Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon


Language: English.

Brief Synopsis: In a world where Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees are real serial killers, Leslie Vernon is a man seeking to make a name for himself. As the self-proclaimed "next incarnation" of these killers, he makes supernatural serial killing his living. He is followed along by a grad-school camera crew as they attempt to make a documentary on him. He takes them through step-by-step in the process, including meeting his retired serial killer friend, Eugene, and his wife Jamie. Leslie goes over the tricks of the trade and terms of the trade, such as making subtle appearances to get people paranoid, and the importance of an Ahab, or overly good opposition. (Usually a doctor of some sort, in this case played by Mr. Krueger himself, Robert Englund.) From planning to bloody finale, he teaches viewers and onscreen journalists alike about what it means to be evil.

My Take: Having recently seen both Man Bites Dog (the original slasher-mockumentary) and How to Be a Serial Killer (a more modern bent), I was curious as to where Behind the Mask would fit. The French Man Bites Dog is brutally dark, the sort of humor that takes a pretty warped soul to appreciate. It also focuses on true-to-life serial killing. How to Be a Serial Killer is less bleak but equally in the realm of the more realistic; both men are more similar to Ted Bundy than Michael Myers.

Keeping itself from getting too dark or too serious, Behind the Mask is just lots and lots of fun. The first two thirds of the movie are shot documentary style, but the "shaky cam" never feels annoying or intrusive. The last portion of the film is shot in a more traditional manner, and the transition works.

The character of Leslie is about as charismatic as can be. He idolizes the aforementioned boogeymen and has a good friend/mentor who may be one of them. (No one online's entirely pinned it down, but I vote that he was Michael Myers, as his wife is the "survivor" of his killings and her name is Jamie.) There is a reference to Leatherface (Eugene has to visit a friend in Texas to help him "refresh his game"), and the two refer to Ted Bundy's serial killings as "a mess in a sorority house" and call him an "amateur."

I laughed a lot during this movie. It's dark humor, to be sure, but it's not as terribly grim as Man Bites Dog or as forced as How to Be a Serial Killer. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both of those movies as well, this just felt easier to watch, and much more entertaining.

Entertainment value: High. I laughed, I jumped, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Scare value: Medium. Towards the end, there are a few jump scenes. You know they're coming but they're still there.
Realistic?: Low. Not really.
Violence/Gore: Low-Medium. Surprisingly low for what this is. Other than one particularly gruesome kill, everything is minimal in blood/guts/gore.
Sex: Medium. Typical teenage slasher movie sex with gratuitous boobies.
This movie is for: Slasher fans, Horror fans, anyone with a slightly dark sense of humor.
Films like it: The aforementioned Man Bites Dog, How to Be a Serial Killer, though it also has some similarity to the Scream movies.


IMDB Entry on Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Trailer