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The Month of Horror Day 22: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Basement contributor Matt Bellamy has taken it upon himself to watch and review at least one horror movie a day for the month of October . . . because he's awesome that way! Tonight, in celebration of his birthday, Bellamy oogles some Katrina Bowden. And we let him.

This movie is to slasher flicks what Shaun of the Dead is to zombie films, a loving send up that never once pokes fun of or cheaply parodies the genre, instead paying homage to it. If you like your horror movies with a healthy dose of comedy then this should be at the top of your "to see" list--this is especially accurate if you're a fan of movies like the Friday the 13th or Sleepaway Camp series. Tucker and Dale are two very normal, hard working, simple, Pabst Blue Ribbon swilling buddies. You believe right from the first moment you see them onscreen that they have been good friends for a very long time, there is a history that is evident not through any sort of backstory but through their awesome chemistry and interactions with each other. They recently bought a summer cabin together that they're excited to fix up so it can become their regular fishing retreat away from a society that perhaps they don't fit in with so well. Things begin to get sticky though when a group of stock young twentysomething characters, vacationing in the same area, incorrectly believe that Tucker and Dale are backwoods, inbred, hillbilly murderers, stalking and killing them in your typical horror movie order. It's a complete role reversal and that is where the bulk of the laughs come in, with plenty of winks and nods to past scenarios within the genre. I really love just how good of a pair Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine are as the titular characters, the casting couldn't have been more spot on, not like there was any other choice as they were also a part of the writing process. Tucker & Dale vs Evil is only a couple years old but it is well on its way to becoming a cult horror classic--pop some corn, grab a PBR or four, and enjoy!

Comments

  1. Nice review! I was pretty skeptical about watching this movie based on what a few coworkers of mine at DISH told me about it, but now that I've seen it, I can say that I absolutely loved it! I just watched it earlier today too after getting it in the mail with my Blockbuster @Home package, and thought it was the perfect treat for Halloween. I'm not usually one for movies with lots of gore, but this one had a perfect mixture of that and humor that made it ok for me. I agree with you about Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine too. They were the perfect pair, and I'd love to see them reunite in another film sometime in the future. After watching it as a rental I’ll definitely be adding this one to my DVD collection. I’m looking forward to watching it on all future Halloweens. :)

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