Werner Herzog's obsession with small-town America continues in HOW MUCH WOOD WOULD A WOODCHUCK CHUCK?, a short documentary that's filmed during the world speed-talking auctioneer championships in the USA. While there are a few digressions involving the Amish (always a welcome subject for cinema), for the most part this is a static documentary in which the auteur sets his camera up and leaves it filming various contenders, all of them trying their best to out speed-talk the competition.
I was first introduced to this kind of speed-talking in Herzog's follow-up film STROSZEK, and it's amazing to listen to. Watching the contenders practising and talking about their backgrounds adds to the experience. Some may find the lengthy competition scenes a little wearying due to their similarity, but I was never less than amused by listening to these guys doing something I could only dream of.
I was first introduced to this kind of speed-talking in Herzog's follow-up film STROSZEK, and it's amazing to listen to. Watching the contenders practising and talking about their backgrounds adds to the experience. Some may find the lengthy competition scenes a little wearying due to their similarity, but I was never less than amused by listening to these guys doing something I could only dream of.