Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Tags: comedy, dark, murder, cult, horror, satire, entertaining

Plot synopsis:
The film is shot as a documentary set in a world where the killers depicted in famous slasher films are real. A female journalist named Taylor Gentry and her two cameramen, Doug and Todd, document the preparations of Leslie Vernon as he prepares to join the ranks of other slasher villains. Leslie takes his identity from an urban legend about a boy who killed his family and was cast into a river by angry townsfolk.
He initially claims to be the vengeful spirit of the slain boy but soon admits that he is an ordinary man named Leslie Mancuso who must rely on conventional tactics rather than supernatural powers. Taylor and her crew film Leslie's meticulous preparations to slaughter a number of teenagers in an abandoned house and then be confronted by a virginal "survivor girl", Kelly. Taylor and her crew come to share Leslie's enthusiasm for his project, but their consciences catch up with them on the night of the murders.
They beg Leslie to call off his killing spree, but Leslie is adamant, believing that his survivor girl will define herself by facing him. Taylor and her crew abandon their documentary and at this point the film shifts from a documentary style to a traditional horror film presentation. Taylor attempts to warn and rally the remaining teens together to fight Leslie, but Leslie's preparations repeatedly give him the upper hand. The group looks to Kelly for leadership, but she unexpectedly dies.
Taylor quickly realizes that, as a virgin herself, she was Leslie's true survivor girl all along. Leslie continues picking off the group one-by-one until only Taylor remains. She faces Leslie and defeats him in the exact manner he had laid out for her, then burns down the shed in which he was defeated. She then runs into Doug and Doc Halloran who survived their encounters with Leslie. However, Leslie's preparations included learning to feign death and slathering himself with flame-retardant gel.
Over the final credits, security camera footage reveals Leslie's charred body sitting up on an autopsy table, still alive, accompanied by the song "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads.

Review: "Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon" is very similar in that aspect, but it's also completely different in others.For the most part the movie is a fake documentary in true "Spinal Tap"-fashion.
A TV crew follows Leslie Vernon around, a guy who has the ambition to become the next slasher legend after his idols Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger (who exist in the movie's reality).
Neither of those guys look like typical maniacs, so when Leslie does make his first appearance masked and all, it's rather amusing.However, the movie makes a pretty amazing turn in the final third.
Still, regarding the fact that this movie strictly concentrates on fun in the first two thirds and only begins to throw in full on horror bits in the end, the showdown works quite well.Leslie's mask was chosen wisely.
Leslie Vernon, a highly-enthusiastic wannabe "supernatural" serial killer, along the lines of Halloween's Michael Meyers or Friday the 13th's Jason, invites a film crew along to document his initial spree this original horror comedy that allows you to see a killing spree from the point of view of the killer.
A clever mock-umentary style horror movie about a film crew following around a "slasher movie" type serial killer.
Being a horror movie buff myself, I found that this flick really put the classic slasher films to good use.
Hoping for an exclusive look at serial killers, a film crew follows a fanatical killer as he prepares to slaughter a group of small-town teens before getting caught up in their ethics and try to stop his rampage.This was an utterly enjoyable slasher effort.
The actual execution of the plan, both in the early attack scene at the library as well as the ambushes at the diner make for some rather great stuff, while the big moment here is the actual final stalking of the group in the house as the crew attempts to help them deconstruct the evening before it happens as they try to stop him from going after the group and killing them which is all done in fine fashion with a lot to like here throughout this with a lot of explosive stalking, fantastic action and plenty of wonderful deconstructions of the slasher film norms that allows for a frenetic sequence that's tense, chilling and quite fun.
Specializing in horror, sci-fi and fantasy films, it's a place where budding and established filmmakers rub shoulders and test their creations before keen but critical-eyed crowds as they attempt to secure distribution deals; a place where cineastes can not only be among the first to see new films, but frequently pose questions to the directors themselves.At first glance, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, appeared to be a prime example of the filler material that can be found at this, and other film festivals throughout the world.
That was  until the lights went down the film started rolling.A prime example of a movie turning one's preconceptions on their collective head, Director Scott Glosserman's Behind the Mask is a witty, superbly crafted and acted movie chronicling the exploits of the eponymous Vernon (played by Nathan Baesel) as he consents to be the subject of a documentary about serial killers produced by a group of journalism grad students.Classifying this movie as a "mockumentary" or a parody of the slasher film genre simply isn't doing it justice.
The film begins as a supremely witty comedy as the student filmmakers follow Vernon through his "training regimen" en route to honing his craft as a serial killer, but turns progressively dark as the film enters its second and third act.Peppered with absolutely brilliant dialog, Glosserman manages to deliver a movie that belies its limited budget by deploying a keen eye for cinematography, acting talent, and crackerjack scriptwriting.
I started this movie laughing heartily, and concluded it squirming in my seat as the joke was off and things got serious.In an interview given after the screening, Glosserman, who is currently in negotiations to find a global distributor, cautioned that due to potential copyright and classification hassles with the MPAA the film might end up being released under a different or modified title.
Behind the mask:the rise of Leslie Vernon had the potential to be great.The idea was right up there with the best of horror movie concepts (Elm Street,Friday The 13th,Scream,Etc.).A reporter and her camera crew follow a slasher around as he prepares and sets into motion his master plan so to speak.They are with him as he picks out his victims and prepares his traps.Along the way he explains the do's and don't's and the why's and what-for's of being a psycho killer.Sounds great right?
His acting is terrible as well and doesn't fit this type of film.Then there's the misfire attempts at comedy which led me to believe this movie was trying to make up for its shortcomings in scares (or anything close to tension or horror) with jokes which didn't seem to work either.Another bigtime complaint is there's no gore or decent kill effects.
Its like the director thought that the failed attempts at making a joke out of horror clichés was going to make up for the lack of kills (I think the first kill doesn't take place until like 45 minutes into the movie) and gore.
For a film that is trying to say its giving you a killer in the vein of the great slashers (IE: JASON, FREDDY, MICHAEL MYERS) its misses its mark completely.
I would best compare this to The Village in that I was mislead into believing I was going to see a horror film and was fooled into watching some ineffective boring crap that couldn't lift a scare, laugh, or emotion other than thinking," This Sucks!!!
People got to stop giving Anchor Bay props for releasing movies like this and advertising them as horror films when they're not scary horrific or funny..
In Glen Echo, Maryland, the reporter Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) is preparing a documentary with her crew about the ultimate serial killer Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel), the true successor of Jason Voorhees, Fred Krueger and Michael Myers.
However, when Taylor finishes her work, she decides to help the other teenagers."Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" is original deconstructing the clichés of horror movies, but it does not work well.
The big plot development towards the end is utterly pathetic, the inability of the characters to think rationally will astound anyone, and the supposed horror of the entire thing will likely inspire laughter.Please, please do not watch this film..
That's about the equivalent of saying: "If you were nonconforming too, you'd be just like me." The premise of interviewing a slasher villain is nothing different from Man Bites Dog, then the movie just uses the exact same jokes and plot points as Scream.
This has to be in one of the top 250 unoriginal movies of all time because there is not a single thing that Scott Glosserman thought of himself.If unoriginality is the first major flaw of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, the second major flaw is just as annoying.
All the references to other slasher films have already been done (relatively intelligently) in Screams franchise.Not the worst horror movie I have ever seen but it's pretty close.
I don't really know what to say here, but all i can tell you is- this movie is NOT worth spending your time watching.DON'T READ ON FROM THIS POINT IF YOUR GONNA SEE THE MOVIE, SOME INCIDENTS IN THE MOVIE Reveled..I mean, there are these college students or whatever, and they follow this guy in his quest, if you want, to become a killer like Mike Myers (Haloween), and he's a completely normal guy in the whole movie (maybe a little psycho).
BEHIND THE MASK THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON is not for me.Here is the synopsis for a superior film that I highly recommend:Plot summary for(Man Bites Dog) C'est arrivé près de chez vous (1992)A camera crew follows a serial killer/thief around as he exercises his craft.
He is so totally believable as the murderous but amicable Leslie Vernon that you reach the point where rationale of him committing scary, horrible crimes are replaced with serene empathy, not easily achieved in the horror genre.Robert Englund himself was incredible as the well placed "ahab" (as he is referred of the story) going after the murderous Leslie with all the glib of a b-movie horror hapless hero looked at from so many unique perspectives its dizzying.I will most certainly be buying this on release in the UK and have recommended the viewing of it to most of my friends not privileged enough to get tickets to the film festival.
But like the original Scream, Behind the Mask pulls it off.It's got humor, as the slasher they're following around, plain as day, explains his plans and the trouble he runs into (has to do tons of cardio so he can keep up with everyone while they're running off and he looks like he's standing still), and fear because you wonder if the documentary crew are just going to let this man butcher a bunch of horny teenagers, and if not, what will happen to them.
If you're a fan of slasher horror films though, you will absolutely love this movie!
And the second time, doing nothing but watching the movie and understanding what was going on, I found the movie to be a lot better than I thought the first time.You start out thinking it's a "mockumentary" like Blair Witch and a little monotone, but with a bunch of classic jokes that jab fun at the Horror genre.
There are key turning points in the story where you realize what's going on and sudden realizations of how the characters really fit into this story.So, it ends up being a standard little slasher movie like the classics (Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street), but it's surprising and incredibly smart when you think about how the movie got you to that point from the beginning..
They liked the female protagonist and how she was in control of the fake documentary which I thought was quite witty as well.I've recommended this as a safe horror film to watch and to show to any family as its got good looking actors, no gore, no sex, and no scares.
He's almost Jim Carrey-like, creating an interesting contrast between the time he dons the mask, and when he doesn't.Taking place in an alternate universe where famous slasher movie villains exist and are considered legends or role models to someone like Leslie was a fun twist on the genre.
The first half of the movie is great: a lot of humor, mentions of the other great slashers (even going as far as stating Freddy, Jason, Michael and Chucky are real life terrors) and an interesting take on how much prep work goes into to stalking and dicing young fools.
This movie is not only funny, it's a REALLY GOOD slasher flick, and I don't feel like we've seen one of those in a while.I think this film has the potential to be a cult hit and can't wait to see it again..
Leslie Vernon lets his audience into the secrets of the trade as existing horror-film characters, story lines, myths and philosophy are mined by Mr Vernon during a faux- documentary, which cleverly flips to show us how his antics would look in a "real" movie.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)I have no idea what to make of this movie, it seem really odd for people to document a killer, I just don't understand, why would anyone what to do that!I did not think this movie was scary, creepy or even funny, some reviews said it was funny, i did not laugh at anything, there were maybe one or two jokes in this, that falls flat.I did not find it boring, I found it really odd and I felt puzzled most of the times of and I knew how the movie was going end, way before the half away mark.4 out of 10.
Leslie wants to be the next greatest psycho/horror/slasher/serial killer who ever lived like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.
But it's loses any real flair during the third act, when the documentary style is over and when it's becomes an slasher movie like any before is the real letdown in the film.
But co-writer/director Glosserman does keeps the horror fans happy by adding in-jokes to your favorite slasher movies and he is not afraid to make fun of them in a good way as well.
The film works like a documentary where they are interviewing this horror buff guy that has a lot of knowledge in the horror genre and is on a journey with him to create a real horror movie, which is the horror buff guy or Leslie Vernon's fantasy.
After recently watching the cliché-filled but fun 'Hatchet' and the well, just cliché-filled 'Friday the 13th' reboot, it was great to watch what's (literally, though imaginary) 'Behind the Mask,' in this case, 'The Rise of Leslie Vernon.' The first half of the movie is great: a lot of humor, mentions of the other great slashers (even going as far as stating Freddy, Jason, Michael and Chucky are real life terrors) and an interesting take on how much prep work goes into to stalking and dicing young fools.
How the doors slam shut at just the right moment, how the perfect weapons are always available to the killer while the victim can't seem to find anything to protect himself or herself, and how the killer manages to let all the other promiscuous teenagers in the vicinity know that there is a killer on the loose and yet still manage to pick them off one by one.It also explores the history of the slasher genre, because Vernon is, of course, an avid horror movie buff, and idolizes all the great masked murderers.
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.
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..
Very rarely do we see new film-makers pull off something of this magnitude, but they do it: capturing what horror fans want to see more of while at the same time poking good fun at the industry and genre in ways that are both original and darkly satirical.For the first ten or twenty minutes, I was unsure of the film because it starts off in an amateur vein and I was a bit wary of the documentary style and how in this film, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are presented as allegedly real people.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) * 1/2 (out of 4)Really bad horror film that tries to say something about serial killers.
I went in blind (didn't watch a trailer) so i wasn't sure what to expect, and i found it one of the most Original horror movies I've seen come out of America in a long time!it's set in a world where all our favorite psycho Slasher's existed and the movie revolves around Leslie Vernon, a man who aspires to be like that of his Idol's Freddy, Jason, and Micheal Myers.
A group of filmmakers (College Students?) decide to make a documentary on how the most infamous serial killers of all time (Jason, Freddy, Michael, who all exist in the movie's universe) do what they do, so they meet up with one Leslie Vernon to see how he does his work.
All in all, Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is going to be, without question one of the best horror movies you see all year.
This movie is almost like a parody of the horror genre, in a sense in the same way as the original "Scream".
The killers are portrayed as funny normal people who kill people on the side and than chat about it with their buddies.Now there are a few funny moments in the movie, don't get me wrong and a real slasher fan will find some enjoyment in it but mostly it's just repackaged Scream cleverness that lacks the originality and believability of that film..
Besides the letdown the film is still very much worth a watch with quality comedy and a cool looking horror villain in Leslie Vernon..