Nothing funny about 'Tickled'

New Zealand journalist David Farrier , a self-confessed collector of oddities, thought he had found a terrific subject when he discovered a sport billed as "competitive endurance tickling." Joining forces with director Dylan Reeve, Farrier embarked on what promised to be an amusing journey into one life's obscure back alleys, a pastime in which young men tickled other young men. But in Tickled, Farrier and Reeve stumbled into a tale that turned into more than either of them expected. Beginning as a documentary about an offbeat activity, Tickled evolves into a story involving lives smeared on the Internet and more. Best to discover the rest in a theater. Know, though, that if you're expecting to laugh at the folly of those who engage in what at first blush seems like an exceedingly silly pastime, you may wind up wincing at what turns out to be a whole lot of pain.