For those who hate scary movies, this month is a nightmare. By now, Halloween fever has hit most of us, which means movies like “Scream,” “Friday the 13th,” and “Nightmare on Elm Street,” are lurking within our televisions, and it’s no fun to miss movie night because your eyes were covered the whole time. Luckily, there are few movies that can be ready substitutes, replacing horror with humor. The cult classic “Shaun of the Dead,” is always welcome around Halloween, but if you’re looking for something a bit fresher, try out “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.”
Hollywood horror has given hillbillies a bad name, and “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” monopolizes this stereotype to create a wonderfully funny film that horror fans will love.
The two hillbilly buds, Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine), take a trip to their backwoods vacation home, only to realize their uninhabited part of the woods is populated with some not-very-bright students. Misunderstandings ensue as the students begin dying in hilariously slapstick gory ways, leaving Tucker and Dale determined to save the survivors.
It’s the over-the-top deaths, which spoof classic slasher flicks, combined with lighthearted comedy that will give any Halloween lineup a fun change of pace. Like its two hillbillies, this movie has a heart of gold.
Reach writer Emma Bueren at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @EmBueren
