Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

[BlakeMP]

Has anyone seen Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon? I just watched it this afternoon and I really enjoyed it.

This is one of those movies I wound up watching just to try to see what all the fuss was about. Most of the film is from the point of view of a grad student named Taylor Gentry who is filming a documentary about Leslie Vernon, an up-and-coming slasher hoping to make his name along with the greats like Krueger, Voorhees and Myers. Leslie is far from your typical slasher, though -- he's clever, funny, charming and extremely pleasant. It's not until he puts on the mask that his slasher persona takes over.

In the "film within a film", Leslie details for Taylor exactly how he goes about constructing his "legend," choosing victims and even stages his murders in meticulous detail, all the while keeping that good-natured charm. The movie is funny and disturbing at the same time: funny because of how carefully the filmmakers parody the conventions of the slasher genre and disturbing because of how genuinely likable Leslie is even as he's explaining how he's going to slaughter innocent teenagers.

The few weak points come towards the end, after the film within a film is dropped and we go into the real slasher parts. While the writing is still just as smart and clever, some of the effects are a little weak. Still, this is a lot of fun and well worth it for fans of slasher movies looking for the next Freddy or Jason.

[Ruki]

i can't believe i never noticed this thread before. behind the mask was awesome, i saw it at a friend's house and had to stop and buy it before i came home. i agree that there were some shitty scenes near the end but it was a lot more entertaining than anything else i've seen recently.

[Heather19]

I loved this film. I thought it put an interesting twist on your typical slasher film.

[BlakeMP]

I knew I wasn't alone! Awesome!