Tucker & Dale vs Evil
Encyclopedia
Tucker & Dale vs Evil is a 2010 Canadian comedy horror
film written and directed by Eli Craig
. The film stars Alan Tudyk
, Tyler Labine
, Katrina Bowden
and Jesse Moss
.
), Chad (Jesse Moss
), Chloe (Chelan Simmons
), Chuck (Travis Nelson), Jason (Brandon Jay McLaren
), Naomi (Christie Liang), Todd (Alex Arsenault), Mitch (Adam Beauchesne) and Mike (Joseph Allan Sutherland), are going camping in West Virginia
. While at a gas station, they meet Tucker (Alan Tudyk
) and Dale (Tyler Labine
) two well-meaning hillbillies
who have just bought the vacation home of their dreams: a run-down lakefront cabin in the middle of the woods. Dale tries to talk to Allison but because of his inferiority complex
and appearance, he only scares her and her friends.
Tucker and Dale soon continue to their run-down, derelict cabin. The two are delighted in their new home despite structural hazards resulting from the building's state of disrepair. Meanwhile, in the nearby woods, the college students have set up camp. Chad tells everyone a story recounting an event known as the "The Memorial Day
Massacre," which took place twenty years previously in the same section of the woods, leaving only one survivor. Soon after, the group decide to go skinny dipping in a nearby lake. Also on the lake are Tucker and Dale who are fishing. Allison spots them, and startled, falls into the water and hits her head. Tucker and Dale save her, but the college kids think Allison is being kidnapped.
The next day, Allison wakes up in Tucker and Dale's cabin. At first scared, she befriends Dale and finds the pair are harmless. The college kids arrive at the cabin to save Allison from her "captors", whom they presume to be psycho killers. Chuck leaves in his dad's car to retrieve help from the police. As Mitch approaches the cabin, Tucker appears frantically waving a chainsaw
after accidentally hitting a bees nest. The college kids scatter through the woods, resulting in Mitch accidentally impaling himself on a broken tree. Soon after, the college kids find his body, and Chad persuades the others they are in a battle to survive with the hillbillies. Meanwhile, Tucker and Dale set out to find the kids, but fail to do so. The college kids return to the cabin, to see Allison being forced to dig her own grave, when in truth she is helping Dale dig an outhouse
pit. The college kids attack, however in their attempts Allison is knocked unconscious, Todd is impaled and Mike jumps head first into a woodchipper
.
Tucker and Dale lock themselves in their cabin with an unconscious Allison, as they believe the college kids have made a suicide pact
. Meanwhile, the college kids decide they should either leave or get help from the police, but Chad remains certain they must fight the hillbillies themselves. Despite this, Chloe manages to flag down a passing police car, driven by the Sheriff (Philip Granger) with Chuck. Chloe, Jason and Naomi get in and travel to the cabin. After arriving, the Sheriff inspects the place before leaning against an unsteady beam which falls and kills him. The college students panic, resulting in Chuck shooting himself in the face. Chad appears and attempts to shoot Tucker and Dale, but only manages to capture Tucker.
Dale leaves to rescue Tucker and finds him in a trap in the forest. At the cabin, Chad and Naomi arrive to save Allison, who insists everything is a misunderstanding and Tucker and Dale don't mean any harm. However, they accuse Allison of having Stockholm syndrome
. Tucker and Dale arrive back, and Allison attempts to calmly discuss the situation, leading to Chad revealing his mother was the survivor of The Memorial Day Massacre, while his dad was killed by hillbillies which is why he hates them. Outside, Jason and Chloe suspect that the rest of their friends have been captured and so attack with a lawn mower
, resulting in Naomi having her face shredded off. As a fight breaks out, Jason is set on fire. As the fire spreads, Allison, Tucker and Dale escape, but Chloe and Chad remain inside as a stockpile of fuel cans explode. Chad reveals himself to still be alive, but persistent to murder Tucker and Dale. Allison, Tucker and Dale attempt to escape in a truck, but the crash it moments after.
Awakening some time later, Dale finds an injured Tucker who reveals Chad has taken Allison to an old sawmill
. Dale travels to the sawmill and finds Allison restrained by an insane Chad. Dale fights with Chad, before Allison and Dale barricade themselves inside a room and find old news clippings on the Memorial Day Massacre and the truth about Chad's father; Chad's father was never murdered as he was in fact the Memorial Day killer who raped his mother, making Chad half hillbilly. Chad becomes enraged over the truth, forcing Dale to attack Chad with a box of chamomile tea which gives him an allergic
reaction and he falls out of a window.
Afterward, the police and news crew arrive at the cabin and conclude the college students were in a suicide pact and Chad was the ringleader. While convalescing in the hospital, Tucker asks Dale whether he managed to ask Allison on a date and is happy to hear the two of them are going ten-pin bowling
. Later that night at the bowling alley, the two confess their feelings for each other and kiss.
started one month later in Calgary, Alberta. In October 2009 post production ensued in British Columbia and released first images as part of American Film Market
.On 31 October 2009, the first trailer was released.
and was on 12 March 2010 part of the SXSW Film Festival
.
, Tucker & Dale vs Evil was universally well received by critics. The film holds a rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 86 reviews stating "Like the best horror/comedies, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil mines its central crazy joke for some incredible scares, laughs, and -- believe it or not -- heart".
Todd Gilchrist wrote that "Eli Craig's feature debut celebrates genre conventions while turning the traditional view of horror-movie heroes and villains upside down."
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
film written and directed by Eli Craig
Eli Craig
Elijah M. "Eli" Craig is a Writer/Director, who started his Hollywood career with a few small acting jobs.His first full-length film as writer/director was the horror comedy movie Tucker & Dale vs Evil, which took three years to complete.-Family:He is Sally Field's younger son...
. The film stars Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk
Alan Wray Tudyk is an American actor known for his roles as Simon in the British comedy Death at a Funeral, as Steve the Pirate in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, as Sonny in the science fiction drama I, Robot, as Doc Potter in 3:10 to Yuma, as Tucker in the Tucker & Dale vs Evil and as Hoban...
, Tyler Labine
Tyler Labine
Tyler Sean Labine is a Canadian actor. His brothers Kyle Labine and Cameron Labine also work in the entertainment industry.-Life and career:Labine was born in Brampton, Ontario...
, Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden is an American actress. She is known for her short role as Britney Jennings on One Life to Live and for her role as Cerie in 30 Rock .- Education :...
and Jesse Moss
Jesse Moss
-Life and career:Moss was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known for his roles of Jason Wise in Final Destination 3 and Quinn McKaye on Whistler, for which Moss won a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series in 2007. Moss starred in the Dear Mr...
.
Plot
A group of college students, including Allison (Katrina BowdenKatrina Bowden
Katrina Bowden is an American actress. She is known for her short role as Britney Jennings on One Life to Live and for her role as Cerie in 30 Rock .- Education :...
), Chad (Jesse Moss
Jesse Moss
-Life and career:Moss was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known for his roles of Jason Wise in Final Destination 3 and Quinn McKaye on Whistler, for which Moss won a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series in 2007. Moss starred in the Dear Mr...
), Chloe (Chelan Simmons
Chelan Simmons
Chelan Simmons is a Canadian actress, professional model and performer.-Early life:Simmons was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the middle child of three .-Career:...
), Chuck (Travis Nelson), Jason (Brandon Jay McLaren
Brandon Jay McLaren
Brandon Jay McLaren is a Canadian actor. He is best known by his role of Jack Landors, the Red SPD Power Ranger, on Power Rangers: SPD, and Danny Brooks on Harper's Island. He was a guest star in the episode "Bloodlines" of Blade: The Series...
), Naomi (Christie Liang), Todd (Alex Arsenault), Mitch (Adam Beauchesne) and Mike (Joseph Allan Sutherland), are going camping in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. While at a gas station, they meet Tucker (Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk
Alan Wray Tudyk is an American actor known for his roles as Simon in the British comedy Death at a Funeral, as Steve the Pirate in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, as Sonny in the science fiction drama I, Robot, as Doc Potter in 3:10 to Yuma, as Tucker in the Tucker & Dale vs Evil and as Hoban...
) and Dale (Tyler Labine
Tyler Labine
Tyler Sean Labine is a Canadian actor. His brothers Kyle Labine and Cameron Labine also work in the entertainment industry.-Life and career:Labine was born in Brampton, Ontario...
) two well-meaning hillbillies
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
who have just bought the vacation home of their dreams: a run-down lakefront cabin in the middle of the woods. Dale tries to talk to Allison but because of his inferiority complex
Inferiority complex
An inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person...
and appearance, he only scares her and her friends.
Tucker and Dale soon continue to their run-down, derelict cabin. The two are delighted in their new home despite structural hazards resulting from the building's state of disrepair. Meanwhile, in the nearby woods, the college students have set up camp. Chad tells everyone a story recounting an event known as the "The Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
Massacre," which took place twenty years previously in the same section of the woods, leaving only one survivor. Soon after, the group decide to go skinny dipping in a nearby lake. Also on the lake are Tucker and Dale who are fishing. Allison spots them, and startled, falls into the water and hits her head. Tucker and Dale save her, but the college kids think Allison is being kidnapped.
The next day, Allison wakes up in Tucker and Dale's cabin. At first scared, she befriends Dale and finds the pair are harmless. The college kids arrive at the cabin to save Allison from her "captors", whom they presume to be psycho killers. Chuck leaves in his dad's car to retrieve help from the police. As Mitch approaches the cabin, Tucker appears frantically waving a chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
after accidentally hitting a bees nest. The college kids scatter through the woods, resulting in Mitch accidentally impaling himself on a broken tree. Soon after, the college kids find his body, and Chad persuades the others they are in a battle to survive with the hillbillies. Meanwhile, Tucker and Dale set out to find the kids, but fail to do so. The college kids return to the cabin, to see Allison being forced to dig her own grave, when in truth she is helping Dale dig an outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
pit. The college kids attack, however in their attempts Allison is knocked unconscious, Todd is impaled and Mike jumps head first into a woodchipper
Woodchipper
A tree chipper or wood chipper is a machine used for reducing wood into smaller parts, such as wood chips or sawdust. They are often portable, being mounted on wheels on frames suitable for towing behind a truck or van. Power is generally provided by an internal combustion engine from to...
.
Tucker and Dale lock themselves in their cabin with an unconscious Allison, as they believe the college kids have made a suicide pact
Suicide pact
A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to commit suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. Suicide pacts are important concepts in the study of suicide, and have occurred throughout history, as well as in fiction.Suicide pacts are generally...
. Meanwhile, the college kids decide they should either leave or get help from the police, but Chad remains certain they must fight the hillbillies themselves. Despite this, Chloe manages to flag down a passing police car, driven by the Sheriff (Philip Granger) with Chuck. Chloe, Jason and Naomi get in and travel to the cabin. After arriving, the Sheriff inspects the place before leaning against an unsteady beam which falls and kills him. The college students panic, resulting in Chuck shooting himself in the face. Chad appears and attempts to shoot Tucker and Dale, but only manages to capture Tucker.
Dale leaves to rescue Tucker and finds him in a trap in the forest. At the cabin, Chad and Naomi arrive to save Allison, who insists everything is a misunderstanding and Tucker and Dale don't mean any harm. However, they accuse Allison of having Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
. Tucker and Dale arrive back, and Allison attempts to calmly discuss the situation, leading to Chad revealing his mother was the survivor of The Memorial Day Massacre, while his dad was killed by hillbillies which is why he hates them. Outside, Jason and Chloe suspect that the rest of their friends have been captured and so attack with a lawn mower
Lawn mower
A lawn mower is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel...
, resulting in Naomi having her face shredded off. As a fight breaks out, Jason is set on fire. As the fire spreads, Allison, Tucker and Dale escape, but Chloe and Chad remain inside as a stockpile of fuel cans explode. Chad reveals himself to still be alive, but persistent to murder Tucker and Dale. Allison, Tucker and Dale attempt to escape in a truck, but the crash it moments after.
Awakening some time later, Dale finds an injured Tucker who reveals Chad has taken Allison to an old sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. Dale travels to the sawmill and finds Allison restrained by an insane Chad. Dale fights with Chad, before Allison and Dale barricade themselves inside a room and find old news clippings on the Memorial Day Massacre and the truth about Chad's father; Chad's father was never murdered as he was in fact the Memorial Day killer who raped his mother, making Chad half hillbilly. Chad becomes enraged over the truth, forcing Dale to attack Chad with a box of chamomile tea which gives him an allergic
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
reaction and he falls out of a window.
Afterward, the police and news crew arrive at the cabin and conclude the college students were in a suicide pact and Chad was the ringleader. While convalescing in the hospital, Tucker asks Dale whether he managed to ask Allison on a date and is happy to hear the two of them are going ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
. Later that night at the bowling alley, the two confess their feelings for each other and kiss.
Cast
- Alan TudykAlan TudykAlan Wray Tudyk is an American actor known for his roles as Simon in the British comedy Death at a Funeral, as Steve the Pirate in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, as Sonny in the science fiction drama I, Robot, as Doc Potter in 3:10 to Yuma, as Tucker in the Tucker & Dale vs Evil and as Hoban...
as Tucker - Tyler LabineTyler LabineTyler Sean Labine is a Canadian actor. His brothers Kyle Labine and Cameron Labine also work in the entertainment industry.-Life and career:Labine was born in Brampton, Ontario...
as Dale - Katrina BowdenKatrina BowdenKatrina Bowden is an American actress. She is known for her short role as Britney Jennings on One Life to Live and for her role as Cerie in 30 Rock .- Education :...
as Allison - Jesse MossJesse Moss-Life and career:Moss was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known for his roles of Jason Wise in Final Destination 3 and Quinn McKaye on Whistler, for which Moss won a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series in 2007. Moss starred in the Dear Mr...
as Chad - Chelan SimmonsChelan SimmonsChelan Simmons is a Canadian actress, professional model and performer.-Early life:Simmons was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the middle child of three .-Career:...
as Chloe - Philip Granger as Sheriff
- Brandon Jay McLarenBrandon Jay McLarenBrandon Jay McLaren is a Canadian actor. He is best known by his role of Jack Landors, the Red SPD Power Ranger, on Power Rangers: SPD, and Danny Brooks on Harper's Island. He was a guest star in the episode "Bloodlines" of Blade: The Series...
as Jason - Christie Laing as Naomi
- Travis Nelson as Chuck
- Alex Arsenault as Todd
- Adam Beauchesne as Mitch
- Joseph Allan Sutherland as Mike
- Karen Reigh as Cheryl
- Tye Evans as Chad's Dad
- Bill Baksa as BJ Hillbilly
- Shaun Tisdale as Killer Hillbilly #2
- Sasha CraigSasha WilliamsNatasha "Sasha" Williams Craig is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for appearing as Kelsey Winslow, the Yellow Ranger of Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue...
as News Reporter
Production
The production began in June 2009 with the casting of the actors. Principal photographyPrincipal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
started one month later in Calgary, Alberta. In October 2009 post production ensued in British Columbia and released first images as part of American Film Market
American Film Market
The American Film Market is a film industry event held each year at the beginning of November in Santa Monica, California. About 8,000 people attend the eight day event to network and to sell and acquire films...
.On 31 October 2009, the first trailer was released.
Release
The film premiered on 22 January 2010 at Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and was on 12 March 2010 part of the SXSW Film Festival
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
.
Reception
Despite a limited releaseLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
, Tucker & Dale vs Evil was universally well received by critics. The film holds a rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 86 reviews stating "Like the best horror/comedies, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil mines its central crazy joke for some incredible scares, laughs, and -- believe it or not -- heart".
Todd Gilchrist wrote that "Eli Craig's feature debut celebrates genre conventions while turning the traditional view of horror-movie heroes and villains upside down."