Like Halloween III: Season of the Witch, A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge was much maligned on its release and has since gained a cult following in the video/streaming era. The cult following is definitely for different reasons, but its a cult following all the same. As part of the Dark Matter Film Festival in Los Angeles, last night, they hosted a legacy panel all about the Nightmare On Elm Street series and focused particularly on the second film, Freddy’s Revenge. In attendance were Rachel Talalay, Chuck Russell, Jack Sholder, Sara Risher, and Robert Englund. They led a rousing, hour-long panel that went deep into the series and even some possible changes that could have been made to the second film.

Freddy’s Revenge was greenlit and entered pre-production in April of 1985 and released on November 1st, 1985 in theaters. That’s a tight window to get a sequel to the biggest horror movie of the year in 1984. Director Jack Sholder, during the panel, dropped some knowledge that Wes Craven was working on the script for the sequel and was even the first choice to direct the film from New Line Cinema. However, they couldn’t get on the same page creatively, so Craven left, and Sholder was brought in.

Sequels back then, especially for something like A Nightmare On Elm Street were far different than the sequels we have today. The first film was a revelation, but the rules for Freddy and the dream world weren’t set yet. That would come with the fan-favorite entry in Dream Warriors. Their first order of business was casting the leads, which fell on Mark Patton and Kim Myers. Patton apparently beat out Brad Pitt for the role, which might have been a completely different movie.

They Almost Replaced Robert Englund Because Of Cost

Yes, New Line Cinema wanted to replace Robert Englund because they short-sightedly thought that they could put anyone behind the makeup for Freddy. So to kick off filming, they didn’t have Robert Englund. During the panel, Jack Sholder said that they “just grabbed some guy off the street” and that a “stuntman would have been better because they have a basic idea of acting”. The guy they had for the beginning of filming was acting it like he was a classic Universal monster, instead of the classically trained Englund’s performance. They quickly found the budget to bring back Robert Englund.

The one thing that the panel really didn’t get that much into, which I’m sure is because it’s been discussed in other places, is the homoerotic subtext of Freddy’s Revenge. Mark Patton was a closeted gay man at the time of filming, and whether it was the script, the time period, or something else altogether, there are plenty of veiled and not-so-veiled allusions to homosexuality in Freddy’s Revenge. There is loads of imagery, including the S&M nightmare, and the relationship between Jesse and Grady. Patton’s performance is pitch-perfect as a teenager who doesn’t know what he wants to be, or who he wants to be. We all might not have danced around our room with a pop gun acting as our dick, but we’ve all been in the same situation he’s been in regarding not knowing who he truly is.

The Legacy Of Freddy’s Revenge As A Whole

Freddy’s Revenge might have an ending that makes little sense and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the series, but it’s still a landmark sequel for one of the biggest horror franchises out there. It’s at the very least a sequel that makes you think while you’re watching it and when the movie is finished. In the time it took from pre-production to the release, it’s kind of a miracle that we got a functional movie. There’s a lot to like, we see Freddy killing more teenagers and there are some genuinely hilarious moments throughout.

Most importantly, it cements the legacy of the Elm Street series in multiple ways. A Nightmare On Elm Street has always been a fan-favorite because the teens in the series are always on the edges of society. They’re outcasts, they’re not the most beautiful, the most popular, or have the easiest lives. It matches up perfectly with how everyone’s teenage years go. Freddy’s Revenge cements that feeling with Jesse. The film also created the legacy of the Elm Street series by way of being the first sequel. It was good enough and made enough money for New Line Cinema to push it off into a franchise that gave us excellence like Dream Warriors and New Nightmare.

So, for a sequel that was originally maligned, there’s something beautiful in this movie getting a larger spotlight far after its release.

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