Derrière le masque

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? But alas the execution of these ideas falls short.While the actors and actresses do a fine job portraying their characters, the story becomes rather predictable and a bit silly. especially near the end.All in all this is an unique film with some good ideas that just were not thought through enough.So much more could've been done with this.Maybe a remake with a bigger budget and some better writers could turn this into one of the all-time greats.

Behind the Mask is a film that's taken me more than a day to decide a fair reviewing score for, since it's such a wonderful idea that would be very difficult to execute perfectly. It sometimes feels kind of silly when it should feel serious, and yet sometimes feels a little too serious when it should feel silly, if you get me.

I enjoyed the movie. I thought it was funny and loved the actors. They truly do a fantastic job of portraying the individual personalities of the in-depth characters. Nathan Baesel plays an oddly likeable slasher, who treats his status like a job. Remarkably, he hasn't done much work outside of this film, which is kind of sad because he reminded me very much of a villainous Jim Carrey, but without ever seeming TOO over the top. He does a brilliant job of getting you to enjoy watching his character develop, making you care about him, whilst never letting you forget that he is a dangerous man.

The script is funny and for the most part well written. There were a few little bits here and there that I felt it could've done without as they made the plot feel a little uneven in bits, but for the most part it was enjoyable to watch. The film never really drags. It's also interesting how the first half of the film is presented as a mockumentary, whereas the second half is your standard climactic horror movie, where you get to see the cameramen who filmed the first half of the film. I enjoyed the transition and haven't seen many similar instances of this.

The film unfortunately suffers a little from obviously fake special effects and definitely won't appeal to anyone looking for a scare. It's comical all the way through and never takes itself too seriously. The ending feels a little incomplete and to be honest, kind of predictable. However, it's a good watch for anyone looking for a funny film with an interest in the classic slasher movies as the jokes and dialogue will be relatable to fans of these. Just don't expect to be frightened.

I highly highly recommend this movie. It's a black comedy/mockumentary/horror movie that's bloody hilarious. I LOVED it. I can't recommend it enough!!! If you're a horror film junkie, or even if you're not (for example, my boyfriend doesn't particularly like horror films but is fond of intelligent comedy and was right beside me laughing for this one) you should DEFINITELY see this movie! It's so respectful of the genre at the same time that it plays with it... Nathan Baesel, who says he was inspired by Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter really pulls off charming and cheery -- not copying Lecter, but applying the influence to create a new and lovable serial killer (this is what makes him both funny AND creepy - it's impossible not to like him!).

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. The film crew soon finds itself rooting for the likable Leslie, well-played by Nathan Baesel, who has planned his spree to the last detail. The crew slowly moves from documenting the events to aiding and abetting them, but it has second thoughts as the reality of the events overwhelm them. They discover too late that Leslie isn't exactly who he claims to be, and he has worked out everything, including their last minute hesitations, into his meticulous plan.

The documentary approach gives the filmmakers enough distance from the events to successfully spoof the conventions of slasher genre. However, the filmmakers managed to restore genuine tension by limiting that distance by making the witnesses, the filmmakers, into participants. That's why this film succeeded where other spoofs and "found footage" failed. It delivers both narrative perspective and intimacy.

Well done.

I saw this at the Fantasia Film Festival. I have to admit the first act has some really funny moment, and the actor who portrays Leslie Vernon is great. That being said, the second part turns into a full-blown slasher. The break is WAY too rough to really make it believable, plus the slasher part does not deliver the suspense nor the action, nor the gore we would expect from that kind of movie, which makes it quite monotonous and basically, dull. The director did an okay job, alternating between hand-held video cameras for the documentary parts and stable HD cams for the slasher parts. The guys does have a respect for the genre, but that won't necessarily make the movie good. The cast is pretty solid, especially the guy who plays Leslie Vernon like I said earlier.

So the ''mockumentary'' part is pretty funny, but the ending is terrible. Watchable, but not amazing.