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

"Look at him, he's like a little monkey."


So I was chilling out last weekend with hot lady friend of mine (whom I shall call "Freshypants", to protect the innocent) when she asked me to pick out a movie for us to watch.  Hmmm, what to choose?  There are so many options in the Shifty Library.  She wants something funny.  Okay, then.  How about a low-budget horror/comedy from 2006 called "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon"?  She says she's never heard of it.  Perfect!

I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the big screen on its original theatrical run.  I remember that, besides me, there were three other dudes in the theater, and it was clear from their reactions that we were all on the same wavelength - we loved it!  This is a true cult film.  See the "Drive Angry" review for my thoughts on le cinema du cult.

Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has a dream.  He wants to be the next infamous serial killer on the block.  In a world where Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers and Chucky really exist, there are many wannabes looking to make it big in murder and mayhem.  Why, you ask?  Because in order to have "good", there must be "evil".  Oh, that old excuse.

Living in the town of Glen Echo, he plans to use a local legend (and an apple orchard) as a backdrop for his murderous grand resurrection.  But here's the hook - he's hired an amateur documentarian named Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) to film all the behind-the-scenes preparations, leading up to the night of his big bloody debut.  Much of the first two acts of the movie are shot like a documentary, only occasionally switching to classic "movie style".  The last act ditches the documentary style altogether, when the characters put down the cameras and become trapped in a real horror movie.

It's not a very scary movie at all.  Damn funny, though.  Director Scott Glosserman and company deftly dissect all the classic cliches of slasher cinema with giddy glee.  We see Leslie train (lots of cardio), prepare the murder house, engage in "flybys" (pre-scares intended to spook his "survivor girl", Kelly), all while explaining his methods and waxing philosophic about the deeper meanings of his occupation.  Nathan Baesel, as Leslie, owns this movie.  He's a charismatic guy, engaging, funny, kind of eccentric, passionate about his work and rather likeable.  Sometimes, though, the mask cracks and the not-so-nice Leslie peeks through, reminding us all that, yeah, he's planning on killing a whole lot of people.  He's actually convincingly scary in these moments.  But still oddly likeable.  His performance calls to mind a similar star turn from Michael C. Hall in "Dexter", which debuted the same year this movie was released.  I guess 2006 was the Year of Charismatic Crazy Guys.

Angela Goethals is fine as the eager up-and-coming documentarian looking for her big break, somewhat insecure, yet professional, and totally naive.  Her two cameramen (Doug and Todd) are only faceless voices until the last act, when they finally step out from behind their cameras.  None of the "target group", a.k.a. the teen victims, are played very well, but I think that's on purpose.  Prepare to see two of the worst "stoner" performances of all time - hilarious!

There are some neat guest actors as well.  The great Scott Wilson ("The Thin Blue Line") shows up as Leslie's mentor, and ex-serial killer who's long since retired, married his own "survivor girl", and lives a quiet life in the country.  Zelda Rubenstein (from "Poltergeist" - Stay away from the light, Carol Anne!) plays a helpful librarian (is there any other kind?) in this, one of her last performances.  And Robert (Freddy) Englund is Doc Halloran, Leslie's "Ahab", bringing some old school horror cred into the mix.  Also keep an eye out for burly Kane Hodder (Jason), who makes a very small cameo appearance as the owner of the Freddy Krueger house.  Cool.

It's not a perfect movie, but I love it.  I wish the horror elements of the film worked better, but it's filled with enough laughs and razor-sharp wit to ensure that I would still be showing it to friends 5 years later, so that's gotta count for something.

I'll let Freshypants sum it all up perfectly:  "I REALLY liked it.  It was funny as hell.  Made me laugh a lot."