tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post1568216924937386694..comments2024-03-18T15:46:07.295-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: Review: TuskPatrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-11671858575453217862014-12-22T11:01:40.178-06:002014-12-22T11:01:40.178-06:00I thought it was only fair to come back now and co...I thought it was only fair to come back now and comment as I have just seen the film.<br /><br /> Im am sighing as I am writing this. I don't know what to say. I love Micheal Parks but this is not his best performance. It is interesting and Strange but is it enjoyable? I'm sorry to say I am not really sure. The best comment I can make is I think it would of made a great 30 minute Twilight Zone episode. But it was a stretch for it to be a full movie. <br /><br /> Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-6481828574456897202014-09-24T14:08:04.589-05:002014-09-24T14:08:04.589-05:00So I just saw "Tusk" not knowing a got d...So I just saw "Tusk" not knowing a got damn thing about it (stopped reading Patrick's review after the first two lines, so nothing got spoiled) in an empty theater (five people total) in which I was the only one laughing. Been tuned out of the Kevin Smith train for a while, so I didn't even know it was based on one of his podcasts. Most people who see "Tusk" will see it already knowing the basics, but personally not knowing where this deranged thing was headed was half the fun. By the time the movie got to the final epic pushover duel between Michael Parks (who starts great but, like the movie, loses steam and appeal the further it goes along) and Justin Long (unlikable throughout) I was laughing outloud at the absurdity of what I was watching. "Tusk" at least got reactions from me (a few laughs, mostly at the so-obvious-it's-lame-but-repetition-broke-me-down-and-made-me-laugh Canadian jokes), unlike the four other people who only reacted with derisive laughter when the human Walrus is revealed.<br /><br />"Tusk" feel like the deranged bastard child of "The Human Centipede" movies (which I haven't seen but this movie strangely makes me want to check those out... Scary Movie Month starts pretty soon! ;-P) and William Castle's "House on Haunted Hill." Smith's technical skills as a director have clearly improved since I last saw one of his movies, but as Patrick says, for a guy known for his writing "Tusk" shows him being a better director than a writer who can't get comedy horror to work in tandem but constantly butting/canceling one another. When Wallace is thrown into the water and he sees the carcass of someone else that was butchered into walrus form it was shocking and startling. And then, right on cue, we get Guy Lapointe to deflate that perfectly-realized horror bit with some laughs. Same thing with the ending, it's not perfect but it feels somewhat cathartic and poignant... followed by audio of the podcast killing whatever good will the ending had engendered. Aaaaarrggghhh! <br /><br />Oh well, at least the kid from "The Sixth Sense" got some work and now I know who Genesis Rodriguez is (who besides looking smoking hot gives the closest the movie has to a believable human character you can relate to).<br /><br />P.S.: HOLY SHIT! I just checked IMDB. That was ____ ____ as Guy Lapointe?! I had no freaking idea, wow! Sad to say, as tired as I got from watching the character waste screen time, that's some of the best acting he's done in a while.<br /><br />I'm glad I saw "Tusk" on the big screen and it's nice to see Kevin move out of his comfort zone, but since he's still doing stuff based on his ideas or circle of admirers/co-workers it still feels limited in scope and ambition (and his next two movies sound no better). 20 years after "Clerks" introduced him Smith's growth as a director still has to be measured in baby steps, and that's just sad.J.M. Vargashttps://plus.google.com/u/0/114656828393049850554/postsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-66683452846108400392014-09-22T20:27:01.730-05:002014-09-22T20:27:01.730-05:00I may be in the minority, but I think a lot of the...I may be in the minority, but I think a lot of the weird tonal shifts in this movie were intentional. The jarring nature of it all is what kept me intrigued. I didn't fully understand what Smith was going for until the last 15 minutes or so. The movie was a complete trip. I can't think of any film that's as back and forth. With that being said, a lot of it is terrible and doesn't work at all, a lot of it does. For every "omg, this is fantastic" there's an "omg, this is garbage". I agree with this review completely on the uncertainty of it all. The film is a mess. But I think its kinda supposed to be, maybe? Whatever the case, I loved every second of it .drewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-35566164906122174342014-09-21T16:50:02.183-05:002014-09-21T16:50:02.183-05:00So I saw Tusk last night.... And sadly I thought i...So I saw Tusk last night.... And sadly I thought it was kind of a disaster. Like Patrick said it has some major tone problems and I thought the pacing and attempted humor torpedoed the movie in a big bad way. Scenes went on for way too long, characters and storylines were introduced that didn't need to be there and the way Kevin Smith tried to jam in all these jokes from his podcasts was almost embarrassing. I thought Michael Parks was great and almost sold the premise to me but after awhile I started to tune out during his ramblings and there's a scene late in the movie between him and the "mystery guest" that was honestly one of the worsts scenes I think I've seen in a movie all year. I couldn't figure out why smith thought it was a good idea to put it in or why a certain character needed a flashback at all. A lot of the movie just baffled me. The horror was comedic, the main character played by Justin Long is unsympathetic and the only way we are supposed to know that he's a good guy worth rooting for is because his girlfriend says he used to be a good guy a long time ago. That's all we have to go on. I thought there was a scene towards the beginning when Justin Long realizes the situation he is in and we get a sense of dread and uneasiness and Michael Parks is fantastic in the scene but it's the only one that I thought worked in the movie unfourtunately. It was fascinating to watch how much the mark was missed and it's really sad because I am the audience for this movie. I love Kevin Smith I love weird horror movies but man.... #walrusdissapointedTravisLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-73443664538260406602014-09-20T19:39:36.521-05:002014-09-20T19:39:36.521-05:00Strangest movie I've seen this year. I'm s...Strangest movie I've seen this year. I'm still not sure whether I liked it or not. A lot of humor felt out of place to me. I wasn't a fan of Guy Lapointe. The second half of the movie surprised me. I wasn't expecting it to go that far. It was very disturbing. I think this is a step in the right direction for Kevin Smith. Hopefully, he continues to make interesting movies.Jeff Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14097716717243635376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-58689194725170760122014-09-20T13:36:39.539-05:002014-09-20T13:36:39.539-05:00Came here to say this. Devin Faraci's review m...Came here to say this. Devin Faraci's review may as well have been written before he saw the movie. I don't know why I clicked on it expecting anyting aside from vitriol. <br /><br />I'm a life-long Smith apologist, as well as a regular listener of Smodcast. I remember laughing quite a bit as he and Mosier came up with this idea, and as you said, it's truly an achievement that he's taken it this far. It'll likely be mentioned in every review with a heaping tone of condescension, so it's nice to see Patrick actually see it for what it is. This review is measured and thorough, and I appreciate that. <br /><br />I'm going to try to catch Tusk tonight, and I look forward to the rest of the True North Trilogy (even if Yoga Hosers stars his daughter and the third one is called Moose Jaws). I honestly think we're going to look back at this period of Smith's career and cite him as someone willing to step outside of his comfort zone. You don't see too many writer/directors doing it. <br />Rob DiCristinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13402698333999727219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-85123457584316166862014-09-20T12:30:21.517-05:002014-09-20T12:30:21.517-05:00The Pink Panther was going through my head a lot. ...<i>The Pink Panther</i> was going through my head a lot. Great description.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-13172349352327928102014-09-20T12:29:37.159-05:002014-09-20T12:29:37.159-05:00BAD can sometimes have a tendency to be hyperbolic...BAD can sometimes have a tendency to be hyperbolic and superior -- there are a few things that the site will remind you again and again you are wrong for liking (among them <i>Stargate</i>, the title of <i>Batman v. Superman</i>, Kevin Smith and any <i>Star Trek</i> that isn't the original series). I still like the site and think they have a lot of incredible writing. Sometimes I just have to blow some things off. But thanks for the kind words, @Michael Kidd. I struggled with this review.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-73056946368609208292014-09-20T02:23:47.847-05:002014-09-20T02:23:47.847-05:00I might be out the loop but baddassdigest is new t...I might be out the loop but baddassdigest is new to me. It might be a great informative website. But when a review starts "Tusk is a bad movie by a bad filmmaker who has given up trying and now longs to find virtue in not giving a shit." Sorry but this is just not true and I wont be bothering with that site again. Nobody is saying Kevin Smith is the best filmmaker but he certainly aint the worst. You need to see everyfilm with an open mind. You may or may not of liked Redstate but you cant say he wasent trying. <br /> And Micheal bay a great filmmaker. Mmm what can I say....Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-15699628784018675812014-09-20T00:22:11.527-05:002014-09-20T00:22:11.527-05:00I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it, i...I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it, if for no other reason than to see which side of the fence I fall on. I must say though, I have a great deal more respect for Patrick's review after reading the "reviews" over at Badass Digest. The way Evan and Devin both are trying so desperately to say something dramatic really made them come off as immature, and frankly I'm not sure I'm interested in visiting their site again. <br /><br />If you don't like a filmmaker or their work, that's fine, I can certainly name some I don't care for, but I frankly find it very frustrating when a reviewer tries to pretend they have a movie a fair chance, but then fills that same review with insults to that filmmaker as a person and claims their entire body of work is terrible. But then again, I believe Devin once claimed Michael Bay was a great filmmaker, so he gave us all an easy pass to disregard his opinions. Michael Kiddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-47593388223424287242014-09-19T23:51:26.182-05:002014-09-19T23:51:26.182-05:00Just got back from seeing Tusk and it definately i...Just got back from seeing Tusk and it definately is....interesting. It's definately a tale of 2 halves in there. I greatly preferred the creepy slow-build of the first half to the rather farcical second half. It's like watching the first hour of Alien, then immediately switching to the last hour of Pink Panther. I like both, but I'm not sure they go together. Or, as I described it to my girlfriend, "it was like having lobster for dinner, and cotton candy for dessert."Brian Sagernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-50571268175599687702014-09-19T22:36:30.409-05:002014-09-19T22:36:30.409-05:00Aw, thanks Erika - and I know, I love this place!Aw, thanks Erika - and I know, I love this place!Solhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03114869401584310369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-79431739071283523262014-09-19T16:59:11.173-05:002014-09-19T16:59:11.173-05:00Its garbage writing that suggests you see the film...Its garbage writing that suggests you see the film ironically because "haha its cool to hate Kevin Smith, buy a ticket and laugh because he tried to do something different". drewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-37289231801396368562014-09-19T16:55:08.617-05:002014-09-19T16:55:08.617-05:00You should do more podcasts Erika. You and Patrick...You should do more podcasts Erika. You and Patrick are really funny together. ;)Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-74889817498078069072014-09-19T16:15:52.444-05:002014-09-19T16:15:52.444-05:00I started to read the review just because you post...I started to read the review just because you posted and i was curious why, But with an opening line that negative I litterally gave up 2.5 lines in. I need not read any further. I'll take your word for it that they stick in the pitchfork deeper. Deep breath, Sigh....Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13900651640246375537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-69160191263095599982014-09-19T14:48:51.495-05:002014-09-19T14:48:51.495-05:00Your review really makes me want to see this. BUT....Your review really makes me want to see this. BUT... I fear I will have nightmares forever. #walrusdunnoErikanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-70607604538166210102014-09-19T14:47:22.913-05:002014-09-19T14:47:22.913-05:00And a great comment, Sol! I wish all Internet site...And a great comment, Sol! I wish all Internet sites had comment sections with intelligent, informed, curious movie lovers. Erikanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-6854392038517617162014-09-19T10:28:34.193-05:002014-09-19T10:28:34.193-05:00great review. Smith is easy to dismiss due to his ...great review. Smith is easy to dismiss due to his Smith-ness. As expected you look past that to what is being created while also being informed appropriately by it, nicely done. Im very interested to see this now. Brad Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18426952757794850746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-44422705176820738762014-09-19T09:42:34.646-05:002014-09-19T09:42:34.646-05:00I'm pretty excited as well. A24's always g...I'm pretty excited as well. A24's always gets my attention.Mark Ahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00695975412662760562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-46585923378878943022014-09-19T09:28:00.514-05:002014-09-19T09:28:00.514-05:00I have to confess, I'm kind of very excited to...I have to confess, I'm kind of very excited to see this. adamarmourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04361116900351762285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-12192340800970930992014-09-19T08:33:26.031-05:002014-09-19T08:33:26.031-05:00YepYepAdam Riskehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01165600746796326821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-81488903898490146132014-09-19T08:28:27.101-05:002014-09-19T08:28:27.101-05:00Did you like it Adam?Did you like it Adam?TravisLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-55358195980109016012014-09-19T08:24:48.519-05:002014-09-19T08:24:48.519-05:00Great review Patrick. I haven't been able to s...Great review Patrick. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this movie since I saw it last night. Adam Riskehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01165600746796326821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-39208591086883641922014-09-19T08:18:43.699-05:002014-09-19T08:18:43.699-05:00Heath I think it's opening fairly wide this we...Heath I think it's opening fairly wide this weekend. I know it's playing at atleast 3 theaters in my area. I will go into it with light expectations but I think it will be an interesting curiosity of a movie. We shall see.TravisLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-36736541161654766342014-09-19T08:05:19.245-05:002014-09-19T08:05:19.245-05:00Great review Patrick - I love the ones where you&#...Great review Patrick - I love the ones where you're feeling ambiguous - a weaker person would feel the need to come down on a particular side, but you're honest about your uncertainty and it always helps me properly calibrate my expectations. I was already interested in this, now I'm more so, not because I <i>think</i> it's going to be really good, but because I'm <i>sure</i> it's going to be interesting.<br /><br />I used to kinda like Smith's love of Canada - you know, that pseudo-pride you get when someone from away talks about where you're from (like YOU feel when the King of England talks about Chicago or something), but it's starting to feel like condescension - yeah, yeah, we're quaint and cute, I get it.Solhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03114869401584310369noreply@blogger.com