Movie Details
| Title: | Tucker & Dale vs Evil | |
| Director: | Eli Craig | |
| Year: | 2010 | |
| Genre: | Hicksploitation | |
| Times Seen: | 2 | |
| Last Seen: | 04.10.10 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (0)
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 04.10.10 | Angelika - Dallas | This Screening is part of event: Dallas International Film Festival 2010 This was my second time to see Tucker and Dale. The director introduced the film and mentioned that when he was a SXSW, he invited someone in the audience to show their boobs. But "a middle aged man" (my friend Dan) was the only one who took him up on the offer, so he announced "we're not doing that again." I laughed, though I'm sure the full effect of the joke was lost on most people in the audience who hadn't also been at SXSW. Oh, one thing. In Austin there was a mostly packed Paramount theater for T&D. Here in Dallas we couldn't even fill a single Angelika theater. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Come on, Dallas! Anyway, I laughed a lot at this movie despite having just seen it a month ago, which is a sign that this thing has some real meat to it. It hasn't been picked up yet, but when it does, I predict that it'll go over huge. The Dallas crowd was really into the movie, and the post-film tweets were overwhelmingly positive. During the Q&A, the director, Eli Craig, teased "Tucker & Dale Go To Yale." It seemed like he was probably kidding, but if he wasn't... that'd be awesome. Craig also mentioned that Tudyk's character was supposed to be played by another actor for months and months. Then, just a few days before shooting, he backed out to be in The Bounty Hunter. I haven't seen that film, but looking at its cast, the most likely actor is Jason Sudeikis. And man... what a different film that would have been. Thinking about the alternative casting reminded me how lucky/talented Craig was to get Tudyk and Tyler Labine (and, for that matter, Katrina Bowden and Jesse Moss). Craig said that when he was shopping the script around, most of the studios said that the didn't think the movie would come across as being funny. He specifically mentioned the woodchipper gag as something they said wouldn't play well. And to a certain degree, I can see where they were coming from. The *only* reason that - and many other moments in the film - work is because of Tudyk and/or Labine's reactions. If Tucker & Dale's roles had been filled with less capable or less likeable actors, I can see many of the film's gags falling completely flat. Luckily for all of us, we dodged that bullet and ended up with a very smart, sweet, funny horror-comedy hybrid. Yay, us! |
| 03.13.10 | Alamo Ritz | This Screening is part of event: SXSW 2010 I cut out early from the Hicks Q&A (Bill's mom, family, and colleagues were in the audience) because I found out on twitter that the line for Tucker & Dave was growing. So I headed over and ran into a few of the Gordon & The Whale guys, as well as @cahcat and @prisco. Both were super nice. Hooray for first-time IRL meetings. SXSW Summary: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a backwoods comedy of horrific errors in which two unsuspecting buddies, Tucker and Dale, fall victim to the crazed machinations of a group of spring breakers who have mistaken them for backwoods killers! When Dale shelves his phobia of the opposite sex to rescue one of the college co-eds from drowning, all her friends see is a bearded psychopath hauling their friend away to a shack in the middle of the woods. In trying to rescue their friend, the spring breakers continually off themselves one by one and Tucker and Dale try to figure out why these college kids are killing themselves all over Tucker's property! So this is basically a comedy version of a teens-terrorized-by-inbred-hillbillies horror film, told from the hillbillies' perspective. And, the big draw for me (and I'm sure others), Alan Tudyk is one of the hillbillies! Before the movie the director treated us to free Miller Light, which is always a red flag in my experience (a director buying beer. Not Miller Light specifically). It's usually a sign of insecurity with what we're about to see. But there was no need to fear here. Tucker & Dave was a very funny reworking ("deconstruction" if you're a fancy pants) of the crazed redneck film. I got the sense that the movie got less funny as it went on, but there were still big laughs throughout, and I think part of the problem can with my body just crashing around the 2/3rds point. I think I actually was haluci-dozing through the climax. I can't say for sure. It was one of those festival experiences where you think you're watching a film, only to realize that... hey... my eyes are closed right now! Anyway, both of the leads (Tudyk and Tyler Labine) were hilarious and had great chemistry, which is good, because it must have been tough casting someone with enough chops and charm to hold his own against Tudyk. The kid who played the asshole fratboy lead was also excellently assholish. He reminded me of someone as the film was playing, but I can't remember who. And it's almost 3:40 am now, so I'm not going to try to remember who. Bedtime at my cheapie hotel de jour. Or... what's the French phrase for hotel of the week? Anyway. I'm tired. And a bit buzzed from this Keystone Light. See you folks tomorrow. |