Tusk (2014)

This is a brutally gross film so I understand those that do not like it at all since it reminds them films like "Human Centipede." I have watched this film a few years back not really liking it and now feeling like it serves as one of those films you can't take too seriously but can't look away from because it too bizarre.

Justin Long stars as Wallace, the main protagonist, along with Haley Joel Osmont as Teddy, two friends who run a podcast making fun of others for fun and money. Due to their many misadventures Wallace goes to Canada to find material for one of his bits for his podcast only to comes up empty handed. That is until Wallace reads Michael Parks's letter on a bathroom wall looking for a lodging partner which takes us into what becomes of Justin Long.

Michael Parks does a good job playing the "crazy old man with an obsession", pretty much the only things that stands out in this film. Kevin Smith does a good job of taking a strange part of his life and making it rather sick. The movie reminds you of "The Fly" in that it transforms someone from one level of a human being to the extreme.It isn't horror movie I'd love for the ages but once in a while if you want to fill that nasty, putrid part of your life then I guess this is the movie for it.

**SPOILER** ending leaves wondering how is Wallace still alive?! He would of died of infection either that or god take him out of his misery.

Fmovies: Between this and Red State, Smith really doesn't seem to have any idea of how to mix comedy and horror well together. All he knows how to do is make one half of each film horror and the other half comedy without successfully finding a balance. Tusk's first half is better than all of Red State, but that second half is just... wow. Depp usually annoys me and this was no exception. Parks was very good but ultimately one can't rise above this sort of material. Oh sure, much of the first half was effective and so I'm giving it points for that, but wow as it goes on. Nonsensical dialogue that doesn't work and preposterous scenes that aren't amusing or funny.

I am biased in the realm of Kevin Smith movies so, for the record, my thoughts on TUSK are probably going to be a little more forgiving that what I believe is the general consensus (this movie gotten beaten down on Rotten Tomatoes). I've been a fan of Kevin Smith for years and I know I'll always give his movies a chance. Since the completion of his Jersey series (the Jay/Silent Bob era), his movies have certainly been hit and miss. None have been able to recapture the same level of fun but many have come close. TUSK is one of them. I love the Smith has reached a point where he's not trying to reach general audiences, opting instead to make movies for his existing fans. He's not afraid to go wild with a bizarre idea if it sounds like it could be fun. TUSK is the first film in what will be a trilogy of films set in Canada and opens with our introduction to Wallace Bryton (Justin Long). Wallace is a podcaster with his best friend Teddy (Haley Joel Osment), living a successful life of producing his zany web show and failing to be faithful to his beautiful long-time girlfriend Ally (Genesis Rodriguez). He sets off alone into a remote area of Manitoba for an interview bit and finds a story in the mysterious Howard Howe (Michael Parks). Howard has lived a life of adventure and wishes to share his tale of sailing the sea, meeting Ernest Hemingway, and forming a friendship with a walrus on a deserted islandÂ….

TUSK is a horror/comedy but it really struggles to fully function in either capacity. It finds a decent balance and I thought it was a weird, fun movie but it's never all that scary or funny enough. This isn't much of an issue for me because the movie's insane premise keeps it interesting and the performances, particularly Michael Parks, are so well done. The biggest problem with TUSK is actually the main character, Wallace. Not the performance; Justin Long does an awesome job. The actual character. Wallace is thoroughly unlikable. He's dismissive of his girlfriend and early scenes show how little he cares about her outside the bedroom. He proudly brags about his infidelities to his best friend/fellow podcaster Teddy, and he's got no moral qualms with taking advantage of others for the sake of producing his show. He's crude, self- centered, and arrogant and, when he finds himself in a horrifying situation, I had zero sympathy for him. Go ahead, Mr. Howe. Wallace deserves it; he already lacks any humanity. So right there, the movie is lacking suspense because I don't care what happens to our protagonist. I care more about Ally and Teddy who, despite how much of a jerk Wallace is, still rush off to Canada to find him when they learn he's in trouble. The real star (and most people seem to agree) is Michael Parks. His raving zealot character in Smith's RED STATE has got nothing on Howard Howe. He gets to go full- blown lunatic in TUSK. He starts off seemingly harmless: an old man in an electric wheelchair with a flair for elegant (if awkward) speech and a desire to share his stories with an interested party. But soon he drops the pretense, reveals his true self, and goes off the chain. It's almost hilarious but you know, if you were trapped alone with this man in the middle of nowhere, you were be scared out of your mind.

What I enjoy most about TUSK is that it was done on a super-low budget and has to get creative as a result. That means practical effects. No CG. Any film using practical makeup FX is going to earn bonus points with me. We all know what's coming fr

Tusk fmovies. ''Tusk'' is a movie that goes off the beaten paths. It's a potential cult movie which will be adored by some and despised by others for decades to come. It's almost impossible to have a neutral or no opinion on this controversial movie. It's not a question about getting it or not, it's simply a matter of personal tastes.

The story is quickly told. An American pod-cast host ends up in the isolated mansion of an old seaman in Manitoba who wants to share some stories about his life. One gets to know that the old fool is in fact a dangerous serial killer who despises mankind because he got intimidated, raped and tortured by the society after the brutal killing of his parents. The only thing that has ever shown respect to him was a walrus that saved him from a shipwreck in Northern Russia. In order to survive on an isolated island, the serial killer had to make the decision to kill his saviour just hours before he got saved. He regrets that decision and in order to relive this pivotal moment in his life again and to take revenge on a society that made him suffer all life long, the serial killer kidnaps, mutilates and tortures young men to transform them into walruses. While the imprisoned pod-cast host gets now mentally and physically unstable and begins more and more to act like a wild animal, his grounded partner and his cheating girlfriend realize that he is in danger. They arrive in Canada and team up with a drug addict and ex-police officer from Quebec to save their friend or what remains of his human body and soul.

The film is a grotesque that mixes black comedy, drama, horror and thriller elements all at once. The movie has many changes of tone. When you see the two main characters fooling around, the tone is humorous. A few moments later, you assist a burial after a suicide and the tone gets accusatory. The movie then cuts to an actress who is crying her heart out and complains about her cheating boyfriend as the tone gets depressing. Seconds later, she herself cheats on her boyfriend and the whole scene suddenly feels ironical. This film is filled with these fascinating changes of tones. You constantly change your mind about the different characters as well. The main character looks like a superficial idiot during his show in the beginning of the movie. His partner looks like the friendlier and smarter guy. His girlfriend looks like a confident, faithful and serious person. The villain of the story looks like an innocent old fool. Thirty minutes later, the main character has some intellectual dialogues and proves that he is not as dumb as one might have thought. His partner betrays his best friend by sleeping with his girlfriend who suddenly looks fragile, superficial and unfaithful. The old fool has become an intimidating criminal with a horrible past.

It's not just the tone that changes, the overall mood also does. What starts as a juvenile comedy movie in the key of ''The Interview'' turns into a bleak body horror film like ''The Human Centipede'', gets a touch of a crime comedy movie like ''Good Cop, Bad Cop'' and becomes an existential and nearly philosophical drama like the ending of ''I Saw The Devil'' for example.

Those who say that this movie is bland, superficial and thoughtless are wrong. This movie has more memorable scenes than ten others together. It's a matter of taste whether you like these scenes or not. The scenes of the burial and the close-up on the crying girlfriend shoo

There are few films that I dislike to such an extent where I would actually pay a considerable price for a crazy scientist to lobotomise the part of my brain which remembers it. Tusk is one.

But in the interest of being 'fair' I'll begin with the positives. Sorry, positive. The acting, in majority, is OK. (Johnny Depp, I presume, can only have agreed to partake as a joke or because he actually doesn't care about his reputation anymore).

Right, now the pleasantries are to one side I can continue. So think of Human Centipede. Gross right? Crass? Tusk is a whole new level of vile. Don't believe the tempting notion that this is based on a true story, supposedly Kevin Smith and his mate where discussing a Gumtree add which advertised free living if the lodger agreed to dress as a walrus...

The thing that irritated me the most about this film, aside from the insanely non-funny comedic elements and special effects that look as though the production company allowed the intern free-rein of the art room, is the ending. I won't ruin it, anyone who sits through the entirety of the film without throwing up or crying or trying to scratch their eyes out will need to see it in order to confirm how ridiculous and awful it really is (honestly).

All in all I'm not sure whether I really 'get' what this film is meant to represent. And by this I simply mean that maybe I'm not weird enough to appreciate it.

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.