Kevin Smith's Latest Horror Film "Tusk" Treks its Way to DVD/Blu-Ray

Lionsgate and A24 recently announced the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray release of Kevin Smith's latest film "Tusk". The film starsMichael Parks (Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Django Unchained), Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Haley Joel Osment (Amazon’s “Alpha House,” The Sixth Sense) and Genesis Rodriguez (Identity Thief, Hours).

Special features on the DVD/Blu-Ray include Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Kevin Smith, 20 Years to Tusk” featurette, “The Making of Tusk” featurettes, SModcast #259: The Walrus and The Carpenter. "Tusk" hits stores on December 30th.

Press Release:

From writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Mallrats) comes this wickedly funny modern-day monster movie that will hold you in terror as it keeps you in stitches. The highly anticipated film Tusk arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD) and DVD (plus Digital) December 30th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Starring Michael Parks (Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Django Unchained), Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Haley Joel Osment (Amazon’s “Alpha House,” The Sixth Sense) and Genesis Rodriguez (Identity Thief, Hours), Tusk is being called “Kevin Smith’s very best work” (Variety). Tusk premiered to the world at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as a part of the Midnight Madness program and was released theatrically by A24.

A podcaster (Long) looking for a juicy story is plunged into an unpredictable, unsettling and absurd nightmare after he travels to the backwoods of Canada to meet an eccentric recluse (Parks) with a lifetime of adventures—and a disturbing fondness for walruses.

The Tusk Blu-ray and DVD include deleted scenes, multiple “making of” featurettes, a career retrospective featurette with Kevin Smith, an audio commentary with Kevin Smith plus the original podcast that inspired the film. The Tusk Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

Horrorpalooza 2014: "Tusk" Review - Written by Jim Herling

I don't know if it's possible to smoke so much pot your brain actually breaks, but if it is, Tusk proves that Kevin Smith passed that point a country mile ago. And as someone who has been a fan of Smith's for the last twenty years, I can tell you that isn't a bad thing at all.

Smith wrote the screenplay for Tusk, basing it on one of his many podcasts which, in turn, was based around a Craigslist ad he once saw about a guy looking to rent a room to someone rent-free in exchange for the renter dressing up like a walrus for a few hours a day, an ad that was mercifully fake. In Smith's film version, which he also directed, our walrus aficionado isn't just a guy looking for a roommate but a serial killer named Howard Howe (Michael Parks), who is looking to recreate what he calls the happiest time of his life, a time he spent with no one but a walrus named Mr. Tusk for company. His victim isn't a room renter but a podcaster named Wallace (Justin Long) who lives to interview and embarrass people who are internet famous for all the wrong reasons. He finds Howard as a consolation prize after his current target commits suicide. The cast is rounded out by Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez as Wallace's podcast partner Teddy and girlfriend Ally, respectively, who come looking for him with the assistance of an investigator named Guy LaPointe, who is billed as "himself" (but in the internet's worst kept secret is really Johnny Depp).

Smith's screenplay certainly features enough "dick and fart" jokes to be recognizable as his work, and the bulk of that side of the writing is acted out by Long, who is so wonderfully smarmy and detestable that it's almost hard to feel sorry for what he goes through until he goes "full walrus" (you're going to have to see the flick to find out exactly what that term means). And even then, the bulk of the sympathy for him comes not from him but from seeing how much his friends care; Genesis Rodriquez is breathtaking as his girlfriend, grappling with both love and guilt and being wonderfully expressive about it all, but Osment falls pretty flat. Depp, as usual, is a superstar even though he's just comic relief; he takes comic relief and turns it into a character that is just begging for his own movie.

But there's another side of Smith's writing on display here, a side filled with metaphor and literature and poetry, all for Michael Park's character, and he takes it and runs with it. He's charming and menacing, funny and dramatic, touching and terrifying. So much of this movie rests on Park's shoulders, and if he wasn't up to the challenge the whole thing could have fallen apart, especially once Park has to start sharing his scenes with an enwalrused (yes, I made that word up) Long incapable of speech. But Park is up to the challenge, and Long is great at acting with just his eyes. The end result is a talented cast and a good script and story that takes a movie that could have failed in so many ways and instead turns it into a 3.5 stars out of 5 flick that is great fare, especially for the Halloween season.

Official Stills and Trailer for Kevin Smith's New Horror Film "Tusk"

A24 recently released stills and the official trailer for Kevin Smith's new film "Tusk". The upcoming film stars Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment. "Tusk" hits theaters on September 19th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://tuskthemovie.com/

Plot Synopsis:

Wallace (Justin Long) co-hosts a popular podcast with his pal Teddy (Haley Joel Osment), focusing on cruel, mocking cringe humour as part of their mission to keep it "real and raunchy." After his trip to Winnipeg to interview the "Kill Bill Kid" — a teen whose unfortunate samurai-sword video has gone viral — comes up empty, Wallace decides to make the trip worth his while and find a good story north of the forty-ninth parallel. A handwritten flyer he finds in a bar bathroom leads him to a grizzled old swab (Michael Parks) full of tall tales to share from his life of adventure at sea — and this is where Wallace's voyage to the Great White North descends into straight-up madness.

 

"Tusk": Official Trailer

Fantastic Fest 2014 Announces First Wave of Films

These next two posts deal with the first two waves of announcements for Fantastic Fest 2014 that takes place on September 18-25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball. The festival will open with the US premiere of Kevin Smith's new film "Tusk". After "Tusk", they will have the world premiere of "The ABC's of Death 2".

For more information's on what films were announced as part of the first wave, you can scroll down to the bottom of the press release.

Press Release:

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the first wave of events, special guests and film programming. Fantastic Fest 2014 takes place September 18-25th in Austin, Texas at the newly reopened Alamo South Lamar and Highball. 

Fantastic Fest is thrilled to open the fest with the US Premiere of Kevin Smith's dark horror-comedy TUSK.  Smith will be in attendance for a red carpet gala screening and Q&A.

Immediately following TUSK, the world premiere of ABCs OF DEATH 2 will unveil 26 devilishly diabolical tales at Fantastic Fest with multiple directors from the horror anthology sequel in attendance, including: Alejandro Brugués, Robert Boocheck, Lancelot Imasuen, E.L. Katz, Jerome Sable, Jen and Sylvia Soska, Jim Hosking, Larry Fessenden, Chris Nash, Steven Kostanski, and Julian Barrett.  Following the premiere, guests are invited to attend 'A Bodacious Celebration: 26 Ways to Party' culminating in an epic food fight curated by Thu Tran of Food Party fame.

"My personal challenge each year is making Fantastic Fest the best week of the year for like-minded genre film obsessive's," says festival founder Tim League.  "With the resonance of a round number anniversary, all reasonable fetters are discarded.  In 2014, we are taking no prisoners.  This festival is going to set new boundaries of decadence, destruction and debauchery."

For its 10th anniversary, Fantastic Fest is also going all out with celebratory events and special programming, including two tent pole showstoppers. Legendary film critic and historian Leonard Maltin joins proceedings as head of the comedy jury and to play "MALTIN'S," a game tournament of movie trivia twenty years in the making. "My brother and I were obsessed with Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide at an early age," said MALTIN'S creator and festival alum Ant Timpson. "His reviews shaped our own language and view of film. How could we be even closer to our God? How could we become Leonard Maltin? MALTIN'S was the answer."  Complete rules and information on how to enter can be found at fantasticfest.com.

Elevating the comedic quota of Fantastic Fest programming is the addition of Comedy Central's breakout stand-up show "The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail." Hitting Austin for its first-ever Fantastic Fest performance, host comedians Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani explained why they want to be a part of the festivities, "We want to watch films, drink, and make people laugh."

Fantastic Fest also marks an important milestone for the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain with the grand reopening of its flagship destination at South Lamar and the all-new Highball. Under construction for the past two years, the new theaters boast three new screens (9 total), and completely rebuilt Highball bar, and 7 custom-designed karaoke rooms that are sure to melt the mind.

See below for the initial lineup of programming at this year's festival. 

ABCs OF DEATH 2

Various, 2014

World Premiere, 125 min

Directors - Larry Fessenden, Marvin Kren, Todd Rohal, Jim Hosking, Julien Maury and, Alexandre Bustillo, Julian Gilbey, Soichi Umezawa, Lancelot Imasuen, Jerome Sable, Robert Boocheck, Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, Bill Plympton, Rodney Ascher, Erik Matti, Juan Moreno, Steven Kostanski, Alejandro Brugués, E.L. Katz, Julian Barratt, Hajime Ohata, Vincenzo Natali, Chris Nash, Jen and Sylvia Soska, Dennison Ramalho, Robert Morgan, Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper

In 2013 the craziest anthology ever created was released to an unsuspecting public. It immediately divided audiences. Some claimed it was a much-needed adrenaline shot to the heart of genre film, while others claimed it was reprehensible and the death knell of cinema as we know it.

In 2014 it's happening again. This time with an all-new line-up of international directors.

For more information about ABCs OF DEATH 2, please visit http://www.magnetreleasing.com/theabcsofdeath2/,"like" the film on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theabcsofdeath or follow on twitter @ABCsofDeath.

ALLELUIA

France/Belgium, 2014

US Premiere, 95 min

Director -  Fabrice Du Welz

A lonely woman and a psychotic gigolo find love through murder in the latest film from the director of CALVAIRE and VINYAN.

BABADOOK, THE

Australia, 2014

Texas Premiere, 94 min

Director -  Jennifer Kent

In this impressive horror debut, Amelia thought her biggest problems were her son's violent behavioral problems and her own depression. That was before something came knocking at the door...

BRO's BEFORE HO's

Netherlands, 2013

US Premiere, 88 min

Directors - Steffen Haars & Flip van der Kuil

A unashamedly offensive bromance from the killer comedy team behind NEW KIDS TURBO and NEW KIDS NITRO.

CLOSER TO GOD

United States, 2014

Texas Premiere, 81 min

Director - Billy Senese

Dr. Victor Reed finds himself in the middle of an ethical, legal and religious storm after conducting the first successful human cloning in this fiercely intelligent indie thriller.

DANGER 5 - SERIES 2

Australia, 2014

World Premiere, 75 min

Director - Dario Russo

When Adolf Hitler surfaces posing as a 1980s high school student, there can be only one response! The crack team of Danger 5 are pressed back into service to eliminate the Nazi threat once and for all!

HIGH FIVE (RELOCOS Y REPASADOS)

URUGUAY - BRASIL, 2013

World Premiere, 98 min

Director - Manuel Facal

It's a stoner comedy from Uruguay. What else do you need to know?

HORSEHEAD (FIEVRE)

France, 2014

World Premiere, 89 min

Director - Romain Basset

A stunning exploration of a young woman's nightmares.

THE INCIDENT (EL INCIDENTE)

Mexico, 2014

North American Premiere, 100 min

Director - Isaac Ezban

A cosmic event disrupts life on Earth in this sci-fi mind-bender.

JACKY IN THE KINGDOM OF WOMEN (JACKY AU ROYAUME DES FEMMES)

France, 2013

Texas Premiere, 87 min

Director - Riad Sattouf

Women hold the power while men cower in this scathing dystopian satire starring Charlotte Gainsbourg.

KUNG FU ELLIOT

Canada, 2014

Fantastic Fest Premiere, 88 min

Director- Jaret Belliveau & Matthew Bauckman

A hilarious and disturbing documentary about a man's quest to become an international action star.

MALTIN'S GAME TOURNAMENT

Created by Fantastic Fest alum and film producer, and self-described Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide convert, Ant Timpson circa the early 90s, MALTIN'S is a movie lover's version of game night favorite Balderdash.  Someone starts as "Maltin" and chooses a title from Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, a film that no one knows. The other players then all write down a fake synopsis based on the title.  Players attempt to trick each other into believing that their synopsis is the real one while trying to decipher the true Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide synopsis.

LOCAL GOD (DIOS LOCAL)

Uruguay, 2014

World Premiere, 88 min

Director - Gustavo Hernandez

While filming music videos in an abandoned gold mine, a rock group is tormented by an evil spirit in this new film from the director of LA CASA MUDA.

THE MAN IN THE ORANGE JACKET

Latvia/Estonia, 2014

US Premiere, 71 min

Director - Aik Karapetian

A laid-off harbor worker wages a private war on the rich in this surrealistic Latvian horror film.

THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH & KUMAIL

The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail hails all the way from the back of a comic book store in Los Angeles, where not only has it been crowned one of the best standup shows in LA by LA Weekly, LA Times, and Hollywood Reporter, but it's now a TV show! Comedy Central filmed eight documentary-style episodes of The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail for a brand new type of standup show that airs Wednesday nights starting July 2014. Come see why this is the only existing live standup show to get its own TV show as hosts Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani charm your pants off and welcome some very special guests!

NORWAY

Greece, 2014

US Premiere, 74 min

Director - Yiannis Veslemes

A vampire dances his way through '80s era Athens in this fantastic film from the production team behind DOGTOOTH.

STILL LIFE (NATURALEZA MUERTA)

Argentina, 2014

North American Premiere, 97 min

Director - Gabriel Grieco

Meat is murder in this brutal Argentinian slasher with an animal rights edge.

TOMBVILLE

Belgium, 2014

North American Premiere, 94 min

Director - Nikolas List

Young David awakens battered and disoriented on the edge of town, knowing only one thing: He wants to get away. But no matter what he tries, he's always led back to the same dark, disturbing place. Welcome to Tombville.

TOMMY (TommyMer)

Sweden, 2014

North American Premiere, 95 min

Director - Tarik Saleh

Tommy is coming home, or at least that's what his wife Estelle desperately needs people to believe when she returns after a year in exile. And if he doesn't get what's his, there's going to be hell to pay.

TUSK

United Stats, 2013

US Premiere, 102 min

Director - Kevin Smith

From the singular mind of writer/director and podcaster Kevin Smith, and conceived from one of Smith's own Smodcast's, TUSK is a story unlike anything that has ever been committed to screen before. A tale that is equal parts hilarious and horrifying, TUSK will stay with you long after the credits roll.  Starring: Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez, and Haley Joel Osment

V/H/S VIRAL

US, 2014

US Premiere, 98 min

Directors - Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Nacho Vigalondo, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead

Fantastic Fest alumni Nacho Vigalondo & Marcel Sarmiento join several other genre filmmaking greats in this 3rd installment of the twisted found footage horror anthology franchise.

WYRMWOOD

Australia, 2014

World Premiere, 92 min

Director - Kiah Roache-Turner

The undead rise again in this raucous feature debut from Australia's Roache-Turner Brothers, who deliver one of the most balls-out, gonzo and just plain fun entries into the zombie canon in years.

Look for more film & event programming announcements for Fantastic Fest in the weeks ahead.

For ticketing and latest developments visit the Fantastic Fest official site www.fantasticfest.com and follow us on Facebook & Twitter.