Tusk
Tusk
Writer and director Kevin Smith was talking to his longtime friend and producer Scott Mosier on their podcast Smodcast episode 259 The Walrus and the Carpenter, and the idea and concept of the film Tusk was created. There was a poll taken on the podcast whether they should make the film or not. If you see the name Kevin Smith on the film and expect to see a comedy like Clerks, Mallrats, or even an emotional comedy like Chasing Amy, then you are picturing the absolutely wrong thing. This is a horror film, this is a disturbing, and shocking horror film, there are comedic elements, but this film is front and center a grotesque horror film.
Tusk is an independent film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, and released by A24 Films. Tusk would be followed by two other Kevin Smith films set in Canada as part of his Truth North trilogy, which were Tusk, Yoga Hosiers, and Moose Jaw. Tusk stars Justin Long as Wallace Bryton (Long was also in Smith's film Zack and Miri Make A Porno), and Haley Joel Ozment (yes that kid from the 6th Sense that sees dead people) plays Teddy Craft, Teddy and Wallace do a podcast called Not See Party that is based on crude humour. Genesis Rodriguez plays Ally Leon, Wallace's girlfriend. Michael Parks plays as Howard Howe, a strange old man that Wallace goes to rural Canada to interview for his podcast, after the kid he originally went to interview killed himself before he got there, Howe is trying to make a walrus out of a human. The film also has Kevin Smith and Johnny Depp's daughters, Harley Quinn Smith as Coleen McKenzie, and Lily-Rose Depp as Colleen Collette in small roles as convenience store clerks, that they would reprise in follow up film to Tusk called Yoga Hosiers. The Film also has a cameo by Johnny Depp as Guy LaPointe, though he is not named in the credits, and with the make up effects it is hard to recognize him in the film.
Tusk was a box office bomb being made on a $3 million budget, but only bringing in $1.9 million in the box office. The film also received generally negative reviews from the critics, and holds a low score on film rating sites like Rotten Tomatoes. However the film also has already began garnering a cult following. The first time I watched Tusk, I was stunned, I did not expect this from Kevin Smith. The humour is a much darker level, and the look and feel of the film is also much darker than anything that I had seen from Smith before. When I think of his films I think of light coloured comic book feeling films, but this film took such a dark grotesque path. This is something that I would expect to see come out of Troma Films, with it's comedic horror approach, that is disturbing and disgusting, but also twisted and funny at the same time. I honestly really enjoy this film, it is a "good bad movie", and it works for me. Though Kevin Smith opines that this was a low budget independent film, and compares it to making Clerks, however with a budget of $3 million is not quite a low budget film, and even the feel of the film feels like it is a film with a moderately large budget parading as a film with a low budget. Part of it might be the big name stars, but honestly the look and production values are a give away that this is a well-funded films. Though even with a multi-million dollar budget it is still an independent film, and was really well done. I enjoyed this film a lot, it is dark, twisted, funny, and grotesque. I honestly recommend this film, it is not for everyone, and some people will find it disturbing and disgusting, and not entertaining, and that is fine, this film isn't for them.
Tusk looks good, it has an interesting, and absurd story, it has some great competent actors, it has crass humour that fans of Kevin Smith will enjoy, it has some gory and grotesque horror elements that fans of horror films will enjoy, and it has some beautiful set designs. Also just as a note, though the film is set in Manitoba Canada, it is actually filmed in North Carolina. This film is also a first of sorts as well, it is the first film to to be made from a podcast, as well as being a film about a podcast. Overall it is a great bad film, and I feel like it totally accomplishes what it set out to be. Just don't go into this film, expecting it to be something that it isn't, and you might find yourself enjoying it. So check it out if you dare.
Tusk is an independent film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, and released by A24 Films. Tusk would be followed by two other Kevin Smith films set in Canada as part of his Truth North trilogy, which were Tusk, Yoga Hosiers, and Moose Jaw. Tusk stars Justin Long as Wallace Bryton (Long was also in Smith's film Zack and Miri Make A Porno), and Haley Joel Ozment (yes that kid from the 6th Sense that sees dead people) plays Teddy Craft, Teddy and Wallace do a podcast called Not See Party that is based on crude humour. Genesis Rodriguez plays Ally Leon, Wallace's girlfriend. Michael Parks plays as Howard Howe, a strange old man that Wallace goes to rural Canada to interview for his podcast, after the kid he originally went to interview killed himself before he got there, Howe is trying to make a walrus out of a human. The film also has Kevin Smith and Johnny Depp's daughters, Harley Quinn Smith as Coleen McKenzie, and Lily-Rose Depp as Colleen Collette in small roles as convenience store clerks, that they would reprise in follow up film to Tusk called Yoga Hosiers. The Film also has a cameo by Johnny Depp as Guy LaPointe, though he is not named in the credits, and with the make up effects it is hard to recognize him in the film.
Tusk was a box office bomb being made on a $3 million budget, but only bringing in $1.9 million in the box office. The film also received generally negative reviews from the critics, and holds a low score on film rating sites like Rotten Tomatoes. However the film also has already began garnering a cult following. The first time I watched Tusk, I was stunned, I did not expect this from Kevin Smith. The humour is a much darker level, and the look and feel of the film is also much darker than anything that I had seen from Smith before. When I think of his films I think of light coloured comic book feeling films, but this film took such a dark grotesque path. This is something that I would expect to see come out of Troma Films, with it's comedic horror approach, that is disturbing and disgusting, but also twisted and funny at the same time. I honestly really enjoy this film, it is a "good bad movie", and it works for me. Though Kevin Smith opines that this was a low budget independent film, and compares it to making Clerks, however with a budget of $3 million is not quite a low budget film, and even the feel of the film feels like it is a film with a moderately large budget parading as a film with a low budget. Part of it might be the big name stars, but honestly the look and production values are a give away that this is a well-funded films. Though even with a multi-million dollar budget it is still an independent film, and was really well done. I enjoyed this film a lot, it is dark, twisted, funny, and grotesque. I honestly recommend this film, it is not for everyone, and some people will find it disturbing and disgusting, and not entertaining, and that is fine, this film isn't for them.
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