Re: NECA's Freddy Krueger Bladed Glove Replica (1984)

Jeff,

The image of where it shows 3 different Freddy's, I know exactly which ones they are. The left Freddy is from Freddy's Revenge, the middle Freddy is from New Nightmare and the right Freddy is a standard promo shot which can be seen on the Marty Toy Ltd Freddy glove from the '80s and early '90s.

What was the doc where it mentions about the safety pin? I never heard about it.

Re: NECA's Freddy Krueger Bladed Glove Replica (1984)

It appears NECA did an outstanding job to perfection on this replica, I really like the small touches they added that make it that more like the real thing, especially the re-soldered blade. But, It's just not for me, I prefer the remake version, because this just looks like a poor cobbled together glove. I know that's what it's supposed to look like but it's just not my style.

NECA's Freddy Krueger Bladed Glove Replica (1984)

Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby...

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Michael Myers can keep his chef knife and I'll leave Jason Voorhees to play with his machete. It's Freddy Krueger's lethal finger bladed glove that has captivated me as a horror hound ever since it first appeared on screen way back in 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street. Last year NECA released a stunning prop replica of the glove featured in the Elm Street remake (read my review HERE). While a fantastic looking glove, the new design couldn't save the movie... or replace my fondness for the classic original. As Marvin Gaye once sang, "ain't nothing like the real thing, baby".

This month NECA delights Elm Street fans with a replica of the glove that started it all, the 1984 Freddy Krueger glove. There's a lot more riding on this replica release. Where the 2010 glove was all-new to discriminating fans, the 1984 original has over two decades of history behind it. Every detail of the glove has been poured over by die-hards, including myself, who 20 years ago actually attempted to make his own glove replica by freeze-framing the opening credits a gazillion times as reference.

First things first. The 1984 Freddy glove comes packaged very similar to the 2010 replica - a sturdy window box adorned with plenty of colorful Freddy Krueger photos. However, for a prop replica advertised as being so movie specific, I was a tad perplexed by the complete lack of details referring to the 1984 film. Described simply as "Freddy's Glove Prop Replica," the packaging doesn't tell you which version of the glove is inside, nor does it mention any of the glove's defining features, such as its real metal construction.

The Freddy photos also fail to display the authenticity of the original 1984 glove. There's a pic of Freddy on the back with a glove that looks like it's from Freddy vs. Jason, a Freddy on the side from Freddy's Revenge, and an image on the other side of Freddy with what appears to be the original '84 glove, sans the safety pin feature on the prop replica (more on that later). In a nutshell, the packaging - while very attractive - is all very generic; appearing as if it was designed for the casual fan browsing a Halloween store. A true shame, as the prop replica inside is anything but. Now that I think about it, the packaging is like a best kept secret. The informed Elm Street collector knows that the glove inside is the real deal, but can you imagine the look of surprise on "Joe Casual" when he gets home and opens this up? Like buying a Ford and getting a Ferrai.

Puzzling packaging observations aside, you'll want to keep the box. It acts as a great storage container for the glove inside; the prop nestled in a faux felt-lined, slide-out plastic tray. Removing the glove is as simple as unwinding four twisty ties holding the blades secure and pulling off the padding protecting their tips. Yes, those blade tips are SHARP, but the edges themselves are not. Like NECA's 2010 remake glove, the pointy blades go a long way in making this prop replica look lethal and real. Well, technically it COULD BE lethal and it IS real, but you get my point: The blades don't have those unsightly rounded off tips featured so prominently on higher-end costume gloves.

Construction-wise, the Freddy Krueger prop replica glove is the real deal, made of the exact same materials as the movie weapon. You have sturdy steel for the blades, thick copper for the finger armatures, and a solid brass back plate. The metal rivets are all firmly affixed and the glove itself is, from all appearances and texture, real leather or a material very close to it. Again, like NECA's 2010 remake glove, I have no fear of the glove falling apart - be it the rivets coming loose or the leather glove tearing. Although as you can see in the photos, the glove is already pretty well shredded - just like in the movie - so I wouldn't recommend adding any additional stress to it.

This brings me to one of the glove's most unique and talked about features: the safety pin. I'll be honest with you, as much as I declare myself a die-hard Freddy fan, I've never noticed a safety pin on his glove - really not surprising considering how much Freddy is shrouded in shadows. Still, I ventured out on the internet to learn more and the closest I came to an answer was in a prop replica forum. Those who say that the safety pin is indeed movie accurate comes from a documentary where it is explained that the glove ripped on set and that a safety pin was used to quickly fix the problem. The safety pin stayed on for the rest of the filming and thus it became part of the original glove's history.

That explanation sounds good to me and I am sure NECA did their homework when creating this piece. As it is, the safety pin adds more of a "homemade" look to the glove, fitting right in with the found boiler room materials of the weapon. The downside of the safety pin is that it adds an additional step when putting the glove on. While not nearly as complex as the 2010 remake glove's wrist clamp, the safety pin does slightly hamper the thrill of immediately sliding the glove on. Ah, but once placed on your hand, this glove amazes with authenticity.

Another film-accurate glove feature, and one I am all too familiar with, is the broken index blade. NECA captures this trait with awesome detail, the blade actually broken and actually resoldered back together. In fact, all the blades and finger rings are really soldered on... rock solid. Again, this glove is the real deal.

Speaking of the finger rings, some of these are new to me in design. The upper index finger ring, for example, stands out from its curved brethren by being squared off. I looked up some reference photos, and sure enough, it's squared. Learn something new everyday. The pinky finger ring is also unusual in that it attaches at a diagonal, allowing your finger to better grab it. I never noticed that either. One finger ring I did have issues with was the ring finger. My finger can reach it no problem with the blades folded in, but when I spread the blades out, as if to claw, my ring finger slips out. It's either placed too high or my ring finger is too small (probably the latter, I do have small hands). It's a little frustrating, but far from a deal breaker. This glove still looks phenomenal on display.

To help you display this glove, NECA once again provides a black plastic handform on which the replica can be modeled on. It's a brilliant addition, adding value to an already bargain-priced prop replica.

If you own NECA's 2010 remake glove, the 1984 original makes the perfect bookend. The two gloves look killer displayed side-by-side, showing off the drastic evolution of the unique weapon. For Elm Street purists, this glove is as good as it gets to owning the real McCoy at a fraction of the cost most online glove makers charge. Priced at around $60-$70 and slated for release this month, NECA delivers an authentic prop replica of exceptional value. Ah, had NECA only existed 20 years ago when I was making my fugly Freddy glove from scratch...

Fans can pre-order the 1984 Freddy Glove Prop Replica today at BigBadToyStore.com priced at only $59.99.

FOR OVER 50 NEW PHOTOS OF THE 1984 FREDDY KRUEGER GLOVE REPLICA, CLICK HERE!

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Sample Courtesy of NECA

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