"Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street." Is now streaming.

Here's the trailer.

Can't see it in Canada.

Anyone want to give the short version of why that one movie ended his acting career? I never watched any of those movies.

Robert Rustler is Still hot!

Fabulous. I’ve been eager to see this for a while.

I have a feeling Mark Patton posts here, so congratulations, Mark!

Now if only we could get either of Robert Englund’s documentaries to come out ...

Or.

The movie says no horror movie villain "was scarier than Freddy Krueger."

I disagree. Michael Myers, Jason and the xenomorphs were all scarier to me. But my favorite is ELM STREET because of the creativity and Freddy's charisma.

[Quote] Scream Queen also finds Patton confronting Freddy’s Revenge cast and crew for the first time, including co-stars Robert Rusler, Kim Myers and Clu Gulager, as well as Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund.

Confront?? Did they treat him badly??

[Quote] I disagree. Michael Myers, Jason and the xenomorphs were all scarier to me. But my favorite is ELM STREET because of the creativity and Freddy's charisma.

Freddy was scary up until Dream Warriors. I'd rather deal with Jason or Michael. At least with them you'd get a quick death. Not the case with Freddy.

Streaming OP? There are 8000 streaming channels now, so which is it?

I’m watching it on Amazon.

U.S. here.

Thanks OP, gonna try to see it somehow. A quote from the trailer: "I didn't write those screams to be a woman." He's lucky he's never had the experience of witnessing a person in real terror for their life -- they're called blood-curdling for a reason.

Loved Patton in Come Back To The Five and Dime...

Streaming link, FWIW.

I urge people to pay now rather than stealing the movie later to support Mark Patton, et al and independent filmmakers.

For future reference Streaming is "free" and part of your channel subscription you already paid for. This is Rent/Pay Per View for a separate fee.

If I search for it nothing comes up in the results.

Did you click on the link at R14?

"Streaming"just means internet video. It can be either free or pay-per-view.

***SPOILER ALERT***PLEASE PAY TO SUPPORT THIS MOVIE EVEN IF I GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS***

To answer r3:

Mark Patton says he got sick and tired of the closet and homophobia in Hollywood. He says his agents told him he was too fey to play straight, so they would only support him as a character actor. He said his agents placed spies in gay bars to police or discriminate against actors who were gay. He was also disenchanted with the paparazzi, who allegedly tricked him into revealing the gay and health status of his lover, actor Timothy Patrick Murphy, who died of AIDS. He was also upset at the public's reaction to FREDDY'S REVENGE, which has always included a lot of gay bashing; calling him a faggot, etc. He was also sick of all his friends dying of AIDS. So he chose to leave it all behind and live incognito in Mexico running a small antique? shop with his lover until 2010.

***SPOILER ALERT***PLEASE PAY TO SUPPORT THIS MOVIE EVEN IF I GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS***

To answer r8,

Mark doesn't "confront" his co-stars per se. It's more like he complains of homophobia that affected him in 1985 while chatting with them after a horror convention. He needles them and the director a bit for not picking up on the gay subtext, but they repeat claims I've seen for 10 years that they and the producer didn't know it was a gay allegory.

Who he really sets out to confront is the screenwriter David Chaskin, who only recently admitted that FREDDY'S REVENGE had intentionally gay subtext.

FREDDY'S REVENGE and Patton in particular have always caught a lot of flak from the public for being "too gay"and considered one of the worst sequels to ELM STREET.

Mark said he sensed from the beginning that the movie was a homosexual allegory, so that it wasn't his fault it was so gay. He faults Chaskin for denying for 30 years that there was any gay subtext. Apparently, Chaskin would always blame Patton in the media for being too effeminate. And when Chaskin admitted it was a gay allegory in recent years, he told the media that casting Mark made it gayer than he ever intended and that's what made people dislike it.

So Mark sat Chaskin down for a "deposition"and eventually got an apology from David Chaskin.

***SPOILER ALERT***PLEASE PAY TO SUPPORT THIS MOVIE EVEN IF I GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS***

But I feel the deposition of David Chaskin is somewhat botched. Patton seems to conflate all the issues and blame Chaskin for his career failure and all the homophobia from the public, which isn't fair. Patton admits this problem in a later scene after he had some time to think about it.

But I wish he had his own psychological shit together and some more journalistic practices before he did the Chaskin interview. Because there are separate issues at play that didn't receive proper closure or clarity.

Is screenwriter David Chaskin still homophobic? Would he write the same movie today? What has he learned about gay people and AIDS in 40 years that he didn't know in 1985? Does he support openly gay people or causes? Does he still think homosexuality is a disease that can be cured if a gay man simply embraces the love of a heterosexual woman? Has he ever told the homophobic Freddy fans to get the fuck over themselves?

I love the title and this is a cool peek into the history of the horror genre. Thanks for the heads up, OP.

But overall, I think SCREAM QUEEN is a good movie. I think it provides some good therapy for Patton and I think the segments describing his struggles with AIDS and the friends he lost were very touching. Ditto the homophobia he suffered.

I wish Patton had included the story about Hollywood agents spying on him in gay bars in the 1980s. I only know that from some other interview Patton gave.

In SCREAM QUEENS, Mark Patton brings up this interview with screenwriter David Chaskin, which sheds some light on what the gay subtext of FREDDY'S REVENGE was supposed to mean without explicitly saying it.

Freddy the monstrous killer was supposed to symbolize homosexual desire, homophobia and death by AIDS. From David Chaskin:

[quote]Yes, there was certainly some intentional subtext but it was intended to play homophobic rather than homoerotic. I thought about the demographics for these types of films (young, heterosexual males) and tried to imagine what kinds of things would truly frighten them, to the core. And scary dreams that make them, even momentarily, question their own sexuality seemed like a slam dunk to me.

[quote]If you really wanted to have fun, one might argue that the entire movie is a metaphor -- Jesse is, in the end, finally able to control the monster inside him (his latent homosexuality) with the love of a good woman. Maybe they should show this film at one of those evangelical deprogramming sessions where they try to “fix” gay people into regular Americans.

The interview also suggests that David Chaskin has learned his lesson and that he's no longer so homophobic.

The documentary was really good. It was worth the $3.99 price on Amazon. Mark's personal journey was compelling, a gay actor who came of age in Hollywood during the AIDS scare, who still obviously suffers from the scars today. (And he's still frequently bullied online by homophobic people who are unhappy with the movie.) The documentary examines 80s cultural attitudes towards gay men, as reflected in films from the period. And then there's the intersection with the horror film genre, which makes this movie especially unique. It has lots of vintage clips of 80s pop culture (and of course, horror movies). I also enjoyed footage from the cast reunion that happened ten a few years back.

Yes, I also love the '80s synth pop score.

A lot of people say that the ending of Jesse vanquishing the monster with the help of his girlfriend was homophobic but let's not forget the nightmare twist at the end. Freddy continues to haunts Jesse's dreams at the very end. I chose to view this as Jesse finally coming to terms with his sexuality in his dreams. I haven't seen the film yet (I intend to) but I believe Mark would have thought the same.

I'm not sure I buy Chaskin's interpretation of trying to exploit teenage boys fears as the insecurity he talks about stems more from how others perceive oneself which occurs mostly among straight males. However, the Jesse character is clearly defined by his sexuality and conflicted feelings toward his best friend. Having never ever read about Chaskin, I always assumed he was either a self loathing gay or someone who was writing about his experiences being in the closet.

^^^Havent' seen the doc, but I've seen Nightmare 2 numerous times.

I had a friend who worked for New Line Cinema and he called me opening day after I saw it and asked what I thought. I honesty said I liked it a lot but it was surprisingly so gay. He knew, but I never thought it as a bad thing, just surprising.

Chaskin seems like a typical, once-homophobic, straight male to me.

He panned Patton’s prissy performance for decades and cracked homophobic jokes on the set, allegedly.

Does Meryl's doppelganger make an appearance?

Absolutely she does. Kim Myers contributes to a group discussion after a reunion panel the cast did at a Florida horror convention. She doesn’t say much.

But she tours those horror conventions with Patton all the time now.

I just watched the doc. It wasn't half bad! If I were Mark, I would take great comfort knowing that David Chaskin's career went nowhere, either.

The one fact I remember from Never Sleep Again is that, according to Mark Patton, the song they played while he was dancing in the bedroom was supposed to be "Steel Claw" by Tina Turner, but for some reason they changed it (probably too expensive).

And Patton should be bringing the song they DID use to his live stage shows to recreate his dancing, as well as a pop gun.

Here’s Wish featuring Fonda Rae with “Touch Me (All Night Long).”

Thanks for answering R19.

I remember watching this movie at the cinema with my mom. Afterwards, her only comment was that she appreciated how, during the bedroom makeout scene, the female's breasts were covered by the male's hands instead of being exposed on camera. (She didn't have anything to say about the gratuitous shots of man-ass.) The only other thing I remembered was the interrupted dancing on the bed (with that stick).

I understand why Mark is upset. After watching the documentary, it does seem that Chaskin threw Mark under the bus. When fans didn't like the movie and criticized it for being "too gay", Chaskin apparently implied that the movie read as gay, not because of his script, but because Mark was femme. The comment triggered Mark's childhood memories of having been bullied for being effeminate, and he interpreted it as "Mark was so gay that he ruined a perfectly-straight movie." Then years later, Chaskin admitted that yes, he had written in a subconscious theme of "choosing" straight over gay. I don't remember if the documentary got into this, but the biggest problem with Part 2 was the writing. It contradicted a lot of "rules" that had been set by the first movie. (E.g. Freddy is only supposed to kill people when they're asleep. He can't just show up at a pool party and kill people who are awake.) So, Chaskin may have been thrilled to pin the blame on Mark's perceived "gayness" in hopes that critical fans would focus on that instead of the shoddy writing that contradicted the earlier movie.

It was cool how the make-up person was looking out for Mark, pulled him aside and instructed him not to let Freddy insert the finger blade in and out of Mark's mouth on camera, like Englund had asked him to. Would Englund have suggested the finger-in-the-mouth gesture if his costar were a female? If so, he probably would have gotten some criticism for it when word finally got out in the media. To me, that was the gayest scene. Freddie was acting seductively towards Mark, playing with his hair and caressing his face.

In light of what FREDDY’S REVENGE was supposed to be, I think the finger fuck would have been good.

The problem is, nobody was “ in the light” of what Chaskin was doing!

And things were less politically correct back then. DeNiro’s horror villain in 1991’s CAPE FEAR shoved his finger into Juliette Lewis’s mouth uninvited and face fucked her in the same kind of way.

Now the fact that FREDDY’S REVENGE “broke Wes Craven’s rules,” replaced Craven’s characters and did its own thing doesn’t make Part 2 bad, IMO.

Knowing the gay subtext, it’s a great movie and food for thought, even though I reject the homophobic message. It’s clever poetry.

Yes, the Craven-written Freddy movies are better and I would always want them provided.

But in retrospect, people should have a newfound appreciation for something that’s interesting on its own.

And yes, Freddy was scary in Part 2. He wasn’t even scary in most of the movies.

Growing up, I remember people saying that it was the worst of the series. It's since become a cult film and even most Nightmare fans regard it better than parts 5 and 6. I think it's better than part 4 as well, but a lot of people have nostalgia for that film.

There are some silly things in Nightmare 2, but I don't think Freddy has ever looked scarier. The way they handled his makeup and lit him in that one makes him really terrifying. Plus, it's the one film in the franchise where he's going after a kid whose parents apparently had nothing to do with his death. Jesse is new to town, so Freddy's just tormenting him, because he's a sick fuck and will get him closer to the kids of Elm Street.

I always thought Mark Patton was a great actor and really sold his fear in the film and I have this pet peeve about people who criticize actors because they basically sell their fear too well. I kept seeing this with the young actor in Hereditary who I also thought was brilliant in selling that fear. I think this is a big reason why you never see actors really go all the way in selling fear on screen. They're so scared their screams will seem girly and unmasculine and that the audience will laugh, because we're not supposed to see a man so vulnerable. I bet those same frat bros laughing at the men on screen would look just as silly if Freddy Krueger showed up in their bedrooms at 2 a.m.

The documentary is excellent and constantly entertaining and informative. I had a great time with it and it works as a great companion piece to Heather Langenkamp's I Am Nancy and Never Sleep Again. The Nightmare series has been blessed with some really great behind the scenes looks at the films and the people involved with them.

Kim Myers looks absolutely gorgeous still. What is it about those Nightmare on Elm Street women? They all look great.

[quote]What is it about those Nightmare on Elm Street women? They all look great.

Bless you, R40.

Uh....wow, she doesn't look good.

R41 Altman wept, is that natural aging?

Tuesday Knight is still #Winning ... at the buffet table.

MY LIFE AS NANCY didn't do anything for me. Gratuitous masturbation, though I love Heather Langenkamp.

Tuesday Knight looks Much better these days.

The homoerotic subtext in Nightmare 2 of a combination of things David Chaskin wrote, Mark Patton's performance, Jack Sholder's subconscious and the set designer having a laugh.

Where is this streaming? Netflix? Amazon? Hulu?

Looks good

R48, Amazon is one of them. I think now, you can order the DVD.

Amazon has it.

I recommend you watch NEVER SLEEP AGAIN before SCREAM QUEEN. It was the impetus for Patton's movie and return to American society.

These movies are perfect for quarantine.

I'm trying to get the Fu Man fingers!

Wake up, little girl.

Like Friday the 13th Part 5, Elm Street 2 has grown in popularity. To me, it's the last time Freddy is scary. I've grown to love the movie more having met Mark and the cast many times at conventions. They are such nice people it enhances my enjoyment. Robert is still sexy as hell. Of course, had to get a signed shirtless photo from him. Mark is great to talk to. Kim is quiet but sweet.

Never thought of Robert Englund as a sex symbol, nor wanted to see him shirtless.

But he is a romantic crooner.

R57 lol, I wasn't talking about Englund, the Robert I was refering to was Rusler

Robert Rustler looks like the singer from Go West.

Well, you can't say shirtless Robert Englund isn't hot!

Grace Jones got to lick Robert Rustler like a lollipop.

Fabulous quarantine filler.

R23 Chaskin said he was joking when he said that quote. In the interview, he seems to have a keen insight into what it's like to be in the closet. His language was also pretty revealing. The way he describes it sounds like someone who either went through or is going through the same thing himself. Especially when he says he never met an out gay person at that point in his life, and then says having to tell your friend and family is the most terrifying thing. I found him much more sympathetic than Jack Sholder, who reveals himself to be quite an asshole telling Mark to just get over it and even criticizing his performance in the film.

The early part of the documentary was fascinating too revisiting the AIDS panic of the mid 80s. The latter half of the 80s really was the end to the free love movement. This documentary chronicles that transition better than any film I've seen recently. Mark's body has been ravaged over the years by various illnesses which I never knew about. The once pretty Patton has aged considerably. It's sad but ultimately satisfying to watch him triumph. Mark chose to walk away from the the industry but the film did a great job showing the reasons, including Mark's illnesses, the loss of his boyfriend and peers, lack of opportunities for actors (even those who were still in the closet). Definitely a good watch.

Wrong, r26. And that's why I encourage you to watch both NEVER SLEEP AGAIN and SCREAM QUEEN.

Patton sees the entire film as homophobic and that final scene where Freddy returns on the bus is still horrific. So it would be saying that Jesse will always be "plagued" by homosexual feelings and they'll continue to be deadly and terrifying.

Patton also says he was bullied and ridiculed for being gay on the set of ELM STREET 2, especially by Chaskin.

Chaskin is not closeted or self-loathing. As he explained in NEVER SLEEP AGAIN and other ELM STREET documentaries, he finds homosexual desire to be terrifying and that's why he wrote the film. The thought disgusts him and he has a typically homophobic fear and loathing of men who might find him attractive and try something on him, like most straight guys. So he wanted to exploit and develop that fear as a horror film, especially because guys were literally dying of AIDS.

He played the younger, pre-op Karen Black in COME BACK TO THE 5&10 JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN and he thinks THIS movie stereotyped him?

Was Mark was still in a relationship with Timothy Patrick Murphy at the time of his death? He said they broke up many times but had a long term relationship. He said that the National Inquirer took photos of Timothy on his deathbed but I couldn't find any photos of Timothy from this time period even though he worked until a year before his death.. During that part of the doc, they used footage of Timothy from Dallas in a scene where he was in a hospital bed.

Later in the film, Mark tells the director Jack Sholder that he was upset during the filming because his lover was dying. Did Timothy already contract AIDS by that point?

Another thing I found odd was that Mark was tracked down by a reporter from the National Inquirer who pretended to be a friend of Timothy who was in the business of outing celebrities at the time. What's odd was that Timothy's relationship wasn't even public knowledge a few years ago. Even DL hasn't speculated about it.

[quote] Patton sees the entire film as homophobic and that final scene where Freddy returns on the bus is still horrific. So it would be saying that Jesse will always be "plagued" by homosexual feelings and they'll continue to be deadly and terrifying.

That's a valid interpretation however one can also say that he was plagued by self loathing for repressing his sexual desires.

[quote] Chaskin is not closeted or self-loathing. As he explained in NEVER SLEEP AGAIN and other ELM STREET documentaries, he finds homosexual desire to be terrifying and that's why he wrote the film. The thought disgusts him and he has a typically homophobic fear and loathing of men who might find him attractive and try something on him, like most straight guys.

I should watch that segment again then. Scream Queen only mentions his comments from an article and doesn't really delve into the previous doc.

[quote] He played the younger, pre-op Karen Black in COME BACK TO THE 5&10 JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN and he thinks THIS movie stereotyped him?

His agent told him that he could only get character parts because he couldn't play straight. His dream, at the time, was to become a movie star. However, I think the main reason he left the business was AIDS panic in Hollywood after Rock Hudson's death. The tabloids started their campaigns of outing celebs and many Hollywood producers were demanding blood tests. Shortly after this time, Patton himself became ill. He was also grieving the loss of his boyfriend at the time. So the way I took it, it wasn't just the matter of him being typecasting, but a perfect storm of different things.

Most of the successful actors around that time, no matter what level of fame, were working consistently. Those who took long breaks were unlikely to be welcomed back.

As I recall, r66, Mark and Timothy had broken up, but Mark re-established friendship as Timothy was dying of AIDS.

SCREAM QUEEN! recounts the story, you should watch it.

r68 should re-read the article linked @ r23. Chaskin admits he was homophobic and intended the message of FREDDY'S REVENGE to be homophobic. A cautionary tale against homosexuality and exploitation of straight guys' fear of queers.

Further background comes in NEVER SLEEP AGAIN @ 54:07, which I believe is the Chaskin interview that upset Patton and returned Patton to the U.S. / show business / horror cons and Freddy fans.

Robert Englund speculates that Freddy could mean self-loathing in Part 2, but he is not Chaskin and didn't suffer the homophobic bullying from Chaskin that Patton did.

Of course, self-loathing is wrapped up in Part 2, but the main message was that GAY = DEATH.

[quote] [R68] should re-read the article linked @ [R23]. Chaskin admits he was homophobic and intended the message of FREDDY'S REVENGE to be homophobic.

He said in Scream Queen that he didn't want to promote homophobia, but "to point it out". Of course, he could very well be full of shit. Mark does seem to forgive him though.

[quote] A cautionary tale against homosexuality and exploitation of straight guys' fear of queers.

One could definitely see it that way but a lot of slashers at this time were promoting the idea that sex=death. I think the friendship Jesse has with Ron is actually quite sweet. It sucks that he gets slashed towards the end, but Lisa is also endangered during her makeout scene with Jesse. It was just a convention of the genre that people took for granted. However, there is the predatory gym teacher, but even then I think he picks on Jesse because he knows he gay. The character of the coach could be a gay man suffering from internalized homophobia. And Jesse does get his revenge.

Of course, I could be reading way too much into it and the film is just as homophobic as some people make it out to be. I do have mixed emotions when it comes to this movie. Jesse remains a sympathetic character for me, and his casting as the lead could be seen as groundbreaking for its time. To this day, people will claim that Lisa should have been the main character, but Mark certainly adds much more pathos to the role. The chest bursting scene is also one of the best sequences in the entire franchise.

I don't know what to believe anymore. The film, for better or worse, is still remembered today while other big budget horror films are totally forgotten. And it's the most well known thing Mark has ever done.

[quote] he finds homosexual desire to be terrifying and that's why he wrote the film.

R64, people generally don't find homosexual desire to be terrifying unless they've experienced it.

R74 I couldn't find any information about Chaskin other than that he has a son. Of course, he could have experienced these feelings at some point and simply repressed them.

Dear r73,

Since you keep ignoring my evidence, here is the direct quote from BloodyGoodHorror.com, one of several interviews Chaskin has given explaining that Part 2 was indeed demonizing homosexuality:

[quote]Yes, there was certainly some intentional subtext but it was intended to play homophobic rather than homoerotic. I thought about the demographics for these types of films (young, heterosexual males) and tried to imagine what kinds of things would truly frighten them, to the core. And scary dreams that make them, even momentarily, question their own sexuality seemed like a slam dunk to me.

Quit trying to turn something anti-gay into pro-gay so that you can feel better about liking it. Gay people and homosexuality have a lot of enemies and people who hate them — especially back in the '80s.

People should be able to hold a complex appreciation of things: that some things are both good and bad. I still love FREDDY'S REVENGE even though it was gay-bashing. I don't agree with the message, but I think it's a great metaphor with a great cast, some good scares, atmosphere and innovative in several regards. You should accept loving a mixed bag rather than try to twist the facts.

I have similarly conflicted views about other films. I love aspects of THE TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and BIRTH OF A NATION, despite all their racist implications. The world isn't black and white.

[quote]a lot of slashers at this time were promoting the idea that sex=death.

Wrong. A lot of film CRITICS at the time were promoting the idea that sex in slashers = death. It is a common interpretation, but the creators of the three, biggest slasher franchises usually referenced — John Carpenter, Sean Cunningham and Wes Craven — have all have denied they were trying to demonize sex or send a message about sex at all (you can watch the many documentaries about HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH and ELM STREET for that information). In fact, sexually active characters in ELM STREET were usually the survivors: Nancy Thompson, Jesse + Lisa, Joey and Alice. And lots and lots of victims who are never shown having sex in slashers die, too, of all ages.

So "slasher sex = death" is "reading too much into it." That theme is not apparent unless you think really hard about it and project.

[quote]The character of the coach could be a gay man suffering from internalized homophobia. And Jesse does get his revenge.

All gays have a little "internalized homophobia" but it's not the point of the film. There is nothing sympathetic about Coach Schneider. You're supposed to hate him and enjoy seeing him get slashed; most people do. The thing about sadistic perverts is they'll pick on anyone they're attracted to and rape — they don't give a shit about their victims' feelings. Yes, some gay predators pick on people they sense as gay because maybe they'll have better chances. But remember that Schneider picked on Grady, too. It was all part of Chaskin's theme that homosexuality is evil, gays are kinky, perverted predators who are going to rape, torture and kill you with AIDS.

[quote]Jesse remains a sympathetic character for me,

Jesse remains a sympathetic character for everyone except the Freddy fans who hate effeminate men. The problem is, you were supposed to feel sorry for Jesse like the victim of a nasty disease he couldn't control, like alcoholism or psychosis.

[quote]Anyone want to give the short version of why that one movie ended his acting career?

Lack of talent?

Patton says he got fed up with the public and Hollywood agents gay-bashing him after Part 2 came out.

That and AIDS killing many of his friends led to Patton's decision to leave show business and the U.S.A. for good, living a secluded life in Mexico.

Patton is deluding himself that he would have gone on to megastardom if not for that gayish entry into the Nightmare series. The movie is unintentional camp.

I imagine the filmmakers didn't know quite what to do with the fey actor after he was cast. There was nowhere to go but gayer.

[quote] All gays have a little "internalized homophobia" but it's not the point of the film. There is nothing sympathetic about Coach Schneider. You're supposed to hate him and enjoy seeing him get slashed; most people do. The thing about sadistic perverts is they'll pick on anyone they're attracted to and rape — they don't give a shit about their victims' feelings. Yes, some gay predators pick on people they sense as gay because maybe they'll have better chances. But remember that Schneider picked on Grady, too. It was all part of Chaskin's theme that homosexuality is evil, gays are kinky, perverted predators who are going to rape, torture and kill you with AIDS.

Never thought Schneider was a sympathetic character but not all gay characters are automatically sympathetic. In this case, his primary motivation was to target Jesse because he reminded him of what he most hated about himself. And watching the film again, you can't deny that Jesse and Grady appear to act more like a couple. Does that necessarily mean Grady was gay? I believe the answer is ambiguous.

It could be true that Chaskin's original intent was homophobic, however the interpretations by the actors themselves are just as valid. The fans, including the gays who have attempted to reclaim it, can also choose to view it through a different lens.

The ending is pessimistic but Freddy's manifestation at the end could be Jesse's refusal to reconcile his feelings with his homosexual identity.

[quote] In fact, sexually active characters in ELM STREET were usually the survivors: Nancy Thompson, Jesse + Lisa, Joey and Alice. And lots and lots of victims who are never shown having sex in slashers die, too, of all ages.

I thought this message was overly simplistic. The ones who were most likely to survive were more single minded in their approach, and less consumed by teenage infatuation. Survivors did have sex but they weren't totally consumed by lust.

You can spin and project a pro-gay message all you want, r80. But it doesn't make it true or what the screenwriter intended.

Chaskin has admitted he wrote FREDDY'S REVENGE as a cautionary tale against homosexuality, with Freddy being a metaphor for how AIDS will kill you.

That was the '80s and almost everyone saw being gay as a bad thing. Chaskin's script was simply re-affirming the mainstream point of view that homosexuality is evil, but with the deadly urgency of the AIDS epidemic to back it up and fuel the hysteria.

Mark Patton has claimed repeatedly that he was the victim of homophobic bullying and taunting on the set of FREDDY'S REVENGE, especially from Chaskin.

He claims the same thing about his agents and Hollywood in general. It was all very anti-gay.

It's too bad r80 is incapable of liking something that isn't pure. I love ELM STREET 2 and think it's very clever literature, knowing Chaskin's intentions now and reading the signs better.

But I'm not going to pretend it was about gay empowerment. It was a homophobic, grim "fairy" tale.

Patton didn't really have a marketable look to have long-term success in film and television. I don't think any agency dealing with those areas would've put much effort in pushing him as a star. He should've just stuck with theater, where there wasn't stigma in being gay or your looks didn't matter as much.

I recently found these pictures of Mark from 1977 when he first arrived in NYC to try and be an actor. I'm sure it got the attention of the gay casting directors that were into twinks.

For the longest time, I had always thought Patton was in on the gay subtext the whole time, along with the writer and director, and maybe some of the cast. This was a really eye opening doc.

My main gripe with the movie when it came out was simply that Craven wasn't involved with it, and it showed, majorly. Dream Warriors was a far better, if not the best, sequel in the franchise, when Craven got involved with it again.

There was a homosexual energy between Stu and Billy in Scream, Craven and Kevin Williamson just handled it with more subtlety.

In one of these documentaries, Patton did say he was surprised by the amount of homoerotic content in the ELM STREET 2 script back in 1984 and questioned it.

He also said he got teased and bullied for being gay on the set later.

R3 I liked 3 as well but I do enjoy the fact that one of my favorite franchises has a gay film. Since it was only the second film in the franchise, I don't mind that it took creative risks with the premise. I just wish the story would have been a bit better. I've always enjoyed films that deal with dual identities.

OMG iHop is playing that Cathy Dennis version of “Touch Me All Night Long” right now!

I’ve never heard this publicly before. Not even in the ‘90s.

I love this "Killer Queen" T-shirt based on Jessie from FREDDY'S REVENGE.

This artist has a lot of artwork based on all the ELM STREETS and other horror icons.

Mark and the director did a panel for the documentary that’s longer than the documentary!

Looks like they’re doing Zoom panels in the Corona Era. I wonder if they did any live conventions in the past year.

For those who asked: it's available for free streaming on Shudder, DirecTV, and AMC Plus.

You can rent it for $3 at all the usual places.

They talk about again on the In Search of Darkness part 2 on Shudder. Robert England and especially Robert Rustler seem really proud of the film for being subversive. I'm glad that the fans chose to embrace and recontextualize the film rather than to try to cancel it like we're supposed to do everything else.

Still screaming..

A lot of the criticisms for NOES2 could have also been leveled on Fright Night. It's homoeroticism is more subtle but just as problematic if you choose to view it that way.

Yeah, Chris Sarandon and his vampire roommate read pretty queer.

In Search of Darkness looks like a namedropping cash grab that won’t reveal anything new. I don’t know if I’ll get around to that.

Just watched it, loved it.

Chaskin and that director are jerks.

For those who say Patton should get over it, he purposefully disappeared for years and people came looking for HIM, so he can tell his story if he wants to.

So there.

Well, Chaskin wasn't to blame for the complete cancellation of Mark's career.

Mark chose that himself.