Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) | Episode#86

In this episode, hosts Katherine Troyer and Toni Tresca talk the post-modern and incredibly "meta" 2006 horror-comedy film Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. 

Episode Highlights: We discuss the film's commentary on the slasher genre and, in particular, how this movie's final girl character (Taylor Gentry) becomes a stand-in for the sometimes uncomfortable position of being a fan and scholar of horror. We examine the mockumentary style of the cinematography and when (and when not) it works for us. And we think about what this film asks us to think about when it comes to our continued fascination and love for a genre that kills us.

A Dose of Scholarship: We explore Savanna Teague's excellent analysis of the film in her 2017 article "Ahabs, Turtles, and Survivor Girls: Postmodernism in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" from Studies in Popular Culture. And we reference, again, Isabel Pinedo's seminal piece "Recreational Terror: Postmodern Elements of the Contemporary Horror Film." 

This podcast episode first aired on May 1, 2023.

Jackson O'Brien...you are an extraordinary editor; thank you!

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