Scott Glosserman talks the Return of Leslie Vernon

Sequels, remakes, reboots, the horror genre has seen them all. Feels like it’s every other minute we’re reporting on something getting a sequel or remake, huh? Do you want a sequel that actually deserves to get made? Tired of weak sauce kills and stories? Well, our dear Leslie Vernon needs your help because some studio brass doesn’t think the world needs him again.

Oh, how they are dead (pun soon-to-be intended) wrong. Director Scott Glosserman takes some time to talk with Killer Film about the proposed sequel, Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon, a sequel to the critically praised 2006 indie sensation, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and what’s the deal with him needing our help.

Jon: It’s been five years since Rise of Leslie Vernon and I remember when it was released, it received a swarm of praise that eventually led to sequel talk. When did you officially start working on Return of Leslie Vernon?

Scott Glosserman: I sat around with it with my screenwriting partner Dave, but we always said even before the first one was released, if we had another opportunity, we would do it. If the first one deconstructed the stereotypes of the slasher, then the second would deconstruct the slasher sequel/remake and comment on those derivative conventions. Whatever we do, that’s where we’d go, but then the question became how would we apply the same techniques that we used from the first one.

That same mockumentary feel, so we wanted to show that aesthetic again. We also wanted to leap into the real horror show, how would we have done this again? That was the next step. In the end of the day, it’s about characters and themes, so we wanted to build upon Leslie/Taylor relationship. All of these was just us talking, just emailing ideas back and forth. We didn’t get serious about it until I was willing to make a commitment to Dave, the emotional and financial commitment, so his elbow grease on the script would be worth it. I’d say that was a year and a half ago.

Jon: If I could use this type of simile, Rise of Leslie Vernon has this Batman Begins feel, so I could expect Return of Leslie Vernon to be The Dark Knight, in terms of escalation of Leslie Vernon becoming the killer of killers. So with that in mind, on Facebook, the plot synopsis mentioned stampeding rhinos…explain.

Scott Glosserman: (laughs) Okay, you gotta read that whole synopsis to the end. It’s a fake, it’s bullshit. We really wouldn’t tell you the plot yet. That was a complete farce; we just wanted to tease the fans. There’s no stampeding rhinos.

Jon: Usually horror sequels changed the character’s mask slightly, anything like that for Leslie Vernon in Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon?

Scott Glosserman: You’re absolutely right. We would be remiss not to comment on it in the film, although I won’t say what. But we do acknowledge this component of a horror sequel. We defiantly try to address it.

Jon: When did it feel as if no studio would help you financially to get the sequel going, which led to the Support Before the Mask Campaign (here)?

Scott Glosserman: I called Anchor Bay and some of the guys who I had a relationship with from the first movie, seeking out who had the digital rights to Behind the Mask because I wasn’t seeing it on Netflix Watch Instantly. I felt it needed to be on there. I got this long, complicated explanation about how Netflix Watch Instantly conflicted with other cable and digital rights, like the Starz and Showtime deal. We had to wait for those to expire, basically, but it got me to start the dialogue of a sequel.

The guy I was one the phone with was confident that Anchor Bay/Starz would be interested in the sequel. I was hopeful they would be in to help co-financing or at the minimal just for the distribution part. A couple of weeks later, when I called them back, he told me when he ran the sequel idea up the flag pole, he regretfully had told me they considered it and were not interested. I asked they’re not interested in co-financing or the film in general. He said neither. They wouldn’t even considered it if I shot and finished it and wrapped it up in a bow for them for free. I was floored.

I realized if Anchor Bay, who had the original film and who had all of the analytic on how it did, wasn’t interested, who would be? We clearly heard someone like Lionsgate would say, despite the reviews, the fan support, the marketing department runs things, so if they couldn’t wrap their heads around how to market it, the production wouldn’t be a go. This being a horror/comedy, it makes it hard to market. Whether it’s Anchor Bay or Lionsgate, were nervous. Too risky.

There was a better way to do this. If life really is a democracy, then if the fans who loved the first one so much and bought it, would pre-buy a sequel, then I could get it funded.

Jon: How’s it going so far then?

Scott Glosserman: It depends on how you judge it. Some people, thinking on how we started this on Facebook and being over 4,000 “likes”, and raised over $7,500 in a few months, say we should feel proud. We’re adding more and more to it, more “likes”, stuff like your feature here, it’s only a question of getting the word out. It’s great. Being the first feature to open a Facebook account to finance an indie is great. However, I’m looking at this at where I have to raise a million-and-a-half, and I’m at $7,500. At that rate, I might not be doing this film until 2014. We got a lot longer way to go.

Yet because of this news worthy event, the Facebook campaign, there’s stuff coming to help like digital services and what not, so it’s not like I got to pony up the full million-and-a-half. It takes longer than I thought it would.

Jon: It’s going good, in my opinion, as I’m see the Wool Project on Facebook, and even fans creating “I Support Leslie Vernon” posters and making them their profile pics. What’s next, say 6 months down the road?

Scott Glosserman: It’s really gratifying and wonderful seeing the fan support. We will continue to do the same thing and to instill new things to spur the campaign. We’re going to start announcing cameos, new cast members. Just like the first, when we got Robert Englund and Zelda Rubinstein, the fans are going to love it. I think that it will really infuse the movement. We’re working on who’s going to co-financing it, which will help us getting to our goal. We might be doing a Making of Before the Mask documentary, so there’s a lot that the campaign has started. It’s got to the industry ranks, and it’s coming. We’re going to get this film made. It’s all good stuff.

Jon: Well, Killer Film has pledged our financial support too. In this world of weak-tit remakes and unneeded sequels, there’s not too many that deserve to get a sequel made, so I hope one day that DVD of Before the Mask comes to my mailbox.

Scott Glosserman: That’s really, really nice of you to say. By the way, when that DVD does comes to your mailbox (as well as fans), my plan is make that DVD unlike any other DVD. I want to give those supports something special back for helping us. I mean it, I’m going make the Supporters Edition something as a one-of-a-kind.

Remember, if you want to help Leslie Vernon kill again, be a wonderful accomplice and support the film by clicking here.