Competitive eating has always intrigued me. I remember a while back there was a huge amount of press on this woman who was involved in eating contests and she was so thin. It baffled me completely. I just couldn’t understand how someone could eat 20 hot dogs in a few minutes and manage to be as thin as she was. I smell food and gain a pound and here this lucky person is being thin and eating like crazy. Of course, once her name came out of the press (competitive eating isn’t as highly publicized as some sports) I had forgotten all about competitive eating until this DVD came out.

At first, not knowing much about competitive eating I went to the sports authority in my house. I asked Dominick about competitive eating. What was I getting into when I turned on the DVD? He didn’t have much to offer other than he knew they sometimes at so much they vomited, which immediately grossed me out. While, I wasn’t looking forward to any scenes with vomit in them, Dom is vomit-a-phobic so that left me with the task of watching this documentary I was already slightly afraid of (thanks Dom!). Luckily, those that have weak stomachs have nothing to worry about when watching this. It’s a vomit free movie, although there are one or two close calls.

Crazy Legs Conti is a documentary about a New Yorker that is in love with the sport of competitive eating. He loves the people in the sport, the idea of the sport, and considers one day joining the ranks of competitive eaters. One day he breaks a record for the most oysters eaten in a restaurant in New Orleans. Soon after, he is sent back down to The Big Easy for an official oyster eating contest. This is his first big shot to enter the competitive eating circuit.

After winning the contest you are taken on a journey with Crazy Legs as he trains for the quintessential competitive eating contest – The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on the Fourth of July. He has some wins and losses, but he does make it to his contest. He describes the events as amazing, humbling, exciting, and filling.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started watching this movie. However, I really got into it and by the end I was glad that I got to see it. The advantage of being a movie reviewer is that sometimes you end up watching things you might never pick up on your own. This was definitely one of them.

Crazy Legs is definitely a unique individual so it’s fun to go through and see his travels as he makes that decision to enter the competitive eating circuit. Everything about this documentary was oddly interesting. Before his begins competitive eating he explains that he was a production assistant working in film, but that he wanted more. For Crazy Legs more meant having various interesting jobs that you wouldn’t expect one person to have.

You will have a chance to see Crazy Legs wash windows, but window washers don’t make a lot of money, so he went off to his second job soon after – nude modeling in art classes. The last job, which most men can do, was donating sperm. Hey, don’t knock it! He made $60 a deposit. That’s not that bad for someone who needs some money. After he entered the circuit, I wanted to see the contests and know how he would do. Watching him train and have time contests in front of his friends was amusing, too.

If you like competitive eating or documentaries you will want to check this out. It has been compared to Super Size Me, though I have yet to see it so I wouldn’t know for sure. It could be the comparison of documentaries that use food. Either way this is a strangely pleasing way to kill a couple of hours. There are also some awesome special features for those of you who want more than just a movie to sink your teeth into. If you like things that are just plain different then this is the one for you.

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