I first saw this probably a year after its release on HBO, and before I ever saw the first one. Back then, I would have been around 15 and just starting to dip my toe into horror films (after years of frightened fascination). Starting with the school bus scene at the beginning, I was hooked. I thought "Oh, this is fantasy-horror" which somehow made it easier for me to enjoy at the time.
I even watched it at face value - I didn't even realize or understand the gay subtext, or text as it came to be known. Sure I caught on a year or two later when comparing to the others in the series. All I knew is that it had the pool party with the exploding weenies. Ok, that should've been a red flag.
I saw this one on DVD one time around age 28 and the homoeroticism/gay message undertones when right over my head somehow. Was I really that oblivious, or is it more subtle than Nabin is saying it is here?
"Never Sleep Again’s discussion of Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge is dominated by talk of its rampant, notorious homoeroticism and how it hurt the film at the time of its release with critics and audiences but led to it being reexamined and celebrated as an accidental queer milestone. "
That didn't happen. It was a disappointment at the box office, but there was no talk it had to do with the blatant homoerotism portrayed in the film. It was seen as not true to the original story and that's why the 3rd one brought back Nancy and gave Freddy his origin...the bastard son of a thousand maniacs...
Much like the Fascistic imagery in Starship Troopers, it wasn't until later that people realized what they missed the first time around.
OMG, was that Robert Shaye as the bartender?
I first saw this probably a year after its release on HBO, and before I ever saw the first one. Back then, I would have been around 15 and just starting to dip my toe into horror films (after years of frightened fascination). Starting with the school bus scene at the beginning, I was hooked. I thought "Oh, this is fantasy-horror" which somehow made it easier for me to enjoy at the time.
I even watched it at face value - I didn't even realize or understand the gay subtext, or text as it came to be known. Sure I caught on a year or two later when comparing to the others in the series. All I knew is that it had the pool party with the exploding weenies. Ok, that should've been a red flag.
I interviewed Mark Patton for my blog in 2010. Here’s the interview:https://stonecoldcrazyjeff.com/2010/04/03/a-very-candid-conversation-with-mark-patton/
He's great in this. Amazing presence.
Thanks for reading. You are one of my favorite writers. So for you to read my work, it’s a great pleasure.
I saw this one on DVD one time around age 28 and the homoeroticism/gay message undertones when right over my head somehow. Was I really that oblivious, or is it more subtle than Nabin is saying it is here?
I have no idea what you are talking about here...
"Never Sleep Again’s discussion of Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge is dominated by talk of its rampant, notorious homoeroticism and how it hurt the film at the time of its release with critics and audiences but led to it being reexamined and celebrated as an accidental queer milestone. "
That didn't happen. It was a disappointment at the box office, but there was no talk it had to do with the blatant homoerotism portrayed in the film. It was seen as not true to the original story and that's why the 3rd one brought back Nancy and gave Freddy his origin...the bastard son of a thousand maniacs...
Much like the Fascistic imagery in Starship Troopers, it wasn't until later that people realized what they missed the first time around.