Behind the Mask

The Rise of Leslie Vernon

(2006)

directed by Scott Glosserman

reviewed by Jonathan Rocks

10.17.2007

"Behind the Mask" is a humorous, behind the scenes look at what it takes for a man to raise himself to the ranks of the great cinematic horror villains of all time. While it falls short of its ultimate target, the originality and, excuse the pun, execution of this one make it worth the watch-- especially for horror fans.

The film follows Leslie Vernon, an affable, delusional subject for a documentary being made by three graduate students. They indulge him as he details his plans to return to his hometown to claim vengeance on the townsfolk, who believe an urban legend that tells of his mother having murdered him as a child. Part mockumentary, part black comedy-- the film eventually devolves into a somewhat traditional horror film when the graduate students come to the realization that not only is Leslie serious about becoming a mass murderer, but that they have been a part of his plan all along.

While this one may have a hard time finding a mainstream audience, first time director Scott Glosserman made sure that at least horror fans would have a ball with the film. Horror veteran Robert Englund (Freddy Kreuger from A Nightmare on Elm Street) plays a supporting role, and if you look closely, Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees) even has a cameo. Never funny enough to be an outright comedy, never scary enough to be a true horror, the value of this film is in its novel treatment of the horror film antagonist. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys comedy and horror, or anyone just looking for something different.

Score: 3 out of 5

Buy this DVD at Amazon.com: Behind the Mask