In 2006, mockumentary Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon had a limited theatrical run yielding a low box office. However, the movie began to build buzz on the festival circuit and among fans. It wasn’t until the movie was released for home viewing when their main audience was solidified. Now, Leslie Vernon is both a beloved gem of a movie, and character, in the world of horror!
The Makings of a Legend
When cameras begin to roll audiences aren’t really sure what they’re watching. Is it a slasher movie? A parody? A dark comedy? Well, it’s all three really. Behind the Mask begins as a fun, dark, and comedic study of a killer through the lens of aspiring journalist Taylor, and her filming crew Doug and Todd. However, as the story unfolds it turns into a clever and original slasher movie that no one expected.
It is hard talking about this movie without giving away all of the magic.
Behind the Mask examines the archetypes and tropes of classic horror movies as a film crew of three graduate school students interview the self proclaimed killer in training, Leslie Vernon.
Leslie confides to the crew he is inspired by the likes of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers. What makes this particularly interesting is that in this world, these characters and their killing sprees are real! It is Leslie’s hope that one day that he will have his name memorialized alongside theirs.
Behind the Screams
One of the many things that makes this movie so enjoyable is how it relates to real life horror fans. Behind the Mask captures conversations fans have been having among themselves for years!
For instance, how does Michael Myers slowly stalk his victims at such a snail’s pace and still catch up? Vernon claims it’s because they’re not walking. He discloses to the film crew he has to work out daily to keep up his cardio for all of the chasing. He implies that when he’s not in view of his victims, he is running to keep up.
Another dispute fans have been debating among themselves is how much planning, if any, goes into killers choosing their victims. Is it random? Is it an obsession? Vernon also sheds light onto this as he describes the process of choosing his survivor girl, and the friend group he will kill around her. Who he kills and in what order is just as important as the girl that he is doing it all for.
Leslie also reveals the man behind the curtain when it comes to the smaller details; How do doors close by themselves? Why are windows so hard to open to escape? Why are flashlights always dead? And why are weapons so dysfunctional?
Leslie discloses it is because the whole game of cat and mouse is rigged! He uses fishing line to move doors and objects, nails windows shut, replaces flashlight batteries with dead ones, and sabotages weapons to break easily. It really seems like cheating when you think about it.
For the Love of Horror
Another reason why Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is loved by the horror community is because it is a treasure trove of genre references. The following are just a few of the horror references fans will recognize.
Leslie’s pet turtles are named Church and Zoey, referencing the pets from Pet Sematary 1 and 2. In the home of Leslie’s mentor Eugene (played by Scott Wilson) a Hellraiser puzzlebox is in view for the audience to see. Additionally, while Taylor is being filmed in an opening scene of her documentary, the sign over her shoulder is for The Rabbit in Red Lounge. The Rabbit in Red is a strip club featured in Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies. One last example is the car in Eugene’s driveway. It is a yellow 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, the same car used in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy.
Not only are there numerous horror references fans can spot throughout the film, horror cameos also punctuate Behind the Mask.
Beloved horror veteran Robert Englund is Vernon’s astute adversary, Doc Halloran. You will quickly draw parallels between Doc Halloran and Dr. Samuel Loomis of John Carepenter’s Halloween. Both men harbor borderline obsessive relationships with their respective killers. They are the “Ahab” archetype, and they see it as their mission to stop these monsters from doing evil in the world.
In addition to Englund, Zelda Rubinstein shares the cameo stage. Rubinstein played the psychic Tangina Barrons from 1982’s Poltergeist, and portrays librarian Mrs. Collinwood in Behind the Mask.
A keen eye can even spot a young Kane Hodder as the home owner of a very famous house on an infamous street in Springwood, Ohio.
A Sequel on the Rise
In April 2026, director Scott Glosserman announced alongside writer David J. Stieve that Leslie Vernon is returning! The long awaited sequel, Behind the Mask 2: The Return of Leslie Vernon, has been greenlit. The news came at the 20th anniversary screening at the Alamo Drafthouse. In addition to the return of Nathan Baesel as Leslie Vernon, Glosserman told fans Angela Goethals and Robert Englund will also be reprising their roles from the original.
Twenty years is a long time, and fans are wondering if the same magic that made the original so special can be recaptured. Not only have the actors changed, but so has the genre. What new tropes will be weaved into the script? What new references will be penned into the world? Who will be casted for a cameo?
Follow iHorror as updates are released! Additionally, sign up to follow the sequels‘ kickstarter. While the movie will be made with or without backing from the fans, the campaign explains money generated through the page “will allow us the freedom to make it our way: bigger, wilder, bloodier and more worthy of the legend Leslie was always meant to become!”