7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Tucker & Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are attacked by a group of preppy college kids.
Starring: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss (II), Philip GrangerHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
You know the drill—a group of preppy college kids drives into the mountains for a weekend of drunken debauchery, only to get picked off one by one by
mutant inbred rednecks or deranged, psycho-killer country bumpkins. It’s the standard Wrong Turn, backwoods-slasher formula, the origins of
which can be traced all the way back to 1964, with Herschell Gordon “Godfather of Gore” Lewis’ southern-fried torture film, Two Thousand
Maniacs! By this point, we know entirely what to expect when fresh-faced city slickers venture into the dark recesses of Appalachia or the
swampy rural wilds of the deep South.
Or do we? Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, a Canadian horror comedy by first-time director Eli Craig and co-writer Morgan Jurgenson, gleefully overturns
the genre’s stale-as-year-old-beef-jerky tropes with a premise that’s so simple—but clever—that I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before. Ready for it?
What if the dirty, overalls-wearing, buck-toothed and slack-jawed hillbillies were actually just two polite and helpful—if undereducated—guys who are
mistakenly assumed to be menacing, Deliverance-style squeal-like-a-piggy murderers? Not only does the film break all of the usual
conventions, it does so while comically making a point about how appearances can be deceiving.
Tucker & Dale
Shot with the Red One HD video camera by cinematographer David Geddes, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil features a digital-to-digital 1080p/AVC- encoded transfer that's consistently impressive. I take that back. There's one moment that I thought looked murky and ugly and almost standard definition—an early aerial view of the mountains of West Virginia—but I actually learned in the included audio commentary track that this single shot was actually sourced from another movie. So, minor revision: Everything shot specifically for this film looks fantastic. I was actually quite surprised; you don't always expect low-budget horror movies to look this good. Clarity is exemplary in just about every scene. The individual hairs of Dale's good-old-boy beard are visible, the forest foliage is cleanly defined down to the smallest twig, and there are close-ups when you can even make out the tiny thread pattern of Tucker's dirty-ass t-shirt. Color is rich and vivid, with a great sense of contrast in both daylight and nighttime scenes, skin tones are warm and consistent, and black levels—even in the darkest scenes—are dense and nearly noiseless, with strong preservation of shadow detail. Edge enhancement and DNR are thankfully M.I.A., and I didn't spot any real compression artifacts or other problems. This is a near-perfect Blu-ray presentation.
The film's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track ain't bad either. Actually, it's quite good, especially when the action ramps up and the kids start inadvertently offing themselves. There are plenty of opportunities for beefy, dynamic sound design, and this mix takes full advantage of them. Tucker's chainsaw flailing sounds off with a throaty mini-diesel throttle, the wood chipper roars and grinds, bees swarm through the surround channels, and gunshots and nail-gun blasts tear holes through the rear speakers. When the accidental horror is at its height, the track is booming, clear, and duck- and-cover immersive. Even during quieter moments you'll hear frequent ambience in the form of insect sounds, water rippling, fire roaring, and other outdoorsy noises. All of this is backed by a decently rich-sounding score, and the dialogue cuts through clearly, with no balancing issues whatsoever. Set the volume to your normal listening level and you shouldn't have to touch your remote the whole way through. The disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil was actually completed in 2009, but for some reason it got held up and only got released in select theaters this year. Original and entertaining, it definitely deserves wider exposure, and I hope it finds an appreciative audience on home video. If you're into horror or, more specifically, horror comedies that poke fun at the usual fright film conventions, you should definitely check this one out. If it makes a purchase any easier, note that the film looks and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray. Recommended.
2016
Død snø
2009
1982
Limited Edition
2009
2014
2023
2009
2014
2019
2017
2016
2002
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1980
1981
Unrated Director's Cut
2006
2015
2013
2013
Uncut
2008
Død snø 2
2014