Joey Crusel (A Nightmare on Elm Street film series)

For other versions of the character, see Joey Crusel (disambiguation).

Joseph "Joey" Crusel (mistakenly "Joseph Peterson" on his tombstone) was a character appearing in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Biography[]

He was the friend of Will Stanton, Roland Kincaid, and Kristen Parker, and one of Dr. Neil Gordon and Nancy Thompson's patients in Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. He was one of Freddy Krueger's defeaters in Dream Warriors, and the second falling victim of Freddy's fourth killing spree in The Dream Master. He is Sixteen Years Old In The 3rd But his death at Age Seventeen at the Fourth Film

Personality[]

Joey was quiet, sensitive and socially awkward. In his first appearance in Dream Warriors, he was a mute teenager with sad eyes who lacks the confidence to talk to people, especially women, possibly a result of being traumatized by Freddy Krueger. Joey was calm and reasonable. In The Dream Master, when he and Kincaid are being annoyed by Kristen's concerns about Freddy's return, he appeared to be the more sensible one between the two. He also showed courage against Freddy during the climax of Dream Warriors by releasing his dream power, his supersonic voice.

History[]

Background[]

His parents alongside other parents burned Krueger to death. Joey was one of the last Elm Street children along with Kristen Parker, Roland Kincaid, Will Stanton, Taryn White, Jennifer Caulfield and Phillip Anderson. Previously a debater in school, Joey no longer spoke, it is implied that Freddy is responsible for traumatizing him into this state.

Dream Warriors[]

In the beginning of the movie, all of the children are being stalked in their dreams by Freddy Krueger, who wants revenge on all the parents that burned him to death.

Freddy first attacks Phillip by using his veins and controlling him like a marionette puppet, making him sleepwalk off of a balcony. Minutes before Joey noticed Phillip by the balcony and alerts everyone and they watch in horror as Phillip dies. The day after, many people considered it a sleepwalking accident. Later Nancy Thompson, who vanquished Freddy six years ago and Dr. Neil Gordon work together as their psychiatrists and recognizes everyone's identifications of Freddy.

Right after Freddy kills Jennifer by smashing her head through a television screen. Nancy than considers using Hypnocil to keep them from having nightmares and says to everyone else can use their imagination and have a special dream power. However at the same time, Joey has a dream about a nurse that he thought was attractive and reveals to be Freddy and captures Joey by hanging him over a pit of fire, while in the real world he falls into a coma. Once Kristen and the others find out what just happened, they all gather together in the Dream World to save him while Dr. Neil and Nancy's father dump holy water on Freddy's bones and bury them. On the way, Freddy separates them and kills Taryn, and then kills Will after a short battle.

Kincaid however fights his way through Freddy's traps with his dream power of super strength and meets up with Nancy and Kristen who then wonder through the boiler room to see Joey captured and Freddy is ready to fight.

While Kincaid and Kristen hold off Freddy, Nancy saves Joey from certain death. Freddy then disappears and takes over his bones and kills Sgt. Thompson and beats up Neil. In the meanwhile the Dream Warriors walk down a hall of mirrors. Freddy appears and pulls Kristen, Nancy and Kincaid in the mirrors. When all hope is lost, Joey stands and uses his dream power to yell extremely loud and destroys all of the mirrors. Joey finally speaks and rejoice over their victory, only for Freddy to disguise himself as Nancy's father and stab her. Freddy locks Joey and Kincaid out of the room, leaving Kristen against Freddy. Nancy attacks Freddy stabs him. Afterwards Freddy is glowing gold because Neil buried the bones. Later Kristen, Kincaid and Joey are mourning over Nancy's grave.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 4DVDLIB0331 — Joey as seen in *A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master*.

The Dream Master[]

Now out of Westin Hills, Joey, Kincaid and Kristen have moved on and continue their study in Springwood High School. Although it is clear that Kincaid and Joey want to forget about Freddy and go on living like any other teenager, he and Kincaid are being seen as outcasts by Kristen's boyfriend Rick Johnson, who once refers to them as "Kinda spooky".

One night, while Kristen is having a bad dream, she brings Joey, Kincaid and Kincaid's dog into the dream world, which annoys Kincaid, and even Joey because there is no apparent threat.

While at school, Kincaid confronts Kristen about the incident of the previous night. Joey supports him by calmly telling her Freddy is gone for good. They are then joined by Rick, much to Kincaid's annoyance. Rick tells them to leave her alone, as Joey takes his angered friend away and tells Kristen he will see her later.

Death[]

While he is asleep one night, Joey has a dream in which a naked model from a poster is swimming inside his waterbed. The model then disappears and Freddy slashes his way through the waterbed. After referring to this as a "wet dream", he grabs Joey and shoves him under the water, where he proceeds to stab him with his blades, then drown him to death.

**A Wet Dream in waterbed** Joey before his death

After Death[]

Download (14) — Joey seen after his death

The next morning, Joey's mother finds Joey has drowned inside his waterbed, even though the bed's waterbed mattress is still intact. He was buried near Kincaid, Nancy, Donald, and Kristen. But his tombstone says "Joseph Peterson". His soul is absorbed by Freddy and gets his dream power.

When Alice is sucked into the movie screen, she sees that several audience members appearing as her deceased friends clapping, among them is Joey.

Joey's soul is freed along with those of Freddy's other victims when Alice remembers an old nursery rhyme she learned when she was a child, and turns Freddy's own reflection back on him allowing the collected souls within him to revolt and literally tear him apart before escaping.

Dream Power[]

211830-vlcsnap 2010 05 20 02h44m48s215 — The power of scream

Joey's dream power is the power of a supersonic voice. This is only ever exhibited once in Dream Warriors, where his friends are sucked into mirrors by Freddy. Joey crouched down and huddled into a safe corner before screaming for his friends, breaking the glass and freeing them. However, Joey did not display this power in The Dream Master. When Freddy absorbed his soul after killing him, he gets Joey's dream power.

Trivia[]

Joey's death was ranked #10 on WatchMojo.com's list of the Top 10 Freddy Krueger kills.
In "Dream Warriors" Jennifer introduces Joey as a previous debater in school, but at the beginning of the film, Joey appears to be mute, it is implied that Freddy is responsible for traumatizing him into this state.
It was hinted in The Dream Master that both Joey and Kincaid are being treated as outcasts in the school, as Rick Johnson refers to them as "Kinda spooky".
Both times that Joey has been attacked by Freddy in the Dream World, Freddy started off manipulating Joey by impersonating women that he had crushes on.
His tombstone mistakenly says "Joseph Peterson".