Tusk

There was a time when Kevin Smith was lambasted for reliving his past glories; now, he has waded into slightly different territory for three successive efforts with varying results. The heyday of Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy gave way to a five-feature more-is-less swathe from Dogma to Zack and Miri Make a Porno, until Cop Out came along. His attempt to make a broad buddy comedy as a gun for hire didn’t endear, but his satirical thriller Red State certainly inspired a reaction. Tusk, Smith’s latest, falls somewhere in-between both extremes, both revelling in new arena of horror and wallowing in his typical self-referential sense of humour.

Given the title, that the pun-ridden, shenanigan-fuelled film embraces the animalistic and features the Fleetwood Mac song of the same name is to be expected. They might be the feature’s least bizarre aspects, in an effort that takes a Misery-like set-up, reverses the classic Frankenstein story and plays in the same realm – well, almost – as The Human Centipede. Tall tales of war, Ernest Hemingway and life at sea, delivered by one too many rambling monologues, are just the beginning. That Tusk found its genesis in an episode of Smith’s podcast, an extended riff on a fake online advertisement promising free accommodation in exchange for being willing to wear a walrus costume, is telling.

So it is that Wallace (Justin Long, Movie 43) is a popular shock jock podcaster, known for being snarky and cynical with his co-host Teddy (Hayley Joel Osment, TV’s The Spoils of Babylon). Their latest target to make fun of is a Canadian viral video star; however when Wallace ventures north for an interview, he is swiftly disappointed. Left without a subject, he must search for a segment-filling replacement. A floridly written advertisement in a bar bathroom piques his interest, sending Wallace into the remote home of war veteran and ocean aficionado Howard Howe (Michael Parks, We Are What We Are). An innocent cup of tea turns into a stay in captivity, with Howard boasting very specific plans for his visitor.

With visual slickness and an energetic pace, a solid first third establishes a convincing creepy atmosphere, albeit riddled with the obnoxiousness of Long’s protagonist – he’s mean on air, rude to his girlfriend, Ally (Genesis Rodriguez, Identity Thief), condescending to Canadians, and obviously poised for some comeuppance. The arrival of the ever-entrancing Parks, complete with eccentricities, sees the comedy kicked up a notch – but while both evocations of genre mostly work, the lurching between tones is disconcerting. Tusk is a horror film built on the well-worn parts of other movies and stories and it knows it, with barely a frame that doesn’t feel like Smith is gleefully winking at the audience. The laughs eventually take over in an effort that becomes a parody, though not without extended flashbacks that outstay their welcome.

Also seen on screen for too long is a high profile actor in a sizeable, prosthetic-laden cameo under the pseudonym Guy Lapointe, giving one of his worst caricatures to date in a career filled with them of late. Like the film’s underlying idea, his casting is interesting, but not fleshed out beyond the initial concept. Accordingly, amidst the characteristic verbose dialogue and relished ridiculousness, Tusk remains an over-extended, intermittently successful but always unwittingly mesmerizing gag. Offering Smith’s usual mania in a disguised guise, for better or for worse it rightfully wears its oddness like a badge of honour, and never does anything more than try to revel in outlandish genre fun.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Tusk

Director: Kevin Smith

USA, 2014, 102 mins

Release date: October 9

Distributor: Sony

Rated: MA