Chuck Palahniuk Q&A

20-11-2008 11:18

Chuck Palahniuk has become one of Hollywood's most popular actors as Choke is released this week starring Sam Rockwell. The film is the second of the writer's novels to be adapted for the big screen after the success of Fight Club in 1999.

What’s the reaction to the film been like?

You know, at Sundance and the LA Film Festival it was huge, there was laughter for two hours. Then we saw it screened in Locarno at midnight, and the subtitles were not translated very well, and it followed Nordwand, this German movie where everybody dies hideously, freezing to death hanging on ropes from a cliff face in a blizzard.

There’s this thundering opera music, and then they all die in the end. We had to follow that at midnight, and everyone’s buzz was wearing off and there was general laughter but it was not nearly what it was in LA so we were a little stunned. It’s either been really terrific, or it’s been kind of milder like it was in Locarno. But the press screening at Locarno was really positive, so that made me feel good.

Are you happy with the way the film has turned out?

I am really happy with it. At Sundance there were some technical things that weren’t happening. The whole humour with Clark Gregg’s character, with the dialect and the olden speak and breaking character so often, didn’t work because the soundtrack was kind of muddy. They then re-recorded the soundtrack and re-cut it and got Radiohead to add a song and now the film really works and I’m 100% happy with it.

That must have been a dream come true, getting Radiohead to be involved?