Review of Choke (1971) by Joel M — 15 May 2009

I got all choked up when I heard of a very enticing premise for a film: a sex addict who pretends to choke in restaurants so his saviors can form a strong personal & financial bond with him. After witnessing Writer-Director's Clark Gregg's "Choke", I must state that Gregg really choked with his film-making efforts here.

"Choke" did not digest itself with spontaneity, originality, and ingenuity. And not to mention there is no magnetism with its characters, so much that at times you wish that they can all choke from a finite serving, if you get my choke (I mean) joke.

"Choke" is based on a novel by "Fight Club" writer Chuck Palahnuik. Sam Rockwell does not choke too bad as the film's sex addict protagonist Victor Mancini. He frequently visits his delusional mother Ida at a mental hospital.

Angelica Huston is an acting legend but she might have choked here a bit as Ida compared to her past grandiose acting performances. Victor's best friend is Denny (Brad William Henke), the chronic masturbator who falls for a stripper named Cherry Daiquiri.

Let's just say that Denny's hand is opened 24 hours a day to manual-dexterity sexual imageries. Gregg also co-stars in the film as Lord High Charlie, the ridiculous head honcho of the colonial attraction site where Victor & Denny are employed at.

Gregg's performance was so despicable as Lord High Charlie that I wanted to Charlie Horse him out of the screen. Sorry Charlie! But nothing compares to the strangulated feeling that comes from Gregg's "pain in the neck" writing & direction of "Choke".

Somebody might be watching Rockwell's adequate performance, but the rest of 'Choke" is a profound pain around the collar, not to mention the dollar. "Choke" choked!!!!!!!!!!! ** Needs Improvement.