The Horror Show
Tusk
by Kevin Smith
After a hoax advertisement found its way to Kevin Smith and he devoted a podcast to it, the hilariously twisted film entitled Tusk was put together and finally made its way to theaters last weekend.
I’ve read my fair share of reviews of the film to see what others thought of it, and while I see mostly positive reviews where people are embracing it, I’m seeing people negatively rate the film and I think it’s because they’re not getting it.
The film focuses on Wallace (Justin Long) who is an extremely charismatic yet arrogant podcaster. Wallace and his best friend Teddy (welcome back Haley Joel Osmond) are the stars of the hilarious “Not-See” podcast that unfortunately makes its waves at the expense of others. Wallace travels to Canada to interview an e-Famous guy known as the “Kill Bill Kid” only to find out that…well…the Kill Bill Kid killed himself…so he heads to a local bar where he finds a very strange advertisement in the men’s restroom.
The ad boasts free room and board to anyone interested, in exchange for someone to listen to an old man’s tales of adventure. Wallace, not wanting to miss an opportunity for some great material, contacts the old man, Howard Howe (Michael Parks), and agrees to meet him at his home.
What begins as comedic interaction with Wallace and Howard quickly turns twisted. Wallace is drugged and discovers, when he awakes, that he is in over his head. Things will not end well for anyone.
I’m not one for spoilers, so you’re not getting any from me, especially not with Tusk. But what I will tell you is that the dialogue is simply enchanting, the comedy ranges from dark to goofy to downright obscure, and the horror is, at moments shocking, and entirely satisfying.
In a style all his own, Kevin Smith mated Stephen King’s Misery with The Human Centipede and gave birth to the most disgustingly wonderful baby I’ve seen in ages. Justin Long’s performance is his best to date. His portrayal of Wallace is wonderfully detestable, and flashbacks are strewn throughout the film to give the viewer insight into the type of person that Wallace really is. It’s hard to feel bad for him, and I often found myself rooting for Howard Howe. Michael Parks, as always, is delightful, and his Howard Howe makes for one of the finer antagonists I’ve seen on the screen.
All in all, Tusk isn’t just about a crazy guy living alone in a mansion and “torturing” people. And that’s especially evident in the manner that Smith chose to end the film. In my opinion, the movie played out like a fable, and in the end, everybody got what they deserved.
With Smith’s 2011 release of Red State, I’m jumping for joy with Tusk, because he has seriously out done himself. I sincerely believe that he has found his new niche in the horror/comedy genre.
My last thumbs up to the film, was the magical cameo made by “JD” (just putting initials here, figure it out yourself…I don’t want to be blamed). Guy LaPointe was a fantastic addition to the cast of quirky characters in this cinematic adventure.
So you’ve heard my piece, go watch this masterpiece….or else!
Stevie Kopas, HMS
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