Monday 22 June 2020

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2014: Michael Parks in Tusk

Michael Parks did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Howard Howe in Tusk.

Tusk is a terrible film about a man turning another man into a walrus.

Michael Parks though is on call to attempt to make a much better film about this terrible joke idea for a film. Parks being an actor who was just kind of in...whatever...for much of his career as a working actor. Of course in this sense we can see the talents of such actor who given the quality of the film he was in seemed determined on such a random factor he might as well give it his best every time anyways. Well we have that here, in that we have a film about a man who will be turned into a human walrus which is as dumb as it sounds, but sadly not as funny as it could possibly be. This as the film has no sense of tone, however the one thing it does have is Michael Parks to try to impart some wisdom on the proceedings through the virtues of his performance. Parks appears as a strange man in an estate that is visited by a podcaster for the Not-See Party (yeah...that's the level of comedy for this film), Wallace (Justin Long) looking for a weird story. Parks appears initially as a man in a wheelchair with an oddly genteel demeanor. Parks already showing a devotion to the idea of quality film-making that would seemingly be quite foreign when compared to the direction/screenplay of the film. The point is though Parks is instantly on a different level entirely as he creates a curiosity within his own work instantly. Parks suggesting something is not quite right however doing it initially as though he is a man just perhaps a bit lost within his own mind.

Parks though is wonderful in that initially doesn't even overplay the off-beat note. He rather instead brings a bit of warmth in his interactions with Long. Parks finding a slight affability that would ease most into thinking Howard isn't as nefarious as his house would suggest. Parks's performance bringing initially as just a nearly kindly old man as he regales him with a tale of Ernest Hemingway. Parks brings a sincere recollection of the scene of both a comic moment with Hemingway, but also a somber recognition in his for the fallen associated at the time of their meeting, d-day. Honestly it is Parks who gives the dialogue here seemingly a greater quality than is actually evident in it through the sheer conviction and nuance he offers it. It would have been easy enough to play him as just ridiculously sinister, but Parks takes the role seriously, more seriously than the film deserves frankly, but I appreciate nonetheless. Parks later speaking on his experiences with a walrus, his eyes gazing as though he is looking into a far away past. His words efficient with the manner of a true raconteur telling his tale of being saved by a Walrus when he was lost at sea. Parks bringing a certain mania within the story through eyes that detail the man's madness before he slowly begins to reveal his real nature.

This begins with first drugging Wallace and cutting off one of his legs claiming it was to save his life. Howard initially plays it off as though he's just helping Wallace. Parks still playing the part as though a supportive old man, though now his eyes darting with that darkness that reveals the hidden menace of the man. Parks though soon revealing the actual direct menace, as Howard can in fact walk with ease, and Parks is terrifying within his own work. This now directly playing the insanity of the man with a sheer comfort and belief in every word. This even in giving walrus tips Parks offers an unnerving passion to the concept as though he is a fanatic to the idea of a man being a walrus at heart. Parks falling into the blithering insanity with great ease particularly in his screams to match Long's, making a proper villain for a much better horror film than the one he is in. Now the man turns Wallace into a Walrus and if one thinks the film had little creative inspiration before this point, well it's completely bankrupt after this point resorting to Johnny Depp doing his best Inspector Clouseau impression as an investigator to try to get something going. This including flashback between Depp and Parks, where Depp almost caught Howard in an earlier Walrus related exploit. Although I'm quite sure the scene is 2 years long in actual screentime because of how long it feels, I can still give credit for Parks throwing himself into a different variation in the role as a disguise of Howard as confused sort of hillbilly. Parks is terrific though in fashioning this other personality with his vacant eyes and slurred speech, as a seemingly different harmless old man. It's a shame the scene is written so terribly as Parks has something going on his end even if the work is in vain as the scene is too poorly written to be salvaged. Although if one thinks that scene is bad the film is filled with so many more, the worst of them being Parks being forced to go around with Long in the Walrus suit. There really is barely even an idea for these scenes, but I'll give Parks credit for not embarrassing himself in them. This as he still brings that strict devotion to his performance here as a guy wanting to get killed by a man walrus...I guess....it's really bad. Honestly I can't even recommend watching the scenes with Parks in this film because of how horribly directed, written and edited they are. They are well acted though, I'll even grant Long some credit there too. Parks is the true professional as he gives the very best performance one could imagine in a film of this quality. Does it make the film watchable? No. It does show that an actor can be capable of being good even in the almost entirely worthless material of an atrocious film.

30 comments:

BRAZINTERMA said...

Schumacher was never a great director. But the fact that he directed good films like: St. Elmo's Fire, The Lost Boys, Falling Down and Phone Booth already guaranteed my respect for him.

RIP Joel Schumacher

Luke Higham said...

And had the guts to apologise for the atrocity that was Batman And Robin. I respected him even more for that because not many directors are willing to accept fault.

Michael McCarthy said...

I know you said not to watch this film Louis, but I have to say unlike with Matt Dillon in The House that Jack Built, I honestly believe that Parks’s performance here makes this stupid movie worth watching.

Luke Higham said...

1. Schoenaerts
2. Waititi
3. Pine
4. Khan
5. Darin

1. LaBeouf
2. Parks
3. Alcazar
4. Claflin
5. Cusack

RatedRStar said...

Not see party... I mean that alone pretty much sums up why I don't even want to touch this film, feel sorry for Parks TBH.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: ratings and thoughts on the rest of the cast?

Anonymous said...

1. Schoenaerts
2. Pine
3. Waititi
4. Khan
5. Darin

1. LaBeouf
2. Alcazar
3. Parks
4. Claflin
5. Cusack

Bryan L. said...

1. Schoenaerts
2. Waititi
3. Pine
4. Khan
5. Darin

1. LaBeouf
2. Parks
3. Alcazar
4. Claflin
5. Cusack

Shaggy Rogers said...

1. Darin
2. Schoenaerts
3. Waititi
4. Khan
5. Pine

1. LaBeouf
2. Parks
3. Alcazar
4. Claflin
5. Cusack

Emi Grant said...

Yeah, I remember seeing this on a video about "disturbing" films and it just sounds straight-up ridiculous to not even a so-bad-it's-good level. I will admit that if it caught my morbid attention then, now it has my curiosity.

Louis: I was meaning to ask, due to your post on your wins of 2014, does that mean Poulter is still secured as #1 for the year or is it at risk and you will just update it later if he happens to go down?

Anonymous said...

Louis, where would you rank Nina Hoss on your Top 25 for the decade?

Michael McCarthy said...

Are Keanu Reeves (John Wick) and Chris Evans (Winter Soldier) solidified in their respective ratings?

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 15 chris evans acting moments

Calvin Law said...

I honestly don’t know if I should watch this or not lol. Although I didn’t pay heed to House that Jack Built last time round and paid the consequences...but Michael saying the opposite...I’m torn.

Parks was a great actor though. Also Louis what are your thoughts on Ronald Zehrfeld in Phoenix? (Last question about the film for the interim I promise)

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: your top 16-20 chris evans acting moments

Robert MacFarlane said...

You literally could not pay me to watch a Kevin Smith movie. I hate he’s from Jersey. I always feel like I have to apologize for him on behalf of the state.

Matt Mustin said...

Yeah, I'm still curious about this, but maybe I'm a masochist. Incidentally, which is worse, this or Yoga Hosers?

Mitchell Murray said...

Come on, Robert...That's a little harsh, don't you think?

I mean, I'm not all that fond of "Zack and Miri" or "Chasing Amy" - mainly because I've outgrown the sort of frat boy humour attached to both - but I have no personal beef with Smith himself. From most everything I read/seen of him, he seems like a chill enough dude who's matured quite a bit from his youth, and has also tried to correct some of the choices he regrets.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Eh.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Schoenaerts
2. Waititi
3. Pine
4. Khan
5. Darin

1. LaBeouf
2. Parks
3. Alcazar
4. Claflin
5. Cusack

Mitchell Murray said...

I will admit, also, that I grew even more sympathetic of Smith when I heard of his heart attack; Stories about how people going through those kinds of ordeals has always gotten a strong response from me.

Louis Morgan said...

Michael:

Well perhaps my real mistake was...watching it twice.

Lucas:

Eh, Long does some decent screaming, Depp is purposefully ridiculous and might've worked with better material but doesn't here, Osment is as awkward as all his post-child work, and Smith/Depp's kids give a sign of things to come...not a good thing.

Emi:

No, I've posted the wins before and supporting actor starts with the "then" winner no matter what.

Michael:

I wouldn't say unquestionably, though I feel comfortable enough at the moment.

Anonymous:

Top 15 seems most appropriate at the moment.

1. Story of Edgar - Snowpiercer
2. Argument with Tony - Captain America: Civil War
3. Final confrontation with Bucky - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
4. Lucas is nothing without his stunt team - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
5. The Truth - Captain America: Civil War
6. His "collection" - The Ice Man
7. F U to everyone - Knives Out
8. Not moving on - Endgame
9. "Don't Stop Believing" - The Losers
10. Not quite making it - Sunshine
11. Rebellion starts - Snowpiercer
12. Elevator number 2 - Avengers: Endgame
13. All revelations - Knives Out
14. Elevator - Captain America The Winter Soldier
15. Elderly Peggy - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Calvin:

Zehrfeld - 3.5(In a certain sense he has a thankless role in that his character somehow feels worse than so many villains. Having said that I think his performance carefully maneuvering around becoming one note in the character's amorality. He shows it certainly as greed that is pushing him, even in the cruel moments towards his changed wife, but he brings needed humanity in that, even if it is of a baser form. He also does deserve a lot of credit for the ending as his expression is essential in selling the moment of coming to finally understand the truth of the situation.)

Matt:

Yoga Hosers by miles.... and it's not just because it lacks Parks.

Tim said...

1) Schoenaerts
2) Darin
3) Waititi
4) Pine
5) Khan


1) LaBeouf
2) Parks
3) Alcazar
4) Claflin
5) Cusack

Tim said...

thoughts on cinematography, production design and costume design of Sleepy Hollow?

Anonymous said...

Louis, what are your 10 guilty pleasures of the 2010s (the films must be under 50% on RT).

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: For all it's faults, I actually quite enjoy Pompeii, whether it's Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Sutherland's so bad, it's good work or even Harington (Who's screen presence was really beginning to grow around that time).

Bryan L. said...

Louis: For a modern version of Gone with The Wind, do you think Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh could be good fits for Scarlett and Melanie?

Omar Franini said...


1. Schoenaerts
2. Waititi
3. Pine
4. Khan
5. Darin

1. LaBeouf
2. Parks
3. Alcazar
4. Claflin
5. Cusack

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Would Carey Mulligan be your choice for a 2000s Melanie.

Louis Morgan said...

Tim:

The cinematography is impressive, naturally with Lubezki, though I think he proves himself here a bit against his more typical style which emphasizes movement and naturalistic lighting design. With this, though there are still elements of both ideas, he goes for a more overt horror design and it pays off. This in very much fashioning it over sort of a colonial horror painting fused with Hammer horror style tropes. Really a fantastic combination that makes it easily one of Burton's best looking films.

The production design is also great in fashioning really what can be said is high budget horror. This really taking tenets from Hammer horror and Universal horror as well, Frakenstein's windmill for example, and just upping it to the next level. The cost isn't wasted and it is an impressive looking grim affair, from the lurid town, the memorable blood tree, and the aforementioned windmill as highlights.

The costuming is some good work, though one can take or leave Katrina's Beetlejuice dress I suppose, in that it both grants that period appropriateness though fashions it against through a bit of the Burton style to grant it all a rather distinct look.

Anonymous:

Well for me no pleasure is guilty but...

1. The Zero Theorem (slight cheat)
2. The Losers
3. Live By Night
4. The Book of Eli
5. Hummingbird

Top five was the best I can do.

Bryan:

Yes though I think the reverse is more ideal for their individual presences.

Luke:

Would make sense.