9/30/11

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

Here is "Shaun of the Dead" meets "Deliverance" on "Spring Break." Billed as a redneck horror comedy, this gore fest was cheered from the get-go by our screening audience. (There was no official release date, so I've been watching for it to come out for over a year.)

These eponymous hayseeds are our heroes! Tucker is played by Alan Tudyk ("Firefly," "Death at a Funeral" 2007, and "21 Days"), who continues to impress me with his range. Tucker owns a summer cabin out in the woods and is going to treat his lifelong buddy Dale to a little get-away time. That it's a falling-down shack, doesn't faze either of these two up-beat optimists.

Dale is played by Canadian Tyler Labine, who has been working non-stop for almost two decades. In my opinion, the vastly overrated Zach Galifianakis had better watch his back. Not only is Labine a far superior actor, he is also sorta appealing in his own burly way.

Of course we have the standard college-age gang of geeky young men accompanied by a gaggle of gorgeous nymphettes, heading to the woods for a beer-logged spring break. They encounter a couple of good-spirited bumpkins in a pickup truck who they see as a "Deliverance"-type menace because their ringleader tells them so.

The lead nymphette is played by Katrina Bowden, who MIGHT be able to break the mold, but she looks pretty much like a stereotypical blonde actress who was lucky to be cast in a sympathetic role...this time... She'd better stick to television comedy ("30 Rock").

Be prepared for violence: Chain saws, wood chippers, hatchets, guns, and blowie uppie stuff. One guy even runs with a sharp stick! We LOVED it! But it really IS a redneck horror comedy with a ridiculous plot, so be warned...
* * * * * * * * * *
Here is a preview (after a brief ad):
* * * * * * * * * * * *