5. Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon (2006)
The hugely underrated Behind The Mask flourished as a new brand of ironic horror because it knows about horror movies. It knows them because it exists inside the same world as them. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Michael Myers, and Ghostface are all real murderers in the reality of this film. This clever mockumentary centers around a small-town serial killer Leslie Vernon. In a vain attempt at self-promotion he permits a film crew to follow him around, explaining why he has chosen this morally questionable career path, and revealing tricks of the trade whilst debunking certain myths of his occupation. Indeed, its the slasher genres answer to Man Bites Dog, and like that 1992 Belgian classic, Behind the Mask-director Scott Glosserman nails the see-sawing tone that all horror-comedies need to master. When Vernons murderous antics go south, the film is funny in the best pitch-black sense of the word; whenever Vernon stops laughing, puts on his memorable blank-faced mask, and starts hacking up flesh, Behind The Mask abandons all humor and matches any joke-free slasher movies brutality. The fact that Glossermans film isnt a full-blown cult classic yet is maddening.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
