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The Walsh family move into Nancy’s house—from the first film. Teenager Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) begins to have nightmares of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), and people start dying. Only his new girlfriend, Lisa (Kim Myers), can save him from being taken over by Freddy’s spirit.
What the hell happened? Even with its flaws, A Nightmare On Elm Street was a reasonably smart film that left me with the feeling that I’d seen something worth thinking about. So what led them to make this confused, moronic, sequel? If you say money, you win a kewpie doll. In the original, Freddy had a purpose (revenge on the children of those who killed him), and a method (he attacked in their dreams), but that’s all gone here. Freddy pops into the real world by possessing and then reshaping a high school student; then he runs about attacking people. Since he’s in this world, why doesn’t he get hurt? Why does he have power? There are no rules for Part 2. A better plot synopses than the one I used above would be: “Stuff happens, some of it bloody. Then more stuff happens. Then it ends.”
So why my strange double rating? While Part 2 fails as a horror film, it is perfect for your next homoerotic, kink party. With the right party guests, it could be a riot. Screenwriter David Chaskin claims that the alternate lifestyle references were unintentional, which means he’s either lying or high.
Let’s walk through the film with our rainbow specs. Lead character, Jesse (of the sexually ambiguous name), is noticeably effeminate. He is deeply trouble about his personal life. Early in the film, he gets in a fight during a baseball game, where the hunky stud pulls Jesse’s pants down (yes, there is a butt shot). Both students are required to do pushups (together). How does Jesse react to this bully who attacked him and bared his ass? By spending as much time with him as possible. Now, Freddy is inside him (hmmm), trying to get out (hmmm again). Jesse runs out at night with his shirt open and enters an alternate lifestyle bar; there he meets his leather vest-clad gym teacher. He makes Jesse go with him to the school gym, get sweaty, and take a shower (because gym teachers can do that). Then, by the powers of Freddy, the gym teacher is tied up, stripped (yes, more male butt shots), and spanked. All the while, nude Jesse is watching from his foggy shower. Later, Lisa is on the floor, spread out, waiting for Jesse to take her, but the feeling that Freddy is in him overwhelms Jesse and he jumps off of Lisa in disgust to go to the hunky stud’s bedroom (where said stud is in bed). He asks the stud if he can sleep there. Finally, Freddy comes out completely and impales the stud. This isn’t exactly subtle. So, if you are planning that subtext party and you’re tired of Xena, or just want things to be a bit more male, A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge is the three clicks choice.