An irreverent American podcaster interviews a Canadian adventurer whose wild tale of survival at sea masks sinister intentions in this twisted horror comedy from writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Red State). Wallace (Justin Long) and Teddy (Haley Joel Osment) are the wisecracking co-hosts of "The Not-See Party", a popular podcast focused on bizarre viral videos and humorous interviews with the internet-famous. When Wallace ventures to Canada for an interview that falls through at the last minute, he stops at a local bar for a drink and finds a flyer posted by an old adventurer (Michael Parks) who seeks to share his stories with anyone who will listen. Meanwhile, as Teddy and Wallace's girlfriend venture north to investigate his sudden disappearance, the old man subjects his terrified guest to a bizarre medical procedure that will transform more than just his perception of one of the sea's most majestic creatures. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Parks, Genesis
Rodriguez
Release Date: Sep
19, 2014
Rated R for Sexual Content, Language, Gore and Some
Disturbing Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.
Genres: Horror
Review:
Kevin Smith is a hit or miss director for me. Even his earlier films like Clerks, Mall Rats
or Chasing Amy never really connected with me, I found them amusing but never
found out what made Smith a name director.
Dogma is probably my favorite film from Smith with his recent foray into
horror, Red State,
being his worse film. So I was a bit
ambivalent when I heard about his 2nd horror film, Tusk, but I was
rather intrigued by the insane concept.
The film is rather odd but surprisingly straightforward as well. Some have compared it to the Human Centipede
which I think is more than a bit off because it’s kind of its own creature, pun
intended. The best thing about Tusk is
that it’s actually funny. Smith skewers
plenty of classic horror tropes, showcasing how ridiculous some of the
situations are by taking it to the most extreme degree. The cast is rather impressive, including a
surprise appearance by a well known actor.
Justin Long is appropriately douchey so when karma comes his way, you
don’t feel an ounce of sympathy. Michael
Parks is clearly having a great time in a very nutty role. Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment are
noteworthy in their ability to play it straight while Smith shoots varying
levels of insanity at them. Tusk is
definitely Kevin Smith’s weirdest film but it’s also one of his better efforts
as well.
B+
So far, nothing I've heard about this film has persuaded me to spend money in the theater seeing it. Think I'll wait until it shows up on Netflix.
ReplyDeleteThink it's perfect fodder for Netflix in all honesty. Not a film that needs to be seen on the big screen.
DeleteThis is the first time hearing about the movie. Even though I am not a horror fan, I will at least look into this one more.
ReplyDelete-James
It's a strange strange film but it does kind of work.
Delete