Death Cab, My Morning Jacket are news to our ears. We don’t recall them in the cut of the film we saw, but then ago, that was months ago. Other than that though, it looks fairly close to the music we were told about back in February, give or take a few songs here and there (we weren’t really taking notes when we saw it). The soundtrack, due September 23 digitally only, comes out via ATO Records. Nathan Larson’s score isn’t included either, nor is a Radiohead score out of thin air. ;). “Choke” is due in theaters September 26.
Update: Ah here it is. The seven songs we listed in the film originally, are still the songs in the film. The eight new additions that include Death Cab, Blitzen Trapper, Shout Out Louds and Nicole Atkins to name a few are songs not featured in the film, but tracks “significant to actor, director and screen writer Clark Gregg’s vision while he was making it, according to a press release on the soundtrack. Good, that makes more sense, we thought there was a new cut of the film we had missed.
There’s no Radiohead score as mentioned, but Gregg is a huge fan. “Like most people, I am a huge Radiohead fan. The adaptation took me years to write so I wrote it first to Kid A, then Amnesiac and then Hail to the Thief. Later, I learned from Chuck Palahniuk that he had written the novel while listening to their song, “Creep.” In Rainbows came out while we were editing and I used almost every track in my early temp cuts of the movie. They all fit really well, but I particularly loved “Reckoner.” The tension between Thom Yorke’s keening vocals and Phil Selway’s brilliant, driving drum track fit so perfectly that it worked almost like score. I was truly dreading the day when we’d have to take it out. Somehow ATO Pictures producer, Johnathan Dorfman persuaded their manager to show the band some footage and to our shock they were generous enough to let us use the song. It’s a monumental addition to the movie.”
Indeed, and as noted previously, it’s used in the film’s closing credits (though does overlap in the final scene).
Directed by actor/filmmaker Gregg (he was great “In Good Company”), the film stars Sam Rockwell, Angelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, Bijou Phillips and Gregg himself. The film and novel are about a sex-addicted con-man who pays for his mother’s hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him when pretending to choke to death. It’s a pretty decent film, we should write a review soon; Rockwell is particularly hysterical in a few sequences near the end. The trailer is here if you haven’t already seen it.
“Choke” soundtrack tracklist
01 Ben Kweller: “The Rules”
02 The Natural History: “Don’t You Ever”
03 Fiery Furnaces: “Navy Nurse”
04 Radiohead: “Reckoner”
05 Alap Momin: “Sin Terror”
06 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: “Satan Said Dance”
07 Buzzcocks: “Orgasm Addict” (ft. Howard Devoto)
08 Death Cab for Cutie: “No Sunlight”
09 Blitzen Trapper: “Wicked” (previously unreleased)
10 Ms. Tyree Sugar Jones: “If You Feel It”
11 My Morning Jacket: “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1”
12 Shout Out Louds: “Bicycle”
13 Twilight Singers: “There’s Been an Accident”
14 Nicole Atkins and the Sea: “Crystal Ship” (Doors cover, previously unreleased)