If asked to name successful film franchises, you could more than likely rattle off a few that have held audience interests long enough to exceed the standard trilogy. James Bond. Harry Potter. Star Wars. Heck, even Resident Evil is still putting bums on seats after four instalments. But not all film franchises continue to pull in the crowds, instead defaulting to DVD as they continue to explore their characters, story and that crack in the floor in HMV. We’ve found seven of the saddest…

In 1994 Wes Craven reclaimed the original slasher nightmare and helmed the final instalment in the franchised vision of terror – Nightmare on Elm Street. The outcome of Craven’s combined writing and directing efforts in this film – Wes Craven’s New Nightmare – was a vivid horrorscape of the unimaginable and an exercise in intelligent, disturbing inventiveness. 17 years later and My Soul To Take has summoned the cinematic corpse-monger back to the business of blood – but it’s a far cry from the slick-witted slice ‘n dicer – and this time the result may be more bed-time story than Nightmare…

Wes Craven: Two words that by their associative powers alone, can conjure inimitable phantasmagoric visions from which you cannot avert your eyes, but in the dead of sleepless night, so desperately wish you had. Whether it’s the snicker-snack of finger-knives or an Edvard Munchian bogeyman that threatens our dreams, it’s high-time that we got ourselves educated on the hand that wields them…

Yep. More Jason. Surely nobody’s watching these any more?

His films have grossed more than $1.5 billion. He’s just won a Golden Globe and will probably go on to win an Oscar next month. His beard is unbearably, inexplicably sexy. You should definitely know more than you do about David Fincher, and we’re here to help…

The world of film is awash with Marmite topics – actors, genres or even cinematic styles which make some movie-goers dampen their plush seats and others tear the stuffing from the punter in front. In our J’accuse series, two of Best For Film’s writers go head-to-head and debate a controversial aspect of cinema. This time round it’s the worst nightmare of every indie Japanese director – the Hollywood remake.

How do you judge the greatest horror film ever made? Is it how near you come to running out the room, sweating? Is it the intensity of the nightmares that follow? Or is it the film that sparks off agorophobia? If that is the criteria, then Big Momma’s House gets my vote.

A sleepy rural village, inexplicable teenage deaths and some spooky link to a serial killer long dead – get ready for Wes Craven’s latest horror! What’s that? That’s the exact plot of The Nightmare On Elm Street, also by Wes Craven? Oh stop being such a kill-joy! My Soul To Take breaks new ground for many reasons… erm… it’s in 3D?

“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you… Three, four, better lock your door…” In 1984, writer-director Wes Craven unleashed one of cinema’s most iconic and dearly beloved boogiemen: Freddy Krueger. Dressed in an eye-catching red and green striped sweater and a beaten fedora, Freddy stalked his victims in their dreams, killing them with a glove of razor sharp knives. Craven officially laid his hideously-disfigured creation to rest in 1994 with the self-referential New Nightmare and now, more than 15 years later, Freddy is resurrected in a slick yet soulless remake that doesn’t have a clue how to scare an audience.

Despite fairly average reviews, it looks like Iron Man 2 is worth its weight in gold. Iron gold. Yeah. In its opening weekend, the superhero sequel took $133.6m – the fifth highest take ever – during its opening weekend, easily trumping the first flick’s opeing takings of $98m.