CrAzYcHiCaMy Profile
I'm a HUGE movie guru and watch every kind of film that is thrown at me. Any genre is fine with me, as long as it's good. I heard about this new movie from a friend, and I'm crazy excited about it. It's Fox's new "Choke" (www.chokeonthis.net), based on the book by Chuck Palahniuk (he also wrote "Fight Club"). Check it out when you get a chance. Anyways, enjoy the movies and other stuff that I've posted and create your own profile!!!!
My Favorites
Favorite Films JUNO, Borat, Fast & the Furious, Anchorman, The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine, how to lose a guy in 10 days, etc...
Favorite Directors Stephen Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Joel & Ethan Coen
Favorite Actors Steve Carell, Jennifer Hudson, Ellen Page, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Laurie, rainn wilson, Matthew Mcconaughey, Brangelina, etc...
A REAL LIFE CHOKE STORY!
Jul 8, 2008
Check this out... It just happened the other day. There is no footage of the actual choking, but there's a link for an interview with the hero and the choking victim.
Chiefs' Gonzalez saves man from choking to death
Associated Press
Updated: July 8, 2008, 10:02 AM ET
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A California man says Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs kept him from choking to death.
"Tony saved my life. There's no doubt," Ken Hunter, a shipping company manager, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Huntington Beach, Calif.
"Tony came up behind me and gave me the Heimlich maneuver. Thank God he was there."
Gonzalez, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who has set numerous NFL records, was having dinner with his wife, brother and 5-week-old daughter at Capone's restaurant in Huntington Beach Thursday night. Hunter, 45, was dining with his girlfriend at the next table when suddenly a piece of meat stuck in his throat.
"I tried to take a drink of water, but I couldn't swallow," Hunter told The AP. "Then I couldn't breathe. That's a terrible feeling. I couldn't breathe. Then I guess I started to panic."
Gonzalez, sitting with his back to Hunter's table, looked around when he heard Hunter's companion yelling.
"She was screaming, 'He can't breathe, he can't breathe,'" Gonzalez said by phone from California, where he lives in the offseason. "The whole restaurant was quiet. Nobody was doing anything.
"Then I saw he was turning blue. Everybody in the restaurant was just kind of sitting there wide-eyed."
The 6-foot-5 Gonzalez, about a foot taller than Hunter, jumped out of his chair and came up behind the stricken man and began to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
"After just a few seconds, the piece of meat popped out," Hunter said. "I could breathe again. It's a good thing Tony is so tall because I had stood up -- I think."
Diana Martin, a restaurant employee, said no one else seemed to know what to do.
"He was so lucky Tony was there," Martin said. "In a situation like that, every second counts. It helped a lot that Tony's a big, strong guy because you have to be able to apply some pretty good pressure. I don't think I would have been strong enough to help him."
Hunter went into the restroom to clean up and didn't realize he'd been saved by a famous athlete until he came out.
"I'm a big NFL fan and I recognized him right away. I was still kind of dazed when I went over and thanked him and said, 'What can I do for you?' I guess I said it about 1,000 times."
"The next night I had a dinner for my grandmother's 90th birthday, and people were saying, 'Why didn't you tell me about that?' I honestly don't want to make a big deal out of it. But of course it does give me a lot of satisfaction to know that I was able to help somebody."
One of the most productive receivers in pro football history, Gonzalez holds the NFL record for tight ends with 820 career receptions and 102 catches in a season. He needs only 79 more yards receiving to become the career leader among tight ends.
He has never received any formal instruction in the Heimlich maneuver.
"I had seen it done, so I just did it," Gonzalez said. "When you find yourself in those situations where you have to take action in a crucial situation, you just do it. I got the same feeling I get when I go on a hospital visit."
Hunter is a lifelong fan of the San Diego Chargers, one of Kansas City's key rivals in the AFC West, and plans to be at the game when the Chiefs visit the Chargers on Nov. 9.
"I'm Tony's No. 1 fan now," he said.
And what will this longtime follower of the Chargers do if they're ahead by four or five points in the final minute and Gonzalez runs into the end zone and leaps up for what would be the game-winning touchdown for K.C.?
"I'm going to be yelling for Tony to catch the ball," Hunter said. "I think all my friends will understand."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
VIDEO:
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3477282&cate...
Chuck Palaniuk Lecture
Jul 7, 2008
Haha this is hilarious...shows how much of a genius he is lol
Dennis' Review Of 'Choke'
Jul 3, 2008
I saw Choke Monday night at the LA Film Festival. This was the Los Angeles premiere of the movie, and Fox Searchlight Pictures graciously sent me two tickets so that my roommate and I could attend. I'll admit right off the bat, this was a thing I was sort of worried about. It's been almost nine years since our last Chuck Palahniuk movie adaptation. Since Fight Club. During that time, everyone under the sun has tried to get other projects of Chuck's off the ground. From the turbulent aftermath of 9/11, which put a screeching halt on a movie version of 'Survivor'. To the long battle filmmaker Jesse Peyronel has fought to get 'Invisible Monsters' funded. To the rumors that 'Haunted' would be a mini-series for Showtime or HBO. Or that 'Diary' would star Julianne Moore and Glen Close. Every time a new rumor hits the net, it spreads like a virus. Quite simply, because Chuck Palahniuk has developed a ravenous fanbase, and they're thirsting for more of his visions on the big screen.
A 'Choke' adaptation quickly became a part of this maelstrom of gossip and speculation. Some guy named Clark Gregg was attached to it. He had written 'What Lies Beneath', a taut thriller that I always find myself recommending to people. I've seen that movie three times already, and it's one of the closest examples to a modern day Hitchcock tale I can find. At the time though, that was all I knew about Clark Gregg. I didn't even know he was an actor. It wasn't until I saw the wonderful 'In Good Company', and he won me over with the line (when speaking to Topher Grace), "Wow, you're like the new me. (pauses to think). No. I'm the new me." Still, Gregg was untested in many a Palahniuk fans eyes. David Fincher had been placed on the altar. And to a lot of fans, nothing could or would ever be allowed to touch him.
I remember thinking this was sort of stupid and unfair. Not only would I not want to see another Palahniuk adaptation by Fincher (Not because I don't love Fincher. He's actually one of my favorite directors. I'd just prefer a new vision), but anyone who knew Clark's story with this project, would just have to respect him and give him his shot. Here's a guy that read 'Choke' in ARC form, and the next day was on the phone with his agent telling him to buy the rights. In the seven years that followed, Gregg struggled to find financing for the film, aided by some very strong support from his producers at ContraFilm, and an unflinching show of loyalty by none other than Chuck Palahniuk. I've since learned that Chuck had to make a lot of sacrifices to keep the project with Clark that long. But he believed in him. He believed in the script. And so they waited.
Fast forward to 2008, and images of 'Choke' were finally showing up online. And this is where I catch you up to my unease going into the Monday night screening. Because I must confess; the images I were seeing weren't thrilling me that much. I kept my mouth shut on this. But I began to pick up on some mixed reactions from the fans too. People were comparing what they were seeing to 'Fight Club'. Which again, wasn't fair as, Fincher with a budget of about 65+ million, had about ten times the amount of money that Clark Gregg did! But besides a great cast, a director and a script that Chuck believed in, and rave reviews from Sundance with a Special Jury Prize to boot, something about the tone of 'Choke' worried me. That low budget was showing its creases in what appeared to be more of a raunchy sexy comedy, than the thought-provoking statement on love and community that the novel was.
And so, the PR position that the webmaster of Chuck Palahniuk's official website sometimes finds himself in, was threatening to make me have to plaster on a smile, shade my thoughts on the film, and shake hands all around.
Well, that didn't happen.
'Choke' was awesome. Any caution I had about what I saw in the trailer vanished instantly as the film exploded onto the screen with such life and vibrancy. I think five minutes in, the crowd was already roaring with laughter and clapping for lines. I'm close to typing a frenzy here, so let me take a second to compose my thoughts on how much I liked about 'Choke' and what Clark Gregg accomplished.
Okay. All better. Here goes.
First, put the book out of your mind. I did. Granted, it's been years since I last read it. And I did recognize that things had been changed. But being away from the book allowed me to watch the movie AS a movie. And not a retelling of Palahniuk's novel. And this was good. This is what Chuck wanted. So from the moment the movie began, I was watching the movie. And not imagining the book. Though, I honestly think if I had read the book last week, I'd still have liked the movie this much.
'Choke' has a total charm to it. A lot of that is owed to the performance of Sam Rockwell. Let me be extremely clear on this: Rockwell is PERFECTLY CAST as Victor Mancini. He brings 100% to every scene. His look. His manners. His gesticulations. His sarcasm and downward spiral are quite beautiful to behold. Even some of the scenes that I had problems with (more on that later) ended up working for me because of Sam Rockwell.
The rest of the cast does their jobs well. I know some of you have been worried about Brad Henke as Denny, but don't be. He's great. I felt Angelica Houston was a little wrong, physically for the part. I was expecting to see a destroyed old woman in those hospital scenes. But I think budget might have limited them here. And Angelica, being the amazing actress that she is, makes it work for the most part. Kelly Macdonald, was good as Paige Marshall. I think I remembered more attitude and presence from this character in the book, but Kelly's shy and soft-spoken way contrasts nicely with Sam's performance of Victor, and makes her become the unattainable object of lust he quickly begins to desire.... even if his dick tells him it's something more than sex.
Perhaps the biggest ace in the hole Clark Gregg unveils in the movie... is himself, playing the role of Lord High Charlie. I always liked Gregg as an actor, so this didn't surprise me. But it was nice to see him go head to head with Rockwell in what are easily some of the funniest moments in the whole movie. There's one scene in particular where Rockwell tries to rank out Gregg, and Gregg stays in old colonial character while stepping up to him with his arms out, in a confrontational manner. "What doust though say?" It's a golden moment and the crowd loved it.
Then there's all the scenes with the old ladies in the home. Not one missed moment here. As the ladies slowly start to realize there may be something 'special' about Victor, I found myself leaning forward in my seat with a smile I couldn't remove from my face. The scene in the locker room, where Victor tries to convince them he's not who they think he is, is classic. I could watch this scene over and over again.
With all this praise, I do have to point out some minor mis-steps in the movie. The flashback scenes with a young Victor and his mother, Ida, just didn't work for me. This again, may have been a budget constraint with wardrobe, background, and just the look of these scenes. But I found myself drifting into a little boredom whenever the film went into a flashback. Then there was Denny's arc, which felt a little clunky. He transforms from the lovable, masturbating best friend, into the wizened, sagely dude, building a house of rocks with his new girlfriend, Cherry Daiquiri, pretty much off-screen. Granted, it may have been this way in the book as well. But I felt this could have transpired a little smoother.
In the end, 'Choke' ends exactly the way I like a film to end. I won't spoil it. But it was a new ending that Chuck told me wasn't in the Sundance Film Festival cut. The moment captured on screen, and the song that is playing while the credits rolled, just completely won me over and made me feel very good about the film. Here is a moving story of love, as only Chuck can write, and as Clark captured and nurtured brilliantly. Even now, sitting here typing this, I'm excited for Clark Gregg, and am eager for more Chuck Palahniuk fans to see this. September 26th can't come soon enough.
After the movie ended, Clark Gregg was introduced to a big applause. His face was so red with emotions, and he was literally bouncing on the soles of his feet. This immediately made me like the guy as a real person. All the work and love he put into this film, for the past seven years, was just stamped in his eyes. And when he introduced Chuck to the stage (which, by the way, was the loudest applause of the night), it was so obvious what a big fan of his work Clark is. I think they even hugged each other at one point, in a really sweet moment. Clark and Chuck then fielded a great Q&A. Not one bad question. And Chuck, as always, completely held the crowd in his sway. I swear, this man has a gift for just owning crowds.
As the Q&A ended, I politely (yet stupidly) filed out of my seat with everyone else. Turns out, I should have stayed. Clark and Chuck had a gift they wanted to present me with: A wall-mountable lobby poster for 'Choke' signed by both of them. A messenger from Fox Searchlight Pictures just dropped it off today. It's signed:
"Big love to Dennis' - Clark Gregg
"Hey Dennis -- You've seen it, finally!! And it was worth the wait!" - Your Friend, Chuck Palahniuk
Hell yeah, it was worth the wait. Maybe now, all those stalled adaptations of Chuck's other books will finally get the greenlight they so deserve. If Clark Gregg, in all his wonderful dedication and talent, was able to pull such a strong adaptation of 'Choke' off for such a limited budget (and with only a 21 day production shoot!), there's no reason we shouldn't be seeing more of Chuck's original and bizarre visions on the screen soon.
With 'Choke', Chuck is now 2/2. And Clark Gregg deserves to be well on his way to a successful career as a filmmaker. Bravo, guys!
Choke profiles
Jul 2, 2008This Choke profile site is pretty sweet...check out my videos to get a laugh or see some of the stuff that I'm into. Everyone needs to make one!
Also, if you don't know what "Choke" is all about, it's going to be an awesome movie based on the book by Chuck Palanuik- the trailer is under my YouTube movies...check it out!
