February 17, 2009
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Choke
Nothing bothers me more than movies that only get limited release and then go straight to home video. It’s not that I don’t “get it”–on the contrary. There are some movies that the suits just don’t think will make money in the theater, so they decide to print a bunch of discs and hope they can sell them to some big box store and let them get stuck trying to offload the merchandise.
Take Brick for instance. That was an indy film that was done right and could have made money in the theater if marketed right, but Brick was another one of those movies that the suits just didn’t know how to market because it didn’t fit nicely into a category. It was a high-school drama, a mystery, thriller and noir all in one. Granted, there wasn’t a lot of star power in the film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was the film’s biggest star by far, and yet, I’m betting that if I didn’t go down the list of his filmography you wouldn’t know him. That’s a shame too given he’s made some pretty damned good films.
The Weatherman was another example of this phenomenon. I still haven’t stopped scratching my head over this one four years later. The Weather Man starting Nicolas Cage, Michael Cane and Hope Davis (amongst others) was directed by Gore Verbinski. There was plenty of star power in this film. Verbinski had just finished the first Pirates movie so there was no reason for this film to get play. It was supposed to come out in March of ’05, but I vividly remember the release date slipping at least three times. When it finally came out in October, it only played at the art house in town for three weeks then left. The DVD was also a soft release.
So now we come to Choke staring Sam Rockwell. The trailer looked great and had everyone stoked since Q3 last year. It was an adaptation of the Chuck Palahniuk’s book of the same title. Now granted, it was a first time writer/director at the helm of the project, but we’re talking about a project based on a book by the guy who wrote Fight Club. How could it be doomed to fail?
The business is getting screwy I tell you. Remember
Opie’sRon Howard’s film Frost/Nixon that was supposed to come out at Christmas but didn’t do so until well after the first of the year? It got one showtime a day in town. I didn’t get to see it because of the poor scheduling. The Soloist got bumped as well–now we’re looking at an April 24th date, the third such date for the film! (If you’re looking for the music in the trailer, click here.) Hell, even Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler had a hard time finding a wide release date.So as much as I’d love to talk to you about Choke today, I’m afraid I just can’t do that because I haven’t had the opportunity to see the movie until today–the movie’s DVD release date. Some days, I feel like the studios are to release dates what Elmer Fudd is to hunting rabbits.
Comments (15)
PLEASE give a review of Choke when you see it. I love him as an author and this was the first one after Fight Club that I read – brilliant book. I’m trying to keep my expectations realistic, because most times the book is so much better than the movie. But I hope it’s worthy. And yeah, what’s going on with the movie industry? Maybe they need a bailout.
@DirtyAndShaken – They don’t need a bailout, they just need to move out of the Valley of the Tax of Death called California. And to quit screwing each other. (No, that is not a link to gay porn.)
While Chuck Pahlaniuk wrote fight club, the story is very old. Finding locales in philosophy and religion spanning the world. Clever writing made choke a far superior book, while the movie droned on repetitiously.
Lemme know if you like it. I like Chuck Palahniuk’s books, but had a hard time picturing this one transferring well on to the screen. Fight Club was well done, but nothing beats reading his acidic sentences.
@antisoccermom – Thanks for the heads up. I have a co-worker who will let me borrow the book, but as Choke the movie didn’t play here in town, I had to wait until today to see it. Thankfully, it’s at the top of my Netflix queue, so I shouldn’t have to wait too long. I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve had a chance to see the movie and read the book.
@impossibleangles – You know where Palahniuk has done a lot of his writiting? Playboy.
@ProfessorTom - with all the sex in this one, it reads like a Playboy. You know, since everyone buys Playboy for the articles.
@impossibleangles – But of course!
Actually, the owner of a company I work for gave me like 5 years worth. The Advisor was well worth the read. Trouble is, I haven’t had the oppurtunity to apply most of it!
That movie looked like it might be good when I saw the trailer. But I think it only played here for three days or so.
Chim-chimeny-chim-chim-cheroo!
@heidenkind – Good luck will rub off when I shakes ‘ands with you
Finally, some loving for Joseph Gordon-Levitt!
People only recognize him when I say he is Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun. Which is sad really, because he is a very talented actor. Mysterious Skin took a lot of guts.
He’s going to be in the new G.I. Joe movie, so I think a lot of people are going to get to know him soon.
– Soledad
@impossibleangles - I suspect you’re saying that tongue-in-cheek, but the articles really are what makes the magazine. Many a writer has either gotten their start there, or used it as a platform for popularity. Also, established writers sometimes publish off-topic works there. Its one of the better magazines for content. Think of it as a companion to the New Yorker.
@treelights – I always think of him as the kid from A River Runs Through It or now Brick.
@ehowton – I do have to say that I have read many a good article in Playboy. Truth be told, there were very few centerfolds I was interrested in because that just doesn’t suit my taste. If I want something like that, I head to the ‘net where it’s uncensored.
@ehowton - Yes, it was said tongue-in-cheek. I’ve read plenty articles from Playboy. They have wonderful, intelligent writers. [=