George Clooney will be staring at goats in a film adaptation of British journalist Jon Ronson’s bestselling book on psychic warfare in the American military (The Men Who Stare At Goats, Amazon US or UK). The film will be directed by Clooney’s long-time collaborator Grant Heslov, best known for writing the Oscar-nominated Good Night and Good Luck. Heslov also appeared in an episode of The X-Files, season 8’s Via Negativa.
Unfortunately, ESP phenomena, and the people who practice and research it, continues to be treated with scorn and ridicule by smug, condescending pseudoskeptics. Will Heslov and Clooney give Ronson’s book the Oh Brother Where Art Thou? slapstick treatment, or will we see a more open-minded Syriana mixed with the humour of Three Kings? I’m hoping the latter: Remote Viewing deserves a serious film, but the subject isn’t all black clothing and frowns. The anecdotes of ex-military Remote Viewers display a healthy dose of humour and absurdity, such as Reading The Enemy’s Mind by Major Paul H. Smith (Amazon US or UK).
Will the movie open doors to more research and acceptance of psychic phenomena, or will a taxpayer backlash pour enough ridicule on the subject to bury any chance of future development? All I know is Colonel John Alexander is disappointed George Clooney is playing him instead of Brad Pitt, and Jason Alexander (George Costanza from Seinfeld) is the spitting image of Paul Smith.
Incidentally, good friend Ed Kovacs wrote the first big-screen treatment of Remote Viewing, 1992’s Blink of an Eye. It stars Michael Pare, which should warn you that this film never won any awards, but Ed’s writing is solid.
