Reminds me of those Hammer Horrors where lesbianism (after being hugely fetishized for the straight male audience) was treated as a satanic presence that preyed on innocent young women and was defeated by men who got to rescue said pretty young thing.
There is extreme depth to a lot of horror films. If you actually watch the better ones and pay attention to what they are saying they are very deep and meaningful. Wes Craven, John Carpenter and George Romero always made fantastic films with a lot underneath. Nightmare 2 isn't Wes Craven but he did write and direct part one which I highly recommend
I remember when the Angry Video Game Nerd did a review of ANOES 2 for Monster Madness and said "Everyone talks about the gay overtones in this movie but I never saw it." Sometimes it's weirdly endearing how completely oblivious straight people can be.
+ToruKun1 That's hilarious...by the leather bar scene I seriously don't understand how anyone can stay oblivious to the overtones throughout this movie
What? He didn't understand it because he didn't, stuff happens like that. It has nothing to do with his sexuality. Unless being gay makes you have powers that sees hidden themes and undertones in movies, I don't see how your bashing is relevant.
Fedora.... Being gay does give you power of seeing hidden gay themes. Just as being a nerd helps you get references. And that wasn't bashing. It was an observation based on something Toru found endearing.
Great video! and analysis! Always loved this movie as a kid! All this stuff went right over my head at the time. Then re-watching as a adult it was like "Whoa look at all the homosexual undertones and imagery in this" I thought it was great and smart, and so is your breakdown of the movie! We just posted our own recommendation and retrospective of this underrated sequel!
Wow. Crazy. I loved the Nightmare on Elm Street series since I was younger, I've seen all of them a hundred times. And I always picked up on the gay undertones and knew there was something with weird with the way Freddie interacted with Jesse compared to anybody else that was the main character in these movies. He was inside of Jesse and used his body as a vessel, and that was unusual for Freddie, really. And hearing you put it in words really opens my eyes to the analogies of being closeted and how scary it was back then, and still is now. I'm blown away.
Man, the nightmare scene on the bus scarred my childhood, lol. There was even a bus driver in our neighborhood we called Freddy because his driving abilities were...subpar, to say the least.
omg!! I am soo glad you did this because I had caught the metaphor and actually there's the lesbian version in hellbound:hellraiser 2 with tiffany and kirsty. either way thanks for the information on the talented real life actor and this subtext fest of a slasher classic
Great analysis. I was a huge Nightmare on Elm Street fan as a kid and always skipped this movie because it was just awful. It wasn't until I began noticing the homoeroticism in it when I came out of the closet in my twenties, that I really started to enjoy this film. Like, Mark Patton my job (a Catholic high school religion teacher) required that I stay in the closet. When I fell in love, got married, and began work on starting a family, I realized that it was time to walk away from a career I spent 14 yrs building. I now use my talents for college teaching and LGBT advocacy work, primarily for youth ministry.
Thanks for the recommendations. Camp is another thing I like, so I'll have to give the original Dark Shadows a go. I loved the movie, but I've yet to see the orignal show.
Whenever I hear about an actor being nudged back into the closet, I think of Colton Haynes. He seems like a great guy and of course he's cute as a button, but I wonder if he'll end up choosing another career path over coming out as an actor. One thing about the closet... once someone has had a taste of freedom, it has to be damned near impossible to live a lie for very long.
A shout out to 80s special effects that actually terrified the fuck out of me (because I was 7?) because they actually look almost real being that they were made of real things as opposed to today which is all done on the computer and looks like it.
Two things have done more harm to horror than any other: the JUMP scare strategy and terrible CGI. I was unfortunate enough to watch the remake for Nightmare and oh boy, the computer generated images in that one were so horrible than it made me chuckle.
Entertaining and informative video, you're great at these. I hesitated initially to watch, because like you I don't like horror movies. But I did, & it was the perfect reflection of the 80's & 90's struggle of society and sexuality. Well done.
Just started watching your videos and I'm already a big fan. I love your wit and analysis and am incredibly impressed by how quickly you produce these!! So happy to have found your channel.
I remember watching this with my boyfriend at the time, he was obsessed with the Freddie movies. We both luved this movie. When we heard about it being a "gay anthem horror movie" we went back and watched it again. Everytime something coded gay would happen we would both say "gay" or "definitely gay" or extremely gay" and take a shot. We had a blast and had no idea how it had never crossed our minds before, especially since we have a ton of gay friends. I now luv this movie even more and it makes a delightful drinking game! Just make sure you can crash there or are getting a ride home. You are going to be 3 sheets to the wind by the time it's over. Lol
You're a strong guy and I'm so impressed by your sensitivity. Even though this movie was filmed in the home of some of my most impressive friends, I was not aware of it before this review. ........My friends are as marvelous as this movie sounds hideous. Certainly doing what they had to do to pay their bills. I've got to be proud of them for that and truthfully, when I first read my friend's name on horror credits, I thought it was a misprint. I was free to be myself with them in the '80's, while receiving love and support every time I worked on one of their beautiful projects. Thank you so much for your videos, Matt. You matter and I'm a fan.
Yeahep...Almost a little bit more like the 1980's Horror Movie Teenage version of Ben Stiller, as a Straight person who's partly bisexual but more Straight as Cake myself...Uhumm well then, I'll definitely choose Actor Marshall Bell the Bisexual Gay Queery High School S&M BDSM Leather Gym Teacher Hottie Naughtie for Jesse Mark Pattons Character for Actor Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider.!!!
@@steerpike66 Yeahep...Almost a little bit more like the 1980's Horror Movie Teenage version of Ben Stiller, as a Straight person who's partly bisexual but more Straight as Cake myself...Uhumm well then, I'll definitely choose Actor Marshall Bell the Bisexual Gay Queery High School S&M BDSM Leather Gym Teacher Hottie Naughtie for Jesse Mark Pattons Character for Actor Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider.!!!
I remember watching this movie as a closeted kid. At the time I was completely oblivious to all the gay subtext during the movie. I was more concerned with how terrifying Freddy Kruger was to me.
This is an amazing review. Thanks for doing it! It makes me laugh how long it took for people to realize I am gay. Grady came out not long after me. And now we are together. Wow. Times have sure changed since Freddy left.
Lol you both were funny and Hilarious in the Classroom together...Although Marshall Bell's Character the Hot Hawt High School Gay Queery Gym Teacher was actually Better Looking.!!!
OH WoW! .....This is so weird, I was a young teen just starting to realize that I was gay, and this movie was a strange event for me. I thought I understood that the character was gay......and felt his "turning straight" at the end is what saved him from Freddy, created some emotional issues for me. On a lighter note, I thought it was Meryl Streep who played his girlfriend....LOL I know! I was really young so its understandable.
RedLetterMedia brought me here. I just watched it as a horror movie. Didn't really think about it that way. Totally makes sense. Can't "unsee" it as they say.
Love, love, LOVE your channel!!!! So glad I found it! Every video I have seen is so well put together (Editing, writing, subject & you)! Thanks so much, I'm already a HUGE fan!
It really does look like her and I think some reviewers even believe that's on purpose. I mean, logically if you were a closeted gay teenage boy in the 80s forced to have girlfriend you'd naturally pick a Meryl Streep clone. It just makes sense.
I recently watched a documentary called The Bloody Decade which devotes a bit of time to the gay subtext on Nightmare 2. I'd definitely recommend checking it out because it had a fair bit of insight from a few key actors (the rest of the documentary is also a must watch for 80s horror fans). To sum up, the creators explicitly said they were really leaning into creating a gay horror movie and wanted to use a gay actor for the main character to really hit those truths. Robert Englund himself (Freddy's actor) actually came up with the idea to caress Jesse's face and mouth with the claws and even proposed a kiss between Freddy and Jesse! Grady's actor also said he's still proud decades later that it's been so embraced by the gay community and whenever a fan tries to mock him for starring in a gay horror he always replies that it feels great to be remembered for it.
The "big idea" here is that "gay is catching", that if left alone, they will turn everyone gay. Like heterosexuality is SO fragile that any gay person can break any heterosexual person.
Makes me think of the way that Jennifer’s Body was very much an analogy for closet lesbianism. Jennifer is undoubtedly a closet lesbian, in love with her friend. She prays upon the men that try to get close to both her and Needy, but especially the men in needy’s life. Jennifer used sex as a weapon. What once was used to cover up her attraction for Needy was then used to lure men to their deaths, including needy’s boyfriend. It’s pretty clear that Needy experiences attraction towards Jennifer too, which is scary for her. And even after she kills Jennifer (which is symbolic of her trying to squelch her attraction), she still is obsessed with her, and forever changed by the way Jennifer has affected her. Needy won’t ever be the same.
I am 40, I remember the 80s/90s and your opening made me feel two things.. thing one... old... thing two, proud that we at least made enough impact on the culture that the opening phrase is actually relevant.
James Vincent Yes, one of my favorite horror movies, and I definitely thought Evil Ed was a gay man looking for comfort. When Dandridge “seduces” him to turn him into a vampire, it was sort of obvious. Plus, what was the deal with Dandridge’s roommate? He was definitely gay, right?
OMG. This video hit a nerve I had totally forgotten about. I remember this movie giving me the weirdest ickiest feeling when I watched it as a kid - and now, I realize why. WOW. Also, I had the worst crush on this guy. lol.
I'm just like you when it comes to horror movies. I can't stomach them. I actually forced myself to watch The Ring when it came out on DVD, and it scared me so badly that I couldn't even go to bed that night. It was a really good movie either way, though. Compelling mystery, good acting, but holy shit it's scary. I've never watched the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, but I gotta say: the coming out subtext is shocking to see portrayed like that.
Straight guy here, who came across your videos while doing some research on this movie and its legacy. An argument I’d make is that Nightmare 2 has a major influence nowadays: The entire Will Byers character storyline on Stranger Things is a big-budget remake of Nightmare 2, informed by the perspective of us looking back on the ‘80s from a time of much greater social equality (not to mention vast advances in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS). Will is an awkward, closeted teenage boy in the mid-‘80s, who is being haunted and terrorized by an evil spirit that wants to use his fears and self-loathing as a means to break out into the real world. He is afraid that this spirit haunting him is so dangerous, it will kill everyone around him, and that even asking anyone else for support would just put them bring them into his circle of danger. Does any of this sound familiar? They really ought to give Mark Patton a cameo in Season 5. There’d be no Will Byers if there hadn’t been a Jesse Walsh first - and the Hollywood of today is a much better place for Noah Schnapp, than things were for Patton back then.
GREAT review. Watched it when it was released in the theater (in my 30's at the time) and really was concerned about younger growing up gay kids watching this movie.
One of my friends has been talking about this movie to me for months now. I'm not into horror movies either, but the gay subtext makes it interesting, so I'll probably watch it soon!
+DontIgnoreMe Yeah I've been avoiding this one for a LOOOOONG time because I am awfully timid. But this was a fascinating watch! It also helped that I had someone literally holding my hand during the scary parts.
I never thought of it like that, that is really interesting. I had a feeling their was some kind of message, about being gay but I never fully got it until now. Thanks for explaining it, I'm not gay myself but I agree people shouldn't be afraid to love who they love. Shaming a person for their sexuality is really fucked up in my opinion, I personally have better thing's to do then shame a person for who they are attracted to.
I've never watched NOES so had no idea whatsoever about the gay plot line. Fascinating! The world was a very different place during the 70s and 80s. The past 20 years has seen massive social and cultural change in the Western World.
OMG I was a teen in the 80s ,as well as in a pretty religous town , so there was ALOT of homophobic going around ,including myself. Im ashamed of it , but it was a different time (not an excuse) but I never noticed that in the movie, it was a fresh look at this movie 😊
I was sexually(gay) active starting in 1983 when I was 13 years old. I cruised for sex in parks, bathrooms, lockerrooms, etc. Back then most guys didn't care if you were underage as many heterosexuals teens were also having sex at 14, 15, and 16 years old. It was a totally different time. Anyway as I experieced it... MADONNA did MORE then Anyone to Tear Down Homophobia. She did this mostly in 1991 and 1992. BAM! She was So Powerful back then and she single handidly shoved it in Everyones Face. The Media was obseesed with her so she used it as a Platform. She was Accepted by all of the "Cool People" back then. Although In 1985, 1986, and 1987 Madonna was also very popular but she did not have nearly as much power or acceptance as she did in 1991/1992. Trust me.. I was DEEP in the Closet and I remember how she(with the help of the media)literally blew up and destroyed So Much intense Homophobia that existed within the United Stated and the UK during the 70s and 80s. In 1987 being Gay was still considered Very WIERD by most people ages 16 to 30. But.. by 1992(just 5 years later) MOST of those Same People thought being Gay was acceptable even if they didnt agree with it or like it. AIDS also had a HUGE impact on the general public as far as making the general public much more accepting of Gays.
As far as I remember, Mark Patton wasn't the writer or director on Freddy's Revenge, so how does any of this translate into "the real-life gay panic behind Nightmare on Elm Street 2"?
VonWenk why does Mark Patton not being the writer matter here? The writer was gay and seemed to be going through some stuff, it probably made its way into the script subconsciously.
This reminds me a bit of Colton Haynes. He was out until he got to Hollywood where he was told he had to go back into the closet. His manager even set up fake heterosexual relationships for him in the public eye to further the image of Haynes being straight. However, all of this hiding resulted in him having huge panic attacks and he actually had to leave two hit TV shows to go get help. Eventually he came out. Stephen Amell from Arrow commented on how much happier Colton seemed and how happy he was that his friend was finally able to come out.
I know this is an older epi, but did Rantasmo ever appear on 'The Sewers Of Paris'? I can't get enough of his content, and after finding your channel this morning, I'm eager to know!
I'm a huge horror movie fan. I was aware of the homoerotic nature of nightmare on elm street 2. I was unaware that the actor was gay. Friday the 13th is sometimes referred to as Frigay the 13th because of the numbers of LGBTI actors. It's one of the first mainstream slasher film series to include a same sex kissing scene (and some kinky shaving) admittedly as a way of possessing a body. And Jason loves his mama.
Although this is still a controversial movie because of all the gay tones, this is still one of my favorites from the franchise. Along with parts one,three,four, and seven.
I really liked One and Four when they came out. Three reminded me of Filmmation cartoons, although even that had the memorable line "Bastard son of a thousand maniacs."
people always talk about how gay this movie is because well it is. but how come nobody never mentions how INCREDIBLY queer Fright Night (1985) is?????? that movie is HELLAGAY
I'm a bi 57 year old. I'm still not out to my mother because she's made it clear she'd never speak to me again if I were. Oddly enough, she's pretty cool with gay men in general, and very sweet to the lesbian couple who have been friends of my sister for 20 years. It's just the whole "in her family" part. I'm so glad most of the younger generation has it at least a bit easier.
Fabrisse ter Brugghe, I can relate, tho' gay not bi. I am 56, came out to my mom in 1981, but her last coherent words to me before she died was "Are you married yet?" To which, I assert "No I am not and you know why." For the younger generation as for all generations, vigilance for freedoms is ongoing.
@Matt Baume, I might have my own theory. Freddy Krueger was originally written as a child molester. Maybe, Mark's character had some sort of sexual encounter with Freddy as a kid and when Freddy came back. His trauma from that man sent him in a tailspin where he had to acknowledge that he was gay and that he wasn't that way because Freddy molested him. I've heard Pat Robertson claim that about homosexuals that they are only gay because they were molested as kids. Sure, being raped or molested as a kid can fuck up with one's sexuality but it doesn't mean that you aren't gay, bi, pan, or straight. There comes a point in time where you have to face your demons even if society and yourself throw you under the bus.
gay or whatever I love this movie and the soundtrack! its sad that Mark had to go through that,i'm glad he found happiness :) plus half the male actors in Friday The 13th part 7 New Blood are gay. hope you do a vid about that horror classic too!
Ok I really like it when you do this videos. I know I have probably said this before but it was worth repeating. It always makes me re-consider stuff I had written off as not for me. Now I want to go watch this movie with someone by my side of course. Lol.... I love scary movies but only when viewing with another person preferably a man! ☺ 😊 😀 ☺ Do you think the lord of the rings original trilogy has some gay under or overtones? Just curious. Best, Marvin 😀
Elm II is considered the best in the series. Also, this work of art came together as a “perfect storm”, as some of the actors were gay in real life, not just the lead.
I love horror. The only thing that sucks about Nightmare 2 is that it doesn’t follow the established rules set by the first one. Other than that it’s really good and interesting!
It was directly in front of your eyes like most things,but people still ignored it but it really was dead on in your face,especially with that GYM teacher and his antics..... 🤔💭👀
As a gay guy i can say... its Nightmare on elm street. Its a slasher. I i didnt really see any in the cliset paralells. Even the ending is typical given the first movie in the franchise.
You say being gay isn't inherently scary... but my first truly long lasting relationship was with a woman who called cash machines "ATMs", and tomato ketchup "tomato sauce". The madness!!! 😱
All relationships are scary if you're doing it right. That sounds awful but I stand by it. Not dramatic, just important enough to stop you taking the good times for granted.
@@MothCreature13, it was 😊 Sarah was and is lovely actually, we still have a close friendship, and still tease each other about differing word choices (like her "doona" for what normal people call a "duvet" or "blanket") 😁
This was my first Freddy movie and I saw on public TV when I was in 3rd grade. And I am gay. But never picked up on the gay subtext back then but the scenes of Jesse I his tighty whities always caught my eye
Reminds me of those Hammer Horrors where lesbianism (after being hugely fetishized for the straight male audience) was treated as a satanic presence that preyed on innocent young women and was defeated by men who got to rescue said pretty young thing.
Can I get some examples, friend?
@@ashtynbritt7889 Dan is probably thinking about The Vampire Lovers, an adaptation of Carmilla.
"Being gay is only scary if you let it be."
Good words to live by.
Ya I mean unless you live in a country where it's punishable by death..
This movie AFFECTED me as a kid! I was super in-love with Jesse... but the subtext was not lost on me. I was probably 10 years old, but I got it.
Funny thing, I was 12, knew Jesse was gay and totally " got it", as well!
Who would have thought that Nightmare on Elm Street had so much depth. This was interesting.
There is extreme depth to a lot of horror films. If you actually watch the better ones and pay attention to what they are saying they are very deep and meaningful. Wes Craven, John Carpenter and George Romero always made fantastic films with a lot underneath. Nightmare 2 isn't Wes Craven but he did write and direct part one which I highly recommend
@@redwillow79schippers94 this
I remember when the Angry Video Game Nerd did a review of ANOES 2 for Monster Madness and said "Everyone talks about the gay overtones in this movie but I never saw it."
Sometimes it's weirdly endearing how completely oblivious straight people can be.
+ToruKun1
That's hilarious...by the leather bar scene I seriously don't understand how anyone can stay oblivious to the overtones throughout this movie
What? He didn't understand it because he didn't, stuff happens like that. It has nothing to do with his sexuality. Unless being gay makes you have powers that sees hidden themes and undertones in movies, I don't see how your bashing is relevant.
Fedora.... Being gay does give you power of seeing hidden gay themes. Just as being a nerd helps you get references.
And that wasn't bashing. It was an observation based on something Toru found endearing.
+ToruKun1 I know, straight people are so naive sometimes that's it's adorable.
Oh, yeah. I've come to terms long ago that I have NO gaydar. I'm like, "What? He just really likes shoes. Nothing gay about that."
Great video! and analysis! Always loved this movie as a kid! All this stuff went right over my head at the time. Then re-watching as a adult it was like "Whoa look at all the homosexual undertones and imagery in this" I thought it was great and smart, and so is your breakdown of the movie! We just posted our own recommendation and retrospective of this underrated sequel!
This shows that Nightmare 2 means so much more than an Elm Street movie. God, this is such an underrated sequel.
The matching beards, glasses, and hair style. Are you two, by chance, twins? :P
+guyfawkes6 Haha spiritually perhaps!
Wow, I just noticed that :o
Matt Baume Two gay men with actual beards and a movie where a girl is a gay mans figurative beard!(Sort of, with that analysis).
Wow. Crazy. I loved the Nightmare on Elm Street series since I was younger, I've seen all of them a hundred times. And I always picked up on the gay undertones and knew there was something with weird with the way Freddie interacted with Jesse compared to anybody else that was the main character in these movies. He was inside of Jesse and used his body as a vessel, and that was unusual for Freddie, really. And hearing you put it in words really opens my eyes to the analogies of being closeted and how scary it was back then, and still is now. I'm blown away.
Man, the nightmare scene on the bus scarred my childhood, lol. There was even a bus driver in our neighborhood we called Freddy because his driving abilities were...subpar, to say the least.
omg!! I am soo glad you did this because I had caught the metaphor and actually there's the lesbian version in hellbound:hellraiser 2 with tiffany and kirsty. either way thanks for the information on the talented real life actor and this subtext fest of a slasher classic
ShipsAhoy elaborate, this sounds interesting
Great analysis. I was a huge Nightmare on Elm Street fan as a kid and always skipped this movie because it was just awful. It wasn't until I began noticing the homoeroticism in it when I came out of the closet in my twenties, that I really started to enjoy this film. Like, Mark Patton my job (a Catholic high school religion teacher) required that I stay in the closet. When I fell in love, got married, and began work on starting a family, I realized that it was time to walk away from a career I spent 14 yrs building. I now use my talents for college teaching and LGBT advocacy work, primarily for youth ministry.
eww... Your gay
You're gay and no, it's not ewww.
There's nothing wrong with being Gay!!
Queer Theology "Starting a family" Do you have kids?
Queer Theology hey for real though, good on you dude. Thanks for educating people.
Freaking Nightmare on Elm Street 2 is hilarious! That scene where the bird just catches on fire for no reason... lol
Jahi Palmer Must have been that cheap birdseed you bought honey, lol.
@@DJTiger-tp2kc I actually remember that scene being mentioned in Janet Maslin's review for this movie in The New York Times.
So gay and horror, two of my favorite things. I should probably give it a watch the next chance I get.
Thanks for the recommendations.
Camp is another thing I like, so I'll have to give the original Dark Shadows a go. I loved the movie, but I've yet to see the orignal show.
Whenever I hear about an actor being nudged back into the closet, I think of Colton Haynes. He seems like a great guy and of course he's cute as a button, but I wonder if he'll end up choosing another career path over coming out as an actor. One thing about the closet... once someone has had a taste of freedom, it has to be damned near impossible to live a lie for very long.
sparkers70 I think he just got married to his boyfriend (now husband) and still continues to act 🙂
Subscribing to this comment thread to stay in the loop on Colton 😂
@@BKNYC89 sadly he only get work with ahs shows
Haven't seen him in anything else so coming out has affected him somewhat I think
SecretInvasion he was a series regular on arrow for a few seasons
@@francheska3128 but that's it he should be in more oh and in teen wolf
A shout out to 80s special effects that actually terrified the fuck out of me (because I was 7?) because they actually look almost real being that they were made of real things as opposed to today which is all done on the computer and looks like it.
Two things have done more harm to horror than any other: the JUMP scare strategy and terrible CGI.
I was unfortunate enough to watch the remake for Nightmare and oh boy, the computer generated images in that one were so horrible than it made me chuckle.
Entertaining and informative video, you're great at these. I hesitated initially to watch, because like you I don't like horror movies. But I did, & it was the perfect reflection of the 80's & 90's struggle of society and sexuality. Well done.
Just started watching your videos and I'm already a big fan. I love your wit and analysis and am incredibly impressed by how quickly you produce these!! So happy to have found your channel.
+DKanimation Awwww yay thank you! Do let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover.
I remember watching this with my boyfriend at the time, he was obsessed with the Freddie movies. We both luved this movie. When we heard about it being a "gay anthem horror movie" we went back and watched it again. Everytime something coded gay would happen we would both say "gay" or "definitely gay" or extremely gay" and take a shot. We had a blast and had no idea how it had never crossed our minds before, especially since we have a ton of gay friends. I now luv this movie even more and it makes a delightful drinking game! Just make sure you can crash there or are getting a ride home. You are going to be 3 sheets to the wind by the time it's over. Lol
You're a strong guy and I'm so impressed by your sensitivity. Even though this movie was filmed in the home of some of my most impressive friends, I was not aware of it before this review. ........My friends are as marvelous as this movie sounds hideous. Certainly doing what they had to do to pay their bills. I've got to be proud of them for that and truthfully, when I first read my friend's name on horror credits, I thought it was a misprint. I was free to be myself with them in the '80's, while receiving love and support every time I worked on one of their beautiful projects. Thank you so much for your videos, Matt. You matter and I'm a fan.
Mark Patton is my hero. And he's so handsome.
I think he looks like the back end of a bus but 'eye of the beholder' and all that.
Yeahep...Almost a little bit more like the 1980's Horror Movie Teenage version of Ben Stiller, as a Straight person who's partly bisexual but more Straight as Cake myself...Uhumm well then, I'll definitely choose Actor Marshall Bell the Bisexual Gay Queery High School S&M BDSM Leather Gym Teacher Hottie Naughtie for Jesse Mark Pattons Character for Actor Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider.!!!
@@steerpike66 Yeahep...Almost a little bit more like the 1980's Horror Movie Teenage version of Ben Stiller, as a Straight person who's partly bisexual but more Straight as Cake myself...Uhumm well then, I'll definitely choose Actor Marshall Bell the Bisexual Gay Queery High School S&M BDSM Leather Gym Teacher Hottie Naughtie for Jesse Mark Pattons Character for Actor Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider.!!!
I remember watching this movie as a closeted kid. At the time I was completely oblivious to all the gay subtext during the movie. I was more concerned with how terrifying Freddy Kruger was to me.
That's what makes the sequel a stand-out in the series
LOL those pillowcases at 2:30. the kids in Full House had them. this movie has them. My brother had them.
rantasmo brought me here! good stuff, subscribed
This is an amazing review. Thanks for doing it! It makes me laugh how long it took for people to realize I am gay. Grady came out not long after me. And now we are together. Wow. Times have sure changed since Freddy left.
Lol you both were funny and Hilarious in the Classroom together...Although Marshall Bell's Character the Hot Hawt High School Gay Queery Gym Teacher was actually Better Looking.!!!
I am gay and didn't understand it was gay at the time.
keith parkhill me neither
Hell, I was married to a gay man at the time, and I didn't get it either.
Well you're slow 😂 I'm straight and knew it was gay on my first viewing when I was about 8 or 9 years old,I thought it was quite blatant to be honest
OH WoW! .....This is so weird, I was a young teen just starting to realize that I was gay, and this movie was a strange event for me. I thought I understood that the character was gay......and felt his "turning straight" at the end is what saved him from Freddy, created some emotional issues for me. On a lighter note, I thought it was Meryl Streep who played his girlfriend....LOL I know! I was really young so its understandable.
Renegade Cut did a fantastic video essay on this film too, worth a look.
awesome video, Matt.
RedLetterMedia brought me here. I just watched it as a horror movie. Didn't really think about it that way. Totally makes sense. Can't "unsee" it as they say.
Love, love, LOVE your channel!!!! So glad I found it! Every video I have seen is so well put together (Editing, writing, subject & you)! Thanks so much, I'm already a HUGE fan!
Thanks for the Upload !! I must have missed this back in 85 ?? XD
I remember seeing this in the theaters and being stunned at how this movie had ever been made.
One of my favorite horror movies! New fan of the channel 😊
Aw yay thanks, welcome aboard! :D
Matt Baume hey thanks!
Was that a young Meryl Streep?!
Twyla klumpp/rider ikr!
It really does look like her and I think some reviewers even believe that's on purpose. I mean, logically if you were a closeted gay teenage boy in the 80s forced to have girlfriend you'd naturally pick a Meryl Streep clone. It just makes sense.
I recently watched a documentary called The Bloody Decade which devotes a bit of time to the gay subtext on Nightmare 2. I'd definitely recommend checking it out because it had a fair bit of insight from a few key actors (the rest of the documentary is also a must watch for 80s horror fans).
To sum up, the creators explicitly said they were really leaning into creating a gay horror movie and wanted to use a gay actor for the main character to really hit those truths. Robert Englund himself (Freddy's actor) actually came up with the idea to caress Jesse's face and mouth with the claws and even proposed a kiss between Freddy and Jesse! Grady's actor also said he's still proud decades later that it's been so embraced by the gay community and whenever a fan tries to mock him for starring in a gay horror he always replies that it feels great to be remembered for it.
I did not know about the subtext of Elm Street 2 - and now I do. Thanks - gonna check it out!
The "big idea" here is that "gay is catching", that if left alone, they will turn everyone gay.
Like heterosexuality is SO fragile that any gay person can break any heterosexual person.
Makes me think of the way that Jennifer’s Body was very much an analogy for closet lesbianism. Jennifer is undoubtedly a closet lesbian, in love with her friend. She prays upon the men that try to get close to both her and Needy, but especially the men in needy’s life. Jennifer used sex as a weapon. What once was used to cover up her attraction for Needy was then used to lure men to their deaths, including needy’s boyfriend. It’s pretty clear that Needy experiences attraction towards Jennifer too, which is scary for her. And even after she kills Jennifer (which is symbolic of her trying to squelch her attraction), she still is obsessed with her, and forever changed by the way Jennifer has affected her. Needy won’t ever be the same.
As I was born in 1968, I was going through a lot of what you're talking about, so I didn't notice it in the movies. Your analysis is wonderful.
I am 40, I remember the 80s/90s and your opening made me feel two things.. thing one... old... thing two, proud that we at least made enough impact on the culture that the opening phrase is actually relevant.
I love Nightmare 2. I grew up on Horror Movies and love them. Have you seen Evil Ed in the original Fright Night?
James Vincent Yes, one of my favorite horror movies, and I definitely thought Evil Ed was a gay man looking for comfort. When Dandridge “seduces” him to turn him into a vampire, it was sort of obvious. Plus, what was the deal with Dandridge’s roommate? He was definitely gay, right?
@@DJTiger-tp2kc Yes! That was pretty queer. I think that's why I loved it so much. Well, everything!
OMG. This video hit a nerve I had totally forgotten about. I remember this movie giving me the weirdest ickiest feeling when I watched it as a kid - and now, I realize why. WOW. Also, I had the worst crush on this guy. lol.
As a gay man born in the 80's how did I miss this. LOL
This movie's honestly incredible. It's my favorite of the series, just ahead of Wes Craven's New Nightmare. Solid 8/10.
I'm just like you when it comes to horror movies. I can't stomach them. I actually forced myself to watch The Ring when it came out on DVD, and it scared me so badly that I couldn't even go to bed that night. It was a really good movie either way, though. Compelling mystery, good acting, but holy shit it's scary.
I've never watched the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, but I gotta say: the coming out subtext is shocking to see portrayed like that.
i LOVE that movie!!!!!!!!!!!! Its so gay and I love the mid-80s gay feel of it.
This is so well made! I love it😍
Rantasmo sent me here ^^
+bean nguyen Hooray! He's the best. Do let me know if there are topics you'd like to see me talk about!
+Matt Baume okie :)
i've seen this movie many times, a long time ago. i had never thought of it, but in retrospect you make some good points. thx
oh, gonna watch rantasmo now
Straight guy here, who came across your videos while doing some research on this movie and its legacy. An argument I’d make is that Nightmare 2 has a major influence nowadays: The entire Will Byers character storyline on Stranger Things is a big-budget remake of Nightmare 2, informed by the perspective of us looking back on the ‘80s from a time of much greater social equality (not to mention vast advances in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS).
Will is an awkward, closeted teenage boy in the mid-‘80s, who is being haunted and terrorized by an evil spirit that wants to use his fears and self-loathing as a means to break out into the real world. He is afraid that this spirit haunting him is so dangerous, it will kill everyone around him, and that even asking anyone else for support would just put them bring them into his circle of danger. Does any of this sound familiar?
They really ought to give Mark Patton a cameo in Season 5. There’d be no Will Byers if there hadn’t been a Jesse Walsh first - and the Hollywood of today is a much better place for Noah Schnapp, than things were for Patton back then.
Great video as always!
That looks very interesting. I have never seen it but I will definitely look for it.
GREAT review. Watched it when it was released in the theater (in my 30's at the time) and really was concerned about younger growing up gay kids watching this movie.
There are still lots of places you can lose family for being out. Only now your shamed for staying in the closet too now. Life is tiring babe
One of my friends has been talking about this movie to me for months now. I'm not into horror movies either, but the gay subtext makes it interesting, so I'll probably watch it soon!
+DontIgnoreMe Yeah I've been avoiding this one for a LOOOOONG time because I am awfully timid. But this was a fascinating watch! It also helped that I had someone literally holding my hand during the scary parts.
Thank you for posting this
Thank you for this Video......and BTW....did you notice the Li MAHL poster ????? (I'm going on Amazon as we speak to buy this Bluray…..)
I never thought of it like that, that is really interesting. I had a feeling their was some kind of message, about being gay but I never fully got it until now.
Thanks for explaining it, I'm not gay myself but I agree people shouldn't be afraid to love who they love. Shaming a person for their sexuality is really fucked up in my opinion, I personally have better thing's to do then shame a person for who they are attracted to.
I've never watched NOES so had no idea whatsoever about the gay plot line. Fascinating! The world was a very different place during the 70s and 80s. The past 20 years has seen massive social and cultural change in the Western World.
Kim Myers looked a lot like the young Meryl Streep.
OMG I was a teen in the 80s ,as well as in a pretty religous town , so there was ALOT of homophobic going around ,including myself. Im ashamed of it , but it was a different time (not an excuse) but I never noticed that in the movie, it was a fresh look at this movie 😊
I was sexually(gay) active starting in 1983 when I was 13 years old. I cruised for sex in parks, bathrooms, lockerrooms, etc. Back then most guys didn't care if you were underage as many heterosexuals teens were also having sex at 14, 15, and 16 years old. It was a totally different time.
Anyway as I experieced it... MADONNA did MORE then Anyone to Tear Down Homophobia. She did this mostly in 1991 and 1992. BAM! She was So Powerful back then and she single handidly shoved it in Everyones Face. The Media was obseesed with her so she used it as a Platform. She was Accepted by all of the "Cool People" back then. Although In 1985, 1986, and 1987 Madonna was also very popular but she did not have nearly as much power or acceptance as she did in 1991/1992.
Trust me.. I was DEEP in the Closet and I remember how she(with the help of the media)literally blew up and destroyed So Much intense Homophobia that existed within the United Stated and the UK during the 70s and 80s. In 1987 being Gay was still considered Very WIERD by most people ages 16 to 30. But.. by 1992(just 5 years later) MOST of those Same People thought being Gay was acceptable even if they didnt agree with it or like it.
AIDS also had a HUGE impact on the general public as far as making the general public much more accepting of Gays.
I love the Nightmare on Elm Street series of movies. How did I missed this? I must see this.
As far as I remember, Mark Patton wasn't the writer or director on Freddy's Revenge, so how does any of this translate into "the real-life gay panic behind Nightmare on Elm Street 2"?
VonWenk why does Mark Patton not being the writer matter here? The writer was gay and seemed to be going through some stuff, it probably made its way into the script subconsciously.
@@PhantomAtomFilms None of that was in this video though, was it?
Well, I for one, will never be able to watch 'Nightmare on Elm Street 2' the same way again.
to me, this looks like a fresh perspective,
To you, i might seem oblivious ???
Amazing but dark stuff. Thanks for discussing this!
+Matt Baume Sometimes I feel like I'll have my "LGBT club card" revoked and confiscated when I realize I never thought of seeing a movie like this.
Same here
This reminds me a bit of Colton Haynes. He was out until he got to Hollywood where he was told he had to go back into the closet. His manager even set up fake heterosexual relationships for him in the public eye to further the image of Haynes being straight. However, all of this hiding resulted in him having huge panic attacks and he actually had to leave two hit TV shows to go get help. Eventually he came out. Stephen Amell from Arrow commented on how much happier Colton seemed and how happy he was that his friend was finally able to come out.
I know this is an older epi, but did Rantasmo ever appear on 'The Sewers Of Paris'? I can't get enough of his content, and after finding your channel this morning, I'm eager to know!
+Bis Quintana Yes! In a Halloween episode. www.mattbaume.com/sewers-shownotes/2015/10/6/people-wearing-masks-ep-29-hocus-pocus
Thank you so much!! :D
Your beard is so on point
Thankyou for this.✌🏼💜
I'm a huge horror movie fan. I was aware of the homoerotic nature of nightmare on elm street 2. I was unaware that the actor was gay. Friday the 13th is sometimes referred to as Frigay the 13th because of the numbers of LGBTI actors. It's one of the first mainstream slasher film series to include a same sex kissing scene (and some kinky shaving) admittedly as a way of possessing a body. And Jason loves his mama.
Although this is still a controversial movie because of all the gay tones, this is still one of my favorites from the franchise. Along with parts one,three,four, and seven.
I really liked One and Four when they came out. Three reminded me of Filmmation cartoons, although even that had the memorable line "Bastard son of a thousand maniacs."
Quite well spoken. Gotta thank Rantasmo for sending me here... 😀
+MintyCoolness Thanks! And welcome. Check out my vids and let me know if there's anything you'd like me to discuss!
people always talk about how gay this movie is because well it is. but how come nobody never mentions how INCREDIBLY queer Fright Night (1985) is?????? that movie is HELLAGAY
I'm a bi 57 year old. I'm still not out to my mother because she's made it clear she'd never speak to me again if I were. Oddly enough, she's pretty cool with gay men in general, and very sweet to the lesbian couple who have been friends of my sister for 20 years. It's just the whole "in her family" part.
I'm so glad most of the younger generation has it at least a bit easier.
Fabrisse ter Brugghe, I can relate, tho' gay not bi. I am 56, came out to my mom in 1981, but her last coherent words to me before she died was "Are you married yet?" To which, I assert "No I am not and you know why." For the younger generation as for all generations, vigilance for freedoms is ongoing.
@Matt Baume, I might have my own theory. Freddy Krueger was originally written as a child molester. Maybe, Mark's character had some sort of sexual encounter with Freddy as a kid and when Freddy came back. His trauma from that man sent him in a tailspin where he had to acknowledge that he was gay and that he wasn't that way because Freddy molested him.
I've heard Pat Robertson claim that about homosexuals that they are only gay because they were molested as kids. Sure, being raped or molested as a kid can fuck up with one's sexuality but it doesn't mean that you aren't gay, bi, pan, or straight. There comes a point in time where you have to face your demons even if society and yourself throw you under the bus.
gay or whatever I love this movie and the soundtrack! its sad that Mark had to go through that,i'm glad he found happiness :) plus half the male actors in Friday The 13th part 7 New Blood are gay. hope you do a vid about that horror classic too!
Hey, I had those bed sheets Mark's Guy Pal has in that movie!
Ok I really like it when you do this videos. I know I have probably said this before but it was worth repeating. It always makes me re-consider stuff I had written off as not for me. Now I want to go watch this movie with someone by my side of course. Lol.... I love scary movies but only when viewing with another person preferably a man! ☺ 😊 😀 ☺ Do you think the lord of the rings original trilogy has some gay under or overtones? Just curious. Best, Marvin 😀
Great episode!
When the Elm street movie was still horror
I've watched A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 Freddy's Revenge so many times
Watch NOES 2 with the documentary Never Sleep Again and Mark Patton’s story Scream Queen My Nightmare on Elm Street.
2:28 same sheets as Home Alone 😊 [also, great video]
Please do something on Cut Sleeve Boys & To Wong Too, Thanks for Everything.
Elm II is considered the best in the series. Also, this work of art came together as a “perfect storm”, as some of the actors were gay in real life, not just the lead.
Considered by whom, just out of curiosity, because that's the first time I've heard that.
Yes I’d like to hear this too. I usually hear the first one or my personal favorite which is the third one Dream Warriors.
This is considered the worst Nightmare on Elm Street for a reason...
I love horror. The only thing that sucks about Nightmare 2 is that it doesn’t follow the established rules set by the first one. Other than that it’s really good and interesting!
It was directly in front of your eyes like most things,but people still ignored it but it really was dead on in your face,especially with that GYM teacher and his antics..... 🤔💭👀
As a gay guy i can say... its Nightmare on elm street. Its a slasher. I i didnt really see any in the cliset paralells. Even the ending is typical given the first movie in the franchise.
I need to watch this now
It's so good!
I filmed a movie with Mark Patton. Swallowed 2022
He also killed women in that poolparty
You say being gay isn't inherently scary... but my first truly long lasting relationship was with a woman who called cash machines "ATMs", and tomato ketchup "tomato sauce". The madness!!! 😱
All relationships are scary if you're doing it right.
That sounds awful but I stand by it. Not dramatic, just important enough to stop you taking the good times for granted.
Can I ask what the difference between "cash machines " and ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) are?
@@MothCreature13, none, just different terms for the same thing.
@@DissociatedWomenIncorporatedokay, I figured so I'm just confused with your comment. Was it a joke?
@@MothCreature13, it was 😊 Sarah was and is lovely actually, we still have a close friendship, and still tease each other about differing word choices (like her "doona" for what normal people call a "duvet" or "blanket") 😁
This was my first Freddy movie and I saw on public TV when I was in 3rd grade. And I am gay.
But never picked up on the gay subtext back then but the scenes of Jesse I his tighty whities always caught my eye
Good video nice job but 2:58 you said all of the deaths at the pool party were men but there were 2 girls i saw die