Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is the bastard child of Mike Meyers and Christopher Guest. Take the same behind the scenes and painfully awkward, but funny scenarios of Waiting for Guffman and place it in Halloween and you'd have Behind the Mask (BtM).Existing in a world where every slasher icon (Freddy, Jason, Mike Meyers, Chucky, that dude from Shocker) is real, BtM follows Leslie Vernon (played by newcomer Nathan Baesel), a young and upcoming "supernatural" killer, who lets a college news team film his entire process, from the selecting of the "survivor girl," to his training (a lot of cardio and reading plenty of anatomy, escape tricks/sleight-of-hand, and philosophy books) to the fateful night where Leslie makes his final appearance. The film jumps from handheld, stark news-like camerawork when we're seeing Leslie prepare to ultra-stylized slasher film cinematography when he puts on the mask. You would think the jumps between two very different types of cinematography would be jarring, but the film deftly handles the balance.
Writer/director Scott Glosserman definitely owes a debt of gratitude to Wes Craven's Scream, but where Scream left off, BtM continues. By not only deconstructing the plot contrivances and characters of slasher films, but by putting them into a myth context, Glosserman presents the idea that the slasher icon and film has progressed from a simple money-making cinema to becoming apart of contemporary mythology (Mike Meyers as a Joseph Campbell-type "hero!"). This is evinced by the dinner scene with Leslie's mentor, Eugene, a retired psychokiller (he lives in a nice house in the woods with his "survivor girl" now wife, Jamie). When Taylor asks why Leslie and Eugene do what they do, Eugene replies, "In order for good to be pitted against evil, there must be evil." BtM also pays respects to the great shoulders it stands upon by featuring old horror icons, most notably Robert Englund and Zelda Rubinstein; Englund as the Dr. Loomis character (a role that you can plainly see he had fun performing) and Rubinstein in a near death appearance (cold, I know, but it's almost like you can see PA holding her up during her scenes) as the friendly, but doomed librarian. Bonus points to those who can spot 4-time Jason actor Kane Hodder!
Normally, I don't expect much from actors/actresses in slasher flicks; mainly they're there to serve the plot's purpose and not much else. Not the case in BtM. All of the performances are fun to watch. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Taylor and her two cameramen, Doug and Todd (played by Angela Goethals, Ben Pace, and Britain Spellings respectively) as they become apart of Leslie's dangerous world. Of all the performances though, it is Nathan Baesel who particularly stands out. As Leslie Vernon, he strikes a great balance between charmingly awkward nice guy and psychopathic killer. My favorite scene is the heartfelt moment Leslie and Taylor share on the eve of his appearance: Leslie, with tears in his eyes, proclaims how exceedingly happy he is and how far he's come. Not knowing what to say, Taylor gently takes his hand and comforts him. It should be noted that this all takes place in the barn where, in just a few moments, poor horny teenagers are about to be slaughtered. A dark comic moment, but one that genuinely resonates as we've been present from the beginning of Leslie's story so we know that this is culmination of his life's work.
In the end, what's great about BtM is that it isn't just a cursory love of slasher films; a glancing throat cut, if you will. No. It's a rip-your-heart-out-of-your-chest-with-post-hole-digger love of the slasher film. One that reminds you what the genre is exactly capable of when put into the right hands.
Writer/director Scott Glosserman definitely owes a debt of gratitude to Wes Craven's Scream, but where Scream left off, BtM continues. By not only deconstructing the plot contrivances and characters of slasher films, but by putting them into a myth context, Glosserman presents the idea that the slasher icon and film has progressed from a simple money-making cinema to becoming apart of contemporary mythology (Mike Meyers as a Joseph Campbell-type "hero!"). This is evinced by the dinner scene with Leslie's mentor, Eugene, a retired psychokiller (he lives in a nice house in the woods with his "survivor girl" now wife, Jamie). When Taylor asks why Leslie and Eugene do what they do, Eugene replies, "In order for good to be pitted against evil, there must be evil." BtM also pays respects to the great shoulders it stands upon by featuring old horror icons, most notably Robert Englund and Zelda Rubinstein; Englund as the Dr. Loomis character (a role that you can plainly see he had fun performing) and Rubinstein in a near death appearance (cold, I know, but it's almost like you can see PA holding her up during her scenes) as the friendly, but doomed librarian. Bonus points to those who can spot 4-time Jason actor Kane Hodder!
Normally, I don't expect much from actors/actresses in slasher flicks; mainly they're there to serve the plot's purpose and not much else. Not the case in BtM. All of the performances are fun to watch. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Taylor and her two cameramen, Doug and Todd (played by Angela Goethals, Ben Pace, and Britain Spellings respectively) as they become apart of Leslie's dangerous world. Of all the performances though, it is Nathan Baesel who particularly stands out. As Leslie Vernon, he strikes a great balance between charmingly awkward nice guy and psychopathic killer. My favorite scene is the heartfelt moment Leslie and Taylor share on the eve of his appearance: Leslie, with tears in his eyes, proclaims how exceedingly happy he is and how far he's come. Not knowing what to say, Taylor gently takes his hand and comforts him. It should be noted that this all takes place in the barn where, in just a few moments, poor horny teenagers are about to be slaughtered. A dark comic moment, but one that genuinely resonates as we've been present from the beginning of Leslie's story so we know that this is culmination of his life's work.
In the end, what's great about BtM is that it isn't just a cursory love of slasher films; a glancing throat cut, if you will. No. It's a rip-your-heart-out-of-your-chest-with-post-hole-digger love of the slasher film. One that reminds you what the genre is exactly capable of when put into the right hands.
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