Genre: Comedies, Black Comedy, Comedy, Independent, Theatrical Release, Adaptation, Sex, Based On A Novel

 

Director: Clark Gregg

Cast/Crew: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly MacDonald, Brad William Henke, Jonah Bobo, Clark Gregg

 

Description:

CHOKE's protagonist, Victor Mancini, shouldn't be a likable character. He's an unrepentant sex addict who has sex with the woman he's supposed to be sponsoring. He purposely chokes in restaurants so that rich patrons will save him and send him money. And he sometimes wishes that his mother, who suffers from dementia, would just get it over with and die. But because Victor is played--and played quite well--by Sam Rockwell (THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY), it's hard not to have a little sympathy for him. He spends his days working at a colonial tourist attraction with his best friend, Denny (Brad William Henke), incurring the wrath of his authenticity-craving boss (Clark Gregg, who also directed and wrote the film). His evenings are spent visiting his mother (Oscar winner Anjelica Huston) in a private hospital, but she mistakes her son for men in her past and wonders when Victor will visit. But young, pretty Dr. Paige Marshall (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN's Kelly Macdonald) has a radical idea about treatment that may bring his mother's mind back, and Victor's devotion to his mother--and a desire to sleep with Dr. Marshall--makes him eager to try. CHOKE rivals some soft-core porn with its abundance of sex, nudity, and adult toys, but there's more here than just the shocking and the steamy. This dark comedy is based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk, most famous for writing the book FIGHT CLUB. Like the adaptation of that novel, CHOKE is a surefire cult favorite that meditates on the themes of culture, religion, fathers, sexuality, and identity. It's a mean, misanthropic film at times, but similar to its protagonist, it's hard not to like. Gregg has made an assured directorial debut, and his script retains the blackly humorous tone of the novel.

 

Release Notes:

DVD Features: Region 1 Keep Case - Checkpoint, Sensormatic Widescreen - 1.85 Audio: Dolby Surround 5.1 - English Dolby Surround - French, Spanish Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional Additional Release Material: Audio Commentary - Director/Writer/actor Clark Gregg and actor Sam Rockwell Behind the Scenes - Gag Reel Deleted Scenes (5) - With Optional Commentary by Writer/Director Clark Gregg and Sam Rockwell Featurettes - 1. "A Conversation with Clark Gregg and Chuck Palahniuk" 2. "My Name Is Victor, and I'm A Sex Addict" 3. "A Mother's Love" 4. "From the Los Angeles Film Festival" 5. "Fox Movie Channel Presents: Casting Session" Trailers - HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY, NOTORIOUS, DONNIE DARKO, GENTLEMEN BRONCOS, MAX PAYNE, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE, NOBEL SON

 

ItemID: 1193040

 

UPC: 024543543909

 

Catalog Number: FOX 2254390

 

Rating: R (MPAA)

Rating Reason: for strong sexual content, nudity and language

Release Company: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Format: DVD

In Print Date: 2/17/2009

Original Release Year: 2008

Country of Origin: USA

Language: English (English Subtitled, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed, Spanish Subtitled) Closed Caption: No

Extra Info: Checkpoint; Sensormatic; Widescreen

Runtime: 1Hr 29min