In the eighties, Nightmare on Elm Street was a big deal. It introduced horror fans to a new bad guy, Freddy Krueger, who could literally haunt their dreams. It spawned seven films in total.

 

When Mark Patton was given the chance to appear in the first sequel, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, he saw it as his big break. Instead, it turned into a real life nightmare. As a closeted gay man, Patton wasn't ready when he and the movie were trashed for being too queer.

 

Over 30 years later, Patton is telling his story in a new documentary titled Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street. It explores why the once aspiring young actor left the industry -- and the country -- because of the one role. But the film also looks at how he is reclaiming the experience, and why the second movie in the Nightmare franchise has become a cult fave in the LGBT community.

 

“Amid backlash and finger-pointing about his sexuality’s impact on the film, and the fear of homosexuals and AIDS permeating the culture in the mid-’80s, [Patton] left Hollywood,” says the film’s synopsis. “Now, more than three decades later, he wants to set the record straight.”

 

“We are very excited to share this story,” said Tyler Jensen, who co-directed the documentary with Roman Chimienti. “Mark’s tale speaks to all of us who have had to fight to be who we are.”