Originally titled Nub City, this follow-up to Gates of Heaven was initially focused on residents of the Southern town who cut off their own limbs as a way to collect insurance money. After Morris's life was threatened by the subjects of the film, he re-worked Nub City into Vernon, Florida.
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #752.
For those who don't know, the film opens showing a fogger truck spraying pesticide for mosquito control which was done once a month or so in the old days. The toxic fog contained DDT until it was banned in 1972.
Gopher Tortoises were once eaten and called Hoover Chicken, but are now an endangered species as of 2007 and it is illegal to keep them as pets.