Director: Kevin Smith Starring: Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Parks Writer: Keving Smith | 3/5 Tusk Many directors begin their careers with gross-out, B-movie fun and then graduate on up to blockbusters. A couple right off the top of my head are Sam Raimi, who went from the cult-favorite Evil Dead to the Spider-man trilogy, and Peter Jackson, who got his start with icky movies like Dead Alive and then moved on to the Lord of the Rings epics. While Raimi briefly revisited this territory with 2009’s Drag Me to Hell, no other director has stuck to his roots more so than all-time slacker/comic book expert Kevin Smith, who made his big break with the Clerks movies. With Tusk, Smith keeps the good-times rolling. In it, a slimy, obnoxious podcaster named Wallace (Justin Long) suddenly disappears in Canada on an interview with an allusive ex-sailor named Howard Howe (Michael Parks). Anyone who has heard anything about this movie knows that Howe’s intentions are not the best. Just know that Wallace pays for his sins, which include cheating on his long-time girlfriend Ally, played by the beautiful Genesis Rodriguez. The bulk of the film’s latter half follows Ally and Wallace’s best friend Teddy (Haley Joel Osment, long time no see) on a search to find the missing podcaster. With nothing but a frantic voicemail left by Wallace pleading for help, the two friends team up with a quirky French(esque) detective named Guy Lapointe. Guy is played by a top-shelf A-lister that I would not dare spoil here. He is hardly recognizable, but his presence alone is enough to make you wish he still did smaller indie films like these - you may have already guessed who I am talking about. |
Honestly, I would not dwell on the plot too much. As is usually the case, these camp-fest B-movies are not as worried about a coherent plot (or even good performances) as much as they are about providing their audience with a sloppy good time. Mission Accomplished, Mr. Smith.
Just because these sort of movies do not usually boast good performances or plots does not mean Tusk is without its share of pleasures. Long is thoroughly convincing as an insensitive jerk, making fun of his girlfriend’s accent and such, but the actor does not short us when it comes time to actually feel sympathy. Frankly, being the victim of these horrific events would make any jerk sympathetic, but Long makes you feel, nonetheless.
The plot does not make much sense and fails to really say much of anything, but it will keep you guessing. I have been purposefully allusive when it comes to revealing plot details. Not knowing what to expect is key to whether you actually enjoy this thing at all. The smallest detail about what horrors await Wallace could lead one to focus too heavily on the clunky cogs awkwardly bumping into one another to keep this thing afloat.
The majority of the amusement derived from Tusk stems from the obvious passion Smith feels for the low-budget, cult films that inspired it. Overcritical viewers and those with weak stomachs may find no joy in Wallace’s tale of gruesome redemption, but those willing to suspend belief and join the fun may find themselves pleasantly surprised.
(Available on iTunes)
Just because these sort of movies do not usually boast good performances or plots does not mean Tusk is without its share of pleasures. Long is thoroughly convincing as an insensitive jerk, making fun of his girlfriend’s accent and such, but the actor does not short us when it comes time to actually feel sympathy. Frankly, being the victim of these horrific events would make any jerk sympathetic, but Long makes you feel, nonetheless.
The plot does not make much sense and fails to really say much of anything, but it will keep you guessing. I have been purposefully allusive when it comes to revealing plot details. Not knowing what to expect is key to whether you actually enjoy this thing at all. The smallest detail about what horrors await Wallace could lead one to focus too heavily on the clunky cogs awkwardly bumping into one another to keep this thing afloat.
The majority of the amusement derived from Tusk stems from the obvious passion Smith feels for the low-budget, cult films that inspired it. Overcritical viewers and those with weak stomachs may find no joy in Wallace’s tale of gruesome redemption, but those willing to suspend belief and join the fun may find themselves pleasantly surprised.
(Available on iTunes)