Tusk

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THR wrote:A24, Demarest Films Pick Up Kevin Smith's Monster Movie 'Tusk'

A24 has teamed up with Demarest Films for Kevin Smith's latest film, Tusk.

The New York-based company plans to release the film, which stars Justin Long, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment, in the third quarter of 2014.

Also written by Smith, Tusk is considered a "modern-day monster movie" and is currently in production. Sam Englebardt, David Greathouse and Shannon McIntosh are producing.

In the film, Long plays a journalist who finds the story of a lifetime in Mr. Howe (Parks), a worldwide adventurer with amazing tales and a curious penchant for walruses.

"I'm as happy as the day Miramax bought Clerks back in '94! We're so lucky A24 fell in love with our walrus picture and jumped in the pool with us. I was a big fan of how they released The Bling Ring and Spring Breakers, so I was praying Tusk would take root there,” says Smith in the announcement.

A24's 2013 releases included Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers and James Ponsoldt’s Spectacular Now. Upcoming titles for 2014 include David Michod’s The Rover, Steven Knight’s Tom Hardy-starrer Locke and Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin starring Scarlett Johansson.
and since i know you can't get enough of smith, here's an editorial written by him about why QT passed on acting in this: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/k ... ino-645204

Re: Tusk

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Thank God, I was so worried that he retired for good and I could only watch him do his thing on Comic Book Men. You know, that thing where he wears a hockey sweater.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

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Alexhead wrote:Thank God, I was so worried that he retired for good and I could only watch him do his thing on Comic Book Men. You know, that thing where he wears a hockey sweater.
"DIGNITY!"

ugh.

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TC wrote:
Alexhead wrote:Thank God, I was so worried that he retired for good and I could only watch him do his thing on Comic Book Men. You know, that thing where he wears a hockey sweater.
"DIGNITY!"

ugh.
You've got to admit he's tough to like a lot of the time.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

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Alexhead wrote:You've got to admit he's tough to like a lot of the time.
his persona that he (or someone) has decided should be on TV is awful. that's not the guy. listening to his interviews on O&A, for example, he's normal. that shtick he is doing is nothing i want any part of.

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Looks awful. Some pretty hideous acting in that trailer too. Oh well, I pretty much wrote Smith off a long time ago. Once Seth Rogen got him hooked on pot it all went in the crapper. He's proof that some people really can't handle their drugs.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

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I don't understand for the life of me how you could go to the trouble of actually producing a film--I hear it's hard work if done right--and just turn out tone-deaf shit every time. But Smith is a unique bird, that's for sure.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

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i know you all think i'm a smith fanboy, but here's my history of his films:
clerks - pro, have watched many times, will watch again
mallrats - ditto
chasing amy - meh. once was enough.
dogma - eh, only ok.
jay & silent bob strike back - was fun, not as much as he clearly thought it was. beating a dead horse unnecessarily. have watched it a few times.
clerks 2 - watched some of this. was kind of rage inducing.
zack & miri make a porno - this was entertaining, once. don't really see any reason to watch it again.
red state - mixed to pro. would watch again.

so really, i haven't been 100% in his court in 19 years. oh, forgot - the clerks animated series was actually pretty good. but yeah. reading the reviews of this is greatly amusing, i'm sure i'll still watch it out of morbid curiosity.

Re: Tusk

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To be honest, the Smith works I watch the most are the Evening Withs. He's better at telling stories about making movies than actually making them. Who here doesn't start looking for a giant spider in the third act every time they see a Jon Peters produced film (Man of Steel - giant spidery terraforming world engine - check). My opinion of Smith's work:

Clerks - Pro. Certainly his most original and witty dialog, even if he has no idea how to frame a shot. I still enjoy watching this every now and then.
Mallrats - I liked this a lot more when it came out, but time has not been good to it. I revisit it with each successive re-release and enjoy it less. At this point I probably get as much enjoyment because it reminds me of the time in my life when it came out as I do the film it self. Just meh now.
Chasing Amy - Probably my favorite of his films, and pretty much where he peaked as far as I'm concerned. The witty dialog of Clerks combined with somewhat more adult relationship issues.
Dogma - I have mixed feelings here. I love the anti-church stuff, a lot of the performances, and bonus points to the look of the film as Smith finally hires a competent DP. But the story is kind of tedious and Jay and Silent Bob are shoved in the film for no real reason. They drag it down a lot.
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back - When this came out I was so jazzed for it, still being in a Clerks Smith love phase and happy to see those characters again (later negated by Clerks 2). But that aside, god this film is awful and the most self-referential wank ever committed to cinema. I can't watch this one anymore.
Jersey Girl - While it doesn't deserve the Bennifer hate, it's not a good film. But Carlin's performance makes it worth a viewing. He's the only redeeming point of the film.
Clerks 2 - Shows just how much Smith has lost his edge when it comes to writing dialog. Most of the witty and unique feeling of the first film has been replaced with simple poop and dick jokes. The last 15 minutes of the film are the only good part. Tack it on to the end of the original Clerks as a 10 years later coda because the rest of the film is rubbish.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - I hate Seth Rogan with a passion, and I hate this film with an equal passion. Pure crap. This is what I'd imagine would happen if you gave a bunch of 14 year old youtubers a camera for a weekend and told them to make a film. God I loath this piece of shit. Fuck you Kevin Smith for unleashing this abomination on the world.
Cop Out - I watched this once. It was painful.
Red State - WTF was that? A lot of aimless wandering and then the world ends. I'm not sure this is even a film so much as a dinner theater performance art sketch. Maybe I would have liked it more with a helping of roast beef.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

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I don't have such a rundown as I have only seen 3 of them--thought Clerks was wildly overrated, thought Dogma was a hot mess of bad comedy, theology and violence, also not very well framed from what I recall, and Red State was ultimately kind of dumb too.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

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darkness wrote:To be honest, the Smith works I watch the most are the Evening Withs. He's better at telling stories about making movies than actually making them.
well, yeah. didn't include those.

and re: mallrats, what you say is the reason i'm afraid to watch it again. i haven't watched it in probably 10 years. i think the memory of it is way better than the reality of me watching it again would be.

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that's all true, but i think people are giving weed way too much credit here. as happens with many artists of any kind, he was far better when he was still hungry. he's got a plush place, beautiful wife & daughter, life is good. i think he's shown he is a guy that cannot write from a place of comfort, at least not the type of material he's producing. he needs a major life event to redirect the river. what he drinks, eats, or smokes is kind of irrelevant.

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True to some extent, but I think the weed is also numbing him to said life events. For instance the failure of Zach and Miri he seemed to take really hard. One could argue that was a major life event, But instead of doubling down and pouring himself into writing something really great (or at least the best he can), he retreated and just got baked every day, stopping only to direct someone else's rubbish. Major life events, or even minor ones, don't effect him because he's so high all the time.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

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Cool, list time:

Clerks - Nice time capsule of the early '90s indie slacker scene. Big laughs.
Mallrats - Thought this was wretched in '95. Now... I kinda like it. Harmless stuff.
Chasing Amy - At the time everyone thought this was a bold new direction, but it's now clearly the outlier. Nothing else is remotely as mature.
I constantly get Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back confused with each other.
Clerks II - It's OK. I've seen worse sequels made out of desperation.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - Nothing special. Certainly nothing very funny.
Red State - As said, if you didn't know this was Smith, you'd never guess. Still doesn't entirely work, but I'll give him credit for at least trying.

Haven't seen Jersey Girl, Cop Out or Tusk.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.