Freddy's Nightmares (TV Series) Saturday Night Special (1988) User Reviews

A dating service from hell, and learning beauty is only skin deep.

[b_kite · 5/10 · 25 March 2019]

Episode 6 has Gordon who is a nerdy boorish insurance salesman who, who despite this only wants the most perfect beautiful woman. He agrees to take part in a video dating service which implies that Gordon lie about himself to seem more appealing. He does so and he whines up getting a date with the beautiful Lana, the woman of his dreams. However, Lana isn't as stupid as she first seems and can see threw Gordon's lies, which he must pay the price for. The second half deals with Lana's unattractive roommate Mary who has very low self esteem. Lana recommends Mary to her plastic surgeon who she says can make her a brand new woman, but, to Mary's demise It's not as easy as it seems.

This is our first episode which doesn't really have a famous horror director behind it, it was helmed by Lisa Gottlieb who's sole claim to fame seems to be the 1985 teen comedy "Just One of the Guys". Surprisingly she handles the material pretty good. As for the stories themselves, the first one isn't to bad it builds up a fairly entertaining premise, even the opening narrations with Freddy are awesome, it sadly can't handle its own weight and gets worse as it progresses and then leads up to nothing sadly. However the scenes of the beautiful Shari Shattuck ice skating in lingerie may be the best of the series so far. The second story is pretty much just a morality tale about self esteem and self confidence as another reviewer stated. It once again builds up a pretty decent premise, but, then ultimately goes nowhere with it. Overall, I love the tone of the episode and the underlining theme that Shattuck's Lana character may just be Freddy in disguise is a good one. Sadly, neither tale really goes anywhere.

Like most episodes a mixed bag

[The_King_of_Cool · 6/10 · 1 March 2009]

EPISODE 6: Saturday NIGHT SPECIAL- ***

Writers- James Nathan & Don Bohlinger

Director- Lisa Gottlieb (Just One of the Guys)

Gordon (Scott Burkholder) unhappy and alone goes to an agency and makes a video dating tape, but lies about who he is and what he does; he gets a date with the beautiful Lana (Shari Shattuck) and his dream date becomes a nightmare; the 2nd half has Lana's friend Mary (Molly Cleaton) unhappy with her looks and has plastic surgery and than becomes beautiful and now played by Joyce Hysner of Just One of the Guys, but beauty is only skin deep. This episode was fairly good, but the first story while entertaining never really goes anywhere, but still fun; the 2nd half plays out almost like a morality tale of self esteem, but still works for the most part. Not a great episode, but fairly enjoyable. Stu Charno of Friday the 13th Part II appears in a brief role.

Love, Lies, and Freddy's Sinister Laughter

[BeefyBoyGod · 5/10 · 11 August 2023]

"Saturday Night Special" delves into the realm of romantic aspirations and self-image, crafting two intertwined stories that reveal the highs and pitfalls of societal beauty standards. As the sixth episode of Freddy's Nightmares' inaugural season, this installment, directed by Lisa Gottlieb, offers a dual narrative that explores the consequences of deception and the transformative power of physical alteration.

The episode begins with Gordon (Scott Burkholder), an unassuming insurance salesman, seeking love through the Rondevous Dating agency. Encouraged to embellish his persona on his introduction video, Gordon fabricates a persona of wealth and athleticism, which draws the attention of Lana (Shari Shattuck), a stunning blonde. Gordon's lies eventually catch up with him, exposing his true self to Lana. The initial storyline raises questions about honesty and authenticity in the realm of dating. However, it takes an unexpected twist as Lana's involvement reveals a hidden layer, blurring the lines between reality and the influence of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund).

The second half of the episode shifts its focus to Lana's roommate, Mary (Molly Cleator), who struggles with self-esteem and body image. Encouraged by Lana, Mary undergoes plastic surgery, transitioning from plain to stunningly attractive. However, the transformation takes an unforeseen turn, exploring the psychological impact of societal beauty standards. While the narrative aims to deliver a moral message about inner beauty, the execution falls short of creating a resonant impact.

Freddy's presence serves as a fleeting but sinister commentary, as he appears sporadically with his characteristic dark humor and cryptic insights. His involvement remains tangential to the main narrative, offering a thematic undercurrent rather than direct engagement with the plot.

Gore makes a limited appearance in this episode, notably in scenes where a character is skewered by fencing swords, resulting in blood splatter. A surreal sequence involving Shari Shattuck ice skating in lingerie on an ice rink adds a bizarre yet visually striking element.

The tone of "Saturday Night Special" wavers between campy and serious, leaning toward the former during the game-show sequences and the latter during Mary's transformation. The episode's failure to capitalize on intriguing premises results in a disjointed viewing experience. The lack of a satisfying twist and a relatively predictable narrative arc dampen the overall impact.

While the performances are adequate, there are no standout acting moments in the cast. Shari Shattuck, known for her appearances in television series such as "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest," delivers a commendable portrayal of Lana.

"Saturday Night Special" showcases potential but ultimately falls short of fully realizing its thematic intentions. The episode's exploration of dating dynamics and societal perceptions of beauty carries intriguing elements, but the execution leaves much to be desired. As Freddy's Nightmares continues to explore the horror anthology format, this installment serves as a reminder that even with engaging concepts, effective execution is essential for delivering a compelling narrative.

Patchy, as usual.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 5 June 2010]

Freddy's Nightmares: Saturday Night Special starts as insurance salesman Gordon (Scott Burkholder) decides to go to the Rondevous Datting agency, there Gordon is encouraged to lie on his introduction video. Claiming that he is a rich businessman & ex-Ice Hockey champion Gordon soon has a reply to his tape, his date Lana (Shari Shattuck) is a beautiful blonde who isn't as dumb as she first seems & sees through Gordon's lies who pays the price. Lana's sister Mary (Molly Cleator) is rather plain & unattractive by her glamorous sister's standards & Lana introduces Mary to her plastic surgeon Tony who she claims will change her life for the better nut it doesn't work out that way...

Episode six from season one of Freddy's Nightmares this was directed by Lisa Gottlieb & is yet again another episode that starts off reasonably well with a guy learning the hard way to just be himself before it all falls apart in an awful second half which is one big morality message about external beauty doesn't matter & it's what's on the inside that counts & beauty isn't quite as nice as it's made to be after a rather plain looking woman gets some plastic surgery to turn her into a super model & finds that life isn't any easier. It's all standard broadly written stuff that has little impact, the first story is alright & feels slightly twisted while the second one is rubbish with no horror to it at all, or at least none intentional. In case you are interested the title Saturday Night Special refers to the dating agency deal Gordon chooses.

Freddy pops up a few times to offer some twisted words of wisdom but is irrelevant to the main story. There's a bit of gore here, a woman is skewered with two fencing swords & there's some blood splatter. There's a surreal moment where star Shari Shattuck in just her sexy underwear takes to the ice rink & proceeds to play some hockey in a Jason Voorhees style mask before running Gordon over while his feet are encased in a block of ice while writhing around on a couch! The acting is alright, there's no-one of any note in the cast but Shari Shattuck did appear in one episode of Falcon Crest & five episodes of Dallas.

Saturday Night Special is another Freddy's Nightmares that isn't a total waste of time but isn't exactly brilliant, it's watchable I suppose but the second part of the story is crap.