Overlooked Crowd Funding: Scream, Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street

"Did I actually quit acting because of Nightmare on Elm Street 2?"

-Mark Patton

While the world was riddled with fear of the AIDS epidemic and ostracizing those it suspected of spreading the condition, an unexpectedly iconic sequel was released upon horror fans everywhere. The sequel, as you've probably guessed, is A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge and it developed into something very personal for a lot of people. You may remember the cast talking about this subject briefly in Never Sleep Again, the 4 hour documentary that chronicles the entire Nightmare franchise, but they didn't really go into any kind of depth about whether or not they realized the message that was between the lines that they were reading. There was just enough time for each of the cast members to say that they had no idea at the time but come to think of it... And for a giggling David Chaskin to say “It was supposed to be subtext!” Now this same cast has been brought together once more in order to reflect on the film they helped make possible all those years ago. This time it will be with a different context; we will get a chance to hear from those who were deeply affected by Freddy's Revenge and who saw a bit of themselves in Jesse Walsh. Most of these testimonies appear to be from the lgbt community, and from people who were attracted to the vulnerability that Jesse embodied. He was incredibly, undeniably relatable, and had a huge fan base because of that. (The fact that Mark Patton was a gay actor himself was actually coincidence.) But he did toughen up and for that fact, he is lovingly called the first male scream queen. And he will finally be able to tell his whole story.

Everyone's motivations for talking about this whole experience are different, but any way you look at it this film turned out to be much more than the embarrassing dance number we all love, and it demands attention! And judging from the campaign video, much of the filming has already taken place. Filmmakers were able to catch everyone in one place because they were at 30th anniversary reunion of A Nightmare on Elm Street The filmmakers just need a little help to hire lawyers and get all the licensing paperwork together correctly to avoid being sued. And also to enter Scream, Queen! into the film festival circuit. 

Speaking of which, let's look at some of the perks available to you in this Scream, Queen! campaign.

Affordable:

• $25 gives you the option between a digital download of the completed Scream, Queen! film or an 11x17 poster for the film. These both come with a thank you on facebook, as well as a producer credit after the film. 

Under $100:

• $75 will get you a signed 24" x 36" poster, specifically designed to collect signatures on. It has extra white space at the bottom so that none of the poster is covered. This also comes with a thank you on facebook and a producer credit after the film. 

Breaking the Piggy Bank:

• $150 will get you a digital download of the completed film, along with a rare commentary of of Nightmare on Elm Street 2 done by Mark Patton. This is one of the cooler perks, in my opinion, because it ties the old and the new together perfectly. 
• $300 gets the all inclusive package, which comes with a digital download of the film, the audio commentary of Mark Patton, both sizes of posters, the soundtrack, a hat, and the facebook thanks and producer credit! Basically everything pictured below and more.

I was hoping that this campaign would have some more interesting merchandise, but at this point in the film's life, it still needs to be completed and ideally make the film festival circulation to get its name out. But there is so much potential to satisfy that materialistic side most of us have, we just have to help things get rolling first! I have my fingers crossed for a cool physical release of the movie, since I know next to nothing about digital copies. And I don't think that's too far fetched of a hope. 

As with all campaigns, there is usually a cool perk that most of us can only dream of being able to get, be it because of the price, location, or whatever reason. I like to just mention them on the off chance they may grab someone's attention. So here is the Scream, Queen! 

Honorable Mention: For $2500 you can include the name, picture, and a statement about someone you know who has been effected by HIV, homophobia, or bullying in the film. You will also receive a personalized thank you video from Mark Patton. 

As I'm finishing this, the Kickstarter campaign has 34 days left and has raised over $4000 already. Check it out and help out if you can! 

-Huntress