The news story was based on a Gumtree advertisement for a rent-free apartment, the catch being that the tenant would have to wear a “realistic walrus costume” of the owner’s own creation. The reason was that the author of the ad evidently spent three years on an isolated island, with only a walrus he named Gregory to keep him company. Missing his friend, the man expected the lodger to play a walrus for up to several hours day, at which time he is not to talk.
Amidst gasps of laughter during the podcast, Somdcast Episode 259 an idea for a low-budget body-horror movie gelled, initially as a joke. The premise being, naturally, that the advertisement is not at all innocent, as these things go. Evidently, however, not having anything to do following the completion of his Clerks III script, Kevin Smith got to work writing the movie. Parts of the story, naturally, are changed to protect from possible legal trouble. The title went from The Walrus and the Carpenter (based on the Lewis Carroll poem, already discussed in Smith’s Dogma), to simply Tusk, which has a great simplicity which makes for effective horror movie titles, and is inspired by the Fleetwood Mac song which the writer was evidently listening to during the writing process.
“No speaking! You’re a walrus!”
Kevin Smith evidently already considered casting, as well, and Michael Parks who was very chilling in Smith’s 2011’s Red State, is onboard to play the horrible landlord. Quentin Tarantino is also being cast as the investigating police officer. The film is scheduled to enter production in September, which will push back the production of Clerks III to early 2014.
I’m still wrapping up my film career. I intend to close it with Clerks III – which we’re now aiming to shoot March of 2014 (more on that when I get the info. But what I love about all this is that a movie came from a podcast. Might be one of the first situations I ever heard of where that happened, too. I’m delighted by the fact that my new world (of podcasts) is now shaping my old world (of film). New media nourishes old media and together, they produce some weird-ass art. It’s very 21st century.
The film is being made by Blumhouse Productions, which was the studio behind the popular Insidious and Paranormal Activity franchises.
What do you think, is this too weird to work? Or has Kevin Smith proved himself enough with Red State to make it work?
FilmStoned 