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Review: ‘Tusk’

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Writer/director Kevin Smith has built his reputation by making offbeat comedies like Clerks and Dogma.  However, with his last film, the religiously charged thriller Red State, he let Hollywood know that all bets are off.  His newest film, Tusk, is his strangest yet.

Tusk tells the story of an internet podcaster named Wallace Bryton (Justin Long from Jeepers Creepers) who travels to Canada for an interview that falls apart as soon as he arrives.  He stumbles across an old man named Howard Howe (Michael Parks, who has found a niche playing Sheriff Earl McGraw in the Tarantino/Rodriguez Universe) who has a ton of cool stories, and decides to interview him instead.  What Wallace doesn’t know is that Howard is a certified lunatic, and the old man drugs Wallace and performs a series of surgeries on him with the ultimate goal being to turn the young man into a walrus.  When Wallace’s girlfriend, Ally (Genesis Rodriguez from Hours), and his podcast partner, Teddy (Haley Joel Osment, the kid from The Sixth Sense), don’t hear from him, the pair comes looking for him.  But what will be left when…or if…they find him?

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The idea for Tusk came from a discussion on Smith’s podcast, SModcast, with his friend and co-podcaster Scott Mosier about an ad placed in an online community offering free room and board to anyone who would dress as a walrus for a couple of hours a day for the duration of their stay.  Smith and Mosier had a great time riffing on the concept and hashing out a story, until finally Smith said “someone’s gonna steal this idea.”  He left it up to the fans to decide on Twitter with two simple hashtags: #WalrusYes or #WalrusNo.  The yeses won, and now we’ve got Tusk.

Tusk is an odd movie.  It starts off like Misery, then morphs into The Human Centipede, keeping the Kevin Smith sense of humor the entire time.  Truth be told, it’s a pretty silly concept, but Smith pulls it off incredibly well thanks to some great acting, particularly by Michael Parks as the maniacal Howard.  Parks embraces every line of his wacky dialogue so hard that the viewer has no choice but to believe in his seriousness.  As is the case with most of Kevin Smith’s movies, the script is pretty wordy, but Parks and Justin Long (who are onscreen for the majority of the film) keep it interesting with their performances.

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Around the halfway point of the film there’s a distinct shift in tone.  This is when Parks and Long surrender some of their screen time to Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment.  This is also when the film goes from creepy to campy.  Ally and Teddy are aided in their search by a Canadian Policeman named LaPointe (played by “The” Johnny Depp) who spoon-feeds exposition with an annoying faux-Canadian accent, derailing the momentum of the film.  The search for Wallace is not nearly as effective as what is actually happening to him; the audience just begs for the narrative to get back to the Howard and Wallace storyline.

One thing that can be said for Tusk is that it doesn’t do anything halfway; when it’s dark, it’s really dark, and when it’s corny, it’s really corny.  As a result of this commitment, it comes off as a throwback B-movie with very high production values.  It’s a smart blend of body horror and monster movie that will appeal to horror buffs and comedy fans alike.  At its root, Tusk is a modern creature feature, and one of which Roger Corman would be proud.

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If you haven’t listened to the SModcast episode that inspired Tusk (it’s episode 259), see the movie first.  The podcast is hilarious, but what Smith and Mosier come up during their brainstorming session is pretty close to what ends up onscreen.  Tusk should take the viewer by surprise as much as possible; it’s intended to shock, amuse, and mortify.  One can almost hear the echoes of Kevin Smith howling with laughter as they watch, either because he thinks that Tusk is funny or because he thinks that it will offend people.  Either way, mission accomplished.

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News

A24 Creating New Action Thriller “Onslaught” From ‘The Guest’ & ‘You’re Next’ Duo

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It’s always nice to see a reunion in the world of horror. Following a competitive bidding war, A24 has secured the rights to the new action thriller film Onslaught. Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong) will be directing the film. He will be joined by his longtime creative partner Simon Barret (You’re Next) as the scriptwriter.

For those unaware, Wingard and Barret made a name for themselves while working together on films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The two creatives are card carrying horror royalty. The pair have worked on films such as V/H/S, Blair Witch, The ABC’s of Death, and A Horrible Way to Die.

An exclusive article of out Deadline gives us the limited information we have on the topic. Although we don’t have much to go on, Deadline does offer the following information.

A24

“Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is in the vein of Wingard and Barrett’s cult classics like The Guest and You’re Next. Lyrical Media and A24 will co-finance. A24 will handle worldwide releasing. Principal photography will begin in Fall 2024.”

A24 will be producing the film alongside Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Black for Lyrical Media, Wingard and Jeremy Platt for Breakaway Civilization, and Simon Barret.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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News

Director Louis Leterrier Creating New Sci-Fi Horror Film “11817”

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Louis Leterrier

According to an article from Deadline, Louis Leterrier (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is about to shake things up with his new Sci-Fi horror film 11817. Leterrier is set to produce and direct the new Movie. 11817 is penned by the glorious Mathew Robinson (The Invention of Lying).

Rocket Science will be taking the film to Cannes in search of a buyer. While we don’t know much about what the film looks like, Deadline offers the following plot synopsis.

“The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”

“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817‘s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an experience that movie audiences won’t forget.”

Leterrier has made a name for himself in the past for working on beloved franchises. His portfolio includes gems such as Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of The Titans, and The Transporter. He is currently attached to create the final Fast and the Furious film. However, it will be interesting to see what Leterrier can do working with some darker subject material.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time. As always, make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

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atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

Airport ’75

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

The Clovehitch Killer

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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