SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

Nightmare on Elm Street 2 replaced the usual ‘scream queen’ with a male character, which was already a challenge to the horror movie trope. Added to this were several sexually-charged moments, from Patton posing in his underwear, to tense scenes with Freddy Krueger himself. The movie was released at the height of the AIDS scare, during which closeted actors were being outed by vicious paparazzi taking advantage of homophobic panic. Viewed through the lens of history, these choices look deliberate. 

Hear the perspectives of the filmmakers, as well as Freddy himself, Robert Englund; David Chaskin, the writer who may have included the homoerotic subtext on purpose; as well as Mark Patton, who discusses how this experience drove him to quit acting. 

This film is part of a double feature. Watch the documentary, and then stay for a screening of Nightmare on Elmstreet 2: Freddy’s Revenge, and determine for yourself whether it’s the first gay horror movie ever made. (Tickets sold separately)