Happy Indie-Pendence Day!
Choke (9/26/08)
Big Star(s), Little Movie? Eh, it depends upon how you view Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. They’re names are certainly recognizable, but probably not enough to open a movie during the beginning of Oscar season.
Big-Studio Deal Breaker: Subject matter, and convolution thereof. Choke is based on a book by one of the best, most beloved authors of this generation, Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club), but here’s what the story is about: a guy (Rockwell) who habitually fake-chokes on food at restaurants, where unwitting diners “save” him and then send him cash out of pity. Oh yeah, and looking for sex in sexual-addiction clinics. Just a wee bit too much depravity for studios’ liking--plus, a premise like that might cause audiences to think, which is a no-no.
