My opinion of Choke...and other movies I'm excited to see

About Choke...
I was not disapointed in the movie at all. It's off-beat, raunchy, twisted, dark and funny. You could use those same adjectives to describe a movie like Super Bad, but it's completely different because Choke feels more like "real life." If you are expecting anything like Fight Club you may be disappointed because Choke couldn't be more different. But why waste time comparing the two movies? I'd guess that the average "100 million dollar blockbuster-style" movie-goer would not like Choke and basically that's because it definitely has that indie flick vibe (low budget, shot in 3 weeks) and a lot of on-screen sex, but if you've read the book you're expecting it. The acting is terrific - from Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Houston to the random old ladies at the mental hospital that I thought were adorable (but I kind of have a soft spot for old people). In a weird way it was kind of a lovable movie and it kept me laughing the whole time (just like the book).

Movies I am looking forward to seeing...hopefully this weekend!!
Religulous
Director, Larry Charles (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Borat)
Writer, Bill Maher
Documentary: Bill Maher's take on the current state of world religion.

Burn After Reading
Directors, the Coen brothers
Comedy: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney

so, um, hi there...

Wow. So it's been awhile, huh? How have you been? Me, oh, just fine. I got ROCKBAND (Wii) for my birthday...I kind of play it a lot. Sometimes I sew...like the other day I made some rad curtains for my living room out of this fabric:

When I get around to making the matching rad pillows I'll share some pics. I also have a kid in middle school who's in, like, a trillion different activities so that keeps me busy. Oh yea, I get to go see a sneak preview of Choke tonight courtesy of my friend, Tony. I hear it's really good (7 out of 10 stars on IMDB). It won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

"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."

Choke, the movie, is based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk (my FAVE author). Chuck also wrote Fight Club. I hear some of his other novels are in production, Survivor (my #1), Invisible Monsters and Rant (which was just released a little over a year ago).

Today I started back on my work-out routine. I don't know why, but the very second I leave the gym I want to eat an entire cake...and I NEVER crave sweets. I guess I'll eat that orange I brought with me to work. yay.

I'll let ya know tomorrow what I think about this movie. toodles.

Are you a Chuck fan?

Here's some early buzz about Choke - Chuck Palahniuk's latest book to be adapted to the big screen. Ever seen Fight Club? Yep, that was Chuck too. I couldn't be more excited to see this film. I'm a HUGE fan of Chuck's work.



In what they're already calling the best sale of the festival, Fox Searchlight has bought Clark Gregg's adaptation of Choke for a reported $5 million! The film had its world premiere last night at the Racquet Club Theatre, and Chuck Palahniuk was in attendance as the film got a roaring applause. The cast includes Sam Rockwell (as Victor Mancini), Angelica Huston (as Ida Mancini), and Kelly MacDonald (as Paige Marshall). The playlist also looks promising - with bands like Radiohead, The Fiery Furnaces, Rogue Wave, and Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah!. The director is Clark Gregg - it appears this is the first film he has directed.

Here's a quote from Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net:
" I caught the world premiere of Choke last night and certainly will confirm that it is one hell of a great film. It's no Fight Club, but it is a Chuck Palahniuk movie in its own right delivering a solid story with great comedy and a perfect performance by Sam Rockwell. It's not my own favorite movie of the fest, but I couldn't be happier seeing this get picked up by the best indie distributor out there. Fox Searchlight has put out some of the biggest indie hits - Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno - and now it's time for Choke!"





Word is the next book to be adapted is Survivor (another personal favorite for me!) from the director of I Am Legend, Francis Lawrence.

CLOVERFIELD (no spoilers)

All I can say is YES! YES! YES!

Gotta love that JJ Abrams...

I-Heart-Movies

Sorry I’ve been away for so long. It’s been a busy month for me. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I enjoyed spending it with my family and the time I had away from work. I feel bad that I didn’t spend the time painting like I hoped I would, but the weather was too rainy for that anyway. One thing I was able to indulge myself in other than food was movie-watching…my favorite past-time! I made it out to see Beowulf, No Country for Old Men, and Lars and the Real Girl. Now, I’d love to tell you what I thought of each of them, but I’ll have you know that I’m a terrible reviewer. I can tell you if I liked the movie, but I don’t have any interesting background stories or references to give. So, if you’re still interested, here goes:

Beowulf
Recommended for: fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, grown-up animation, blood and gore
What I thought: So fun! This movie held my interest the entire time and sometimes it’s easier to watch animated blood and gore. Also, what’s the big deal about Angelina Jolie being naked in this movie? If you’ve ever seen Gia then you’ve already seen what she looks like (for real) naked. She has boobs; big deal.

No Country for Old Men
Recommended for: Texans and those who favor the Texas scenery. Fans of really dark comedy.
What I thought: Made me wistful for my small town relatives who’ve passed on, and – I can’t believe I’m thinking this – trips to Odessa, if only for the West Texas scenery. I couldn’t have loved Javier Bardem’s performance any more; such a terrific actor in the truest sense (also loved him in The Sea Inside). Great story, love the twists and turns and the whole ride and I appreciate movies that aren’t wrapped up in a neat little package. Also, I was shocked that Kelly MacDonald could pull of a Texan accent.

Lars and the Real Girl
Recommended for: the general “indie movie” audience
What I thought: it’s not a funny movie, but it has its funny moments. However, you don’t need to rely on those fleeting moments to enjoy this movie as long as you realize that its more drama than it is comedy (although the row of women sitting in front of me laughed the whole time. I think they were high). I admit it felt slightly irrational and it went a little too far at times, but nonetheless, I was impressed with the acting (specifically Ryan Gosling); I liked the tender moments.

Here’s a list of other movies I watched this year that I particularly enjoyed:
-Children of Men (why: this movie makes you think; and Clive Owen)
-Running with Scissors (why: great acting and soundtrack, love the dark comedy, based on a true story!)
-Half Nelson (great soundtrack - turned me on to Broken Social Scene; reminds you that we’re all human and fallible)
-Fast Food Nation (why: funny and entertaining, but you’ll think twice before you go out for a hamburger)
-28 Weeks Later (why: I’ll watch anything Danny Boyle is involved in; no-holds-barred when it comes to blood and guts, the acting and AWESOME soundtrack)