the buzz log

Anytime we hear that a movie is "based on a true story" or "inspired by actual events," we have to wonder — how many liberties did Tinsel Town take? The supposedly true "The Men Who Stare at Goats" opens in theaters on Friday, November 6, and Web searchers are eager for the straight scoop. Who exactly were these men, and why did they stare at goats?

The film stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges, and, we presume, a heckuva lot of grass-loving goats. According to blogs throughout the Buzz, the movie focuses on an elite group of government-employed psychics. The men would attempt to prove their psychic abilities by stopping goats' hearts using only their minds. If they could accomplish that, the movie contends, imagine how they could interrogate bad guys?

If it sounds crazy, that's sort of the point. The movie, based on a book by journalist Jon Ronson, aims to showcase just how bizarre some of the top brass in the military and intelligence fields can be. On the brink of the film's release, interest and searches on Mr. Ronson have surged over 300%. Lookups on "men who stare at goats true story" and the slightly incredulous-sounding "is the men who stare at goats really true" have also chewed up the Search box.

So, how true is the story? Well, like a lot of things it'll depend on who you ask. Mr. Ronson talks with Time magazine about the film and the trend of "psychic warfare." He has "no doubt that research in this field is still going on." There are also interviews with retired Major General Albert Stubblebine, who was a passionate believer in the human's ability to walk through walls. He allegedly worked with Special Forces soldiers in an attempt to get them to move things with their minds. In the film, he is portrayed by Jeff Bridges in full-on "Lebowski" persona.

Aspects of the movie were likely embellished or altered (this is Hollywood, after all). But even if just 10% of "Goats" is fact-based, it's still a jaw-droppingly weird story. In this case, it seems, the truth really is stranger than fiction. As the movie itself puts it, "More of this is true than you would believe."

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