Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating

I saw this shamelessly entertaining documentary at the Los Angeles IFP Film Festival.

The movie does a great job of letting you into a world you may have never heard of (competitive eating) by following the journey of an individual who has loved the scene and decides to move from just being a fan to a participant.

Crazy Legs is a quirkily charming subject. I'm sure that everyone knows someone like him -- obsessive to a fault but admirable in that obsession.

You'll never look at a hot dog (or oyster or stick of butter) the same way again.

Competitive eating always grossed me out. I never had the stomach for it. Watching Crazy Legs Conti pursue his dream makes the viewer want to pursue his own dreams. That is what this movie means to me: chase your dreams. Danielle Franco, Christopher Kenneally and Jason "Crazy Legs" Conti transformed me from a person who couldn't watch competitive eating to a person who couldn't take his eyes off the screen during Crazy Legs' contests. So that's what this movie is all about for me. Go chase your dream. You know how watching Rocky makes you want to get into great shape? Zen makes me want to train for things that I have always wanted to do. How can you not cheer a movie like this. Also I'll never look at a stick of butter the same way again. I saw this with my nieces and nephews who are in high school. They and their friends loved it too.

I beg to differ. Coming across this movie on TV, I found it impossible to turn the channel. CLC himself is a sweet natured sort that seems all too rare these days, especially in documentaries and reality shows, where people seem to have their own personal scriptwriters and drama coaches.

Something about the film was completely compelling. It's the tale of a man's own personal journey and a sub-culture that (unlike every other one in America) hasn't yet been ruthlessly exploited. In a land where geekiness is finally co-opted as cool and tattoos and piercings are now boringly conformist, CLC ploughs his own furrow without a map (if I'm allowed to mix metaphors).

Thoroughly enjoyable and life-affirming. You don't have to take it so seriously, folks. And the best butter scene since Last Tango in Paris.

If you've ever wondered if there's a sport that could garner less respect than professional wrestling, then pro-'eating' would be it. What this film seeks to do is enhance the audience's appreciation of a sport that basically involves shoving large quantities of food down your throat in a set period of time.

Some people may find this fascinating but the self-mocking 'Crazy-Legs Conti', while talkative and humble, is not someone you want to spend a lot of time with. And his journey from #1 'fan' of championship eaters to becoming an actual 'professional' himself is worthy of more pity than awe.

With world hunger at an all-time high, only in America can people get paid to eat way too much on the (can you believe this?) 'eating circuit'. A circuit featuring the 500 lb. talents of guys like Eric 'Badlands' Booker and Ray 'the Bison' Meduna. They even have their own show on the Discovery Channel.

However, if watching the eating 'master' Kobayashi down 50 hot dogs (with buns) in 12 minutes is your idea of entertainment, then this may be your film. As for me, all I got from it was heartburn (BELCH) - ah, that's better.

Note: this review was not sanctioned by the IFOCE: the International Federation of Competitive Eaters (no joke, this organization actually exists!)