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.
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.