OKIE NOODLING is a one-hour special that is often shown on PBS television. It is about noodling--in other words, catfishing with your bare hands. A group of very odd Oklahomans enjoy this very dangerous sport where you actually use your hands and feet to encourage huge catfish to bite you. Then, when they bite, you grab the fish and heft it out of the water! Considering that some of these fish weigh 40 pounds or more and live in holes deep in the water, this is NOT a hobby for the faint of heart! I really enjoyed this show and reviewed it some time back.
OKIE NOODLING II came on television at 2am and I accidentally discovered it as I was going to bed. Even though I'd seen the first OKIE NOODLING (2001) and it was incredibly late, I couldn't stop watching. In fact, I told myself "I'll watch just five minutes more--then it's time for bed" but eventually I found I'd watched the entire show. I just couldn't stop watching. However, despite being very watchable, in hindsight it probably was not that imperative that I watch it. After all, so much of what they showed in this sequel was pretty much like what they'd shown in the original film. The biggest difference is that this updated film discusses how this bizarre sport has been catching on since the first show--it's now much more popular and accepted. The first portion of the film was an explanation once again of noodling and an update on the same people that were featured in the first film. The second half was the noodling tournament.
Odd yet compelling. This is a strange bit of Americana that somehow you must watch...yet I am not sure why!
