If I could make the subject heading longer, it would have said at the end , "Hurting the cause of true believers who have real evidence for psi phenomena?"

Check out the movie's website.  You read their take and see the trailer.

http://www.themenwhostareatgoatsmovie.com/#about

I think having mainstream audiences watching a satirical movie that teases the subject material staring big name Hollywood movie stars is going to further promote cynicism in the minds of the general public when it comes to this topic.

Do you agree?

What are your thoughts?

I just find it disheartening (if only a little) because I've read enough to think there IS truth to psi, and it's frustrating to watch a mainstream movie with very popular actors making fun of it and causing more and more people to "know" it's all "fake" and not worth studying.  Sad.

Have you heard the saying "bad press is better than no press at all"? I think even a movie that does what this one does which is to poke fun can have an enlightening effect on people who don't know anything about it. The numbers will be smaller of course, but still it can and often does have an opposite reaction for some.

I thought the movie looked like it would be a hoot. I think it was a movie conceived first by title and then they decided what would happen in it. And really when I first heard of the goat staring thing I thought it was pretty funny but I still think there is something to psi. But then I really think The Life of Brian is very funny too so you have to consider the source with me I guess.

Hi

I hope Beau is right about the film bringing more interest, and that some at least will be positive. Now I have to go mark off Clooney and Kevin off my favorites list -- I used to think they were about perfect.

Those San Clemente Island goats faint rather easily, sort of like playing possom. It shouldn't be that hard to scare one. --So maybe the film is a spoof of a spoof?

Bets

Here's one for our side Mark--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnA8GUtXpXY

We probably shouldn't take ourselves so seriously that we and others can't poke fun and laugh. I don't think spoofs have ever done anything but show a humorous side to otherwise serious subjects. I have seen comedy applied to war and love and kung fu and drug dealing but I don't think anyone has stopped doing or believing in these things because of it.

Take Spinal Tap for instance. I have heard several big rock stars say it is right on the mark and the funniest thing they have ever seen.

I have found humor in Bruce Moen's books and he seems to be the first person who would laugh at a good satire. And Monty Python is a perfect example as well -there was a lot of thought that went into their twists on subject matter.

I'm used to being laughed at as I have never followed the crowd. It was very hard to take when I was young and took it personally. When I finally learned to laugh at myself things got a lot easier.

Perhaps a little humor might make some of the concepts we discuss here a little "friendlier" to approach -especially if we are laughing along with them -at ourselves...

Mark,

I'm all for humor in general, but my concern here is that for a lot of people, their only knowledge of this government project will be this movie pointing at it and saying "look how stupid that was."

Now I haven't looked specifically into the goats part, so for all I know that specific subject WAS stupid, but I think it's a fair assumption that the movie will touch on other psi phenomena (if even a little) besides trying to kill goats with your mind.

That's what makes me a little frustrated.  People who otherwise would know nothing about it will only know that it's something the mainstream media thinks is stupid. 

Because of that, it adds to the mentality of psuedo skeptics that it's all nonsense.

To be completely and utterly honest, I think I saw previews for this movie on TV yet I have no idea what it is about, nor do I care.....

When I see a movie with a title like this... I tone it out, I pay ZERO attention to it. So if it has to do with ghosts or the afterlife... wow... I never would have thought.

But yeah, the name for the movie is so terrible I would throw my poop at the director if I saw them.

Well I saw Men Who Stare at Goats today and it was nothing short of brilliant. I loved it and I think most people will find it amusing and it makes you think a bit too...and wow it is so funny. The only psi that is mocked is the stuff that is most here would find worthy mocking. Good stuff!

Thanks Beau!

As usual, experiencing it for ourselves is the best answer!  I'm looking forward to seeing it ASAP!

Bets