Crazyhot is a documentary that sees Eric Raine cross continents speaking to people who’ve embraced the way of the Chillihead, those that enjoy both giving and taking that extra punch with their food.
Crazyhot the film – For me, this one has been a long time coming. Back when I first set up The Chilli Diaries in 2015 I came across this Documentary and have been waiting for it ever since.
The Documentary starts with a brief introduction from Eric Raine explaining that while he’s not a Chillihead himself but he did become fascinated with the different uses of chillies (or, Peppers) in all the different places he’s visited over his years.
From there we start at the very beginning with an explanation from the Pope of Peppers himself, Dave DeWitt. on how the human races love affair with chillies came to be. 
Dave DeWitt is quickly intercut with Herman Adams who helps to explain the different varieties of Chillies and how quickly people came to realise they wanted hotter and hotter chillies.
We’re quickly thrown into a montage of interviews and clips from some of the Chilli communities other heavy hitters; Miranda Pellew of Chilli Pepper Pete, Butch Taylor who is best known for the Butch T Scorpion Pepper, Ed Currie of Pucker Butt Pepper Company and Carolina Reaper fame, Jim Duffy, Troy Primo, and, well – You get the idea. A literal “who is who” of some proper Chilli legends, some you’ll have heard of and some you won’t.
(And may I just add that I was particularly pleased to see Chilli Pepper Pete as one of the first to appear onscreen. They where instrumental to my introduction into the world of “Super Hots” many years ago by way of a purchase of dried Bhut Jolokia.)
Straight away Crazyhot was interesting to me, that’s always a good start to any Documentary. The way it’s cut together you’ve got all these different legends of the chilli industry giving their take on the same subjects. Most of them come across as likeable characters you’d like to spend an hour or two down the pub with. Each section seems to segue somewhat naturally to the next and you’re constantly getting different views on the same thing while moving in and on to different interesting topics. If you’ve got the remotest interest in chillies beyond the norm then you’re going to be very happy here.
All manner of things from the Chilli community are discussed, Chilli Eating Competitions, the way the Guinness Book of Records rates the heat level of chillies, the naming of chillies, how Hot Sauce is made – Basically anything you could want discussed from this kind of thing by the people you want to see discussing it.
Crazyhot is at it’s most interesting when views conflict. It is evident right from the start that there are some differing views amongst the interviewees. It’s not going to spoil anything by saying it actually starts with what is the correct spelling of ‘Chilli’ – Is it Chili? Chilli? Chile? It’s an age old question that we might never have an answer for.
Another early segment discusses Chilli Eating contests, some think it’s dangerous and shouldn’t be happening and others think that it’s all in good fun (so long as nobody dies) .
I’d like to think that all of this was all done in the “spirit of things” but then a piece towards the end reminded of the so called “Pepper Wars”. It reminded me that the Chilli Community isn’t as whole as it once was, or should be. This, rivalry, is touched on a couple of times, including Ed Currie and Troy Primo discussing the similarities between the infamous Carolina Reaper and the Primo chilli.
It’s almost a shame that we couldn’t have had some of these guys and gals in the same room at the same time discussing some of this stuff. That said, I get the impression that there is a lot of material that has been cut and left out that would have made all of this a lot more, juicy – Directors Cut, anyone?
One complaint I do have about Crazyhot, and it’s not really a complaint, more of a niggle, is that there are some things I’d like to have known more about.
At one point we’re introduced to David Tran from Huy Fong Foods, who of course is best known for bringing Sriracha to the masses. We’re told about the unique way the sauce came to be, how it’s made today and the special relationship that Mr. Tran shares with the cultivator of the chillies he uses to make his sauce. Just as your interest is getting peaked in that story we’re whisked away to something else. To be honest I could have watched a whole Documentary on the Sriracha story alone.
It’s stories like that though that make Crazyhot what it is. I actually learnt a lot from watching it – Stuff you don’t really think about normally; Why Milk / Dairy products kill the heat in your mouth when you’ve gone to far with the spice for example. This is well known and accepted by most Chilliheads, but how or why does it work?
It’s all down to a substance found in dairy products, Casein – Who knew?
Well, Dave DeWitt knew, and now I do. Thanks Dave DeWitt..
There is plenty of other things to learn here. The science behind Chillies, the psychology of those that eat them, how some of the world hottest chillies came to be, the world distribution of chillies, the health benefits of chillies. I’m not kidding when I say it really is all here.
It isn’t all about the professionals either, We get introduced to some of the more colourful characters on the scene known mostly for their presence on Social Media and the like.
These include those that like to enter Chilli eating contests and those that regularly challenge themselves to eat raw Chillies on YouTube.
And snorting them, courtesy of Chilli Dave from the Clifton Chilli Club.
And rubbing them into their eyes, courtesy of Anandita Dutta Tamuly, the Indian Chilli Queen.
I’ll pass on all three of those, but good to know all the same. I guess.
I’ll be honest and say although I do enjoy a wide variety of Documentaries that it’s rare I’ll buy a Documentary that doesn’t have David Attenborough at it’s helm. But, I’ve no regrets throwing some of my cash at this – It’s a educational, it’s entertaining and something that I will watch again at some point.
Eric Raine really does leave no stone unturned here, it’s always good when you can watch something like this and learn something new. It’s a real pleasure to see some of the people who you’ve only ever read about on screen discussing what is very clearly their passion.
You can find out all the other information you need on the official Crazyhot website > Here <