Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
I am a proud Canadian. Without sounding ethnocentric, I think Canada is the greatest place in the world to live. I’m so proud, that if I didn’t think it was cliche, I would get a Canadian flag tattooed on me — somewhere. What’s not to like about this huge land mass? We are the birthplace of the best sport known to man, hockey and we have more hockey rinks than we have Walmarts. Socialized health care, need I say more? Poutine and Maple Syrup are staples in our diet. Need I mention Canadian bacon? Gay Marriage is legal here. Sharon, Lois and Bram AND Mr. Dressup are way cooler than Mr. Rogers any day! Without the list going on forever, no Canadian list is complete without mentioning the fact RUSH is from Canada.
As amazing as Canada is, one department we tend to lack in, is in the movie department. This is largely due to a lack of funding provided to the arts. Therefore usually the films which are produced are done so with poor production quality, such as these gems: Killer Bees! (2002) and Bikini Girls on Ice (2009). However, once in a while a film is produced in Canada that makes me proud to be Canadian, such as Ginger Snaps (2000) and Martyrs (2008) and most recently Tucker and Dale VS Evil (2010).
Tucker and Dale VS Evil is a fun, quirky and cute horror comedy that makes you both laugh and feel warm and fuzzy inside. There is a true heart and soul to this film. Written and directed by Eli Craig as his first full feature, we are brought into the cliche world of hillbillies vs good looking college campers. But what is unique the film is that the protagonists are actually the hillbillies, played by the loveable, sweet and bumbling Tyler Labine and always funny Alan Tudyk. The chemistry between these two is amazing, in an effortless kind of way. Really, what makes this film is the dynamic between these two talented actors.
When one college girl gets into an accident and is saved by Tucker and Dale, the rest of the college group automatically assume the worst, that she is abducted. With a series of unfortunate events that occur as a result of this confusion is what makes up the bulk of the film. Coordinated in such a humorous fashion with a witty script, the flick did not require a cast with amazing talented skills or amazing production quality.
What I find so surprising about the movie is that I forget that this is a horror film. There is an ample amount of blood and graphic gore, but above anything the film makes you laugh and feel empathy for stereotypical bumbling hillbillies who are misjudged. Growing up in a hippie family, in an area of the bible belt in Alberta, Canada, my family was outcast a lot, as we weren’t the “norm”. We weren’t white protestant, with 2.5 kids, whose father wore a suit to work where went to church on Sundays and got our portraits done once a year at Sears. I had friends who weren’t allowed to come over to my house because I apparently lived in a heathen house because it was covered with African and Indonesian artifacts. So Tucker and Dale resonated with me, the moral of the story is: don’t judge a book by its cover.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad I’m not hung like a bear
