Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street

The information has been circulating for years but we finally hear the truth in this excellent documentary that gives insight into A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. It can now be laid to rest. Never a more pertinent time in American history than right now to understand how oppression affects individual lives and society as a whole. I enjoyed seeing Mark Patton being so honest as well as getting to know what an amazing man Robert England is. Thank you for this documentary. I hope everyone has a chance to watch it.

After recently seeing the excellent Sun Choke (2015-also reviewed)I decided to check spookyastronauts channel again. Catching a video about Horror titles out in June,I was intrigued to learn about a upcoming Horror doc, leading me to learn about a Scream Queen.

View on the film:

Going right back to Mark Patton's (who is also a co-producer) early years on stage being directed by Robert Altman, directors Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen claw the most fascinating aspects of the doc from the archive footage of homophobia in Hollywood and the press in the 80's,with the directors layering press clippings and TV clips, (from A-List stars demanding everyone takes a blood test before productions began, to magazines attempting to whip-up fear of gay people,after the death of Rock Hudson) across the screen.

Travelling with Patton to Horror conventions, the directors present a positive image on the Horror community, with Drag Queens who watch A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 for the "Camp" aspect,sitting as equals with those who have come for the gore. Mentioning in the film that he had decided to quit acting,despite getting some roles after Elm Street 2, the up close and personal approach the directors take,leads to the personal hardship Patton has faced, (losing partner Timothy Patrick Murphy) being crossed with a bitterness towards Elm Street 2,thirty years later.

Building up to reunions with the cast and crew of Elm Street 2, the directors leave the impression of only featuring a small snippet of the exchanges which took place, most noticeable in the one on one discussion Patton has with Elm Street 2 script writer David Chaskin, who apologises over claiming for years that he had not written a gay subtext in the script,and blamed it on Patton, but points out that parts of Elm Street 2 Patton blames him most for (the "girly scream") were the director's decision not his, which gets oddly dissolved to a friending ending to the chat,as Freddy comes out of the closet.

A wonderful, insightful look at the life of reclusive A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 star, Mark Patton. Groomed to be one of the next big young actors in the mid-80's, Patton disappeared from the scene after his agents were fearful that his performance as Jessie would turn him into a character actor who couldn't play straight. Considering this was at the height of 80's AIDS panic, Patton left the industry.

Patton finally gets his moment in the sun here and he's able to confront the filmmakers (some of whom blamed him for some of the criticisms the film received) and gets to finally tell his side of the story.

It's part coming of age story, parts AIDS saga, part love letter to horror fans, and 100% entertaining and even a bit moving. This one is definitely something horror fans and 80's gay historians will eat up.

I'd been interested in whatever happened to Mark Patton since I was a kid and fell in love with the Nightmare on Elm Street series. This documentary brings him out of seclusion and, it turns out, he had a pretty compelling set of reasons for leaving the business altogether.

For Patton, what should have been an exciting time in his life (he was young, attractive, and starring as the lead in a huge horror sequel) became a literal nightmare when he found out his lover with HIV positive and he might be infected as well. Add in the Hollywood homophobia and fear that he'd be outed at any minute and have his dreams shattered and one can see why he decided to leave Hollywood before it discarded him.

It's nice to see this film and performance, often cited as nothing more than a quirky footnote in the Nightmare series, getting a full length documentary treatment. There are tons of interesting facts that fans of the film will enjoy.

Chronicling the gayest horror movie ever made, Nightmare on elm street 2 Freddy's Revenge. The documentary centers around Mark Patton who at the time was not an out gay actor and how the reputation stalled his career. But even more than that the film chronicles the outlook of Hollywood on it's gay artists and the effects of the industry people had to endure. Surprisingly the movie also investigates the Aids epidemic. Although it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I loved that the makers weren't afraid to go into the darker stuff. I wish it could have touched a little deeper with Patton himself. But the film does give me a new found appreciation for him and the struggle he went through. As a kid I never picked up on the in your face subtext. And if I'm being honest although I liked it I never counted this entry as one of my favorites. But over the past few years and understanding it more I definitely have a new love for it.

4/5