Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was a surprisingly fun take on the slasher horror genre that at times was actually quite clever, only a shame it hasn’t caught on enough to warrant a sequel.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
(2007)
Genre(s): Horror, Comedy
Shout Factory | R – 91 min. – $34.93 | March 27, 2018
Date Published: 03/12/2018 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 4.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis (from the back cover): You know legendary maniacs Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. Now meet Leslie Vernon (NATHAN BAESEL), the next great psycho-slasher, is a good-natured killing machine who invites a documentary film crew, led by reporter Taylor Gentry (ANGELA GOETHALS), to follow him as he reminisces with his murder mentor (SCOTT WILSON), evades his psychiatrist/nemesis (ROBERT ENGLUND), deconstructs Freudian symbolism, and meticulously plots his upcoming slaughter spree. But when the actual carnage begins, where do you draw the line between voyeuristic thrills, mythic evil, and good old-fashioned slasher movie mayhem? Quick Hit Review: I’m not entirely sure how Behind the Mask escaped me. I actually had owned the film on DVD buying it used from Hollywood Video some years ago. But seeing it in 2018 (so 10+ years later), I had a great f***ing time and even found this, in terms of parodying classic horror tropes, equal to Scream, which is high praise since I consider that film to be one of my favorite horror-slashers.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, along with some sharp writing by David Stieve and Scott Glosserman who do a great job poking fun at the idea of a serial killer’s preparations for his latest preys, the acting from mostly unknowns were downright great. Nathan Baesel was absolutely charming, and sometimes even scary, as Leslie Vernon while Taylor had an equal amount of charisma and sexy strength by the end as the “Survivor Girl” (nowadays “Final Girl” is the term used). And of course the inclusion of the iconic Robert Englund, in the Doctor Loomis-like role, never hurts. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.75/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover and the interior cover is reversible revealing the original poster artwork. Audio Commentaries:
Both of these tracks are absolutely great to listen to, the first a bit looser while the second, albeit still fun, does get into the nity-gritty of some anecdotal stories, and having Adam Green there brings a certain energy as he did in his Hatchet movies. Behind the Mask: Joys and Curses (28:50; HD) is a collection of new interviews with various actors Angela Gotthals and Ben Pace and co-writer David Stieve on the origins of the project and how some of the actors came on board. Behind the Mask: The Comic Book (6:19; HD) – This featurette looks at the creation of a comic book adaptation in the words of the writer/illustrator/filmmaker. Making of Behind the Mask (32:08; SD) is an older featurette from the original DVD but does include behind-the-scenes footage and on-set interviews. Casting Behind the Mask (6:00; SD) is raw audition footage with Nathan Baesel and Angela Goethals and brief tape on two of supporting actors. Deleted & Extended Scenes (29:44; SD) – There’s quite a few scenes here that were either removed or cut down and luckily there is an optional commentary with Glosserman. Trailer (2:17; HD) |
VIDEO – 4.0/5 |
| Shout Factory has given Behind the Mask a new HD master from the digital intermediate and the 1080p HD transfer, shown in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio, more or less looks good. Because most of the film is in mockumentary form (e.g. shaky camera), detail isn’t always the best since the image is always shaking but when the film does go into standard movie mode and is stabilized, it is rather sharp and nicely defined and colors do appear natural in appearance without seeming overblown or artificially boosted. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (along with a 2.0 option) and it’s more than adequate with the majority of the audio coming via the center channel with crisp and clear dialogue levels but there is some decent depth being able to discern ambient or side noises from the front and rear channels. Nothing that will give your surround system a workout, but satisfactory nevertheless. |
OVERALL – 4.0/5 |
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Overall, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was a surprisingly fun take on the slasher horror genre that at times was actually quite clever, only a shame it hasn’t caught on enough to warrant a sequel (for now a limited comic book series will have to do for fans). This “Collector’s Edition” does have high-quality video/audio transfers and a good selection of bonus material. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.