Screening Log

This new site feature is a collective effort to summarize our viewing habits. Occasionally, you will find titles here that are coming to a theater near you, in addition to films viewed on television, and even films viewed in piecemeal. The screening log is archived each month; to view past entries select a month in the menu below.

March 2007 activity

Total Log Entries: 60

Total Comments: 32

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Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon / USA / 2006

Working on the premise that the slasher killers of cinema legend—namely Jason, Michael, and Freddy—are actually real-life people who work hard at their bloody craft, a grad student documentary crew teams up with novice splatter artist Leslie Vernon in hopes of unraveling the motivations of the murderous mind. Following along as Leslie details the accomplishments of his bloodthirsty heroes, and lays out the particulars of his own myth-making performance, we learn how to manufacture a tragic backstory, the importance of choosing just the right group of expendable teens, and why proper dead body placement is so vital to a successful spree.

Although such slasher movie cliches are effectively mined for laughs throughout—intermixed with amusing lessons in pop-psychology (hiding in a closet = retreating into the womb), and several decent horror set pieces (death by post-hole digger among the best)—the film is never self-deprecating or disrespectful, and manages to be both a novel and enjoyable slasher in its own right, and a loving tribute to the genre.

by Thomas Scalzo | Source: 35mm print
19 Mar 2007 7:21 PM | Submit Comment

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