Help Leslie Vernon Return: Behind the Mask Sequel Seeks Fan Funding

It’s been 6 years since we were introduced to Leslie Vernon, the charming man who let us all tag along as he aspired to be immortalized as a psycho slasher in Behind the Mask. The movie took us by surprise with its clever deconstruction of horror. And despite its limited release and non-existent marketing, the articles, reviews and inclusions on every body’s ‘Top 10 Lists’ poured in. The positive press got the attention of the film’s director, and Leslie Vernon creator, Scott Glosserman.

“Every day, for about three years after our theatrical release, somebody new, a blogger or critic, was discovering the film. I’d read these wonderful write-ups and recommendations alongside some of my most favorite horror films of all-time, which was incredibly gratifying and humbling,” said Glosserman, “I began to recognize that among the horror community, we were being noticed.”

When the film released on DVD, it sold over 250,000 copies and became more popular than ever. And by 2010 it was clear that Behind the Mask deserved a sequel. The team assembled to produce a script guaranteed to be even better than the first.

“It’s actually a ‘spreemake’, a sequel/prequel/remake, and endeavors to deconstruct the conventions and the archetypes of the horror prequel/sequel and remakes. Not to mention the new sub-genre of found footage,” said Glosserman. “There’s just a ton to laugh with, and I say laugh with, as opposed to laugh at, because it’s not a parody, it’s a satire of horror.”

And not to mention, Leslie’s got to come back and one up what he’s done already! The spreemake promises new characters and iconic horror cameos big enough to rival those in Behind the Mask, including the recently announced addition of horror legend Kane Hodder.

Glosserman took the idea to Anchor Bay, Behind the Mask’s distributor, and was dumbfounded when he came back empty handed. Even incentivizing the spreemake with pre-distribution DVD bundles, including a never before released directors commentary for the original, still came up with a NO.

Despite the studio’s unwillingness to participate, Glosserman wasn’t ready to put the sequel to bed. He decided to take it to the fans instead and spent a year (with vital support from horror guru, Kristy Jett) creating a Facebook community of over 14,000 followers, and a fan page with a custom built application designed to encourage donations. And to help get the job done, Glosserman has now added Before the Mask’s fundraising efforts to Kickstarter, with some pretty kick-ass rewards to boot.

Prizes for pledging range from: autographed posters, digital downloads, a professional script consultation, your very own Leslie Vernon death in the movie [hurry, there are only 2 left at this level] and many more. And almost all levels earn you a “special thanks” credit in the film, which is a very generous way to say “thanks” if you ask me.

“If we can find just a fraction of the people who bought the original DVD [only 14,000 out of the 250,000 purchasers] and convince them to pre-order a Supporter’s Edition of the next movie, we’ll be there.”

Pledging at the $32 level gets you a Supporters Edition copy of the blu-ray and supports Glosserman’s goal. And if you pledge early enough you’ll score a frame from the movie.

Efforts are being matched dollar-for-dollar, up to the campaign goal of $450,000, but Glosserman doesn’t get a dime if it doesn’t fulfill, so the stakes are high. So do your part to help bring Leslie Vernon back and donate to the Before the Mask Kickstarter campaign today.