Simply Perfect

A Masterpiece!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is a nice little low budget horror film, made by and for horror fans. It has horror, murder, comedy and all kinds of neat little in jokes for those who pay attention. It basically follows a movie crew who is following a self confessed serial killer around as he talks about his profession and stacks potential prey, little knowing that he has other plans in store for them. This movie is definitely different, and may not be to every horror fans taste. But stick with it. You really will enjoy it if you're looking for something outside the usual gore and jump scares.

The outfits in this film don't match a college documentary looking stereotype wardrobe. And, yes, I'm aware they made this on a shoestring budget, and they weren't thinking about that. For instance, the red trim of the windows, that makes my point look obvious. What were these actors and actresses told by the director, that's what I want to know. Where they told to scream and act nuts, or was some of that improv. Pointless subplots hang around every corner in a film like this, and this is no exception. For example, the batteries ... who cares? Why put dead batteries in the flashlights in the first place, and not just remove them completely? This is truly behind the scenes to the making of "Behind The Mask." I don't know a lot about this film, as far as where they filmed it, but it already makes me what to say, C' on dude, a farmhouse setting, really? It's been done a thousand times before. What were these guys thinking? We are going to make some cool art and turn it in for an A. Essentially, all it is is a tour of a horror set, at least, in the beginning, and then tips on what goes into, and how to make a horror slasher film. This holds back from an absence of horror, and we see the masked scythe welding lunatic a lot throughout the film, gracing us with his pleasures. Like a reoccurring nightmare ride, you can't get rid of Leslie Vernon. This film directed by Scott Glosserman has something for everybody. The idea is good, and the cast is fun to hangout with. And after a certain period the film takes a turn from an actual student project to the real deal. This creates the much needed tension, the spice to the food, if you will. A different mood surfaces in us, a suspension of disbelief is born, not only in  viewers, but as well as in the people on screen. So there you have it. A film complete with melodrama, tension and suspense, perfectly placed, in some places by Glosserman, as if he was laying out objects for a still-life painting. Also, I should mention the custom design of Leslie Vernon worked, but had we not learned who he was and what his aim was, it would have been all the more macabre. Okay, I took that last bit from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I particularly enjoyed the effort of the crew. There references to Halloween, etc, that made the movie less serious, and gave good chuckle. This one was a little more hard core to handle though, opposed to Beetlejuice, or say A Werewolf in London, but I'm sure horror comedy fans would love it.

Two viewings in one week and lots of contemplating later, I still can't decide what to think of – and how to rate – "Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon"... One thing is for certain, namely this definitely isn't my favorite kind of movie in any way. I don't like "mockumentaries" or "found footage" movies (with the exception of two or three titles) and I most certainly don't like wannabe clever movies that spoof the horror genre (and slashers in particular). They think of themselves as ingenious and witty, but in reality they are just pretentious and disrespectful towards all their colleagues in the film industry. The main reason why I postponed my viewing of "Behind the Mask" for nearly 10 years is because I read that this film was sort of like a crossover between "C'est Arrivé Près de chez Vous" ("Man Bites Dog") and Wes Craven's "Scream". To me "Man Bites Dog" is a sacred and unsurpassable classic, although I might be a little bit biased because I'm from Belgium and this is the only genuine cult monument we ever brought forward, but "Scream" is a vastly overrated and snobbish film. The comparisons are justified, though. Like in "Man Bites Dog", a psychopathic killer allows for a student film crew to follow him around and shoot a documentary about his evil activities, and like in "Scream", the screenplay clarifies several 'rules-of-the-game' as well as terms & trademarks and it magnifies the genre's biggest clichés and stereotypes. Normally I would really dislike both styles, but strangely enough I tolerated the narrative style of "Behind the Mask" and even gradually grew to appreciate it more and more. The story takes place in a world where notorious horror franchises, like the massacre at Camp Crystal Lake by Jason Vorhees and the Halloween murder sprees by Michael Myers, are supposedly real. Three young film students, led by the nervous and insecure Taylor Gentry, receive permission from an aspiring mass murderer to follow him around as he makes the preparations for the upcoming bloodbath; which is apparently something that maniac killers must do in order to be successful. The soon-to-be slasher icon thought about everything: he invented a tragic background story/urban legend, chose an abandoned farmhouse location for the killings to take place, carefully scouted a group of victims including the surviving "final girl" and drew out a detailed scenario with the exact chronological order and places for his victims to die. Leslie even receives an unexpected pleasant surprise when it turns out that he has an "ahab"; which is a good guy – like Sam Loomis - following him around. Taylor and her friends cheerfully register everything on camera, but then it's time for the actual murders to take place… Will they remain at Leslie's side and stomach his atrocities? Will the walk away with a troubled consciousness or will they try and prevent the massacre from happening now that they know the rules? As indicated before already, I seriously don't like horror film makers that depreciate the genre by pointing out all of its clichés and shortcomings. It made me hate Wes Craven and his films "Scream" and particularly "New Nightmare". But for some reason the horror background information and clarifications that we receive in "Behind the Mask" don't come across as pretentious or satirical at all. They are even very respectful and shine new light on traditional horror franchises. Don't you think for one second that Jason Vorhees or Michael Myers were impulsive and brainless lunatics that just wandered around swinging knives or machetes… They needed a detailed plan of action, sufficient time to hide the bodies at strategic places and a great physical condition in order to keep up with their running victims whilst they are walking! Most horror spoofs aren't funny and (unintentionally?) ridicule the genre, whereas writer/director Scott Glosserman's script doesn't even try to be funny and even makes you think a little deeper about horror franchises and/or characters you probably never thought about before. Also very meaningful is the character of Eugene, who in fact represents various random (and often nameless) movie maniacs that predate Michael Myers and basically remained "supportive" characters throughout the whole film. There are some truly great signs of intelligence, expertise and respect in "Behind the Mask" and the narrative style is also fairly unique since it switches from a mockumentary into a (more or less) genuine & old-fashioned slasher in the third act. Glosserman was even slick enough to inject a couple of refreshing and inventive plot twists during the expanded finale, and admirably debunks a couple of ancient clichés (what if the supposed virgin doesn't turn out to be a virgin at all?). Fact remains, unfortunately, that the first hour is very talkative, slightly hectic and even rather boring. Horror fanatics expecting a straightforward bloodbath, complete with sleazy images and nasty make-up effects, will definitely be turned down and might not even make it towards the more exhilarating last half hour. Good performances from protagonist Nathan Baesel and the rest of the fairly unknown cast and, hey, any movie that features the song "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads during the end credits receives an additional point from me.

This film is for great for anyone who is a fan of horror. Like Scream, Behind the Mask is able to perfectly balance funny insight on the genre with real scares. However, this is not a knockoff of Scream because it develops a very different view on the genre. The only thing that I did't like was that the entire concept of a documentary crew following a serial killer is incredibly unlikely and it looses a star for that reason. Despite that I adored the film and it is one of my favorites in recent memory. Leslie is incredibly likable despite his profession, but that is part of what made this movie great. It is really worth watching.