Choke

[Watashi]

Trailer (http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?vid=235956)

I've heard terrible things about this unfortunately, and this trailer confirms my suspicions.

[Qrazy]

Yeah the MTV logo is usually a pretty good barometer for crap.

[Benny Profane]

I read the book and kinda liked it. I think this has potential, though it would be difficult to pull off a strict adaptation.

Oh, and guess what. There's a twist at the end!

[Ezee E]

Loved the book. Love Rockwell.

I'm sure I'll like this. Even if it's a little more comical and brighter then I expected.

[origami_mustache]

I liked the book, but this trailer gives me the impression Choke will be a lackluster and very forgettable film without the stylization it needs.

[Skitch]

This is one of my most anticipated of the year.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The book was pretty good (great ending, not the twist but what comes after), and Rockwell is perfect for the lead. I actually thought that trailer looked pretty decent. I'll see it.

[Dukefrukem]

red band traler... looks pretty fnny


http://www.foxsearchlight.com/choke/

[trotchky]

Seeing this in two hours; I'm hopeful.

[eternity]

I don't think I'll be able to see it this weekend and that it sad to me. I really love the book.

[trotchky]

It's awesome, one of the best of the year.

[eternity]

It's awesome, one of the best of the year.

Glad to hear.

[SirNewt]

What's with the hate? Of course it's commercial but it looks funny.

[Pop Trash]

Here's what I wrote in the general film thread:

Choke was decent. The direction is pretty flat and very point-and-shoot. The constant flashbacks were distracting. I got the feeling the book is a lot better and goes more in depth. It did have that "adaptation of a book but never really turns into the cinematic" feeling. Oddly I kept thinking I was watching an R-rated version of My Name is Earl since Rockwell reminded me of Jason Lee at times and his good friend reminded me of the chubby dude from Earl. It also reminded me of Water's underrated A Dirty Shame. Rockwell was good. I'm pretty much in love with Kelly McDonald, but her acting here was merely pretty good.

That said, it does have some memorable moments. There is a hilarious "rape fantasy" scene that had me rolling.

Overall: 6/10

[Ezee E]

Seeing this in a hour.

[Ezee E]

Garbage. The book was good. The script though, is awful, as it is basically a transcript of the book. The direction, even worse, as it just goes from scene to scene, without any context whatsoever, basically waiting for the next tit shot.

Garbage.

[Milky Joe]

I thought it was great.

[Ezee E]

I thought it was great.
Why

[MadMan]

I want to see this, reviews be damned. I think it looks funny, plus I'm fast becoming a fan of Sam Rockwell. Who is really an underrated talent.

[Ezee E]

I want to see this, reviews be damned. I think it looks funny, plus I'm fast becoming a fan of Sam Rockwell. Who is really an underrated talent.
Rockwell is a great actor. So is MacDonald.

They seem bored throughout this whole movie though, especially MacDonald.

The best character in this is Anjelica Houston, the mother, who is mostly wasted in the hospital as the typical mother with dementia.

[eternity]

I may have to rewatch that again because I have no idea what to think, though I'm thinking I really liked how it was adapted. It was very straight on yet entirely different from what I was expecting out of it. Books really do leave much to the reader's own perception, and it threw me very much off guard.

But wow, I didn't know Tim Orr was the DOP on this. Nice.

80+

[NickGlass]

Well, that was awful.

The film's cheap shots at drama (crying mothers) and dark humor (old women with dementia) really show how desperate this film is to throttle viewers into believing how edgy it is. Even the psychology of the characters, which is laid on thick through subtext spewing dialogue or flashbacks, is muddled by various subplots--each more ludicrous than the other. It's comforting to know, however, that damaged psyches can be cured within a moment (or, at least, that's what the bible-thumping stripper told me). Essentially, the film is one limp dick.

Towards the end of the film, my friend got up to go to the bathroom. When she returned, I started explaining what had occured, then realized there was so much nonsense squeezed into four minutes, and quickly gave up on my recap. All I wanted to do was throw my empty beer cans at the screen.

[Watashi]

This film ruled. I never read the book, but I was quite taken with everything. Even Huston's big scene in hospital shook me pretty hard. It's dark, twisted, and surprisingly sweet.

It's only fitting that Nick hates this.