Jason.
Nightmare 2010: The only thing new this movie did was trying to make us think Freddy was innocent and wrongfully killed, then "surprising" us with the revelation that he was in fact evil all along (shocking!).
Keep in mind that I actually like most of these movies, but I'm making the point that with bias you can spin anything into the way you want it to be presented, by ignoring its bad points and exaggerating the good.

There is no way that A Nightmare on Elm Street has kept its dignity. Every sequel after 3 bastardised the movies entirely. It sullies the rest of the movies too knowing what a joke Freddy became.
RAWR!

I've never been a fan of Friday The 13th. Halloween is ok. I've only seen the first two. I actually enjoyed the remake of Halloween. I thought it was excellent and I loved the clear back story of him as a kid. But by far Nightmare On Elm Street is the best.

In terms of consistency, I'd say Nightmare had the better run between the main three. Halloween became a jumbled mess while Friday was just the same silly movie over and over again. However, I don't think any of the three really kept their dignity.
Halloween ditched the idea of various stories taking place on Halloween after the failure of 3 in favor of rehashing Myers who became more Jason-like.
Friday became mindless slash flicks and eventually tried to add new ideas but still came off as stale.
Nightmare became silly once Krueger became a pop icon and in turn became silly himself.
Of the reboots, I respect Zombie's Halloween for being Zombie's own retelling of the tale whether or not it was a good or bad film. Friday tried to jumble plot points of the first three or four movies into one. Nightmare did nothing new to reinvent Krueger. It was almost the same as the original with a bit of changes but with zero charm. At least Zombie's Halloween was a reinvention of the characters and story.

Psycho and Scream are probably the best horror franchises.

For my money, the Evil Dead and Phantasm series are the ones with the most consistency.

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I generally agree that ANOES is by far and away the most satisfying and consistent of the franchises, but then again, Friday the 13th held up pretty well just the same. It wasn't until the 7th film that things started getting a little wonky.
Anyone here mentions Hotel California dies before the first line clears his lips.

Are you aware that Rob Zombie is going to make another Halloween movie?
Where did you here
that
?

Agreed that H3 is a decent flick. Having the Halloween name on it was more of continuing the franchise in a different direction. Various stories revolving around the holiday rather than the same maniac, which would've made it more unique than most franchises. Myers was definitely dead after 2. He also had both eyes shot the fvck out! Any movie that brought him back after that one was just plain silly.

Are you aware that Rob Zombie is going to make another Halloween movie? I thought his first one was quite refreshing to see a lot through the killer's eyes. His "ghost" mother that kept appearing in Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 ruined the movie for me, but the way Rob Zombie depicts violence in these movies is really brutal and graphic (which I love)
Other thoughts on the Halloween franchise:

1. Halloween III (Season Of The Witch) is actually a decent horror flick, what really ruins it is using the name "Halloween", as it has absolutely nothing to do with the first two (it was simply a "marketing ploy" but ignorant moneymen in Hollywood) If you think of Part III as a "stand alone" movie, it's actually pretty decent.
2. I actually like Halloween V (The Revenge Of Michael Myers), it's the last one I like out of the original series.
3. For those that are absolute Halloween "lore" fanatics, only the first 2 original films were supposed to be the "Full Story". Both were written and directed by John Carpenter (and Debra Hill), and Michael Myers quite clearly dies at the end of the 2nd film, getting incinerated and "blown up" in that room.
   I used to be a hardcore fan, only considering the first 2 films as "the full story", but I have since expanded my collection of old horror films, since most horror films made nowadays just aren't very good.