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Category:    Home > Reviews > Comedy > Horror > Dark Humor > Satire > Kidnapping > Torture > Mutilation > Tusk (2014/Kevin Smith/Lionsgate Blu-ray)

Tusk (2014/Kevin Smith/Lionsgate Blu-ray)


Picture: B Sound: B+ Extras: B+ Film: B+



Tusk (2014) is an odd turn for Kevin Smith, pitting him back into the world of horror after Red State which he made a few years ago. Tusk is a far more interesting film and stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodríguez. (not to mention a meaty more-than-cameo by Johnny Depp). Of all the performances in the film, Michael Parks really knocks it out of the park with his creepy turn as Howard Howe. It is also worth mentioning that Johnny Depp and Kevin Smith's daughters also have a brief cameo in the film as store employees.


In the supplements, Smith reveals that this entire film was birthed in a podcast that he had with his Producer Scott Mossier and became a full out reality in a years time. The result, in my opinion, is that Tusk is not only one of Kevin Smith's best movies but a well executed torture-mystery that stomps away the bad taste of The Human Centipede films and is soon to be a cult classic.


Friends Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) and Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment) host the popular podcast The Not-See Party, where they find and mock humiliating viral videos. He announces plans to fly to Canada to interview the Kill Bill Kid, an Internet celebrity famous for severing his leg. In flashbacks spread through the film, it's revealed that Wallace was originally a failed standup comic who became popular with his increasingly vicious podcasts, which upsets his girlfriend Ally (Génesis Rodríguez) and leads to fights accusing him of selling out.


Upon arriving in Manitoba, Wallace is surprised to learn that the Kill Bill Kid committed suicide. Upset that he flew to Canada for nothing, Wallace decides to stay an extra day and find another person to interview. He finds a handbill from someone offering a room in his home for free and the guarantee of hearing a lifetime of interesting stories. His interests piqued, Wallace arrives at the mansion of Howard Howe (Michael Parks), a retired seaman in a wheelchair. Howe tells the story of how a walrus he named Mr. Tusk rescued him after a shipwreck. Wallace then passes out from the secobarbital laced in Howe's tea. When he wakes up we discover that Howard has in store for Wallace is more than torture but a new life... as a human walrus.


Once he has gone missing, Teddy and Ally start on a desperate search for their lost friend and soon befriend an unusual retired Detective (Depp) who helps lead them to the eerie house of Howard Howe in a stunning climax that is not to be missed (or spoiled!).


The picture and sound on the disc don't disappoint with a 1080p high definition transfer with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and a lossless English DTS-HD 5.1 MA (Master Audio) track that is loud and in control. Subtitles are also available on the disc.


Extras include...

20 Years to Tusk

Deleted Scenes

Making of Tusk Featurettes

Audio Commentary by Kevin Smith

And the Smodcast that inspired the film


All in all, this is a film that horror fans really shouldn't miss. It has an unusual blenty of dark comedy, horror, and drama that is really interesting and really top notch performances. In all reality, Tusk is probably one of my favorite films of the year.



- James Harland Lockhart V

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