Movie Review: Tusk (Or why you should never go full walrus)

 

 

Hey guys! It’s been a while since my last review, but don’t worry! I’ve picked quite the doozy of a film for this week’s review. This week is Tusk, the latest from Kevin Smith, the mind who brought you Clerks and Red State. Tusk is the perfect example of why the internet is awesome. Kevin Smith was inspired to create Tusk after reading a prank classified Ad on an English website. Here is the Ad that brought about the insanity that is Tusk:

Hello, I am looking for a lodger in my house. I have had a long and interesting life and have now chosen Brighton as a location for my retirement. Among the many things I have done in my life one of them  was to spend three years alone on St. Lawrence Island. These were perhaps the most intense and fascinating years of my life, and I was kept in companionship with a walrus whom I named Gregory. Never have I had such a fulfilling friendship with anyone, human or otherwise, and upon leaving the island I was heartbroken for months. I now find myself in a large house over looking Queens Park and am keen to get a lodger. This is a position I am prepared to offer for free (eg: no rent payable) on the fulfillment of some conditions. I have, over the last few months, been constructing a realistic walrus costume, which should fit most people of average proportions, and allow for full and easy movement in character. To take on the position as my lodger you must be prepared to wear the walrus suit for approximately two hours each day (in practice, this is not two hours every day – I merely state it here so you are able to have a clear idea of the workload). Whilst in the walrus costume you must be a walrus – there must be no speaking in a human voice, and any communication must entail making utterances in the voice of a walrus – I believe there aer (SIC) recordings available on the web – to me, the voice is the most natural thing I have ever heard. Other duties will involve catching and eating the fish and crabs that I will occasionally throw to you whilst you are being the walrus. With the exception of this, you will be free to do whatever you choose, and will have a spacious double room, complete run of the house (with the exception of my bedroom and my workshop), and use of all facilities within. I am a considerate person to share a house with, and other than playing the accordion my tastes are easy to accomodate (SIC).

Due to the nature of this position I will need to audition all applicants before agreeing to take the chosen candidate on as a lodger. Please contact me if you have any questions.

 

(Here’s an article from Variety that’s more in depth if you’d like to read more about the prank Ad: http://variety.com/2014/film/features/read-the-ad-that-inspired-kevin-smiths-tusk-and-meet-hoaxer-producer-chris-parkinson-1201309656/ )

The author of this prank post, Chris Parkinson, was shocked by the number of real responses he got to the fake Ad. I’m a fairly gullible person and even if I was desperate for free lodging I would definitely feel like these conditions were a bit too serial killer-y for my tastes.

After reading the Ad director Kevin Smith became obsessed with the idea and started a twitter campaign to see if others would be interested in seeing a movie centered around this Ad as well. Twitter users could vote using the hashtags #WalrusYes and #WalrsuNo. #WalrusYes won by an alarming amount and thus Tusk began production.

Tusk is centered around a pair of podcasters named Wallace (Justin Long) and Teddy (Haley Joel Osment) whose show focuses on their reactions to humiliating videos. On a trip to Canada to meet one of the stars of their latest favorite video Wallace encounters a problem and needs to find a new oddity to interview. Luckily he finds a mysterious Ad for free lodging and interesting stories on the wall of a bathroom. Wallace decides to call the poster, Howard Howe (Michael Parks), to take him up on his offer. The Ad seems almost too good to be true and Wallace immediately drives to the middle of nowhere to stay with Howard for the night. From then on Wallace’s troubles begin.

Now before I get any deeper into this review I will warn you that this is a campy horror comedy film. It’s got its fair share of human disfigurement and other creepy bits, but it isn’t jump out your seat scary. If you enjoyed Cabin in the Woods you will most likely enjoy Tusk. If not then I’d say give it a try when it’s on Netflix or RedBox. Tusk is a kind of camp that will leave you laughing AND disgusted (Hooray!).

The movie itself feels like a Human Centipede/ Shaun of the Dead hybrid and centers around a sort of “Man is the Cruelest Animal” theme, but on steroids. Villain Howard Howe is insane to the point that it is almost endearing. The film actually makes it easier to sympathize with the surgery obsessed Howe than the abductee, Wallace. Tusk is very character given and focuses on the motives behind each character’s actions. Wallace is a complete jerk who is motivated by fame and Howard is severely damaged and is motivated by the memory of a dear lost friend. My absolute favorite character, next to Howard Howe, was the retired investigator Guy Laointe played by the wonderful Johhny Depp. If you are a Depp fan you will not want to miss out on this performance.

Aside from having being a great dark comedy and having some disturbing scenes, Tusk has some really great music in it as well. The scenes with Wallace and Howard have quite the disturbing ambience to them that fit the setting and mood just right. However the icing on the cake is the credits song done by Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance. The ending credits theme is the old folk song “Oh, Waly, Waly” which was sung by Howard Howe in the film and is just the perfect way to wrap the film up. Even if you don’t enjoy this movie I can guarantee you that you will enjoy this haunting take on the song.

Overall Tusk does what it sets out to do, be an outrageously freaky tale of a man who wonders if we are all just walruses at heart. I really enjoy crazy movies like this and only had one small gripe… THE ENDING. I won’t spoil it for you, but there was a perfect place for it to end and it just didn’t. The ending was almost a little too campy for me and I enjoy John Waters’ films. However this didn’t affect my view of the movie as a whole. Tusk was a great film to start off the October horror movie binge, especially if you’re grown a little weary of the teen scream and slasher flicks of late. If you’re a horror fan I wouldn’t miss it!

-Spocktopus