Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Director:

Scott Glosserman

Writers:

Scott Glosserman (writer)
David J. Stieve (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Jason, Freddy, Myers. We All Need Someone To Look Up To.

Plot:

The next great psycho horror slasher has given a documentary crew exclusive access to his life as he...

Plot Keywords:

Surveillance Camera | Mask | Old House | Dark Humor | Satire

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nathan Baesel	...	Leslie Vernon
Angela Goethals	...	Taylor Gentry
Robert Englund	...	Doc Halloran
Scott Wilson	...	Eugene
Zelda Rubinstein	...	Mrs. Collinwood
Bridgett Newton	...	Jamie
Kate Lang Johnson	...	Kelly Curtis
Ben Pace	...	Doug Johnson
Britain Spellings	...	Todd Best
Hart Turner	...	Shane
Krissy Carlson	...	Lauren
Travis Zariwny	...	Dr. Meuller
Teo Gomez	...	Stoned Guy
Matt Bolt	...	Slightly More Stoned Guy
Jenafer Brown	...	Carrie - Virgin Girl
Kane Hodder	...	Elm Street Resident
Mia Butler	...	Communion Girl
Morgan Kitzmiller	...	Communion Girl
Hannah Rader	...	Communion Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Scott Glosserman	...	D.A. Heilman (scenes deleted)
Steve Kaminsky	...	Courtroom Attendee (scenes deleted)
Tommy Peters	...	Courtroom Witness (scenes deleted)
Susan Spencer	...	Juror (scenes deleted)

Directed by
Scott Glosserman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Scott Glosserman		writer
David J. Stieve		writer

Produced by
Al Corley	....	executive producer
Scott Glosserman	....	producer
Michael D. Jones	....	line producer
Andrew Lewis	....	executive producer
Eugene Musso	....	executive producer
Bart Rosenblatt	....	executive producer
David J. Stieve	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Gordy Haab

Cinematography by
Jaron Presant

Film Editing by
Sean Presant

Casting by
Marisa Ross
Matthew Skrobalak

Production Design by
Travis Zariwny

Art Direction by
Zack Smith

Costume Design by
Raquel L. Jaffe

Makeup Department
Molly Craytor	....	hair stylist
Molly Craytor	....	makeup artist
E. Larry Day	....	hair department head
E. Larry Day	....	makeup department head

Production Management
James R. Rosenthal	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jason Halley	....	second second assistant director
Jill Hoppy	....	second assistant director
Aaron Walters	....	first assistant director
Travis Zariwny	....	second unit director

Art Department
Charles Babbage	....	prop construction
Betsy Goslin	....	property master
Ben Pace	....	storyboard artist
Zack Smith	....	set dresser
Travis Zariwny	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Scott Dowsett	....	boom operator
Patrick Giraudi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Markus Innocenti	....	sound editor
Jackie Johnson	....	dialogue editor
Jesse Nordhausen	....	sound mixer
Jesse Pomeroy	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Stanley	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
William Boggs	....	special effects foreman
Carly Sertic	....	special effects intern
Kai Shelton	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
David Van Woert	....	marketing producer

Stunts
Kent W. Luttrell	....	stunt coordinator
Susan Spencer	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Barbee	....	assistant camera
Matt Barbee	....	camera loader
Paul Fanning	....	electrician
Bruce 'Sarge' Fleskes	....	gaffer
Ben Lipsey	....	still photographer
Greg Schmitt	....	steadicam operator
Mark Tomlinson	....	best boy grip
Scott Walters	....	best boy electric
James WilderHancock	....	key grip
James WilderHancock	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Andrew Cohen	....	additional editor
Matthew W. Johnson	....	IQ artist
Brian Lancaster	....	assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer
Jordan Noce	....	assistant editor
R. Clifford Olson	....	assistant editor
John Scheer	....	digital on-line editor

Music Department
Rudy Chung	....	music supervisor
John Rodd	....	music recording engineer
Lodge Worster	....	music editor

Other crew
Joey Brenner	....	assistant production coordinator
Roger D. Faires	....	location manager
Andrea Hofer	....	assistant locations
Rachel Lipsey	....	craft service
Dawnn Pavlonnis	....	production coordinator
Bailey Rumsfeld	....	production mascot
Corrinne Theodoru	....	script supervisor
Michael Von	....	production assistant

Thanks
Dan Walton	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Glen Echo Entertainment
• Code Entertainment

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Starz Entertainment
• Starz Home Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment GmbH (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Aspect Ratio  trailer
• Identity Studios  marketing
• Mission Post  sound post-production
• Post Logic Studios  digital intermediate
• Traction Media  sales representative

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence, language, some sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Finland:K-18 | Australia:MA | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Banks, Oregon, USA

Company:

Glen Echo Entertainment

Trivia:

At the beginning Taylor is standing in front of the Red Rabbit Pub. This is reference to the Red Rabbit matchbook found by Dr. Loomis in Halloween (1978).

Quotes:

Doc Halloran: Expect to see more of me.

Movie Connections:

References Halloween (1978)

Soundtrack:

Moonlight With The Stars And You

Killing is his business, and business is good.

A clever, post-modern, tongue-in-cheek horror from first-time director Scott Glosserman, Behind the Mask sees a grad school documentary maker Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) and her crew charting the progress of aspiring psycho killer Leslie Mancuso (Nathan Baesel) as he puts the wheels in motion for his next 'job': the wholesale slaughter of a group of teens in sleepy Echo Falls.

Adopting the persona of local 'myth' Leslie Vernon (who, as a child, supposedly murdered his parents and was thrown over the local waterfall by an angry mob), Mancuso builds his 'legend', selects his victims (including the token virginal 'Survivor Girl') and carefully prepares the final location for his killing spree; when not 'working', he chats freely with the documentary crew about his aspirations, idols, and philosophies (we even get to meet his mentor Eugene, now retired from the business and enjoying life with his hottie wife).

With a wry and very dark sense of humour, Glosserman plays with the recognised conventions and clichés of the slasher (whilst also analysing the whole genre), delivering a movie designed specifically to appeal to fans who know their Myers from their Voorhees and their Springfield from their Haddonfield. Relative unknowns Baesel and Gentry do a great job in their roles, and are given solid support from genre legend Robert Englund as Leslie's 'ahab' (ie., his good-guy nemesis), psychiatrist Doc Halloran. Also popping up for the fun are Poltergeist's helium voiced midget Zelda Rubinstein and Kane 'Jason' Hodder in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo.

Towards the end, the film does admittedly lose some of its magic as it slips awkwardly from ironic comedy into genuine slasher mode (as Taylor's conscience kicks in and she tries to intervene with the killer's plans), and a not-so-unexpected twist does little to help, but with so much great stuff happening earlier on, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is still well worth watching.

Oh, and look out for a fun end-credits sequence which hints at the inevitable sequel.