Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
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| Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon | |
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| Directed by | Scott Glosserman |
| Produced by | Al Corley Andrew Lewis Eugene Musso Bart Rosenblatt Scott Glosserman |
| Written by | Scott Glosserman David J. Stieve |
| Starring | Nathan Baesel Robert Englund Angela Goethals Kate Lang Johnson |
| Music by | Gordy Haab |
| Cinematography | Jaron Presant |
| Editing by | Sean Presant |
| Distributed by | Anchor Bay Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 2006 |
| Running time | 92 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Gross revenue | $38,500 (opening weekend, USA) |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a 2006 horror film / mockumentary directed by Scott Glosserman. It stars Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals and Robert Englund. The film is an homage to the slasher film genre. It follows a film crew that documents an aspiring serial killer who models himself according to slasher film conventions.
The film won the 2006 Audience Award at the Gen Art Film Festival in New York. It was released in theaters on March 16, 2007.
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[edit] Plot
The movie is shot as a documentary set in a world where the killers depicted in famous slasher films are real. A female journalist named Taylor Gentry and her two cameramen document the preparations of Leslie Vernon as he prepares to join the ranks of other slasher villains. Leslie takes his identity from an urban legend about a boy who killed his family and was cast into a river by angry townsfolk. He initially claims to be the vengeful spirit of the slain boy, but soon admits that he is an ordinary man named Leslie Mancuso who must rely on conventional tactics rather than supernatural powers.
Taylor and her crew film Leslie's meticulous preparations to slaughter a number of teenagers in an abandoned house and then be defeated by a virginal "survivor girl". Leslie plans his crime down to the smallest detail, cheerfully explaining the many tricks and "trade secrets" he utilizes to engineer what will only appear to be a spontaneous night of horror. His preparations include modifications to the house and careful manipulation of his future victims. While luring in his selected survivor girl, Leslie is overjoyed when a man named Doc Halloran arrives to serve as his nemesis. Leslie also introduces the crew to his mentor, Eugene, a retired killer from the time before characters like Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger became popular.
Taylor and her crew come to share Leslie's enthusiasm for his project, but their consciences catch up with them on the night of the murders . They beg Leslie to call off his spree, but Leslie is adamant, believing that his survivor girl will define herself by defeating him. Taylor and her crew abandon their documentary, and at this point the film shifts into a traditional presentation. Taylor attempts to warn and rally the remaining teens together to fight Leslie, but Leslie's preparations continue to give him the upper hand. The group looks to Leslie's survivor girl for leadership, but she unexpectedly dies. Taylor quickly realizes that, as a virgin herself, she was Leslie's true survivor girl all along. She faces Leslie and defeats him in the exact manner he had laid out for her, then burns the house down.
However, Leslie's preparations included slathering himself with flame-retardant gel and feigning death. Over the final credits, security camera footage reveals Leslie's charred body sitting up on the autopsy table, still alive.
[edit] Sequel
In an interview David J Stieve, when asked if he was working on new scripts, said, "Well, then you’re treading into sequel territory. If there is any kind of scoop, it’s not really a scoop but... I can tell you and your readers that there is a definite idea for what’s going to happen to Leslie Vernon next, that’s been the goal all along. There are a lot of what-ifs, and things to have to happen right in this business for that to ever come to fruition, but certainly if there’s going to be another horror movie coming from me, my biggest impulse, of course, is to relate what happens to Leslie next."
If you right-click anywhere on the page a message box pops up which says "Leslie Vernon will be back." http://www.iconsoffright.com/IV_DavidJStieve.htm
[edit] Cast
- Nathan Baesel as Leslie Vernon
- Angela Goethals as Taylor Gentry
- Robert Englund as Doc Halloran
- Scott Wilson as Eugene
- Zelda Rubinstein as Mrs. Collinwood
- Bridgett Newton as Jamie
- Kate Lang Johnson as Kelly
- Ben Pace as Doug
- Britain Spellings as Todd
- Hart Turner as Shane
- Krissy Carlson as Lauren
- Travis Zariwny as Dr. Meuller
- Teo Gomez as "Stoned Guy"
- Matt Bolt as "Slightly More Stoned Guy"
- Anthony Forsyth as "Pitch-forked Boyfriend"
[edit] Horror film allusions
The film contains numerous allusions to common horror and slasher film conventions, which are often discussed openly by the characters. Much of Leslie Vernon's character is modeled after Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, and Michael Myers. Taylor's status as a "survivor girl" (final girl) is modeled after the typically virginal female heroines who survive slasher films. Her actions, such as arming herself with a phallic weapon, follow common observations and analysis of the slasher genre. Doc Halloran's status as an "Ahab" is modeled after male protagonists, such as Dr. Loomis, who sometimes appear in slasher films to thwart the villains.
Several actors in the film are best known for their iconic roles in various horror films. Robert Englund has played Freddy Kreuger in all the A Nightmare on Elm Street films. Zelda Rubinstein played the spiritual medium Tangina Barrons in Poltergeist. Kane Hodder, who has a cameo as a man living on Elm Street, played Jason in several films in the Friday the 13th series.
The film also features a number of subtle allusions to various popular horror films. Leslie's turtles, Church and Zowie, are named for the Creeds' cat in Pet Sematary and the dog in Pet Sematary Two, respectively. The name "Doc Halloran" is a combination of the chef's name in The Shining and his nickname for Daniel Torrance. Eugene's wife, Jamie, is named in homage to Jamie Lee Curtis, who played the final girl role in Halloween.[citation needed] The three young girls playing jump-rope outside of the high school are dressed the same as the girls from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. Leslie has a bottle of "Stay Awake" on his mantle, the same medicine featured in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
[edit] References
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