Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) User Reviews

Original and clever alternative to "Scream"

[Superunknovvn · 7/10 · 17 August 2007]

Wes Craven's "Scream" was a strikingly dead-on persiflage of the Slasher genre while at the same time including enough scares to become more than just a parody, but an important part of that genre itself. "Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon" is very similar in that aspect, but it's also completely different in others.

For the most part the movie is a fake documentary in true "Spinal Tap"-fashion. A TV crew follows Leslie Vernon around, a guy who has the ambition to become the next slasher legend after his idols Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger (who exist in the movie's reality). As Leslie shows the team how he prepares for a killing spree he deconstructs one horror rule after the other with pretty amusing results. The movie observes the genre pretty well and the sort of "Backstage" look we get of a horror icon lovingly planning his big night is nothing short of hilarious. Where "Scream" made fun of some ridiculous horror clichés and toyed around with them, "Behind The Mask" is merely explaining just how those seemingly supernatural killers are able to work so effectively. So, although both movies cover similar ground, "Behind The Mask" is never in any way repetitive.

Leslie Vernon turns out to be a really sweet guy who just loves what he's doing. He's friends with an older, more experienced slasher, who's also very warm and talkative. Neither of those guys look like typical maniacs, so when Leslie does make his first appearance masked and all, it's rather amusing.

However, the movie makes a pretty amazing turn in the final third. For the big showdown we leave the movie-within-a-movie scenario created by the documentary set-up and are taken right into the movie's reality. All of a sudden "Behind The Mask" turns into a real slasher film. Although this last part isn't half-bad, it's not quite as enjoyable as what preceded it. The twist is a bit predictable and the movie lacks real gore and suspense at the end in order to work as a slasher flick. One has to say that "Scream" coming from an old professional such as Wes Craven was more successful in that aspect. Still, regarding the fact that this movie strictly concentrates on fun in the first two thirds and only begins to throw in full on horror bits in the end, the showdown works quite well.

Leslie's mask was chosen wisely. It can look ridiculous and scary depending on the mood of the scene. Nathan Baesel, who makes his movie debut here, was chosen even more wisely. He can play the nice guy and the psychopath without ever overacting and hands in a great, great performance. The other member of the cast that must be mentioned is horror legend Robert Englund who does a nice Donald Pleasance-impersonation.

The subtle little homages to "Friday The 13th", "Halloween" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" throughout the movie are the icing on the cake and will make the heart of every true horror fan beat faster. And that's the only true flaw of "Behind The Mask" right there: it's for true horror geeks only who can laugh about the inside jokes. Everyone else will probably not be entertained as much. If you're into the genre, though, there's no way you should miss this excellent motion picture.

An Entertaining Mockumentary that works as thriller too.

[hausrathman · 8/10 · 2 November 2011]

Leslie Vernon, a highly-enthusiastic wannabe "supernatural" serial killer, along the lines of Halloween's Michael Meyers or Friday the 13th's Jason, invites a film crew along to document his initial spree this original horror comedy that allows you to see a killing spree from the point of view of the killer. The film crew soon finds itself rooting for the likable Leslie, well-played by Nathan Baesel, who has planned his spree to the last detail. The crew slowly moves from documenting the events to aiding and abetting them, but it has second thoughts as the reality of the events overwhelm them. They discover too late that Leslie isn't exactly who he claims to be, and he has worked out everything, including their last minute hesitations, into his meticulous plan.

The documentary approach gives the filmmakers enough distance from the events to successfully spoof the conventions of slasher genre. However, the filmmakers managed to restore genuine tension by limiting that distance by making the witnesses, the filmmakers, into participants. That's why this film succeeded where other spoofs and "found footage" failed. It delivers both narrative perspective and intimacy.

Well done.

Great Little Indie Flick That's Light On The Gore, Heavy On The Smarts...

[cchase · 8/10 · 5 December 2008]

Hypothetical question time, peeps. Let's say you're a budding collegiate journalist, and you are looking for the scoop of the century. Something way outside the box. Something that doesn't involve covering rush week parties, local charity bake sales, sports events and the usual bland 'human interest' stories.

Let's kick it up a notch, even. Fred Krueger. Michael Myers. Jason Voorhees. Charles Lee Ray, aka "Chucky." What would it be worth to you to be able to interview these guys BEFORE they started their careers in stalking, terror and mass murder, and then have the rare opportunity to be able to follow them, step-by-step, as they outlined every trick of the trade, every detail of how they create their 'legend' at the very beginning?

You will finally find your answers in Scott Glosserman's blackly funny docu-satire BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON. There have been very similar movies made in this vein, such as MAN BITES DOG and in some respects THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, but the best and most effective examples of this sub-genre have always come from overseas. BEHIND THE MASK is the first independently-made American feature that finally gets it right.

Nathan Baesel is a name you should be watching for in the future, because in his film debut as the titular 'hero' of the piece, he's funny, charming, self-ingratiating and as focused, dedicated and meticulous as any up-and-coming, hard-charging young hopeful should be. Too bad his biggest dream in life is to become the heir apparent to Mikey, Freddy and Jason. He's like Jim Carrey with a sharp implement fetish...only scarier!

Angela Goethals is also very good as Taylor Gentry, the aspiring on-camera reporter who gets sucked into Leslie's disarming charm when he agrees to allow her and her film crew to document every aspect of his first major endeavor: the selection, preparation for and actual execution of a bunch of drunk, horny teens. At one point, the crew even get roped into becoming co-conspirators of sorts.

Taylor and her team are even introduced to Les' doting mentor, Eugene (a great turn by Scott Wilson) and his lovely wife. It's all a good time until somebody gets a post-hole digger shoved through their chest...

There are really so many things I want to blab about concerning this great deconstruction of the slasher horror genre, one of the best since the first SCREAM installment. But the delights go over better if you know nothing about what's coming, so as far as saying anything else, I love the fact that horror icons Robert Englund, Zelda Rubenstein and Kane Hodder all lend their considerable presences to the film. (I won't say where you'll see them...just pay close attention.)

And I also want to mention the best part of the flick - when it makes its startling transition from "faux horror documentary" to out-and-out horror film. Don't worry; you'll pretty much know when it happens.

Glosserman and co-writer David J. Stieve have done a great job in finding an imaginative way to recharge the batteries of the slasher flick on a low-budget, using clichés in a manner that nobody has ever thought of, rather than simply giving in to the temptation to simply use them like every other 'FRIDAY THE 13TH'/NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET/HALLOWEEN knockoff.Gorehounds will find the relatively light blood-letting a little disappointing, but there's so much more to enjoy here than the raptures of evisceration and dismemberment.

I'm excited that this is Glosserman's first feature, because it makes a great calling card, and gives us fans so much more to look forward to from him.

So if you are a fan who's become a little jaded with the horror releases of late, go rent BEHIND THE MASK immediately!. You won't be sorry, I promise. And DO stick around for the credits, if just to hear the Talking Heads' original rendition of the great (and fitting) song, "Psycho Killer"...you'll be glad you did!

Never thought I'd see originality in a slasher movie again!

[Anonymous_Maxine · 7/10 · 8 November 2008]

Behind the Mask takes place in the parallel world where scary movies live, and a team of young filmmakers set out to make a real life documentary about a serial killer at work. Such is their dedication to capturing realism that they are willing to follow the killer around and allow the murders to happen so that they can capture it all on tape. The movie is a fascinating and clever analysis of how the mind of a horror movie slasher works.

More than anything else, the movie is a brilliant horror comedy in which Leslie Vernon, the main character, leads our film-making team through the whole process of how he pulls off the vintage horror-movie murders. It's basically an exploration of how those horror movie scenes are constructed. How the doors slam shut at just the right moment, how the perfect weapons are always available to the killer while the victim can't seem to find anything to protect himself or herself, and how the killer manages to let all the other promiscuous teenagers in the vicinity know that there is a killer on the loose and yet still manage to pick them off one by one.

It also explores the history of the slasher genre, because Vernon is, of course, an avid horror movie buff, and idolizes all the great masked murderers. At one point in the movie, he claims that having Michael Myers and Freddy and Jason come back from the dead was a "radical change in philosophy. Changed the whole business."

Nathan Baesel gives the perfect performance as Leslie Vernon. He's obviously disturbed and is also the product of a rape of his mother, but the most startling aspect of his character is how incredibly NORMAL he is. He laughs and jokes and talks to the film-making team as though they were making a documentary about his collection of rare toy cars than about his habit of brutally murdering large numbers of people. He's far too casual and easy-going to really be able to accept him as a serial killer (he even drives a Prius!), but that is the heart of the movie's charm.

In the second half of the movie, however, the team decide that they were not as dedicated to their film as they thought they would be, and they decide that they can't just stand by and allow the killings to happen. In one of the movie's best scenes, Vernon stands there in full masked slasher get-up, mask and weapon and all, and scolds them like a babysitter scolding a naughty kid.

It's hilarious the way he is so clearly offended by their behavior as he tells them that they have "that 'we can't just stand here and let this happen' look on their faces" and says that now they have to leave.

Unfortunately, this is where the clever horror movie analysis ends and it turns into a more conventional slasher movie. The acting falls off a cliff and the killings stop making sense. But worst of all, having lost all of her footage, the remaining member of the documentary team at the end of the movie makes the bizarre and senseless decision to burn Vernon's body, I guess to destroy any remaining evidence of her crazy story, just in case she later had to explain any of this.

But other than that, it's a unique and fresh look at the horror genre and a fun exploration of its history and methods.

A really clever and different take on an unoriginal story

[jay-j-smith · 7/10 · 24 November 2020]

Behind the Mask is a film that's taken me more than a day to decide a fair reviewing score for, since it's such a wonderful idea that would be very difficult to execute perfectly. It sometimes feels kind of silly when it should feel serious, and yet sometimes feels a little too serious when it should feel silly, if you get me.

I enjoyed the movie. I thought it was funny and loved the actors. They truly do a fantastic job of portraying the individual personalities of the in-depth characters. Nathan Baesel plays an oddly likeable slasher, who treats his status like a job. Remarkably, he hasn't done much work outside of this film, which is kind of sad because he reminded me very much of a villainous Jim Carrey, but without ever seeming TOO over the top. He does a brilliant job of getting you to enjoy watching his character develop, making you care about him, whilst never letting you forget that he is a dangerous man.

The script is funny and for the most part well written. There were a few little bits here and there that I felt it could've done without as they made the plot feel a little uneven in bits, but for the most part it was enjoyable to watch. The film never really drags. It's also interesting how the first half of the film is presented as a mockumentary, whereas the second half is your standard climactic horror movie, where you get to see the cameramen who filmed the first half of the film. I enjoyed the transition and haven't seen many similar instances of this.

The film unfortunately suffers a little from obviously fake special effects and definitely won't appeal to anyone looking for a scare. It's comical all the way through and never takes itself too seriously. The ending feels a little incomplete and to be honest, kind of predictable. However, it's a good watch for anyone looking for a funny film with an interest in the classic slasher movies as the jokes and dialogue will be relatable to fans of these. Just don't expect to be frightened.

It's okay to laugh

[anicita · 9/10 · 29 November 2007]

I saw this on the recommendation of a friend. I had never heard of it, but I was assured it was a good movie. Understanding the premise helps a lot, because this is a great movie and excellent concept. The beginning of the movie sets up the second half. In the first part, we see Leslie as human. He sometimes says creepy things, like when they begin to discuss his library of text books, mostly medical and anatomy. He makes a joke of this, saying these are necessary for the trade. He always refers to his need to kill as a profession and even has a mentor. Through them we see the world as if it were a game. The mockumentary parts are not only hilarious, we get to see the monsters side of things. The door that won't stay open? Probably rigged. Those ever-so-creepy newspaper articles the main character always seems to find at just the right moment? Those require more effort then the viewers might consider.

The second half of the movie is when we get to see Leslie in action. Because we have seen him as human in the first half, seeing him as a monster in the second isn't as scary as one might expect. It is not supposed to be. Leslie Vernon has become a person we know, who made us laugh, who keeps pet turtles. He is not some random resurrected guy with an axe to grind. He is a guy at work, albeit disgusting and immoral work, he is still a guy at work. Set up this way, it is a bit like watching two movies. The two parts play off each other very well.

This movie is darkly funny. No one wants to laugh as scary things happen, but when things work out just as Leslie predicts they will, even the "documentary" crew gets very enthusiastic.

Robert Englund (Freddy Kreuger) read this script and was impressed. being a big name in horror, he admittedly gets swamped with scripts. This movie interested him enough that he accepted the role. If you can't decide if you should watch it, remember that. And then rent it, with friends.

Everyone needs someone to look up to. Leslie realized he will never reach the fame of Mike (Meyers), Chuckie or Freddy, but he is trying.

Don't believe the OVER-hyper

[Ash512 · 6/10 · 12 July 2006]

I saw this at the Fantasia Film Festival. I have to admit the first act has some really funny moment, and the actor who portrays Leslie Vernon is great. That being said, the second part turns into a full-blown slasher. The break is WAY too rough to really make it believable, plus the slasher part does not deliver the suspense nor the action, nor the gore we would expect from that kind of movie, which makes it quite monotonous and basically, dull. The director did an okay job, alternating between hand-held video cameras for the documentary parts and stable HD cams for the slasher parts. The guys does have a respect for the genre, but that won't necessarily make the movie good. The cast is pretty solid, especially the guy who plays Leslie Vernon like I said earlier.

So the ''mockumentary'' part is pretty funny, but the ending is terrible. Watchable, but not amazing.

Wow, some people are stupid

[wsu_techie · 9/10 · 23 October 2007]

I love how people complain about the slasher part of this movie and their complaints are exactly what this movie was making fun of. These comments such as why didn't they run, why didn't they kill him, why don't they group together are all addressed in the documentary part of the film. This movie was genius because it shows you how the slashing will happen beforehand and the victims are victims because they are too stupid act properly against the killer's foreshadowing. That's the movie, that's what makes it funny. Although it's a slasher flick, it's not a serious slasher flick, at all.

Watch it again and you'll see why it's an awesome movie. It makes fun of the genre in a way that has never been done before. It doesn't steal from the Scream series. The Scream series made fun of the horror film in general, this movie pretended the killers in those films were real and makes fun of how stupid victims can be and how predictable the sequences are in a slasher situation.

Not as good as it could've been

[JefferyGoines · 7/10 · 12 June 2007]

Behind the mask:the rise of Leslie Vernon had the potential to be great.The idea was right up there with the best of horror movie concepts (Elm Street,Friday The 13th,Scream,Etc.).A reporter and her camera crew follow a slasher around as he prepares and sets into motion his master plan so to speak.They are with him as he picks out his victims and prepares his traps.Along the way he explains the do's and don't's and the why's and what-for's of being a psycho killer.

Sounds great right? But alas the execution of these ideas falls short.While the actors and actresses do a fine job portraying their characters, the story becomes rather predictable and a bit silly. especially near the end.All in all this is an unique film with some good ideas that just were not thought through enough.So much more could've been done with this.Maybe a remake with a bigger budget and some better writers could turn this into one of the all-time greats.

Prime example to never take IMDb's ratings seriously

[phantasmda · 1/10 · 13 April 2012]

I only tracked this down because of the ludicrously high ratings this film has on here. The reviews are all glowing and make the film sound great. The truth? It's a complete waste of time. The idea is different and would be pretty cool if the film itself wasn't so poor. It is literally a film crew following around a wannabe serial killer as he plans and commits his crimes, but instead of being unnerved and freaked out by his actions, the film crew seem completely at ease with proceedings. The acting is atrocious, the films crew are so completely annoying that it's hard to give them any credibility. The guy who plays Leslie Vernon is more like a Jim Carrey impersonator than a serious threat to the likes of Michael Myers, Freddie Kruger and Jason Voorhees. I have read countless reviews saying how witty and humorous this film is...WHERE? It is simply full of college type jokes and juvenile gags. I see this film being compared to Scream but that is an insult to Wes Craven. In retrospect, this film is a cheap, tacky, pale imitation of a typical slasher flick. It is dull, boring, unfunny, poorly acted, poorly scripted and a complete waste of over 90 minutes. What Robert England was doing in this is beyond me. Awful film.

GREAT Movie!

[kagyakusha · 9/10 · 25 April 2007]

I highly highly recommend this movie. It's a black comedy/mockumentary/horror movie that's bloody hilarious. I LOVED it. I can't recommend it enough!!! If you're a horror film junkie, or even if you're not (for example, my boyfriend doesn't particularly like horror films but is fond of intelligent comedy and was right beside me laughing for this one) you should DEFINITELY see this movie! It's so respectful of the genre at the same time that it plays with it... Nathan Baesel, who says he was inspired by Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter really pulls off charming and cheery -- not copying Lecter, but applying the influence to create a new and lovable serial killer (this is what makes him both funny AND creepy - it's impossible not to like him!).

Naked Ax Handles

[tedg · 4 January 2010]

I may have seen nearly all the introspective takes on slasher films. This isn't the most radical, but it is very clever.

The thing starts out being a documentary of an aspiring young slasher legend. He sets up what otherwise would be an ordinary slasher movie. This first half of the film is not a mockumentary, at least not in the Chris Guest pattern (and is there another?). It is a quite interesting "Dinner with Andre" for Gen X, about the nature of film, fantasy and the necessity of evil. Sure, there are pokes at the genre: you need a virgin, the teens never break out the window and so on. But the business about fate driving film patterns is precious. Worthy of a folding essay.

And then it folds: the camera slowly ceases to be those of the inner filmmakers and becomes of the outer ones as our film crew becomes among the hunted. This part is there to allow us to believe it is a film and to bask in the (limited) internal knowledge of what is scripted.

Early in the thing, we meet a retired serial killer and his trophy wife. Now this may escape folks not looking at the narrative platforms, but here with this couple — especially the actress playing the wife — is the same introspective folds we are given, but from the other side, the inside. "The Final Cut," or "Scream," this ain't; they take themselves seriously. This is about film, and genre and sex. Serious in a different way.

I have "Man Bites Dog" on the way.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Intelligent genre deconstruction is a little too familiar

[fertilecelluloid · 7/10 · 17 March 2007]

This Scott Glosserman-directed horror pic has something called Intelligence, a quality found rarely in recent American horror product. Like "Scream", it is an exercise in genre deconstruction, so horror fans will get the most mileage out of it. Although it owes its point of attack and a great debt to the Belgian "Man Bites Dog", and tills ground recently turned by "The Magician", an Aussie flick that earned some off-shore playdates, it does evolve into something more original in its third act. Despite boasting solid performances and a decent script, it plods along in parts and its night sequences are annoyingly underlit. Gore is not the point here, and neither is on-screen murder, so most of the killings are subtle and inventive with sound playing a key role. I can not fault this film for trying something a little different, but I have to say that the very familiarity of what it deconstructs, which is essential to its enjoyment, also renders the experience of watching it a little ho-hum at times.

Very, Very, Disappointed

[aberfitchus · 3/10 · 27 June 2007]

i was looking forward to really see this movie when it came out, and i was at Redbox at midnight to make my purchase, the movie started out as a documentary on the self proclaimed killer "Leslie Vernon" well at first i thought it was cool, and then it just drew out forever!! the acting was HORRIBLE by the cast in this movie, and the special effects were not great at all, no gore at all, and no real scare factor to go with it. I expected a lot more out of this movie, from other reviews that i have read, im a big horror fan, and this one can go in the trash can. i hope this review was helpful to you, im just saying if you like movies mainly about someone being taped doing absolutely nothing then you might like it.

Killing is his business, and business is good.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 16 July 2008]

A clever, post-modern, tongue-in-cheek horror from first-time director Scott Glosserman, Behind the Mask sees a grad school documentary maker Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) and her crew charting the progress of aspiring psycho killer Leslie Mancuso (Nathan Baesel) as he puts the wheels in motion for his next 'job': the wholesale slaughter of a group of teens in sleepy Echo Falls.

Adopting the persona of local 'myth' Leslie Vernon (who, as a child, supposedly murdered his parents and was thrown over the local waterfall by an angry mob), Mancuso builds his 'legend', selects his victims (including the token virginal 'Survivor Girl') and carefully prepares the final location for his killing spree; when not 'working', he chats freely with the documentary crew about his aspirations, idols, and philosophies (we even get to meet his mentor Eugene, now retired from the business and enjoying life with his hottie wife).

With a wry and very dark sense of humour, Glosserman plays with the recognised conventions and clichés of the slasher (whilst also analysing the whole genre), delivering a movie designed specifically to appeal to fans who know their Myers from their Voorhees and their Springfield from their Haddonfield. Relative unknowns Baesel and Gentry do a great job in their roles, and are given solid support from genre legend Robert Englund as Leslie's 'ahab' (ie., his good-guy nemesis), psychiatrist Doc Halloran. Also popping up for the fun are Poltergeist's helium voiced midget Zelda Rubinstein and Kane 'Jason' Hodder in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo.

Towards the end, the film does admittedly lose some of its magic as it slips awkwardly from ironic comedy into genuine slasher mode (as Taylor's conscience kicks in and she tries to intervene with the killer's plans), and a not-so-unexpected twist does little to help, but with so much great stuff happening earlier on, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is still well worth watching.

Oh, and look out for a fun end-credits sequence which hints at the inevitable sequel.

Blows it in the End

[sallyfifth · 24 June 2007]

You're in the middle of some damn passionate love making, your partner is almost there and then... nothing. That's Behind the Mask for ya.

A brilliant little set-up that fizzles out under the guise of being clever but is really just a failed attempt to circumvent the only ending that would have really worked. No, Mr. Writer/ Director you can't have your cake and eat it too. It doesn't work. So, what am I talking about?

Well, as you've no doubt read, the movie is about a documentary film crew that follows around the up and coming slasher superstar Leslie Vernon as he plans to build his grand legacy on All Hallow's Eve. Hilarious he takes us out of the house, shows us all the preparation that goes into his craft, and even introduces us to a mentor of his, whose wife was actually once targeted as a victim. Leslie's humorous insider tips, and giddy school boy excitement carry the film breezily through what would be an otherwise impossible script. I mean, if you were a documentary crew and you were filming Leslie as he plans out a mass killing would that not raise any alarms in you?

So, stop reading if you don't want to know how they blew it.

OK? They set off the alarm. The last quarter of the film devolves into a meta horror flick similar to Scream, except the characters are far less witty and far stupider. The moment the girl decides to go back to the house things get lame. Instead of continuing the manic energy built up in the first 2/3 the movie takes the obvious way out and tries to throw a silly twist and an homage to classic horror. As a slasher pic, it's not that good. As a send up of a slasher pic it's gold. Can I suggest turning it off before the finale?

Despite initial promise it's just more retro horror

[pjoates · 6/10 · 6 November 2006]

A US student documentary crew follows the next "supernatural killer" wannabe who aims to emulate Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers et al. Leslie Vernon lets his audience into the secrets of the trade as existing horror-film characters, story lines, myths and philosophy are mined by Mr Vernon during a faux- documentary, which cleverly flips to show us how his antics would look in a "real" movie.

However the great first half, which includes several good jokes and comments on the genre and a good performance by Mr Baesel, peters out when it becomes a rather sub-standard teen-slasher pic. Obviously what the makers intended (maybe not the sub-standard bit), but the build-up, which felt bright and original, was wasted.

Unfortunately my overall impression was of yet another US horror film that can't escape the past. I thought the first half of the film was enjoyable and deserved a unique conclusion to distinguish it from its predecessors. Instead it ended up a shadow of some of movies it referenced.

Loved it, genius!

[oldboy15 · 9/10 · 28 May 2007]

This film rocks sports fans. Its Man bites dog meets Halloween. Brilliant performances, great direction, very funny, inspired film making! Nathan Baesel was especially entertaining as the "Michael Mires" style character, keep an eye out for him in the future. And with appearances from Robert Englund, Scott Wilson, and Kane Hodder makes this an absolute must for any old school slasher fan. the only reason it did not get a 10 from me was the gore, it didn't need it but some hard core, well done Peter Jackson (braindead) style gore would have made this film one of the all time greats and been the proverbial icing on the cake. if you're a Rami, Jacksoon, Carpenter, Craven etc. fan then you MUST SEE THIS FILM!

Nicely-judged slasher tribute

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 10 January 2018]

BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON is a nicely-judged slasher spoof with a modern spin. It's a found footage flick for the most part, following a documentary TV crew around as they interview a notorious serial killer as he goes about his business. From the outset, it's obvious that this film was made with a love of the 1980s slasher genre as there are references to all the greats of the genre and they even get incorporated into the story at times. The film's subtext is where the interest lies, gently spoofing and referencing the rules of the genre a la SCREAM. It's not quite as funny or successful as the Wes Craven hit, but the more you like slasher films, the more you'll enjoy this. The unknown cast do well with their roles and there are some fine cameos from genre players Scott Wilson (pre-Herschel), Robert Englund playing the good guy for a change, and the wonderful Zelda Rubinstein of POLTERGEIST fame.

Great Movie

[jthmaniac78 · 9/10 · 30 August 2007]

For those considering if they should invest the 80 minutes or so to watch this film, allow a true horror fan to give you his ten cents. First let's talk about the bad...because lets face it...it's rare for a film to get something right.

BAD: 1.) Plot holes: There are a few plot holes in the film in regards to a few of the central characters: Leslie's background, Eugene is never explained, and of course neither is the doc's (sorry, forgot his name).

2.) The reaction of the film crew...at times they seem to be having fun with this whole, 'real life' slasher/movie guru, but there is a big shift at the end when the killing starts. This is odd, because earlier in the film someone gets killed too and nobody seemed that worked up over it...oh wait...it must have been because she was some short, old woman.

3.) Acting: This is hard to classify seeing as this is a low-budget B movie, but sometimes the actors do a great job and then other times it didn't work for me. Some of the lines seemed forced and the acting, here and there, a bit stiff and wooden. Especially all the teens, oh man, they sucked! 4.) Gore hounds will be disappointed in this movie because most of the kills aren't shown or are shot at a distant. This didn't bother me in this day and age where gore is constant in films (Hostel/Saw). However, when making a parody of 80's slasher films, gore was everywhere. I mean hell, it was the rise of the splatter flick! How can you make a movie like this without having gore? Feddy, Michael, and Jason created the slasher/gore genre in the states! If they were going to do this part of the film better they should have made the gore over the top in a kind of Peter Jackson/Sam Raimi style. Oh well, maybe it wasn't in their budget.

4.) The last five minutes of the movie was a bust. Things happened so quick I couldn't help but think--oh no, they're running out of money. It was either that or the editor made a few too many snips. I won't point anything out, because it spoil a few kills, but you'll see it when it happens.

GOOD 1.) Extremely funny! I wasn't sure about this movie when I got it--went out on a limb after hearing some decent reviews. This movie hooked me from the start with its campiness, black humor, and twist. A lot of people point at Scream as being the movie that turned the horror genre upside down by playing with a particular genre--but I think BEHIND THE MASK did a much better job.

2.) Great lines and for the most part, good performances. The main characters, Leslie, Reporter chick, Eugene, etc. where all acted really well. Sure they missed a few spots here and there, but over all, they were good. Leslie really sold his role well, better than some of the leading Hollywood actors these days that's for sure.

3>) Fun story! This is what the horror genre needs, people who make fun camp movies. In today's sick age where we got all these stupid TORTURE PORN movies, it's nice to sit back and just enjoy the story. Sure, as I mentioned above, the gore was missed to an extent, but at least it wasn't in my face the whole time, replacing good storytelling with some cheap splatter effects.

4.) This movie is great for drinking games! Man, there are so many symbols, inside jokes, and references that I want to see it again just to see what I missed during the first viewing.

Okay, overall, it's an enjoyable film--especially for us guys from the 80's who grew up with the movies referenced in this. For those looking for something scary or full of gore--skip it. You'll only be disappointed, but if your looking for a fun flick, check this one out.

How is a slasher made?

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 13 July 2018]

How does a slasher killer achieve his or her fame? What are the steps and rituals that must be adhered to? Why would they want to enter into a life of killing and being killed? And once you've been selected as their Final Girl, is there any way to break the cycle? These questions and more are raised and answered by this mockumentary.

Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals, Home Alone) and her two cameramen, Doug and Todd, have been allowed to document Leslie Vernon as he prepares to become a slasher killer. He already has his backstory prepared - he's based it on an urban legend of a boy who killed his family and was drowned by an angry mob.

Vernon isn't even his real last name - it's Mancuso in a nod to Friday the 13th producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. He doesn't have any powers. But what he does have is a devotion to the methods, preparation and rituals needed to be a perfect killer.

At first, the crew is totally behind Leslie, but as time goes on, the idea of luring teenagers to an abandoned house and killing them one by one seems morally wrong. They try to talk him out of it, but he will not be swayed. Kelly, his Final Girl, will define herself by facing him. However, she is anything but a virgin and has none of the qualities that make up this character archetype. And even more surprisingly, she quickly is killed.

That's when Taylor realizes that she was the Final Girl all along and is as trapped by the plot as Leslie is. She is the last one alive and must kill him in the exact way he had planned, burning down a shed to stop him. However, throughout the film, we also learned that Leslie had been practicing playing dead and had flame-retardant gel all over his clothes. Is it a surprise when he sits up, very much alive on an autopsy table over the end credits?

There are so many Easter Eggs in the film, from the car Sam Raimi uses in every one of his films to the Rabbit in Red Lounge, a Lament Configuration box, the song "Midnight, The Stars and You" from The Shining and the jump rope girls from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Genre vets Zelda Rubenstein and Kane Hodder turn up, as does Robert Englund as Doc Halloran, who is very much based on Dr. Loomis from Halloween. And Scott Wilson (The Ninth Configuration) plays Eugene, Leslie's mentor, who is really Billy from Black Christmas.

It took me some time to get into this film. Leslie comes off like such a ridiculous Ryan Reynolds type at first and it seemed too goofy, but I'm glad I stuck with it, as it becomes a pretty enjoyable movie by the end.

Deconstructing the Clichés of Horror Movies

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 28 November 2008]

In Glen Echo, Maryland, the reporter Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) is preparing a documentary with her crew about the ultimate serial killer Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel), the true successor of Jason Voorhees, Fred Krueger and Michael Myers. The helpful Vernon, who was murdered in Nelly Falls, welcomes Taylor and exposes his plan for his reappearance on the anniversary of his death. He follows the virgin Kelly Curtis (Kate Lang Johnson), who will gather her friends in the former Leslie's house, and will kill each one of them. However, when Taylor finishes her work, she decides to help the other teenagers.

"Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" is original deconstructing the clichés of horror movies, but it does not work well. The first part of the movie is boring, flawed and too long, instead of funny. When the bloodshed begins, it becomes more interesting without being special. The IMDb rating (7.0) is actually overrated, misleading the readers. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Por Trás da Máscara – O Surgimento de Leslie Vernon" ("Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon")

Solid Meta Slasher Film That Peaks Behind the Curtain

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 8/10 · 21 February 2021]

This film is one that I checked out as I believe it was part of Fangoria's Top 300 Horror Movies issue. I didn't hear of it before that and I've seen it a couple of times now. It is another one that I heard more about when I got into listening to horror movie review podcasts. This viewing here is due to the Podcast Under the Stairs Summer Challenge series for the 2000s. The synopsis is the next great psycho horror slasher has given a documentary crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the sleepy town of Glen Echo.

We start with Kelly (Kate Miner) who works at a diner. She is taking out the trash for the end of the shift. She props the door open with a brick. There is an uneasy feeling and she thinks she sees someone in the shadows. The door closes behind her. She flees around the building.

The film then shifts a documentary film crew that we will be following. The woman doing the interview is Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals). The two guys behind the camera in her crew are Doug (Ben Pace) and Todd (Britain Spellings). It should be pointed out that this film is telling us that Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger and Michael Myers are all real. They all have killed a lot of people and there is a new man that is going to join them, Leslie Vernon. The crew is doing a documentary on him as he stalks and kills his victim in order to join their ranks. We then meet him and he's played by Nathan Baesel.

There is a legend in this town of Glen Echo. Leslie Vernon was killed by the citizens by throwing him over a waterfall to his death. Much like the other legends, he is back to get his revenge and claim his birthright.

They sit down to do an interview with him to get more information and he is fine with it. They ask him questions to get into the mind of a killer like this. To that he tells them he has to show them. They get into his vehicle and go to town. He explains how he chooses his victim. He looks for a virgin with a group of friends. There needs to be a good mix of tough and easy kills to help his numbers. He tells them though that he has already picked out his victim, or they'd be well behind schedule since it takes so much planning.

This takes them to the opening scene we saw with Kelly. It is interesting here is that we get to see how it is done, which feels a bit like peaking behind the camera of filmmaker as well. From here, Leslie introduces us to his mentor from the business, Eugene (Scott Wilson) who is now is now retired. Along with his wife of Jamie (Bridgett Newton), the documentary is given a look into killers like him from the 1960's and 70's before the big three took over.

We are then given more into the planning stages that Leslie has to go through to prepare Kelly. He has to do a lot of cardio and prepping the house for the night of the killings. Taylor seems intrigued to continue to learn more, but the deeper they get into it, they have second thoughts. It is interesting, but she is also an accomplice to the potential murders. A decision has to be made, but Leslie might be on top of it more than they realize.

I have to say that the first time I watched this I loved some of the aspects to this movie. One of the firs things is stating that the many of the horror film legends were real and that they all know each other. On top of that, I love that they all do follow a similar plan, which if you look at the films, would make sense. This movie does a really good job for me in setting the world that we are living in before peaking behind this curtain as I've said.

This is really two different movies that are combined into one. The first part of this is a mockumentary done in the vein of found footage. Taylor sets that stage with their opening monologue as I've said. In this part, it is mostly Leslie and her with Doug and Todd interjecting at different points. I also like that more information is provided by Doc Halloran (Robert Englund) who is a Dr. Loomis of sorts, Eugene, Jamie and even Mrs. Collinwood (Zelda Rubinstein), a librarian that helps Kelly. This part feels like we are watching a slasher be made from behind the scenes.

The second half of the movie is a normal movie that is a slasher. It is smart though and I think that is what makes it work. Leslie has shown us what his initial plan was, but much like Scream, this takes a meta approach where despite the characters knowing, things have been changed to incorporate the new elements. I give credit to the depth of planning and knowing from Leslie there.

That meta approach brings me to something else I wanted to delve into really quick. I've said I love that they state Jason, Freddy and Michael are all real and are legends. Chucky gets brought up as another killer briefly as well. There is some realism that is lost with the latter, but I do feel this movie is a bit odd with just accepting these killers. Like they know they're real. I don't know if Taylor truly believes Leslie is going to do what he says or not, but Doug and Todd do and seem to be on board. I feel this could be a commentary on us as an audience that we know we're going to see these horrific things and we are complacent as it is entertainment. Regardless, the co-writer of David J. Stieve and the other co-writer/director of Scott Glosserman really know their slashers so this works there.

I'm not sure this movie would be as good though if it wasn't for the acting. I'm not saying anyone here is going to win awards. Baesel is really good for me as Leslie. It is interesting as I believe this was his first acting role in a feature. I love how charismatic he is when things are going good and then turns on being a monster when it becomes time for that. He is a likeable guy so I can see why this crew wants to be around him as he looks into everything that he is. Goethals is solid as Taylor and I love what the movie does with her character. I love the cameos by Englund, Wilson, Rubinstein and even briefly Kane Hodder. Newton and Miner were quite attractive and I love how their characters fit into this story. Pace and Spellings are also solid as well in helping round this out for me.

That will take me to the last thing I wanted to go over which would be the effects and cinematography. Where I want to start would be the latter. As I've said, the first part of this is mockumentary. It does feel like we are getting a legit doc on Leslie Vernon. It all feels real including interviews and it also feels like we are seeing how a slasher film is made on top of it. When it actually becomes a slasher, I do feel that the effects are good. I'm assuming some of this would be budget, but we don't actually get to see a lot of the kills or much in the blood/gore category. I am forgiving here though due to how things lead up and eventually play out. The cinematography I would say is well done.

So in conclusion here, this movie keeps getting better and better for me with each viewing. I really like the concept here of doing a mockumentary on a new killer that is trying to join the likes of the legends. Baesel's take on Leslie Vernon is what really makes this work for me and I love the meta approach this movie is taking to the slasher genre. The rest of the cast helps get us to bring this life. The effects are a bit light, but the found footage stuff works for me. The soundtrack also fit for what was needed as well. I've come up on this last viewing with my rating, which I think this is a good movie. If you haven't seen this and you're a slasher fan, I would definitely recommend giving it a viewing. This is also interesting if you enjoy seeing how filmmaking is done as that is part of it as well.

Amusing Horror/Slasher Throwback

[gwnightscream · 6/10 · 22 January 2021]

This 2006 horror comedy pokes fun & pays tribute to slasher flicks featuring a reporter, Taylor (Angela Goethals) who agrees to film a documentary on serial killer upstart, Leslie (Nathan Baesel) where he stages his murderous schemes, but Taylor starts to question her judgment when the events unfold. I thought this was an amusing throwback and Robert Englund (Freddy vs. Jason), Kane Hodder (Jason X), Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead) & Zelda Rubinstein (Poltergeist) make appearances. If you're into horror/slasher flicks, you'll probably enjoy this.

What Is Going On Here??

[maestro7PL · 2/10 · 17 March 2007]

Currently, "Behind the Mask" has a whopping 7.9 rating at this website, and Rotten Tomatoes is listing it in the high 70's! I love horror movies and spoofs of horror movies. So it was with great anticipation that my friend and I went to see this "turkey" tonight. We are shaking our heads. I really believe all of the postings online are "shills" for the movie and that the critics got paid to write a favorable review. Be forewarned--this is the worst film I have seen in several years! The camera-work in the first half so constantly shaky and hand-held no doubt to imitate the style of "Blair Witch." It is so overdone--and to no purpose--that it induces cringes and nausea from the audience. In the final third of the film, the camera settles down--alas the lighting is so poor that you cannot really see anything clearly--doubtless because the director does not want you to know that you are seeing nothing. The plot makes no sense, the humor is not funny (I didn't laugh once), the acting is TERRIBLE, and the ending and ending credits very predictable. On the whole--a complete waste of time and shocking that people have been raving about this film! There are absolutely no scares here either, and though the film is unrated, very little gore. Please save your money and pass up this poor excuse for a movie!