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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: November 29th, 2011 Movie Release Year: 2010

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Overview -

Tucker & Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are attacked by a group of preppy college kids.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
50-GB Blu-ray Disc
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
88
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.35:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English and Spanish
Special Features:
Commentary with Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, and director Eli Craig
Release Date:
November 29th, 2011

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Travesty! That's the word that first comes to mind when I think about the missed opportunity represented by 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.' I first saw the movie at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. I was absolutely sure that we'd be seeing the movie in theaters that summer or at least by Halloween. I was also confident that the movie would have the same type of cult following as other horror spoofs like 'Shaun of the Dead.' Somehow, I was wrong.

It's taken this long for the movie to finally find its way to home video, only after a sad limited release here in the states, along with appearances on Video On Demand services. Simply put, 'Tucker and Dale' was horribly marketed and for some reason was left on the back burner for far too long. Why? I really have no answer to that. Given the proper backing 'Tucker and Dale' could've become a cult phenomenon. Who knows, maybe it still will on home video. It deserves it, because it's truly the best horror comedy since 'Shaun of the Dead.'

Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are two hillbillies with hearts of gold. Tucker has just bought a new vacation home that they're visiting for the weekend to start fixing it up. Like all backwoods movie rednecks, they swig beer, look like they haven't bathed in weeks, and wear clothes that look like they're in danger of disintegrating at any moment, but these guys are seriously nice.

That's not how a group of preppy college kids sees them though. To them Tucker and Dale might as well be inbred monsters from 'The Hills Have Eyes.' The kids are traveling up to the lake for some camping, drinking, and drugs. Like any clichéd horror movie the kids assume the worst about the people around them, and then proceed to do dumb things like go skinny dipping in a darkened lake. Even though Tucker and Dale mean no harm, the leader of the college kids, Chad (Jesse Moss), is sure they're up to no good. He regales his gullible friends with tales of killer hillbillies, "in these very woods." After a simple misunderstanding involving one of their friends at the lake, the kids become certain that Tucker and Dale are evil and that they're trying to kill them.

What follows is one of the most hilariously crafted horror comedies I've ever seen. Watching these moronic kids, which represent every clichéd horror victim ever created, trying to kill Tucker and Dale is simply hilarious. The reactions from Tucker and Dale are even funnier. "These kids just started killing themselves all over my property!"

Labine steals the show as the sweet-hearted Dale. He's instantly lovable. Like a big, dirty, beer-soaked teddy bear. Tudyk is his always charming self, and shows just how great of a character actor he really is. The two of them form a pair of the nicest hicks you'll ever meet.

It's a shame that more people didn't get a chance to see 'Tucker and Dale' in the theaters. I have a feeling that it really would've drawn a huge crowd once word of mouth got out. Sadly it sat around for almost three years before being released to the general public. However, now people can finally find out what they've been missing. A blood-soaked diamond in the rough.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

This Magnet Blu-ray release comes on a 50-GB Blu-ray Disc and is packaged in a standard Blu-ray keepcase. The back of the packaging indicates a Region A-only release.

Video Review

Ranking:

Magnet has done a great job presenting 'Tucker and Dale' in the way I remember it looking at Sundance. Not the flashiest of movies. It retains a more gritty look like standard horror movies do. There's still a lot here to be happy about.

Fine detail is nicely rendered. Tucker and Dale's unwashed faces sport all manner of dirt and grime. As the two of them progressively become soaked in college kid blood as the movie continues it's always visible and distinctly defined. Even when it soaks into their clothes, turning them a nasty dark reddish color. Blood, of which there is a lot, has a dark reddish hue that pops off the screen. Other colors, like the lush greens and brows of the surrounding forest, are also nicely presented.

Contrast looks as good as it should, although skintones look slightly orange on occasion. There may be some crushing here and there, but nothing overwhelmingly terrible. For the most part shadows are nicely defined. The entire movie has a rather filmic look even though it was filmed digitally.

Audio Review

Ranking:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound presentation isn't flashy either, but does the job it set out to do. What is noticeable here is the clever use of the surrounds as the college kids surround Tucker and Dale's cabin and then run in from all sides. Yells and screams can be heard throughout the soundfield and pass smoothly through the front of the sound stage as the kids charge from one side of the frame to the other. Gunshots, crickets, and a swarm of angry bees are also great surround effects. Mike Shields' intentionally clichéd eerie horror music gleefully fills up the soundtrack whenever the college kids see Tucker and Dale.

Dialogue is always intelligible, even with Tucker and Dale's thick hillbilly accents. LFE isn't a huge force here, but there are a few times where intense chase scenes call for a little low-end support. When called upon the sub delivers some much-needed low-end ambiance to the mix. This mix provides an altogether fun experience for the movie.

Special Features

Ranking:
  • Audio Commentary – Director Eli Craig, is joined by the film's two stars, Labine and Tudyk. They yuck it up for much of the commentary, delivering funny anecdotes and stories about the shoot along the way. It's just funny to listen to Labine react to some of the different scenes. They discuss interesting tidbits, like how the opening shot is actually stolen from 'Without A Paddle,' and how the obligatory boob shot wasn't actually the boobs of the actress. Craig does offer some technical shooting information like how they were able to get overhead shots, and the fact that RED footage looks awful when you're first "feeding it into the machine," but it ends up looking very film-like in the end. If you're a fan of the movie, you should listen to the commentary just to get into the minds of the people behind it.

  • Making of 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' (HD, 12 min.) – This is a very EPK making-of documentary that features interviews from the cast and crew talking about the generalities of the movie. Clips from the movie are cut in heavily.

  • Tucker and Dale ARE Evil: The College Kids' Point of View (HD, 17 min.) – This is just an edited version of the movie that takes out all the parts where we see how great Tucker and Dale really are. Basically just a shortened movie from the college kids' POV.

  • Outtakes (HD, 8 min.) – You're regular laughs, snickers, messed up lines, and hijinks.

  • Storyboards (HD) – Go through the entire movie in storyboard form.

  • HD Net: A Look at 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' (HD, 4 min.) – Essentially an extended trailer which also includes some of the promo interviews from the making-of doc.

  • Trailer (HD, 2 min.) – A theatrical trailer is included.

Final Thoughts

Again, it's just such a shame that 'Tucker and Dale' wasn't able to get out to a wider audience. It played tons of festivals, but never got the wide release it deserved. Don't miss it now that it's out on home video. This is one of the funniest horror comedies out there. The video and audio are perfect companions. The special features, besides the commentary, seem very EPK-ish but that's okay since you're getting a great movie. 'Tucker and Dale' is highly recommended.