Choke
DVD Review: Choke
Starring: Sam Rockwell / Anjelica Houston / Kelly Macdonald / Clark Gregg
Director: Clark Gregg
Rating: Major R
Writer: Based on “Choke” by Chuck Palahniuk
Released Date: February 17, 2009 DVD
One writer who is not exactly known for subtly would be Chuck Palahniuk. His novels are abrasive, offensive and yet completely hilarious. It’s a guilty pleasure I guess you could say and Choke is probably one of the worst as far as out-right repulsiveness of all his works. I knew this movie was going to be funny but I also watched it with a bit of apprehension due to how uncomfortable the novel of his I am currently reading has been so far. I was prepared to be shocked and possibly nauseated by its content from the beginning.
I was not disappointed by the gross-out factor but like his books the movie had a deeper meaning behind the unabashed crudeness of the character’s behavior. The basis for the story is surrounding Victor (Sam Rockwell): a self proclaimed sex addict who is completely incapable of having a meaningful relationship due to his unconventional and perhaps emotionally abusive upbringing by his mother played by Anjelica Houston.
The backbone of Colonial America
Victor spends most of his time as a “tour guide” at a colonial park and has a habit of fake choking on food in restaurants in order to have wealthy sympathetic individual feel that they have saved his life. Once these strangers have “saved” him from choking he depends on their charity financially for the rest of his life as a sort of responsibility he feels they have for rescuing him. The money he receives allows him to pay for a private hospital for his mother who suffers from severe dementia barely knowing who he is when he visits her.
There is a pretty even balance of shock-humor, witty dialogue and drama in the film that gives it meaning and makes it somewhat identifiable. It is full of metaphors and sucessfully pulls of visually projecting the writing technique of Palahniuk. I was horrified at times by the events that take place but like whenever I watch WifeSwap I just can’t look away no matter how bad it gets. The ending ties up things rather well and still leaves a bit of mystery to the story which I think is good. I enjoyed it but I wouldn’t watch with many people because it’s rather offensive.
Bottom Line: VERY DARK DRAMEDY W/ MAJOR SHOCK VALUE
The Rocker
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Teddy Geiger
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: DVD Jan 27, 2009
Rotten Tomato’s 73%
This is just a short review since there isn’t really much to say about The Rocker that you probably couldn’t already guess from the commercials. I am a big fan of Rainn Wilson from his role on The Office so I was looking forward to seeing this movie. As I had expected he did a really good job and managed to keep the PG-13 rating so the audience isn’t just limited to adults.
I was also really impressed by the music in the film which was very good thanks to Teddy Geiger who plays Curtis. He has a great voice and has quite a few other musical credits that I didn’t even know about. Overall this is a pretty funny movie that’s worth renting and even watching with your parents. Oh and the cameo’s from the SNL guys & Bradley Cooper were totally hilarious. Not the mention those outfits…seriously there should be a museum for the horrific attire that was made popular in the 80′s. Those fashions belong behind glass, and should stay there forever.
Best One Liners:
A lot of elevators play Celine Dion – that doesn’t make it right.
Are you kidding me? Look at him, it’s like Abercrombie is making people now.
Some people carry a rabbit’s foot; I like to rock a pocket of puke.
Bottom Line: TOTALLY RENTABLE
- Paul-Blart
Starring: Kevin James/ Keir O’Donnell
Rating: PG
Release Date: Jan 16, 09
I wasn’t expecting this movie to be Oscar worthy by any means going in because to be honest this is one of those films that is expected to be a silly slap-stick goof fest for a laugh. I was however surprised at how many kids were in the audience. The comedy wasn’t vulgar or anything like that so I don’t see anything wrong with a kid seeing but it still surprised me considering James’s previous films where the adult elements would have been a bit inappropriate for little ones.
It did have a few really good laughs but sadly as with lots movies now the best parts were in the previews. And when those parts came on the screen hardly anyone laughed because the commercials have been playing non-stop on TV for weeks now. I really get tired of seeing movies like that where they give away the best of the movie before you even get to see it. It happens in all types of films too, not just comedy’s.
Still goofball movies like this are good in the current times due to the overwhelming pressure on Americans from the economy and lack of good secure jobs out there. It’s nice to escape from all the seriousness and laugh even if it is just for an hour or two. That is the magic of the movies, the escape of it from everyday worries and troubles.
Towards the end of the film the jokes started going stale and the laughs were less and less but it wasn’t a total waste of time. I would still wait for this one on DVD and rent it.
Bottom Line: RENT IT
One Cute Outfielder
Starring: Owen Wilson/ Jennifer Aniston
Rating: PG
Release Date: Christmas Day
I really was not impressed with this movie at all. The main reason I thought it was a disappointment was because their marketing of the film was all wrong. They portrayed it in the commercials as this fun-filled comedy about a family and a wild but loveable dog. This is not the case.
I made the mistake of going to see this film with someone I didn’t know very well and basically made a crying fool of myself, as did much of the audience with me from all the sniffling I heard. Yes, the movie was about an adorable dog and the whole first half of it was funny and light-hearted, but they build you up just to bring you down. As soon as Marley started having trouble walking up the front stairs of the family home in the film I knew it was going to be all down hill from there.
I had lost a dog this past summer and so this movie hit me especially hard. I do not recommend it for anyone who has recently lost a pet because it will most certainly bring up all those sad feelings all over again. And the thing that got me was how much they milked the sadness at the end. It was as if the writer and director were trying to squeeze as many tears out as they could.
Overall if I had known then what I know now I would have rented this one with a box of tissues and watched it alone on my couch.
Bottom Line: TOTAL SOBFEST
