This Day in Horror History: BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON was Released in 2007
Josh Millican
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A year after its successful debut at SXSW, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon received a limited theatrical release on March 16th, 2007. It successfully merged meta-horror tropes first established in the 1990s (exemplified by Scream) with the found-footage/mockumentary presentation that was peaking in popularity. The result was a darkly humorous, subversive, intelligent slasher that has amassed an enviable cult following.
Behind the Mask is directed by Scott Glosserman from a script he co-wrote with David J. Stieve; the film stars Nathan Baesel as smart/psychotic Leslie Vernon and Angela Goethals as documentarian Taylor Gentry. The film also features Robert Englund has the film’s “hero” Doc Halloran; horror icons Kane Hodder, Zelda Rubinstein, and Scott Wilson have cameos.
If it’s been a while, or if you’ve yet to experience Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon for yourself, check out the trailer and synopsis below.
Synopsis:
Nice, normal-looking Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has an obsession with movie-style slashers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Leslie decides to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, and, ever the self-promoter, invites a documentary filmmaker (Angela Goethals) and her crew to follow him around as he constructs his own grisly legacy.
Trivia:
When Leslie (Nathan Baesel) first takes Taylor (Angela Goethals) and her crew to meet Eugene (Scott Wilson) and his wife, the car parked in Eugene’s driveway is the same color, make, and model as the car seen in Director Sam Raimi’s movies. (Source)
When Leslie (Baesel) first shows the crew his home, he introduces his two pet turtles as “Church” and “Zoey”. These are the names of the resurrected pets from the Pet Sematary film franchise: “Church” being the cat from Pet Sematary (1989) and “Zoey” the dog from Pet Sematary II (1992). (Source)
Are you a fan of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
Categorized:News This Day in Horror
