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The Men Who Stare at Goats



 

World Cinema

2008 | 90 min | Feature Narrative

Directed by: Grant Heslov

USA

Cast & Credits

Writer: Peter Straughan
Producer: Grant Heslov, Paul Lister
Editor: Tatiana S. Riegel
Cinematographer: Robert Elswit
Cast: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Nick Offerman

Program Notes

In a comedic look at real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe, a reporter discovers a top-secret wing of the U.S. military when he accompanies an enigmatic Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission.  Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (Academy Award® winner George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought. A legion of “Warrior Monks” with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program’s founder, Bill Django (Oscar® nominee Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady’s mission is to find him.  Intrigued by his new acquaintance’s far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to tag along. When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (two-time Oscar® winner Kevin Spacey), the reporter is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between the forces of Django’s New Earth Army and Hooper’s personal militia of super soldiers. In order to survive this wild adventure, Bob will have to outwit an enemy he never thought possible.

About the Director

GRANT HESLOV was the producer and co-writer of the George Clooney-helmed Good Night, and Good Luck. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and Heslov shared a Best Screenplay nomination with Clooney. The pair also garnered BAFTA nominations for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, as well as a Golden Globe nod for Best Screenplay, and won the Best Screenplay award from the Venice Film Festival.  Heslov co-produced the Coen brothers’ collaboration Intolerable Cruelty and most recently produced the comedy feature Leatherheads, both starring Clooney, the latter film for Smoke House Pictures, the production company in which the two are partnered.  Heslov began his career as an actor and made his directorial debut with the award-winning short Waiting for Woody in 1998, which he also wrote.  For television, Heslov served as director and executive producer of the critically acclaimed series “Unscripted” and co-executive producer of “K Street,” both for HBO. As an actor, Heslov’s feature credits include roles in The Scorpion King, Dante’s Peak, The Birdcage, Congo and True Lies.



Sun, Oct 11, 9:45PM
UA East Hampton Theater 3
Mon, Oct 12, 2:45PM
UA East Hampton Theater 1