A deconstructionist horror comedy that owes a debt to Scream and the 1992 Belgian film Man Bites Dog, Mask nevertheless has enough pitch-perfect wit to lay claim to its own patch of postmodern, movie-loving snarkiness.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Freddy, Jason, Michael. We All Need Someone To Look Up To.
2006 · 1h 31m · R
Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Directed by
Scott Glosserman
Overview
The next great psycho horror slasher has given a documentary crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the sleepy town of Glen Echo, all the while deconstructing the conventions and archetypes of the horror genre for them.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
About two-thirds in, the movie shifts gears disastrously. Made me want to haul someone into the cutting room for revenge.
The script's laughs are too widely spaced. Even before the plot takes a third-act turn into the land of kill-by-the-numbers slasher movies, the jokes drip when they should be gushing.
If Scott Glosserman's witty slasher spoof had celebrities, it would probably be a success like Scream or Scary Movie. As an indie, it's more apt to be a cult fave. Either way, it's a must for those who like thrills laced with humor.
There is a lot of cleverness at work here, especially when the movie switches from the Blair Witch-style shaky camera to more accomplished and atmospheric low-budget lensing.
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