Review of Tusk (2014) by Brad D — 17 Dec 2014

Tusk lands close to Human Centipede territory in gross-out-ness - a warning, not a complaint - but it also has a genuinely haunting quality as Long's ties to humanity become ever more tenuous. An utterly bizarre, weirdly compelling story of manimal love that stakes out its own brazen path somewhere between "The Fly" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Tusk is the monster stitched out of a horrific premise and Kevin Smith's brand of downright silliness. An unholy insane mess of a movie. Yes, it is self-referential and self-aggrandizing in that peculiar self-deprecating way the writer-director has perfected. The audience for this truly unique exercise in film - I refuse to call it a 'movie' - consists mostly of Kevin Smith fans. There's a little bit of 'The Human Centipede' here, mixed with more than a dollop of 'Misery.' A weirdo atmosphere of the bizarre and the impassioned, building on the tonal switcheroo of "Red State" to reach a new level of deranged entertainment I hope Smith is interested in perfecting. Tusk sinks its teeth into story telling in a way that's both entertaining and delightfully disturbing. Ultimately, what makes Tusk work is its willingness to revel in what makes it ridiculous as well as terrifying. It has a game cast, it's watchable, fun, sick, sad and has to be seen to be believed.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).