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.
