Choke Canyon

Choke Canyon (titled On Dangerous Ground outside the United States) 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.

Plot

Dr. David Lowell's (Collins) research is carried out in the canyon country of southern 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.

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 Running" 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.