Tusk

When Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) goes to Canada seeking interviews for his strange podcast, he eventually winds up in the company of Howard Howe (Michael Parks). Howard appears to be a meek, lonely man who just wants to share stories, but after a poisoned cup of tea, Wallace finds out Howard has some nefarious intentions. Slowly, Howard works to transform Wallace into a Walrus, amputating his legs, fashioning tusks from his bones, and putting him in a permanent walrus suit. Writer-director Kevin Smith birthed the idea for this movie while doing a podcast in 2013, and it's surprising that it ever got made. The film is as weird as anything you are likely to see in a movie theater, and is even more of a departure for Smith than his horror film, Red State. Parks is wonderfully creepy as the old man who really, really likes walruses, and while Long plays a complete dickhead, he's a dickhead we ultimately care about because Long is a talented actor who brings major depth to the part. The movie is gross and crazy, but not so much that the average moviegoer can't handle it. Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez are good in supporting roles, as is a mystery guest that I won't give away.