Features

Music Video Mayhem: 'Dream Warriors' By Dokken
by: -RoG-

Good ol' Dokken. What a name! Founded by Don Dokken, Dokken (the band) was a major influence in the 80's heavy metal scene, and while they weren't as blatantly reliant on "glam" as bands like Poison, they were often still unjustly lumped together in the same genre. Dokken had plenty of hit singles such as "Into The Fire" and "The Hunter", but for my money, it doesn't get any better than the titular "Dream Warriors" single they released in 1987 for the A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors movie soundtrack. The third Elm Street film has always been a fan favorite (my personal favorite is the fourth in case you were wondering), and I'm sure having Dokken peforming its theme song didn't hurt matters.

In addition to horror movies, this was also a great time to be watching MTV before it became a bastion of bad reality shows. Freddy Krueger was definitely MTV's favorite horror icon, and he'd host various specials on there from time to time. Well, sure enough, Dokken wanted in on some of that Freddy fandom, so they made a video for their "Dream Warriors" single and you couldn't turn on MTV without seeing it at least five times in a 24 hour period. And for some kids, who weren't allowed to go to the theaters to see such a scary film like Elm Street 3, MTV's music videos were the next best thing. Let's not forget, for all of its modern faults, this is still the network that introduced us to some of our favorite classic horror-themed music videos including Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me".

To kick off our 2008 Halloween season here on I-Mockery, I want to take a closer look at Dokken's "Dream Warriors" music video. It brings back many memories for me, particularly all the good ones from when Freddy-mania reaching its zenith.

One thing you could count on with any music video from this era was, if the song came from a movie soundtrack, the video itself would have plenty o' footage from the movie itself. Dokken's "Dream Warriors" video was no exception to the rule, but they did find a way to have some fun with it. Rather than just show a hamfisted mix of the band performing and clips from the Elm Street film, they reworked it so that the two seemed to go hand in hand.

As you can see above, it starts off with the star of the third Elm Street film (well, other than Freddy), Patricia Arquette in her first role, as Kristen Parker. Just like in the third film, she's up late at night doing some arts and crafts to help her stay awake... because we all know what happens when she falls asleep. Only different is, in this video, she's not just pasting together old popsicle sticks... she's clearly using some Dokken fanzine materials as well! But to build what?

 

Oh shit! It's the house that FreddyMetal built! Man, that would've given the Elm Street movies a completely different feeling if the cameras swooped around to the back of Freddy's actual house only to reveal that it was adorned with nothing but Dokken memorabilia.

Well, it seems as if building that Dokken house wasn't exciting enough, because the next thing you know, Kristen is sound asleep in her bed. But in the dream world, she can only remain at peace for but so long before Fred... er... the thrash-o-rific guitars of Dokken awaken her from her slumber! Naturally, she awakes to find herself at Freddy's front door with some kids singing that infamous "One, two... Freddy's coming for you." nursery rhyme.

As Kirsten makes her way up into Freddy's house (or "Crib" for all of you kids who've had the unfortunate displeasure of growing up on post-90's MTV), we get our first glimpse of Dokken's band members. I particularly like how they show one of the little girls and they do a crossfade to the face of Don Dokken as he sings, "I lie awake and dread the lonely nights!" He already looked effeminate enough back then, was cross-fading him with a little girl on a tricycle really necessary? Apparently so. Gotta love that skeleton guitar (skulltar?) as well...rock them bones, Dokken! They also appear to be playing in some sort of underground lair... but isn't that where all metal bands come from? Heavy metal bands aren't born... they're mined and then brought to the surface.

 

Once Kirsten is inside his house, we finally get a real glimpse of Freddy... albeit a shadowy one of him making one of his typical "come hither" gestures with his razor-fingered glove. And that's right about when Dokken kicks into the rockin' chorus, "We're the dream warriors, don't wanna dream no more! We're the dream warriors, and maybe tonight... maybe tonight youll be gone!"

Can you feel the metal? Can you feel it coursing through your veins? Do you feel them bones on that fine axe shaking you to your core? Can you picture long romantic walks on the beach with guitarist George Lynch as he makes pouty faces at you to show just how emotional he really can be underneath all that hair? I bet you can... oh yes, I bet you can.

 

And speaking of emotion, look at the raw, unadultered FURY of Don Dokken. I sure hope he's on Kirsten's side, because if he's not, she should probably worry more about him than Freddy. Think about it. If you were being stalked by two people, one named Fred and one named Dokken, who would you be more fearful of? DOKKEN. That's who.

Anywho, down in Freddy's basement/boiler room, Kirsten and the tricycle girl look into a piping hot furnace and as the flames rise we see not just the charred bodies of his many child victims but...

...Dokken's drummer pounding away on his bones! Kirsten can do nothing but look on in horror as he smashes those drums while the fires of hell continue to burn around him. Why? Because he's a dreeeeeeeaaaam waaaaaarioorrrrrrr!

The little girl then informs Kirsten that "Freddy's home..." so she picks the girl up and makes a run for it, only to be stalked in a shadowy hall corridor by Dokken's two lead men. The horror... THE HORROR! We also see Freddy peek out for a quick laugh as Kirsten notices that the little girl she was carrying has now turned into a burned lil' skeleton. Guess this means she's not fit to work in a daycare center.

 

Next, we cut to what is probably the most famous scene from Elm Street 3, when Freddy takes on the shape of a giant snake and tries to eat Kirsten. Only difference is, in Dokken's music video, it's not a giant snake that comes bursting out of the wall to scare the hell out of her... it's George Lynch and he's here to rock her world with a slashtastic solo!

My favorite thing about the solo, other than the fact that he just came bursting through the drywall, is Kirsten's gradual acceptance of it as being awesome. At first, she looks completely bewildered and possibly nauseated by George's solo, but by the end of it, she's all smiles and he continues to blaze away on them bones. Well, she's all smiles until...

Freddy pulls him back into the wall! Oh no! Somebody save him from Freddy so he can live to thrash again! Come on Dokken, use your metal powers!Now Kirsten has made her way down to the cave-like area, which looks a lot like the place where Freddy had Joey suspended over a firepit by those nurse tongues in the actual movie. Seems like a perfectly good place for a final showdown, don't ya think?

 

And there he is, all four fingers of gory razored glory, and he's ready to collect another soul. But before he can cut Patricia Arquette's acting career short, he's gotta go through a more powerful force than Nancy or Alice or any Elm Street movie heroine he's ever faced before! He has to go through the ultimate powerhouse...


DOKKEN!

It looks like George somehow escaped Freddy's claws, because he has rejoined the band and is rockin' away. I guess what they're trying to say here is that, when separated, the band members of Dokken can't defeat Freddy... but when their powers are combined? They are indestructible. No! Wait! They're more than indestructible... they're DREAM WARRIORS!

 

With all the hair-flinging, fist-pumping emotion he can muster, Don Dokken's high-pitched shrills bring Freddy to his knees! He may have metal on his fingers, but Freddy's simply no match for the real metal mastery of Dokken! Try to cover your ears all you want Fred... there's no way you're gonna block out this heavy metal storm!

 

Sounds like one hell of a dream for Kirsten eh? Well guess what? It wasn't her dream at all! It was Freddy's dream! Yeah, you heard me right... FREDDY HAD A NIGHTMARE! I know, I know... I just blew your miiiiiiiiiind maaaaaaaan. But that's because I'm a Dream Warrior too. Foreverrrrrrrrrrr, foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

Have any questions or comments about this piece?
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE READER COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

 

If you enjoyed this piece, be sure to check out:

Music Video Mayhem: 'Queen Of The Reich' by Queensryche
Music Video Mayhem: 'Queen Of The Reich' by Queensryche!

Reader Comments

 

OLD COMMENTS:

WHAT'S THIS?!
Sep 1st, 2008, 07:48 PM
Stuff like this is why the 80s should have never ended. Classic.
Serial Loiterer
Sep 1st, 2008, 08:26 PM
So Freddy has nightmares about Dokken? Dokken must be the ultimate badass. I figured Freddy would have nightmares about having to make really cheasy sequels with lower and lower budgets.
Former Virgin
Sep 1st, 2008, 09:07 PM
Wow, I had forgot all about this. They don't make em like this anymore.
Näyttelijäbotti!
Sep 1st, 2008, 09:52 PM
"Can you feeling it coursing through your veins?"
I cans feeling it. Like you, I is also Lolcat.
High Priest of Burbank
Sep 1st, 2008, 10:23 PM
WHAT A NIGHTMARE! WHO WERE THOSE GUYS?
Strange blob from beyond
Sep 2nd, 2008, 01:34 AM
I remember seeing Dokken supporting AC/DC back in the 80's. As a climax during "dream warriors", Don Dokken threw his mike stand into the air, one hand outstretched skyward as if in metal triumph to catch it on the return journey. Funny thing was it came down, he missed it and it hit him on the side of the head knocking him flying. He missed the end of the song!
Snow Fiend
Sep 2nd, 2008, 11:15 AM
Keep on rockin' like Dokken, dudes!
Commarade General
Sep 2nd, 2008, 11:47 AM
The 80's have magic in them.
Is that really Robert Englund? I mean, there's not really a clear shot of him (he's always on the shadows, too far away or partially obscured) so I don't know.
But if it's really him, then wow. Nice he decided to appear in the video.

-Commanderraf
Amicable Herculean
Sep 2nd, 2008, 12:38 PM
Goddamn, I WANT that guitar. I don't care if I haven't played in years. And yeah, 80's music was great.
is hopped up on goofballs
Sep 2nd, 2008, 03:54 PM
Freddy has nightmares about Dokken, but Dokken has nightmares about Chuck Norris...er...too late, am I?
Member
Sep 2nd, 2008, 04:12 PM
So Freddy might be a lame dude after all...
pickled
Sep 2nd, 2008, 07:07 PM
Freddy dreams about 80's hair bands apparently.
Imperial Stormtrooper
Sep 2nd, 2008, 11:10 PM
FUCKING EPIC! Metal, may you R.I.P
2 cool for school
Sep 3rd, 2008, 12:46 AM
Freddy cant stop the fucking rock man.
Crazed Techno-Biologist
Sep 3rd, 2008, 02:36 AM
the irony is that that anti killer ghastly rapist music is now their choice type.
Droog
Sep 3rd, 2008, 01:23 PM
Dokken rocks, go to hell all you haters.
Into the fire!
Oh, go eat some flowers!
Sep 3rd, 2008, 11:22 PM
Hot damn, that's a catchy tune... first time for me to hear the song/see the clip, so thanks for posting the article! The only problem is I've had it stuck in my head for the last couple of days.

I dunno, any excuse to walk around singing in falsetto...
good fer what ails ye.
Sep 3rd, 2008, 11:34 PM
Notice how Don Dokken moves? That's because his human form can barely muster the power to control the METAL pulsating within!
SKATASTIC
Sep 4th, 2008, 08:45 PM
Awesome.

I personally like the Fat Boys song better though, just me.


The Fat Boys - Are you ready for Freddy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDUl5Ke5jbM
OH GOD
Sep 4th, 2008, 10:54 PM
nightmare on my street
Pickled Patriarch
Sep 4th, 2008, 11:12 PM
Yeah we already had the "Freddy Rap" vote and "Nightmare On My Street" won by a pretty large margin. I still might review the Fat Boys video sometime though...

Vote For The Ultimate 'Freddy Rap':
http://www.i-mockery.com/halloween/rap-vote.php
SKATASTIC
Sep 5th, 2008, 03:26 PM
There's a Fishbone song called "Freddies Dead" which I always thought was about Mr. Kruger. I just found out last week it's not.
Member
Sep 6th, 2008, 07:51 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 10,000 Volt Ghost View Post
There's a Fishbone song called "Freddies Dead" which I always thought was about Mr. Kruger. I just found out last week it's not.
It's actually a cover song originally by Curtis Mayfield. Although I prefer Fishbones version

How About Do The Freddy from his greatest hits record?
Pickled Patriarch
Sep 9th, 2008, 01:31 AM
Heheh, yeah I actually bought that Freddy's Greatest Hits album when it first came out. I was all excited to see him on the cover of a record, and even though I had just got my first CD player, I couldn't resist the urge to buy it. Sadly, the cover was the best thing about that album. I'll probably review it here on the site sometime and include a few mp3s so you can hear just how awful it was. If you thought his razor claws scratching a chalkboard was a grating sound, just wait 'til you hear a sampling of this album...

But for now, let us recommence Rockin' with Dokken!
SKATASTIC
Sep 9th, 2008, 09:18 PM
They should have put Freddy on guitar at some point in this video for a solo.
Pickled Patriarch
Sep 10th, 2008, 02:55 AM
Freddy already shredded on an electric guitar in that episode of "Freddy's Nightmares" that I reviewed a while back. Maybe this will jog your heavy metal memory:


Freddy's Nightmares "Sister's Keeper" episode feature:
http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/freddys-nightmares2/
SKATASTIC
Sep 11th, 2008, 02:24 PM
I must have missed that one. I only have about 4 VHS tapes of the show. I like the picture below it with Freddy doing the "Daffy".
Forum Virgin
Sep 13th, 2008, 03:06 PM
George Lynch's brother, Stephen Lynch, played guitar for Autograph.
Ya my sideburns are epic
Sep 21st, 2008, 11:36 PM
lol but u would think such a HUGE movie franchise would have a much better song and a much better band...
OH GOD
Sep 22nd, 2008, 05:43 AM
um it also has the two rap songs about it if you'd read the thread you'd know that
Forum Virgin
Oct 8th, 2008, 02:24 PM
I uploaded all of MTV's Freddy's Hour, which ran as a promo piece for Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. It was just a load of clips from the previous Freddy flicks with nightmare themed music videos and video-jocky BS thrown in. On the good side, it had the Fat Boy's "Are You Ready for Freddy" vid and a bunch of old '80s commercials.

Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJunKKmMcwM
Forum Virgin
Oct 8th, 2008, 04:35 PM
Great classic song and video in the days when videos were actually shown on MTV.
aint nobody
Oct 28th, 2008, 02:59 AM
after i read this,i put in my DVD of ANOES3 and skipped to the credits just to hear the damn song,then i did it again

now,i'm not really a fan of their,or most any 'hair band' music,but this was a pretty decent tune

and it kinda helped drown out the song from that jerk ass axe chocolate spray commercial temporarily
Egg
Nov 7th, 2008, 08:09 AM
George Lynch was the only thing that kept Dokken from sucking.
I miss these videos.
Pygmy Extraordinaire
Mar 10th, 2009, 11:00 PM
All 44 episodes of Freddy's Nightmares are now playing on the Chiller Channel. The cheese just oozes across the screen.

Love me that Freddy smartass!

Click here to return to the Features homepage