An Homage for the Ages

My dear friends Kevin & Eric suggested I give this film a try. I was skeptical, but because they are so much fun I decided to give it a try. I am extremely glad and grateful for being made aware of such a terrific film. The fact that it stars the fantastic Alan Tudyk (pre-Resident Alien) adds to the enjoyment. A modern classic that both celebrates and spoofs the horror genre that you might have missed!

Films that scare the audience have been a staple of filmmakers since the invention of the camera. From Murnau’s ‘Nosferatu’ in 1922 to Whale’s ‘Frankenstein’ in 1931 through Polanski’s ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ in 1968 & Friedkin’s ‘The Exorcist’ in 1973, “horror” movies have packed in cinemas for some safe frights. As the rules relaxed franchises like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and Friday the 13th have thrilled audiences and enriched movie studios.

This success led to many failed copycats and a few successful homage/spoofs as well. First on the success list is the ‘Scream’ franchise. The six films have done a total of over 1 Billion dollars at the box office and led to games and merchandise sales in the millions as well. Today we take a look at one of the great homage/spoof films to grace the big screen. Not well noticed upon it’s release in 2010 ‘Tucker & Dale vs. Evil’ has gone on to entertain, amuse and tug at the heart strings of viewers in the years since. It continues to gain fans and devotees to this day!

The plot, written by director Eli Craig and Morgan Jurgenson, is classic horror. A group of college kids head off to the woods for the weekend. There they meet two “hillbillies” played by Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine. Today Tudyk stars in the hit series ‘Resident Alien’, but back in 2010 he was a member of the ensemble in all his roles. ‘Tucker & Dale’ gave him the chance to show his chops as one of the focuses of the film. As always, he did not disappoint. He and Labine are mistaken for “Memorial Day Massacrers” as our college kids attempt to survive. But our writer/director turns the tables on horror tropes. The best part of ‘Tucker & Dale vs. Evil’ is that what the kids think are attempts on their lives are just normal backwoods activities. Every single event has an innocent purpose and intent.

Combine horror tropes with comedy actions and, surprisingly, add heart. The result is a wonderful horror comedy called ‘Tucker & Dale vs. Evil’. Please give this solid film a chance! Just as Kevin & Eric told me, it is well worth your time. Don’t just take my word for it (even though you should). IMDB viewers give this classic a 7.5 while Rotten Tomatoes scores it a 86% fresh. Currently it is available on Sling TV for free or for rent/purchase at Amazon and all the other usual places.

Side note: I believe the love of this film led directly to the fabulous ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ in 2012. That too is well worth a watch, but it is more graphic.