Walrus Man True Story Defined

With disturbing physique horror, goofy humor, and a walrus man, it appears unusual that there is even a dialogue about whether or not Tusk relies on a real story. Certainly, Kevin Smith’s horror comedy claims to be impressed by actual occasions, and that’s technically true. The precise story of Tusk is not as bombastic and harrowing because the film — no person was ever became a walrus in actual life. Nevertheless, as Tusk proudly factors out, the skin-crawling premise of a human being surgically reconstructed right into a hybrid man-walrus creature for the enjoyment of an eccentric serial killer is not completely fictional.

Tusk was impressed by a pretend on-line commercial providing a rent-free room however with a catch: the fortunate tenant have to be keen to often gown up as and behave like a walrus. The pretend advert that impressed Tusk was from author Chris Parkinson of Brighton, England. The joke advert acquired over 400 responses, and the story of how a innocent prank grew to become one of many most viral physique horrors of the final decade is nearly as fascinating as Tusk itself.

Associated

10 Horror Film Characters Who Suffered One thing Worse Than Loss of life (In accordance To Reddit)

Whereas horror motion pictures typically have excessive physique counts, some followers on Reddit have highlighted characters who confronted fates even worse than demise.

Howard’s Advert In Tusk Was Primarily based On A Actual-Life Advert (Type Of)

The True Story Of Tusk Did not Embrace A Serial Killer

Tusk relies on a real story, however the story it is primarily based on is not the identical one the film tells. Relatively, Tusk is the exploration of what would have occurred if a joke had been actual, and what circumstances would want to fall into place for it to plausibly occur. The commercial for a voluntary live-in walrus did exist, so Tusk is not being false with its claims of being primarily based on actual occasions. Nevertheless, the characters of Wallace, Teddy, and importantly Howard Howe had been all made up.

Chris Parkinson, who made the unique Tusk commercial, did not even submit the observe as himself and undoubtedly did not plan to show a human being right into a walrus. Kevin Smith created each element past the premise for Tusk. Within the film, Los Angeles podcaster Wallace Bryton (Justin Lengthy) and his co-host, Teddy (Haley Joel Osment), ridicule unlucky individuals in viral movies, and Wallace interviews them.

For an interview with a teen who mistakenly minimize off his personal leg, Wallace has to go to the outskirts of Manitoba, Canada. After he discovers that the person has died by suicide, presumably due to the ridicule, he finds a flyer posted by an aged man who looks as if he can be excellent for the podcast.

Not like Parkinson’s authentic human walrus advert, nonetheless, the flyer in Tusk doesn’t point out the walrus, and it’s not a joke. As a substitute, it’s a lure posted by serial killer Howard Howe (Michael Parks), a retired sailor obsessive about discovering redemption for killing and consuming a walrus that he claims as soon as saved his life. He surgically transforms his victims right into a human walrus, which he names Mr. Tusk in order that he can re-enact their time collectively.

This fortunately bears no resemblance to the real-life Parkinson and the advert he posted, however was an extremely passable reply to the query, “What if somebody posted this and it wasn’t a joke” — as evidenced by the cult viral fame Tusk has discovered since its launch.

Associated

How Johnny Depp Was Solid In Tusk (& Why He is Not Credited)

Johnny Depp’s look in Kevin Smith’s Tusk takes audiences abruptly as a result of his efficiency is uncredited, and this is the rationale why.

How Did The Faux Advert Turn out to be Kevin Smith’s Tusk?

Kevin Smith Thought The Actual Tusk Advert Was Real At First

Contemplating the key variations between Parkinson’s pretend advert and the movie, it could be tough to think about how the previous impressed the latter. Fortunately, director Kevin Smith has been open about his course of when creating Tusk from the “true story.” It is apparent that Tusk replaces the outdated man with a serial killer and the walrus costume with a grotesque surgical transformation right into a human walrus. Nevertheless, on the subject of the primary characters of the film, they’re primarily based on the movie’s director, Kevin Smith, and his pal Scott Mosier (Clerks).

In a single episode of Smith’s SModcast podcast, they learn the pretend advert aloud and chuckle about it, pondering it’s actual. This was the beginning of the method that might ultimately result in Smith creating Tusk, which is why the film focuses on Wallace and Teddy. Nevertheless, in Tusk the podcasters are significantly crueler than Smith and Mosier, and Wallace’s transformation right into a human walrus may be interpreted as a karmic consequence of this cruelty. His transformation can also be the results of the serial killer’s particular relationship with the walrus, just like the particular relationship featured in Parkinson’s pretend advert.

Whereas Tusk can solely laughably be thought of to be primarily based on precise occasions, Smith’s film was undeniably impressed by the advert. The movie ornaments the story, combines it with components taken from Smith’s personal life, and applies a traditional horror premise to it: a disgraceful man seeking one thing doesn’t discover what he’s on the lookout for however will get precisely what he deserves.

Tusk deploys a commentary on voyeurism, a tradition of schadenfreude, and the perils of each. Wallace ridiculed unlucky individuals for a residing and put them on show. The worth he paid for that cruelty was to turn out to be one among them by the movie’s conclusion.

The Faux Tusk Advert Creator Explains The Adaptation To Display Rant

The Man Behind The Advert That Impressed Tusk Has A Fascinating Story

Display Rant caught up with UK poet Chris Parkinson, the writer of “Landlord Seeks Lodger For Walrus Cosplay” — the net lodging itemizing credited with Tusk‘s total existence. The challenge escalated in a short time, and Parkinson was current on-set throughout the manufacturing of Smith’s horror curio. In accordance with Parkinson, the escalation of the weird however unassuming submit led to “the strangest 12 months and a half of his life“:

“I acquired whisked out to North Carolina for filming. I spent per week wandering round a abandoned nation membership, watching Michael Parks muttering traces from my advert in a gloriously sinister manner, and coming head to head with some very alarming life-size walrus fits.
A 12 months later, I used to be out in LA watching the premiere, though I do not suppose anybody knew who the hell I used to be after I walked down the purple carpet.”

Many authors, together with Stephen King, hated some film diversifications of their work. However Parkinson glows about Tusk as a chunk of cinema.

“I beloved it. I feel it is completely hilarious. However it horrified different individuals.
It is definitely a bit extra sinister than my authentic advert, however I feel that
works in its favor. It takes the premise arrange within the submit and it evolves it to its logical and horrible conclusion. And the ending might be probably the most heartbreaking second in your entire historical past of cinema. Maybe man really is a walrus at coronary heart.”

Parkinson met Smith a handful of instances and maintains that the legendary director was “form, welcoming and completely hilarious.”

Nevertheless, Smith initially thought that the commercial was actual when researching the film:

“Kevin did not know that it was some man writing a ridiculous advert on Gumtree
– he thought that individuals had been making an attempt to introduce him to an actual man with a spare room and a home made walrus costume. Which, given how issues end up within the movie, won’t be the form of individual you’d really wish to meet in actual life.”

So far as the unique submit goes, over 400 individuals replied, which, in line with Parkinson, “says lots concerning the housing state of affairs in most main cities.” However would he have replied having stumbled throughout the advert himself? “I wish to say no, however I am all the time up for a problem.” Tusk acquired a disappointingly meager theatrical launch within the UK, however Chris Parkinson and Kevin Smith contributed one thing singular to the horror style. In hindsight, Tusk was a rarity that warrants a revisit.

Associated

Each Kevin Smith Film Ranked From Worst To Greatest (Together with Clerks III)

With Clerks III now in circulation, it’s time to look again on the daring movies of Kevin Smith’s oddball profession, ranked from worst to greatest.

Why Kevin Smith Tailored The Actual Walrus Man Advert Into Tusk

The Director Noticed The Potential Of The Bizarre Tusk True Story

Tusk has been warmly acquired by audiences who get pleasure from physique horror, bizarre motion pictures, or are merely followers of cult cinema icon Kevin Smith. Nevertheless, many have questioned why Smith made Tusk within the first place. The premise is incomparably weird, and whereas it is simple to understand this as a viewer watching Tusk, it raises questions on how the film made it by means of the gate.

Kevin Smith has been open in interviews concerning the difficulties he confronted getting Tusk made, and plenty of of them stemmed from simply how ridiculous the plot appeared on paper, even with the viral Tusk true story cited by the director for justification. Chatting with AskMen, Kevin Smith revealed that actor Justin Lengthy specifically was tough to convey aboard.

”
I hit him [Justin Long] up with a script, and his agent was like, don’t do that.
He was like, “Dude, my agent advised me, ‘You’re already the Apple man, don’t be the walrus man as effectively.’” He mentioned he was fearful of it, however he f***ing beloved it.”

Suffice it to say, Lengthy’s agent ultimately overcame their issues, and the film is now thought of one of many spotlight performances of the actor’s profession. As for why the Tusk true story stood out to Smith sufficient to make it right into a film after laughing about it in a podcast, a lot of it needed to do with the chance it introduced. The Tusk director was open about how his love of horror motion pictures knowledgeable the movie, each when it comes to his choice to make it and the tone of the completed product. Smith recalled that in his childhood:

“I wished to look at f***ing John Landis tear sh*t up with American Werewolf. And that’s the spirit animal of this f***ing film. As a result of the tone of that film knowledgeable Tusk. I used to be 10, 11 years outdated after I noticed that. That flick is extremely f***ing gory, extremely scary, and f***ng trippy as effectively, however periodically, Landis injected large doses of humor. I keep in mind the poster was like, “From the director of Animal Home comes a brand new form of animal.” And it was a brand new form of animal. It was a f***ing scary film that was additionally humorous.”

Smith’s love for the gory visceral components of horror motion pictures exhibits in Tusk’s execution too. The residing walrus go well with Wallace will get fused with wasn’t a part of the advert within the Tusk true story, and was concocted by Smith. It is understandably been a speaking level since Tusk‘s launch, and the director took nice lengths to make sure it was front-and-center when it got here to what disturbed audiences noticed on display:

“As soon as we begin exhibiting him, we’re like, “Take a look at it!” As a result of that’s what you paid to see. On the finish of the day, it’s sideshow materials. The one motive you got here into that f***ing darkish room is since you’re like, “I heard they made the man a walrus.”

Tusk 2 Is Coming

Kevin Smith’s Weird Walrus Film Is Getting A Sequel

Escape the human walrus costume, as a result of Tusk is getting a sequel. Within the podcast Fatman Past (through Geek Tyrant) Kevin Smith himself reported that Tusk 2 is on the best way, and there is a motive he left the human walrus on the zoo in Tusk‘s ending. The author/director/actor even gave up a number of the sequel’s premise, which shall be known as Tusks, so audiences can know what to anticipate.

Firstly, Justin Lengthy shall be returning to reprise his function, and in some unspecified time in the future, he shall be rehabilitated out of the human walrus. Nevertheless, his transformation nonetheless sticks with him — and he desires to inflict the ache he skilled on others now. Presumably, Lengthy’s Wallace shall be surgically turning individuals into half-human-animal hybrids in Tusk, and it will be intriguing to witness Lengthy in a villain function. Smith deliberate to convey the Tusk sequel to the massive display in 2024, on the tenth anniversary of the unique movie, however that now clearly will not be the case.

Different Films You Would not Consider Are Impressed By True Tales

Cocaine Bear, Hit Man, And 300 All Inform Unbelievable Tales With Some Foundation In Truth

In relation to motion pictures that declare to be primarily based on true tales, it could actually all the time be assumed that a number of the details are going to be embellished. Nevertheless, there are examples of films which are so outrageous with their premises that it may be onerous to imagine any of them have foundation in actuality. There are a few motion pictures which have adopted an analogous strategy as Tusk in taking the headline of an intriguing story and increasing that into its personal authentic story.

Such was the case with Cocaine Bear, a wild horror-comedy a few bear that ingests a misplaced package deal of cocaine and goes on a lethal drug-fueled rampage. The film is primarily based on a real incident throughout the Eighties the place medicine had been dumped out of a drug smuggler’s aircraft and one of many packages was consumed by a bear. Nevertheless, nobody was really killed, and the bear merely died consequently.

The current crime film Hit Man can also be primarily based on a real story of a mild-mannered trainer who moonlighted for the police as a pretend hitman to run sting operations for murder-for-hire shoppers. Whereas the film follows an analogous concept, it additionally fully invents the extreme and attractive crime saga that unfolds. The film’s epilogue even explains that the true topic of the film is a pleasant man who didn’t do any of the unlawful issues depicted within the film.

In fact, there are different motion pictures which are primarily based on true occasions, however do not in any respect fake to be primarily based in actuality. 300 is an ideal instance of this as it’s a depiction of the Battle of Thermopylae however contains fantastical components, like grotesque creatures, immortal warriors, and inconceivable monsters. Many horror motion pictures, like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, have taken actual circumstances and advised there was a supernatural factor to them. Like Tusk, these motion pictures may be loved as they’re even when the “true story” claims are extra sophisticated.

Tusk

When Wallace Bryton interviews an eccentric outdated sailor, Howard Howe, for his podcast, the outdated man tells him of a walrus named “Mr. Tusk” who as soon as saved his life. Sadly, the story does not finish there, as Howard’s obsession with Mr. Tusk means he has some disturbing plans for Wallace.

Launch Date

September 6, 2014

Runtime

101minutes