Though it’s getting a little overused, the "faux documentary" can be a good way for filmmakers to circumvent budgetary limitations and provide an interesting narrative device (see Interview with the Assassin or Incident at Loch Ness for examples).
The new indie Behind the Mask (not to be confused with the unnecessary Hannibal Lecter prequel) has taken that approach, and the end result looks horrifically fun. The flick follows an aspiring psycho (played by the one-armed deputy from ABC’s drearily dull sci-fi series Invasion) who gives a news crew insight into his murderous plans while taking a few sly shots at the typical conventions of the genre. You’ll spot some familiar faces in there as well, including veteran character actor Scott Wilson, Poltergeist‘s diminutive exorcist, and one of the most infamous cinematic slashers, Robert Englund.
The movie will be shown at Austin’s SXSW festival this year, yet another reason (along with the great music, gorgeous girls and the best BBQ in the known universe) I wish I was heading down there. Cheers to the gang at Twitch for sniffing this one out.