The very definition of a cult-classic.
During a recent discussion about the brilliant What We Do in the Shadows, a JOE reader interestingly said in the comments section that “horror-comedy is the worst ever genre” – a subjective comment but one that’s not without its merits.
When horror-comedy is good, it’s very good.
Take for example Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead II, Zombieland, Tremors, Idle Hands, Bad Taste, What We Do in the Shadows and countless others, but the subgenre also suffers from the fact that at times, certain films just don’t strike the required balance.
Yet again, a JOE reader summed things up perfectly by saying “it’s the hardest to get right ([but] if done right it can be the best” and on this note, there’s a wonderful horror-comedy on TV later – it’s also currently available to watch on Netflix.
Upon its release, Tucker & Dale vs Evil didn’t exactly set the box-office alight.
In fact, Eli Craig’s cult-classic only managed to earn $223,838 domestically – a small figure when compared to the $42,073,277 that The Cabin in the Woods made. This being said, I’d argue that Tucker & Dale vs Evil is a much better film and it deserved to be appreciated by a wider audience.
For those that haven’t seen it, the film revolves around two lovable hillbillies that are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin. Both men are just looking to relax, unwind and enjoy some fishing when they’re mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.
What unfolds is one of the most hilarious, gory and good-spirited horror-comedies that you’ll see.
While Scream is often regarded as the pinnacle of self-referential and ‘meta-horror’, Tucker & Dale vs Evil is just as clever as Wes Craven’s masterpiece because Craig also understands the horror conventions, rules, and formulas that he’s playing with.
If Scream ripped up the rulebook, Tucker & Dale vs Evil turns the idea of what constitutes a conventional and cliched killer on its head.
In this film, the college kids are obnoxious, judgmental and sinister. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count
After a hilarious misunderstanding, the college kids spend the rest of the film attacking Tucker and Dale, while managing to accidentally kill themselves off in the most gruesome and hilarious ways imaginable.
Critics loved Tucker & Dale vs Evil – it currently has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 65% on Metacritic – so why wasn’t it appreciated by the public?
As its director points out, it’s all down to marketing and the inherent problems that come with making a horror-comedy.
“When you make an independent film — or any film I guess — you either want it to be really indie or you want it to be really commercial. I guess mine kind of splits the difference between the two. I don’t know. We had so many studios carry us along to this almost huge release. We had Lionsgate, Summit, FilmDistrict, and even Paramount at one point all interested in distributing it. They would all take months looking at it and testing it and finally decided they didn’t want to be in the horror-comedy business. It was just a long road to get to “No” from some studios,” he said.
Truth be told, there’s so much to enjoy in the film and we’re not just talking about the OTT, gory and incredibly grizzly deaths.
The two leads (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) are so incredibly likeable that it’s impossible not to be on their side throughout. There’s also a level of madness that the Looney Tunes would be proud of and as for the comedy, well, this scene is absolutely priceless.
We’re not going to ruin it for you, but fans of the film will already know just how good the delivery is here.
Clip via – fectFTW
If you’re looking for some sort of deeper meaning or heartwarming message, it’s possible to view Tucker & Dale vs Evil as the finest example of a popular cliche: “Never judge a book by its cover.”
It’s a shame that film fans did so upon its initial release, don’t repeat that mistake tonight.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil is on the Horror Channel at 21:00. If you haven’t got that channel, it’s also available to watch on Netflix.
Check it out.
