- For other versions of the character, see Rick Johnson (disambiguation).
Richard "Rick" Johnson was a character who appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. He is the older brother of Alice Johnson, boyfriend of Kristen Parker and friends with Sheila Kopecky, Dan Jordan, and Debbie Stevens. Rick is also an avid martial artist. He and his sister attend Springwood High School.
He was portrayed by Andras Jones. He is the fifth victim of the fourth killing spree by Freddy Krueger.
Personality[]
Rick is outgoing, playful and cheerful, much opposed to his quiet sister. He is also shown to have a strong passion for martial arts, having a part of his home's outdoor garage turned into his own training gym. It can be assumed that he is a popular figure at school, as he is good friends with school jock Dan Jordan and tomboy Debbie Stevens. Rick also has a sense of humor, although sometimes his girlfriend cannot understand his jokes.
Rick shares a very close relationship with his Alice Johnson. He is shown to be a caring brother, such as defending her in front of their father several times; teaching her how to defend herself and encourages her to be more active. In fact, he even tries to introduce Dan to Alice, whom she has a crush on. Rick also cares greatly for Kristen, this can be shown when he openly stands up for her when she is being scolded by Kincaid, whom he dislikes; her death has impacted him greatly.
History[]
Background[]
In the film, Rick is introduced as the elder brother of Alice Johnson. Their mother passed away when he was a child, leaving them living in an unpleasant household with their alcoholic father, Dennis Johnson.
Unlike his shy sister Alice, Rick is much more cheerful and outgoing, and shares a very good relationship with the other Springwood teenagers, especially school jock, Dan Jordan and tomboy, Debbie Stevens. He is also dating Kristen Parker, who is fresh out of Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, although he dislikes her friend Roland Kincaid and possibly Joey Crusel. Rick often sneaks into Alice's bedroom when she is day dreaming, teaching her martial arts and how to defend herself.
The Dream Master[]
History Lessons Rick, describing Freddy Krueger to Dan
At the beginning of the film Rick is seen climbing down from his window, when Kristen asks him why he did that, he jokes: 'today is 'avoid all contact' day.', upon realizing both Alice and Kristen don't understand this joke, he explains to them this means whenever the day his father mistakes sleeping pills as sugars. The trio drives to the school gate in Kristen's car, they are greeted by their good friend Debbie Stevens, who tells them she has slacked off her work for watching Dynasty again. As the four are conversing, Debbie sees the school jock Dan Jordan coming off his truck, as Rick sees Alice day dreaming. Knowing his sister has a crush on Dan, he tells her Dan is his good friend and he can introduce her to Dan if she wants him to.
Later that day, Rick finds Kristen scolded by Kincaid, he walks to them as Kincaid provokes him, which he tells him to leave her alone. Kincaid, enraged, tries to attack Rick, only to be pulled away by his friend Joey. He then walks along the school hall with Kristen and describes them as 'kinda spooky'.
One night, Rick is training in the garage until his father comes back. As his father complains about his poor dinner to Alice, he defends his sister as Alice walks up stairs quietly. Later that night, he sneaks into Alice's room like usual, telling Alice she should be more optimistic and teaching her how to defend herself.
The next day he finds out Kincaid and Joey were killed last night. Kristen takes him, Alice and Dan to the old Elm Street House, believing that it is Freddy who murdered her friends, which confuses Dan, as he doesn't know about the legend of Freddy Krueger. Rick, although doesn't believe in the existence of Freddy, describes the history of Freddy to Dan as the two wanders outside the house.
Sad Speech Rick, after his girlfriend Kristen dies under Freddy's hands
After realizing Kristen is in danger in her nightmare, Alice calls Rick and they rush to Kristen's house. Rick sees his girlfriend burned to death from the fire. Shortly after her funeral, Rick catches Alice watching a tape of them all with Kristen, he and Alice then argue about the existence of Freddy Krueger; unfortunately, Rick doesn't want to hear it.
When Sheila dies, Rick begins to come around, acknowledging that something strange is going on in their town. He begins to stay awake with Alice, who is too afraid to fall asleep, afraid that somebody could die.
One day at gym, he walks away from a troll who mocks his depression over Kristen's death. Dan catches up with him afterwards, finds Rick tired looking as Rick reveals to Dan he has not slept at all yesterday. Dan was then called off for a rugby training, leaving Rick on his own.
Death[]
Rick passes out in the bathroom stall at Springwood High and finds himself captured in a deadly dream. First, he is interrupted in the stall by cheerleaders with pom-poms, his sister Alice watching on in bewilderment. The cheerleaders back up, pulling Alice away with them. Moving out of the stall, he walks out into a dilapidated urban studio floor, coming to sees Kristen in the mirror across the hall, and she turns to him to reveal her face blackened and charred. Falling back, the stall has turned into a graffiti covered rusted elevator that falls fast.
Rick's death
When the elevator comes to a stop on the "13th floor", Rick finds himself in a serene Asian themed open air bedroom, trapped in a kung fu fight with an invisible Freddy. Cocky once he gets the upperhand by honing in on Freddy and knocking off his glove, Rick taunts him. However, Freddy makes his glove lift from the floor and fly across the room, stabbing Rick in the chest, killing him. He absorbs Rick's soul and gets his dream power.
After Death[]
Rick was buried at his funeral. He appears during Alice's daydream where he tells her that he is not really dead and it was a trick to fool Freddy. Knowing it is just a hallucination, Alice says goodbye to Rick as he departs back into his casket.
Freddy eating Rick's soul in front of Alice.
When Freddy decides to brag to Alice about killing her brother, he begins by sucking her into a movie screen in a dream. Rick is seen as one of the patrons in the movie theater (along with Kristen, Joey, Sheila and Kincaid). In the dream, Alice is brought back to the diner where she worked at, the Crave inn. There, after she encounters an elderly version of herself, Freddy sadistically shows Alice Rick's soul (on a pizza as a meatball). Using one of the blades of his glove, he plucked out Rick's soul. He then shows it to an appalled Alice before eating it in front of her.
At the end of the film, Alice eventually defeats Freddy and releases the souls of his victims. Among them being her brother, Rick, as he flies off with the others to the realm of good dreams.
Trivia[]
- It's curious although not born as an Elm Street child, Rick seems to know about the history of Freddy Krueger, he even tells this to Dan, who is new to the town. It's possible he doesn't know about Freddy's existence until Kristen tells this to him before she takes them to the Elm Street House.
- It's implied in the film that he dislikes Kincaid and Joey, as he refers to them as 'kinda spooky'.
- It's also implied he dislikes Kincaid more than Joey, as he has provoked him once.
- Rick's catchphrase of "Hello baby!" comes from the opening line of the 1958 song "Chantilly Lace" recorded by the late musician J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson. This was also used in the 1986 Van Halen song "Good Enough" and considering his age and the song only being 2 years prior it's likely he got the phrase from the Van Halen song.
- It is hinted that Rick's fear is elevators. This would explain why Freddy tormented him, with an elevator in the dream before his death.
- Rick is being indirectly mentioned in The Dream Child, when Dennis Johnson tells Alice 'it's fun to have a boy playing around the house.'
- The scene where Alice and Rick argue over the existence of Freddy was improvised between actress Lisa Wilcox and actor Andras Jones.
Quotes[]
- "According to Kris, they hunted Fred Krueger down and roasted him like a Thanksgiving turkey."
- "It's avoid all contact day."
- "Swish, killed a fish."
- "These people are kinda spooky..."
- "Hey, Supergirl, it's dead--give a bug a break!"
- "Hello baby!"
- "How are you going to fight me without your weapon, Freddy?"
See also[]
Rick Johnson at the Horror Film wiki.
References[]
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