Choke (2008)

A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother's hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.

Director:

Clark Gregg

Writers:

Clark Gregg (screenplay), Chuck Palahniuk (novel)

Stars:

Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathryn Alexander	...	Mousy Girl / Agnes
Teodorina Bello	...	Jamaican Lady
Kate Blumberg	...	Edwin's Wife
Jonah Bobo	...	Young Victor
Willi Burke	...	Deranged Socialite (as Wilma 'Willi' Burke)
Heather Burns	...	Internet Date / Gwen
David Fonteno	...	Edwin
Matt Gerald	...	Detective Ryan
Clark Gregg	...	Lord High Charlie
Joel Grey	...	Phil
Viola Harris	...	Eva Muller
Brad William Henke	...	Denny
Paz de la Huerta	...	Nico (as Paz De La Huerta)
Michelle Hurst	...	Shapely Nurse
Anjelica Huston	...	Ida J. Mancini

Storyline

Sex addict and colonial theme park worker, Victor Mancini, has devised a complicated scam to pay for his mom's hospital bills while she suffers from an Alzheimer's disease that hides the truth about his childhood. He pretends to choke on food in a restaurant and the person who "saves" him will feel responsible for Victor for the rest of their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

sex addict | sex in airplane | falling asleep during sex | sex scene | sex in a hospital | 

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Taglines:

From the author of Fight Club

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Asfixia

Filming Locations:

Essex County Hospital Center - 204 Grove Avenue, Cedar Grove, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,319,286, 28 September 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,926,565, 23 November 2008

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,982,459

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, ATO Pictures, Contrafilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Victor choked with a piece of meat, Sam Rockwell was actually eating watermelon with sauce.

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Goofs

When Victor is attempting to feed his mother cannelloni in their first meeting scene, the camera changes angle and she is not wearing the napkins he previously placed under her chin. When the camera moves back to another angle the napkins have miraculously returned.

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Quotes

Victor Mancini: As I reclaimed my personal booth at the cafe of diminished expectations, all I had to do was ask myself one simple question: What would Jesus NOT do?

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: Dragonpuncher 3: The Punchening (2011)

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Soundtracks

If You Feel It
Written by Jonathan Lore and Dwight Jenkins
Performed by Ms. Tyree "Sugar" Jones
Published by Big Mack Music (BMI)
Courtesy of The Numero Group
By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

A movie a mature audience will enjoy

Chuck Palahniuk appeals to a younger audience? I thought this movie was very well written, very well acted and dark and disturbing. I will add this book to my must read.

I guess I'm a Sam Rockwell fan, and the reason I desperately wanted to watch this movie and it was only after watching it did I realize this was based on a book. The movie stands alone very well. I just can't stop thinking about it. I never believed Victor (Sam Rockwell) to be a disgusting human being, I saw him as flawed, horribly flawed, misunderstood, imperfect and what else can you expect when your mother was completely insane.

I thought Choke was a phenomenal movie, with amazing depth of character and insight about mental illness. Victor is a sex addict, so there is an awful lot of sex in the movie - if this bothers you, then do not bother. You will need an open mind to enjoy this movie.

The comments here on IMDb are extremely disappointing, so please do not bother reading them.