The Man Who Stared At “The Men Who Stare At Goats” – A Review
Disappointment often arrives on the back of an expectation. “The Men Who Stare At Goats” didn’t meet any expectation that I had, except one. It was a farce.
As you may know from my interview with Col. John Alexander, the man supposedly portrayed by George Clooney, alerted us to the fact that while the book of the same name and the movie are based on some factual situations, that was pretty much the stop point for any further reality.
While I didn’t expect much in the way of facts, and there were precious few, or more like, a precious one, I expected humor. Unfortunately most of the laughs contained in the movie had already been viewed in the trailers.
The truth about the research and activation of numerous mental powers that the military conducted is stranger than fiction. And that’s only what’s been declassified. There is so much more.
It would be a real waste if the uninitiated in this area wrote off their interest in this subject without looking deeper into it.
The movie is intended as a farce and it’s truly farcical, but not in the way you’d want to spend your money on.
Every organization has plenty to laugh at, and the military is no exception. From the crazy comedies of the ‘50s to MASH and beyond, it’s an orchard of ripe humor.
That said, and during these times, I feel we need to acknowledge the work ethic and bravery of the men and women who truly do serve their fellow citizens. Thumbs up to them. In fact, when you see a man or woman in uniform, don’t feel embarrassed to tell them that their service is appreciated. I always do. I always fee better after.
If you have any curiosity about the film then wait until it comes out on DVD. Then get it only from one of those $1.00 Redbox things, because to spend more than a dollar would also be a farce.
Thank you Tom for your integrity giving a clear cut evalutaion of the movie. It is sad what the vast majority of the public want and expect for “entertainment”!
Such a movie tends to discredit the validity of such theories, etc., even when the movie was intended as a farce. As well as Col. John Alexander and others participating in the “experiments”.
I shared this with our daughter who commented — “but every time George
Clooney and Jeff Bridges (usually John Goodman is in them too) do a movie, and they do A LOT of them together, they are pretty bizarre. Farce-type humor is a good description — it’s usually a twisted type of humor “.
She and I will not waste our money on such discredit and lack of respect. Her husband is in Iraq right now.
Indeed we humans have a long way to go for the world B Lipton and G Braden are speaking of. And I agree with you on saluting all the uniformed, especially those “over there” now.
Again thanks for your candor- this will help us not to support the finances of the producers of such.
Thanks, Rosalie! And best wishes to your son-in-law and your daughter. They are both warriors, aren’t they?
As stated in the credits for this movie George Clooney played a character based on Sergeant Glenn Wheaton, not John Alexander. Please print a retraction to these claims by Alexander.
Hi Glenn, you’re partially right. It seems now that they took parts of a few of the primary characters and put them into George Clooney. The book was clearly focused on John Alexander’s experiences, albeit loosely. The writer took that specific character, renamed him and all the others from the book. The producers recently filmed John Alexander for the DVD of the film. So, there’s a lot of credit to go around.
Aloha Tom,
The producers recently filmed me as well for the DvD lol. This is a case of Alexander being an ego driven grand-stander, who probably feels a bit unappreciated. None of the rest of us are engaged in the media making claims about how we are represented in this movie. It is the position of the studio and the screen writer that Clooney’s character is based on Sergeant Glenn Wheaton and not Alexander. Alexander does have significant contributions though in regards to the 1st earth Battalion. If you have read the book and seen the movie then you know they are two different creatures. Colonels are not portrayed in movies as Sergeants. On a different note, I like your website and have taken some time to go through it. Nice job!
Glenn
Hi Glenn, thanks for compliment. I’m glad you like the site.
John didn’t come to me or blow his own horn at the social events we were at together. In each case I was the one who brought it up. This due to our mutual friends who knew more about his background. Of course, I found it interesting to fascinating. Having spent a good deal of time in “Hollywood,” most larger egos seem comparatively small today. So, I hardly notice. I take people at their accomplishments. Or as Ronald Regan said of the Soviets before they tore down the wall, “Trust but verify.”
You and your teams created some interesting and useful research and a legacy that will go far beyond the years any of us will see. The results of mind powered dynamics, even with just simple intuition, expand because of our awareness of the possibilities. That’s on you in a most beneficial way. We owe you all a debt of gratitude.
I hope we can keep our lines of communication open. Feel free to touch base any time.
Tom