Christian’s Grade: C-
Right out of the gate, I’ll say this, Kevin Smith’s Tusk (2014) isn’t for everybody. It’s campy, low-budget, and very Kevin Smith. For fans of Smith’s work, that’s the draw. For everyone else, viewers, beware.
Tusk is the story of Wallace (Justin Long), an overconfident and irreverent head of a podcast show. He takes a road trip through Canada to interview/make fun of weird and interesting people. On this trip, Wallace crosses paths with Howard (Michael Parks), a man who’s become way too preoccupied with bettering the human condition by transforming a person into…a walrus. I know, it’s weird.
The story plays out much like a more twisted version of Misery (1990) or a funnier version of The Human Centipede (2009). Wallace is kidnapped, lied to, terrorized, mutilated, and eventually transformed. Come to think of it, Tusk also draws from The Silence of the Lambs (1991) too. His time with Howard being tortured breaks Wallace, and it’s not until his friends and girlfriend track him to Howard’s house and help free him that Wallace gets his bloody revenge. And although he is now free, Wallace is unable to mentally or physically undo the damage that was done to him.
Something like this appeals to a fairly specific audience. That target audience does not usually include me, but this was a different situation. Kevin Smith, as a filmmaker, tends to be very hit-or-miss with me. I didn’t care for Mallrats (1995) but loved Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). However, I am a huge fan of the man, and I used to listen to Smodcast(one of Smith’s many shows on his podcast network) religiously. I’ve seen his video Q&A’s, An Evening with Kevin Smith (2002), and so on. I’ve also seen him speak live at San Diego Comic-Con many times.
Whatever you may think of his films, the man is funny, insightful, inspiring, and probably the most candid & forthcoming speaker I’ve ever seen. If you ask the man a question, no matter what it is, no matter how personal, he’ll answer you in lengthy and funny detail. So, why my interest in Tusk?
Simply put, I witnessed the birth of the story that became this film on Smodcast. If you have the chance to listen to episode 259 of this podcast, you can actually hear the beginning of a brainstorming session that eventually became this movie. Smith and his show partner Scott Mosier read and discussed an actual housing advertisement in the personals section of a British publication offering free room & board to a person willing to dress up and act as a walrus for the homeowner for two hours a day.
The idea was ridiculous, and they laughed and questioned and made-up characters until Smith put the question to the audience. He asked for Twitter responses, #WalrusYes or #WalrusNo, as to whether the movie should be made. The result was a huge yes, if for no other reason than to see if he’d really do it. Well, he did, and here we are.
As weird as the story was, Tusk was actually Smith’s most technically proficient directorial effort at that time. You can see he took a few stylistic cues from Quentin Tarantino, but the movie shows a level of technical quality never seen in his previous movies.
Also impressive, Smith made this movie for a mere $3 million. Considering the number of quality actors in the cast, that number seems impossible. Among others, Johnny Depp plays a big role in Tusk as Guy Lapointe, a Canadian police inspector that became a recurring character in Kevin Smith’s next movie, Yoga Hosers (2016).
But the real draw of this movie wasn’t technical or even star power, really. It was that fans of Smodcast felt like this movie was made for them, and it was. Smith has said many times this movie would never have been made if not for the Smodcast fans cheering him on via Twitter.
The movie is loaded with laughs in the form of nods to his various podcasts, stuff only fans would really pick up. But that isn’t to say those unfamiliar with the show can’t get anything out of this movie.
Just be warned, if you like weird low-budget horror movies with a few laughs thrown in, Tusk isn’t a bad choice. While its box office draw was low, it had the makings of a cult classic that would eventually gain its status in home video or streaming circulation.
But if this isn’t your cup of tea, that’s fine. You can always watch something from James Cameron. Everybody likes movies by James Cameron.
I hadn’t heard of this movie until now. I also find Smith hit-or-miss as far as filmmaking goes, but I enjoy hearing him riff on various topics and consider him a passionate creator. This certainly sounds like a “passion project” to be sure.
Personally, I find Kevin Smith is a far better writer than he is a director. His writing reminds me of Paddy Chayefsky with a Generation X spin. But his directing has always been workmanlike at best, although “Tusk” was a stylistically a step forward for the director. And “Red State” is an underrated film, but it would be fascinating to see another director take a crack at his unique screenwriting style.
Also interesting, Smith had basically given up on movie making and was ready to commit exclusively to podcasting. It was this project that brought him back to film.