Tusk

For fans of the comedic horror genre of Andy Warhol's Frankenstein and Dracula, and for the brave souls who enjoyed the sickening chills of The Human Centipede, comes Kevin Smith's entry into the twisted and freakish. Sometimes hilarious, occasionally mysterious, and often dramatically thrilling, this small gem is quite out of the ordinary, and not for everyone, but it contains a robust script with a near plausible mad scientist story. Definitely for the art film crowd who tend to lean towards the chillingly wierd.

Ah, Kevin Smith – I knew him well (mainly in the nineties during his Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy period). I would always say that he's one hell of a writer of dialogue, whether his work falls straight into the 'comedy' bracket, or he dabbles in other genres, i.e. romance, science-fiction fantasy or horror. And, this time round, he's playing with the 'horror genre.' 'Tusk' tells the tale of a complete idiot (played delightfully by Justin Long). He's a typical product of the modern age – a podcaster with ideas way above his station. Yes, he's a little bit famous, but it appears that a little bit of fame corrupts almost as much as absolute power. He thinks he's 'it' and lets everyone know it, whether it's his co-presenter, his doting girlfriend, or generally anyone he meets along the way.

One article on his upcoming podcast is an interview with a Canadian 'celebrity' who's also made his name on the internet. Sadly, the 'celebrity' in question is so traumatised with his newfound fame that he kills himself, 'selfishly' leaving our glorious podcaster with nothing to report on while in Canada. That's when he happens upon an interesting offer in a men's restroom. It leads him to a reclusive hermit, played brilliantly by Michael Parks, who offers to tell him his life's story.

This is the fun part. The interaction between the two is just about as perfect as dialogue can be. The two exchange tales and taken on life in the setting of Park's Gothic mansion. The tension is cranked right up to the max – you know something is going to happen (something bad, obviously), but you just don't know what. This atmosphere is just electrifying when combined with the snappy dialogue. Everything is going great until...

...the film just kind of switches atmosphere and great dialogue for cheap shocks. And shocks that look pretty bad rather than shocking. The second half of the film is everything that the first half isn't, i.e. cheesy. Yeah, there are a few moments of brilliance thrown in there, but, when you realise what's actually happening, you'll probably just shout, 'What... seriously?' It just doesn't work. It feels like someone has tacked a second (lesser) film onto a good one. If I was rating the first half I'd say it was awesome. If I was rating the second half I'd say don't bother. Fans of Kevin Smith may like the dialogue (like I did), but most people will not really go for this on account of the sudden change in mood that doesn't fit where the film was originally heading.

Best to watch this one for free however you can before you invest in actually paying for it. Some people may find the second half as shocking as it was intended. Personally, I just found it a let down and stupid. Pity.

SPOILER: Well what can I say, Tusk is a film of it's own. The premise of the film is Justin Long being turned into a patch- work walrus. It is a hit or miss film, you either love it or hate it.

Justin Longs acting in this film is great, but the film had a lot of jumping around and doesn't feel fluid with it's character arcs. It aims to be a dark comedy and I did find myself chuckling at some parts in the film, I equally found myself saying 'What am I watching' just as often. There isn't really much character development in the movie, but you do grow attached to Justin Longs character by the end of the film. The actual walrus when you see it is slightly disturbing.

I genuinely felt slightly upset at the end of the film, but I felt as though the film could have been written better. If there was a more fluid feel to the scenes, and more development on the characters then this film would be getting better ratings.

The overall story is original, the acting is great, but as a final product it feels very rushed and choppy. I enjoyed tusk and think that it is underrated and being played off as 'too weird'

Yes, it's a weird film but it's trying to be different and is a nice change of pace from most horror films these days. If you want a film that will make you genuinely say 'WTF' at the end, tusk is for you. If you're going into this film expecting a good horror film, you're going to be disappointed.

Its weird, unique, clever, odd, funny, intriguing, stupid, wacky, surprising, disturbing, sinister, gross, rubbery, and of course Walrusy!!!

It did entertain.

It may be a piece of genius but I'm not sure lol.

Check it out for yourself but you will need to be open-minded :)

"The walrus is far more evolved than any man I've ever known. Present company included." Howard Howe (Michael Parks)

Tusk may be the most accessibly bizarre film you will see this year. Writer/director Kevin Smith, not known for subtlety, has crafted a smart horror film that comments on humanity, relationships, and obsession. If you're not into philosophizing or theme hunting, you can still enjoy his expert use of horror-film tropes to satisfy your macabre urges.

Podcaster Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) travels to Manitoba to interview Howard Howe, an eccentric adventurer claiming to have great adventures to tell. Before long, Wallace is kidnapped by Howard for the purpose of transforming him into a walrus. That's weird, of course, but Parks and Smith make it a believable obsession, as John Lennon made the lyrics of I am the Walrus sound as if he actually was saying something profound. Based on the Lewis Carroll poem, the Walrus and the Carpenter, Lennon's lyrics picked the villain of the duo for his title while he really meant the good guy (the carpenter).

Anyway, the walrus motif here is part absurd and part profound, the latter relating to the reduction of a foul, motor-mouthed podcaster into the animal he really is (witness his blathering egotism with his girlfriend, Ally Genesis Rodriguez and his more important mockery of a YouTube self mutilator). For me, a dilettante compared to knowledgeable freak geeks, the makeup used in that Walrus bit is effective—so much so I had to look away even though it wasn't grotesque. It just fit perfectly in the man-is-an-animal theme.

Smith again shows his low-brow versatility when he humorously slams both Canadians: "I don't wanna die in Canada!" (Wallace Bryton) and Americans (see the carryout sequence).