Choke Canyon
Encyclopedia
Choke Canyon is a 1986 movie
starring Stephen Collins as a "cowboy
scientist
" trying to develop an alternative energy
source. It was filmed mostly in the vicinity of Moab, Utah
.
and must be conducted at the same time Halley's Comet is passing over the earth. A corporation trying to find a remote place to illegally dump nuclear waste throws him off his land and destroys his laboratory. He spends the rest of the film committing ecotage
against the company and trying to recover his land.
" was chosen to appear in Choke Canyon because its atmosphere suited the film's tone. For promotional reasons, the song's title was extended to "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" (the parenthetical title being the title of the film in the UK), even though the lyrics have no connection to the film. The promotional video for the song features a few clips from the film, but primarily follows the story of the lyrics, which are about an astronaut trying to send a message to the past in order to warn his family of an imminent societal breakdown.
1986 in film
-Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee....
starring Stephen Collins as a "cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
" trying to develop an alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
source. It was filmed mostly in the vicinity of Moab, Utah
Moab, Utah
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...
.
Plot
Dr. David Lowell's (Collins) research is carried out in the canyon country of southern UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and must be conducted at the same time Halley's Comet is passing over the earth. A corporation trying to find a remote place to illegally dump nuclear waste throws him off his land and destroys his laboratory. He spends the rest of the film committing ecotage
Ecotage
Ecotage is a portmanteau of the "eco-" prefix and "sabotage". Ecotage is often used as a descriptive term for the direct actions of environmental groups such as Earth First! and similar groups throughout the Western world. The term is only applied for actions of sabotage committed within the...
against the company and trying to recover his land.
Release
Release of the film was delayed so it would coincide with the passing of Halley's Comet over the earth in 1986.Soundtrack
The Mike + The Mechanics song "Silent RunningSilent Running (On Dangerous Ground)
"Silent Running " is a pop rock song performed by Mike + The Mechanics. Written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, it was the first track from their 1985 self-titled debut album...
" was chosen to appear in Choke Canyon because its atmosphere suited the film's tone. For promotional reasons, the song's title was extended to "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" (the parenthetical title being the title of the film in the UK), even though the lyrics have no connection to the film. The promotional video for the song features a few clips from the film, but primarily follows the story of the lyrics, which are about an astronaut trying to send a message to the past in order to warn his family of an imminent societal breakdown.