At 25, Mark Patton thought his role in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2″would make him a star.
Instead, its homoerotic subtext killed his career.
Trailer for “Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street”
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Freddy’s Revenge was nicknamed “the gayest horror film ever made”—yet its screenwriter denied any intentional subtext for decades, leaving Patton to carry the stigma alone.
- Patton fled Hollywood to Mexico, running a gallery and living under the radar for over 25 years before resurfacing for conventions.
- He reveals on camera that he is HIV-positive, a secret he kept for decades, and connects it to how the industry treated gay actors during the 1980s.
Watch “Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street”
You can stream “Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street” on Prime Video or Apple TV.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 92/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 88/100 (Users); 100/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen co-directed this 1-hour 39-minute doc. Chimienti worked in sound design before turning to directing, and Jensen comes from an editing background. This is their breakout feature.
Release Date: Premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 27, 2019. Released wider in March 2020.
My Review of “Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street”
The Setup
In 1985, horror fans thought Freddy Krueger was the star. But for queer audiences, Mark Patton’s Jesse Walsh became an icon. This documentary follows Patton (who disappeared from Hollywood after the backlash) as he confronts the film’s writer David Chaskin, revisits co-stars like Robert Englund, and finally tells his story of being closeted, HIV-positive, and blacklisted during the AIDS era.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Patton directly confronts David Chaskin (screenwriter of Freddy’s Revenge) in a tense sit-down, demanding accountability for how the script derailed his career.
- Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) gives candid commentary on how Jesse’s character played differently than intended, and why the performance resonated with queer fans.
- The film shows rare 1980s press clippings that painted Patton as “too feminine” for leading man roles.
- Patton ties his own activist work in Mexico to the broader fight for LGBTQ+ representation in horror fandom and pop culture.
Cameos
- Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) – thoughtful and surprisingly supportive of Patton’s journey.
- Kim Myers and Robert Rusler (Patton’s Freddy’s Revenge co-stars) share behind-the-scenes memories of making the film.
- Jack Sholder (director of Freddy’s Revenge) reflects on what he missed about the subtext during production.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Patton was cast initially opposite Cher in “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” on Broadway. This was proof he was seen as a rising star before Freddy’s Revenge tanked his career.
- Horror conventions played a huge role in Patton’s return. He discovered thousands of queer fans who had secretly embraced Jesse as a gay horror hero for decades.
- Patton connects the film’s legacy to the AIDS crisis—pointing out that the coded language of Freddy “infecting” Jesse mirrored the stigma surrounding gay men in the 1980s.
Wrap Up
“Scream, Queen!” is about how one actor’s life got hijacked by Hollywood homophobia. By the end, Patton takes back the narrative with both anger and grace.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc