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

Director: Scott Glosserman

Writer: Scott Glosserman, David J. Stieve

Tagline: Jason, Freddy, Myers. We All Need Someone To Look Up To.

Actors: Nathan Baesel, Matt Bolt, Jenafer Brown, Krissy Carlson, Robert Englund, Anthony Forsyth, Scott Glosserman, Angela Goethals, Teo Gomez, Kate Lang Johnson, Steve Kaminsky, Bridgett Newton, Ben Pace, Zelda Rubinstein, Britain Spellings, Scott Wilson

Runtime: 1h 32m

Category: Mockumentary, Psychological, Slasher

Synopsis: A group of three college film students are doing a documentary about infamous killers; Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger. But another has caught their attention, a man by the name of Leslie Vernon. In the town of Glen Echo, the Vernon’s had a son, Leslie, who was very mistreated. After killing them both, the town revolted and tossed him over a waterfall, killing him. “Back from the dead”, Leslie schools his entourage of film students in the art of becoming a legend. He takes them on a journey, all the while explaining the finer points of being a mass murderer like Vorhees or Myers. He explains the preparation work involved and all of the “tricks of the trade”, so to speak. All the while he is stalking and studying a group of high school kids who are heading up to the old Vernon farm for a night of drugs, sex, and booze; this is his Coup de grace. On the night of his big finale, Taylor, the pseudo-journalist of the film crew, decides that she cannot let him kill these kids and interferes. Only, all of the plans that he had laid out don’t seem to be falling into place like they were supposed to be. She will soon find out just how important she really is.

Review: Ho…ly…shiysta! Good holy Hell, this movie was wicked awesome! I gotta hand it to Glosserman; he made one hell of a movie. I knew nothing about it when I began watching, so finding out it was a mockumentary made me none too happy. But just the way the movie was shot and portrayed…wow. This will definitely be a movie that will go down in history.

The story was as original as they come: actually tracking a serial killer during his preparation time before his big killing spree. Having the killer gladly welcome a film crew on his adventures of preparation and research is something that I never thought I’d see. And then to have the tables turned at the last minute, just keep adding to the excitement. Chronicling all the work and reverence of a serial killer and then becoming his masterpiece has never been done before; and it was done very well. I’m sure this concept is not new but for the silver screen it’s a breath of fresh air. Finally, a smart, funny, witty slasher flick with more insight into the life of the killer than an entire sequel describing their beginnings. You will love it!

The acting was superb. I did not really know what to expect in this respect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The film crew was great as a strong-willed journalist and two camera dorks. Vernon, played by Baesel, did a great job too; watching him be all cool with the crew, joking around and laughing, then switching gears and killing a librarian, then run out and continue laughing and celebrating, was really creepy. Watching him turn on and off that killer instinct was really chilling. And, obviously, the high school kids were high school kids…’nough said.

The gore was not all that present; and need not be considering this was meant to be a documentary-type movie (hence the term “mockumentary). But it was a lot of the killing scenes, although not too graphic, that made the gore unnecessary. You obviously knew he was killing them, but it was all of the preparation and thought put into that night that made you not care about seeing a bloody kill scene. I think they should have thrown one or two in just for good measure…but that’s just me. I mean come on…there was an unnecessary boob shot, why not a scene of Vernon ripping some chicks intestines out…or something?

Rating: 24. I loved it. This is one of those movies that you would buy because it was just that freakin’ awesome. I have never, and probably will never again see a movie as smart and cunning as this one. If you are, at all, a fan of the slasher genre, you need to buy this. Don’t bother renting it and wasting $4.75, buy it. It’s cheaper to buy it previously viewed at Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, than to rent it first then buy it…duh! Fantastic movie…a must own. (24of25).