Scott O’Lone
ENG 3080J
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
Discourse
In
class we talk a lot about media that portrays Appalachia negatively. I have
watched the film Tucker & Dale vs.
Evil, multiple times and thought it was a good example of a positive
representation of Appalachia. The film plays on the simple horror film genre,
using two groups of characters. One group is all college students, while the
other group is composed of two sensitive “hillbillies.” The film shows both
sides, but this time the college students are the bad guys. The hillbillies are
just trying to fix up their vacation home. The college students use those
stereotypes to fuel their attack on these two innocent hillbillies. I think
that the film is great because it disproves Appalachian stereotypes by making a
joke out of it. This may be a new movement in media, where Hollywood continues
to play on stereotypes, but also disproves them in the process.
I enjoyed this post. This is a great film and is very relevant to our topic of rhetoric in class. This film did a great job of positively representing the Appalachian region as you said. I also enjoyed the use of the movie poster. It allows the reader to grasp a better understanding of these stereotypes that exist.
ReplyDeleteI, too, enjoyed this film, especially as it relates to Appalachian rhetoric. As you know, I tend not to watch horror flicks, for a multitude of reasons: weak character development, cliché plot devices, the predictability of shock value, and my propensity to metaphorically "wet myself" with fright, to name a few. This film was different from the get-go. Much like other recent comedy-horror films, from "Shaun of the Dead" and "Cabin in the Woods", "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" was a refreshing twist in otherwise hackneyed genre. I hope that this, as you put it, "play on stereotypes," will help to discourage future attempts to recycle the Appalachian "hillbilly killer" trope. Maybe the straight-to-DVD release of "Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines" is a sign that we're moving in the right direction.
ReplyDelete