As a slasher buff, I’m saddened that we’re in a current horror climate where other less deserving slasher films have gotten full fledged franchises while “Behind the Mask” is still just a one time gem. “The Rise of Leslie Vernon” is one of the best slasher films of the aughts that was perfecting the indie slasher sub-genre well before “Hatchet” came along. No slight to Adam Green, but I’d much rather have had three “Behind the Mask” films over four “Hatchet” films any day of the week. “Behind the Mask” is brilliant in not only creating a great slasher villain, but telling a sharp meta-story that dissects the sub-genre as a whole.
“Behind the Mask” is set in a reality where Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees exist, and like everyone else, they have their fan boys. Leslie Vernon is a young man who has modeled his life after his favorite killers and has also managed to carve out his own mythology. When a local filmmaker named Taylor learns of Leslie Vernon, she and her film crew begin following him around learning about his methods and love for becoming a slasher. Along the way she garners a glimpse in to his madness and manages to go deeper than she imagined when she learns he’s planning to stage his own massacre, in hopes of finding his “Final Girl.” Scott Glosserman’s slasher comedy is a brilliant deconstruction of the genre that not only takes the concept head on, but also asks us to think about what we’re watching.
Through the comparisons to literature and explorations in to the symbolism of phallic weapons in the slasher genre, Glosserman also has a ton of fun with this world he’s created. This is a world where Krueger and Voorhees existed, so anything can happen and mostly anything does to great comedic and horrific effect. Along for the ride there’s the great Robert Englund who is investigating Leslie Vernon and actively hunting him down, along with the great Zelda Rubenstein all utilized to help build what looks like a slasher but is actually a character piece beneath its horror gloss. Nathan Baesel is the heart of Glosserman’s slasher, playing Leslie Vernon, a menacing but attractive villain that you want see more of, but from a healthy distance.
Glosserman doesn’t just inject these stars for the sake of goofy “fan service” cameos, but implements them to support the narrative, including Scott Wilson who has a short but very effective walk on role as Leslie’s slasher mentor who found his final girl and ironically fell in love with her. Witty, funny, creepy, and original, “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon” is a fantastic twist on the slasher genre that deserves a much larger fan base. Man I want a sequel. Pretty please?
Featured on the Blu-Ray from Scream Factory is a director’s commentary with Scott Glosserman, and a cast commentary. “Behind the Mask: Joys and Curses” is a twenty eight minute segment with interviews with co-writer Dave Stieve and stars Angela Goethals and Ben Pace. They go through the creation of the film, the appreciation for the film’s fanbase and legacy, along with some surprise appearances. “Before the Mask: The Comic Book” is a six minute look at Nathan Thomas Miliner coming out of retirement to make a comic out of the first film, as well as his championing of the original film.
“Making of Behind the Mask” is a thirty two minute segment with interviews and footage never put in to the original DVD release. “Casting Behind the Mask” is a six minute look at the casting of Angela Goethals’ role, and her casting session as she competes with two other actresses. There are thirty minutes of deleted scenes and extended scenes with optional commentary, and finally an Easter Egg with Leslie Vernon who shows how he pulled off his final head crushing trick.