A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge *** (1985, Robert Englund, Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler, Clu Gulager, Hope Lange, Marshall Bell, Sydney Walsh) – Classic Movie Review 4550

The gory 1985 horror thriller sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge is a cult classic among both horror fans and the LGBTQ community. It is now celebrated as being one of the gayest horror films of all time

Set five years on from Wes Craven’s original 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street, this second episode in the long running bad karma franchise focuses on American teenage boy Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton), who is targeted and tormented by the wisecracking, dream-stalking, hacking slasher Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund).

Jesse begins having recurring nightmares about Freddy Krueger after the Walsh family move into the former home of Nancy Thompson from the first film. The fiendish pizza-face monster plans to take control of the lad’s mind and body to wipe out all the Elm Street kids.

Director Jack Sholder’s gory 1985 horror thriller sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge provides more of the same terrifying slicing and dicing splatter stuff, exactly as required, with good effects, plus hints of tongue-in-cheek gags, homoeroticism, a gay subtext and some imagination at work in David Chaskin’s screenplay. It co-stars Clu Gulager as Ken Walsh, Hope Lange as Cheryl Walsh, and Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider. Kim Myers makes her film debut as Lisa Webber and Robert Rusler also stars as Ron Grady.

This cult classic among both horror fans and the LGBTQ community is now celebrated as being one of the gayest horror films of all time. Jesse is the first male protagonist of the series.

In 2010, both actor Patton and screenwriter Chaskin appeared in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010), a documentary about the Elm Street franchise. Chaskin, who had originally denied any gay subtext in the movie, blaming Patton for playing it ‘too gay’, finally admitted that he had included the gay subtext, and Patton was finally able to be truthful in public about his sexuality.

Also in the cast are Melinda O Fee, Tom McFadden, Christie Clark, Lyman Ward, Donna Bruce, Edward Blackoff, Hart Sprager and Sydney Walsh.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge is directed by Jack Sholder, runs 85 minutes, is made by New Line Cinema, Heron Communications and Smart Egg Pictures, is released by New Line Cinema, is written by David Chaskin, is shot by Jacques Haitkin, is produced by Robert Shaye and Sara Risher, and is scored by Christopher Young.

It was released on 1 November 1985, and grossed $30 million at the US box office on a budget of $3 million.

Producer Robert Shaye, head of New Line Cinema, has the non-speaking role of the bartender at the S&M bar Jesse visits. Shaye recalls in Never Sleep Again that his leather outfit was bought from the LA store The Pleasure Chest.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge is followed in 1987 by A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, directed by Chuck Russell, and starring Heather Langenkamp, who reprises her role as Nancy Thompson, having first appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

Mark Patton left acting and became a successful interior decorator and didn’t make another movie till Family Possessions in 2016, followed by Amityville: Evil Never Dies (2017). In 1982 he played gay character Joe Qualley on Broadway in a play directed by Robert Altman, which was filmed by him with the same title, Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), launching Patton in Hollywood. Patton and his husband Hector Morales Mondragon own an art store in Puerto Vallarta, selling Patton’s work.

the cast are Mark Patton as Jesse Walsh, Kim Myers as Lisa Webber, Robert Rusler as Ron Grady, Clu Gulager as Ken Walsh, Hope Lange as Cheryl Walsh, Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider, Melinda O Fee as Mrs Webber, Tom McFadden as Mr Webber, Sydney Walsh as Kerry Hellman, Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, Edward Blackoff as Biology Teacher, Christie Clark as Angela, Lyman Ward as Mr Grady, Donna Bruce, and Hart Sprager.

Leslie Bohem pitched his idea of using pregnancy and possession as the film’s plot device. He recalls: ‘My concept was an homage to Rosemary’s Baby. My story was more of a possession scenario with Freddy getting inside the mother’s womb, controlling the faetus. But New Line passed on it because studio boss Sara Risher was pregnant at the time, and I understand the idea upset her. So they went with David Chaskin’s concept instead.’

Wes Craven turned down Robert Shaye’s offer to direct again as he had many problems with the script: ‘I didn’t like the second script. I thought it was a silly script. I suggested they make the girl across the street the hero.’ So Jack Sholder, who had previously written and directed the 1982 slasher film Alone in the Dark for New Line Cinema, was offered the job.

New Line Cinema decided to save money by using an unnamed extra in a rubber mask to play Freddy, but soon realised their mistake after shooting began and quickly brought back Englund for the rest of the film and series.

The Elm Street films: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Freddy vs Jason, and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).

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