Behind the Mask: Welcoming Leslie Vernon & Taylor Gentry for Asks!
J: From the beginning of time, mankind has created and shared cautionary tales in every medium: plays, books, campfire stories, tapestries, sculptures, even cave drawings. And when movies were first being made in the late 1800s, they were no exception to this rule. It took less than a decade after the creation of cinema for the first 'scary movie' to come out, and the century that followed brought to life black lagoon creatures, bloodthirsty counts, and abominations of science who redefined humanity's understanding of terror.
In the 1970s, Leatherface first lifted his saw, and the Prowler made his first phone call, kickstarting the slasher genre that we now know and love. It's a simple formula: a misbehaved group of teens, a brave young girl, and a terrible monster. But through this formula, we were given stories that kept us up all night, made us fear the deep end of the pool, and had us thinking twice about staying out too late on Halloween night.
Around the 2000s, the genre began to change, but one man stayed convinced that these slashers had found the key to unlocking the secret of human fear. He took it upon himself to modernize the slasher-movie formula and reawaken the evil that his predecessors embodied, all while keeping their traditions.
(Warning: Spoilers for Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon ahead!)
J: To kick things off, I should be clear: this is one of my favorite movies. Ever. If you love slashers like we do and you haven’t checked this film out, you’ll definitely want to stop reading here and go put it on. Trust me: you do not want this one spoiled! Now, into the review.
V: The mockumentary styling of the majority of the film was a brave new departure from normal Slasher-types, and I honestly adored it. Found-footage movies tend to not be as immersive to me, but this one found its way into my heart very quickly.
J: The cinematography was a huge part of what made this movie so fantastic. You have these abrupt shifts between their documentary footage and reality that were so well executed. You also get cameos from some of the best in the business: Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, and Zelda Rubinstein! I felt extra special recognizing Kane on sight~
V: In the universe this movie takes place in, every slasher’s legacy is real. Every murder, every survivor! It all happened, and was broadcasted for the world to know. How people don’t live in fear already at this point... I will never know. Leslie Vernon, with a giant mass of murderous icons to follow, is a self-proclaimed slasher newbie. Throughout the film, we find out Leslie is planning a very big, very special day: his return from beyond the grave - to haunt Glen Echo as a living legend.
J: And if you’ve made it this far into the review I assume you already know: Leslie hires a film crew to document his rise to infamy, claiming to be stalking a group of teens with a survivor (final) girl among them. In the end, his real target was the woman he had hired to make his documentary: Taylor Gentry. And she is an incredible addition to the survivor hall of fame.
V: She may not have understood everything right from the get-go, but she filled Leslie’s expectations perfectly in the end - he had been watching her for a long time, he claims, and everything he was meant to become relied on her. The two unknowingly worked in tandem until the final curtain, and it was everything the new Slasher could’ve hoped for. Honestly, very romantic???
J: To me, the best thing about this film is the way it comes across as a love-letter to everyone who adores the genre. It’s packed full of references, insider terminology, characters hinted to secretly be slashers we know, and it’s all tied together with the shiny, red, charismatic ribbon that is Leslie. He’s fun, he’s funny, he’s traditional, he’s a genius. His goal was to show the world that mass communication and modern culture had not killed the slasher way of life, and I believe whole-heartedly that he accomplished that goal.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great honor that we begin our welcoming ceremony for the Glen Echo slasher himself. The one and only Leslie Vernon!!
“Well, I think the real honor here goes to me,” the man gushes, hand on his chest as he approaches us, his letter held gently in the other, “I’m thankful to be acknowledged and recognized for my work! Heh, this is like receiving some kind of slasher Grammy~” Leslie chuckles. “But I digress. Thank you everyone for your interest in my work - I promise not to disappoint…~”
V: And every dark must come with its fair share of light - he would agree he couldn’t have done any of this without her. So it’s our pleasure as well to be introducing, alongside the Harvest Murderer himself, Miss Taylor Gentry!
Taylor steps up beside Leslie, bundled up in a turtleneck sweater and armed with nothing but a home video camera. She avoids the slasher's eyes, but gives him a silent nod of acknowledgement before thanking the hosts.
“Thank you, for inviting me. I’m, just as interested in these answers as… everyone else,” She shrugs briefly, managing a smile. “I think this footage might start to make up for… what happened with my last attempt at a documentary. I might ask a few questions of my own; if, that’s alright. ehem...”
--
Leslie bites his tongue as she speaks, sort of looking aside, “Hey, I uh,” he speaks up after a moment, rocking side to side with his hands in his jeans pockets, “I’m sorry I… stole your film, the first time. I hope you understand, heh, it… had a lot of info I couldn’t have getting out.” He explains, almost shyly. “...I wanted it to be published- I did! So. I’m sorry. And- for- nearly strangling you to death. Heh...”
She nods, hugging herself but keeping her eyes down. “Job requirement. Right.”
“Yeah- yeah! It’s all just part of what we’re meant to do.” He slings his arm around her and shakes her a little. “No hard feelings. It’s an amazing documentary; I just… gotta do some editing for you, that’s all~”
“For ten years?” Taylor questions pointedly, stiff in his embrace.
“Al-right, so I had to lay low a long while; I’m sorry! Sheesh… they don’t make cards for this, Tay - I’m doing my best here.” Leslie near whines, tilting his head down toward her.
“... Well, I’m sorry, too.” Her shoulders fall. “For… stabbing, and crushing, and... burning you…”
“Hey, it’s all part of the job.” He reassures her lightly, offering a smile. “I’m proud of how well you handled it all. It was flawless - just like I knew it’d be.” The man muses, reminiscing fondly.He turns her to face him, practically gushing. “...You gotta remember how I said EVERYTHING I do relies on ‘her’; the only thing you crushed was my pre-existing expectation of you! You nailed it!”
Taylor tries her best to hide it, but a smile breaks through her tough exterior. Unsure of whether or not it’s a compliment she should thank him for, she opts for a flustered nod instead, involuntarily beaming.
J: Looks like the two of them are gonna get along just fine!
Les & Tay are officially open for asks!
Hey Leslie! I'm pretty obsessed with you and Tay and I just wanted to know if you're still watching out for your Survivor Girl? Was hoping for something like Eugene and Kelly, maybe?
“Eugene and Kelly? Do you mean his wife, Jamie? Kelly was my... y’know,” Leslie clarifies, tilting his head. He smiles, however, at the mention of your interest in him - and the mention of Taylor.
“Well, Tay and I are a little on the bumpy side right now, but I still keep tabs on her. Heh- if I wasn’t, hah, doin’ that, I’d all too easily lose her to a, a bus or something, ha!” The man crosses his arms loosely, relaxed. “But I, I do look out for her a lot still. I hope someday her and I can reach what Eugene and Jamie have…”
It’s then that Leslie’s face settles, turning less cheery and more into a look of longing. He glances aside, “...it’s really special, you know. The relationship between a Survivor Girl and her Slasher. Someday… I, hope Taylor sees that too.”
Hey Les! How does it feel to be hanging out with some of the most notorious slashers in history?
The man beams, looking around almost innocently. “We-hell, heh, I am pre-tty lucky to have a position as unique as mine. These guys respect me. Hell - most of these guys see me as like an impressionable youth! It boils down to a few of them ‘trying to set good examples’, heheh!~”
He beams at you now, leaning in and lowering his voice, “Can I be honest? It’s the coolest thing ever! Not to sound like some kind of ah, crazy rabid fan but I live for this. To be invited to a party with the big guys!? Not to be treated like some- some wannabe by the men I’ve idolized since I was young?” He grabs your hands excitedly, bouncing them in front of you. You can practically see the stars in his eyes. “It! Is! A DREAM come TRUE! I’m wigging OUT over here!”
“Hello? Excuse me,” A soft-spoken woman in yellow comes up beside Leslie, briefly touching his arm to get his attention. “Pardon me.”
She presses her palms together, giving you a respectful nod and weaving her fingers as she speaks.
“I’ve noticed you’ve just arrived here, and I can’t help feeling you look terribly familiar. Have we met?”
"Huh?" He turns from you and looks her over. He plays with the mask in his hand. "...now that you mention it, you're giving me some serious nostalgia. Who are you?"
“Oh, my manners. Jessica Bradford,” She answers with a friendly smile, offering her hand. “I wasn’t certain I should introduce myself. After all, my…” Jess glances briefly over her shoulder, “... colleague, and I, are certain we both know you already, which would put you in a very small category. We don’t have many overlapping acquaintances.”
"We-hell, I definitely know OF you, that's for sure!" He shakes her hand firmly in two of his. "Miss Bradford, the sole survivor of 1974's infamous "Black Christmas" murders, just months after Texas's own tragedy in the same year!" His eyes again sparkle. "Gosh, if I forgot that I knew you and Mr. Lenz, then I must've hit my head on something hard! Oh- you know, maybe my mentor introduced me to you at some point! Do you know any Eugenes, or, or Jamies?"
“Goodness, erm… no, not that I can think of,” Jess gives a nervous laugh at Leslie’s enthusiasm, turning and waving her shier counterpart over with her free hand, “Billy, do you know anyone named…?” She glances back at the newcomer to finish her sentence, but changes her mind. “Actually, I ought to ask for your name first, shouldn’t I?”
“Oh, ha, gosh - how rude of me.” He turns up the charm and dials back the excitement, “Leslie Vernon. Harvest Murders of 2006 - they call me “The Boy” sometimes?”
