Monday, January 4, 2010

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2007)

Rating: B+
Well, well, well! Thank you, Netflix, for providing me with the most enjoyable instant viewing selection to date. If there's one thing I've learned from watching horror-comedies it's that it isn't easy to pull the genre off. Specifically, it's hard to elicit genuine laughter. But Behind the Mask tackles this nearly insurmountable feat brilliantly! Cheers to Nathan Baesel for a top notch performance. You don't necessarily have to be a slasher franchise connoisseur to enjoy this one, but it helps add to the fun. The only reason it didn't receive an A+ is become it began to lose its charm toward the end.

HorrorBlips: vote it up!

7 comments:

  1. I love, love, love this movie. One of the most clever takes on the slasher in years and it actually gets better on subsequent viewings. Your apprecation of the lead performance is dead on, and I have now officially incorporated the Ahab as a reference. When you watch future slashers, you begin to see it in terms of the "job" the killer's doing. One of my favorites. It does sort of become what it beheld in the final act, but you throw in a Talking Heads tune at the end, and I'm back on board.

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  2. Yes! The Ahab reference was great, especially for a Moby Dick fan!

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  3. I put this #1 on my top 10 horror movies of 2007.

    So many funny scenes (I like the "twist" of our final girl)

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  4. I freaking LOVE this movie! So unique, funny, and a great ode to the genre. I agree that it did lose a little steam towards the end, but amazing movie nonetheless.

    By the way, I gave you an award: http://horroreffect.blogspot.com/2010/01/tis-season-for-awards.html

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  5. BAM Chris you just hit the motherload, this is one of my new all time favorite films, I absolutely love it and think it is one of the strongest Indie films in the past several decades

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  6. Jaded - Yes! Priceless!

    Becky - Wow! Thanks! Heading to your post now...

    Carl - You said it: one of my new all time favorite films. That's what Behind the Mask has become for me. I'm eager to watch it with people who haven't yet seen it!

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  7. Congratulations! You have been awarded the "Kreative Blogger" award! Check my blog post here to claim your prize! Just save the award logo and post it on your blog if you want to display it!

    http://hayeshudsonshouseofhorror.blogspot.com/2010/01/it-is-blogger-award-season-and-i-have.html

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