Back in 1985, the highly anticipated sequel to 1984’s Horror hit A Nightmare on Elm Street arrived in theaters. Titled Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, the film starred a talented, young, handsome actor by the name of Mark Patton, who would have his breakout role… or would it?
Oddly enough, it would not be his breakout role, but instead, it found Patton bowing out of Hollywood, soon to recede into obscurity. Few knew what happened to Patton in the decades to follow — until the 2010 Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy documentary, which shed some light on the subject via a rare interview. Now, the doors are completely blown wide open in the new documentary entitled Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street.
Initially shown at various film festivals in 2019, Shudder recently picked up Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, premiering it exclusively on Thursday, June 4th. Fittingly released at the start of Pride Month, the film, directed by Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, features a slew of interviews that include Freddy’s Revenge alumni Robert Englund, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler, Marshall Bell, Clu Gulager, Jack Sholder, David Chaskin, and, of course, Mark Patton.
More than your average documentary, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street offers a deep, thoughtful insight into Patton’s road to stardom and eventual demise. It is a tale of triumph, betrayal, immense tragedy, but most of all, education. Providing first-hand accounts from Patton himself, you relive his early beginnings in self-discovery, his bold decision to leave home for New York City at a young age, and his arrival in Hollywood, where he eventually landed the lead in Freddy’s Revenge. Unfortunately, to Patton’s chagrin, Freddy’s Revenge had an underlying homosexual subtext which would be the butt of many jokes for years to come. Putting matters in context, it is essential to remember this was back in 1985, amidst the AIDS epidemic, a time when there was immense homophobia. As a result, being a gay man himself, Patton was faced with being labeled a character actor due to Freddy’s Revenge. Adding insult to injury, Screenwriter David Chaskin would deny the gay theme in his film’s script, attributing it to Patton’s performance.
As you could imagine, all these matters weighed heavily on Patton and are a big part of the reason he decided to leave the entertainment industry altogether. However, this is not where it all ends, because there has been much more misfortune to befall Patton. This includes the tragic loss of his partner to AIDS, his own diagnosis of HIV along with pneumonia, thrush, and tuberculosis, not to mention the ruthless mockery of Freddy’s Revenge by some via the internet. Matters that would break even the strongest person, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street presents a positive message of how Patton has overcome everything thrown at him. In addition, the documentary not only outlines these factors but also provides Patton with an outlet to find peace with the past, become vulnerable and honest about his own missteps, and eventually lead him to a place of love among those in the Horror community.
In truth, he is a hero to the LGBTQ community, and he should be to Horror fans, too. He comes across as a genuinely nice person who, even though he has endured so much, is not vindictive but rather extremely compassionate. Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street does a fine job of bringing this to the light with thoughtful conversations, astute research, and plenty of genuine emotion. A must-see for anyone looking for a real-life story about survival and overcoming, Cryptic Rock gives Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street 5 out of 5 stars.
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