Mark quickly jumped at the opportunity to lead the second Elm Street outing. However, what started as an exciting adventure soon morphed into a nightmare Freddy would be proud of. Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is streaming now on Shudder.
In October 2019, I explored the queer themes inherent in A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 and the spectre of homophobia that haunted its story. But how did the movie affect its young star? And do the queer themes in Elm Street Two partly reflect the personal journey of its lead actor?
Scream Queen finally brings us Mark’s story, from his childhood in Missouri to his late teens in New York, where the bright lights of the Big Apple would help launch his career and provide escape and liberation. After starring in countless commercials, Mark’s big break would come through the stage play ‘Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean‘ and its subsequent film adaptation.
Following this success, Mark moved to Los Angeles for further film opportunities, where he met Dallas star Timothy Patrick Murphy, with whom he had a passionate relationship, kept firmly hidden from public view. As hoped, Los Angeles opened the door to more potential movies, including A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2.
Horror had already established itself as a birthplace for new stars, with Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Jamie Lee Curtis all finding fame through the teen slasher. Therefore, Mark quickly jumped at the opportunity to lead the second Elm Street outing. However, what started as an exciting adventure soon morphed into a nightmare Freddy would be proud of.
Scream Queen takes us on a fascinating and enlightening journey through ’80s Hollywood, one that is less about A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 and more about the culture into which it was released as AIDS ravaged the LGBTQ+ community. Mark’s journey as a gay actor was constrained by a studio system where homosexuality was feared.
For Mark, the anger and pain of his isolation and oppression were only further increased by the media response to AIDS. It is therefore more than possible that Mark brought that pain into the role of Jesse unconsciously. But Scream Queen also clarifies that those involved in the film were fully aware of the queer subtext it carried, despite their denials.
READ MORE: SHOWBIZ KIDS
Mark was left out in the cold as a closeted gay male actor in Hollywood, his career opportunities stifled by a Hollywood system wrapped in fear. Mark’s career following Elm Street reflects the film’s narrative as the true horror of ’80s homophobia surfaced, just as he lost his partner to AIDS and came to terms with his own diagnosis. This led Mark to withdraw from public life, and acting became a nightmare as it became a reality.
Some will debate whether Scream Queen focuses enough on the writing and development of Elm Street 2. Still, its broader analysis of the ’80s film industry that condoned homophobia is far more urgent. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 is now held aloft as a groundbreaking, if confused, gay horror movie, but the reality for its star was far darker during shooting and in the years following its release. Mark’s documentary is brave, bold, and personal, but it also feels clouded by a continuing fear of rejection, with some of its urgent themes left hanging as it opts for safer ground.
Director: Roman Chimienti, Tyler Jensen
Stars: Mark Patton, Cecil Baldwin, Robert Englund, Jack Sholder, David Chaskin
Follow Us