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A student documentary is the frame for this post-postmodern, meta-slasher film. A young female filmmaker gets access to Leslie Vernon, a small-town guy who is hoping to follow in the glorious blood-soaked footprints of Jason, Freddy and Mike Myers. As such, he lays out for the film crew how he’ll build his legend by using conventions such as troubled backstory, misbehaving teens, girl-virgin survivor and assorted red herrings. This set-up, though poorly filmed (likely on purpose to accommodate the mockumentary approach), is mildly clever as a fresh shout-out to often-parodied canon of 1980s teen horror films. But then director and co-writer Scott Glosserman upends the conceit, and the sort-of clever deconstruction morphs into run-of-the-mill dismemberment. And as Vernon has reminded us earlier, we already know exactly how that story is gonna turn out.

Starts Fri., March 30. SouthSide Works (AH)