showbiz

Clooney speeds into Venice for premiere of 'Goats'

Posted on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
by Associated Press

VENICE, Italy (AP) - George Clooney wants viewers to know one thing about his new movie, a comic tale of "psychic warfare" by the U.S. military: It's not a war movie.

The Men Who Stare at Goats, directed by Grant Heslov, was shown out of competition Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival.

Based on Jon Ronson's book of the same name and inspired by true events, the movie features an all-star cast that also includes Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey.

It's a madcap comedy about reporter Bob Wilton, played by McGregor, who is looking for a big scoop in a war zone when he meets Lyn Cassady, played by Clooney - a member of a unit that wants to change the way wars are fought by employing paranormal powers.

"I think we looked at this and thought it wasn't an Iraq war film," Clooney said at a press conference Tuesday.

"We thought it was a comedy about some crazy ideas that went on, that started at the end of the Vietnam war and carried on through, not that long ago and maybe still carry on," he said.

In the movie, Wilton joins Cassady and they cross from Kuwait into Iraq together. The founder of the New Earth Army unit that deals with paranormal warfare is soldier-turned-new age hippie Bill Django, played by Bridges.

Goats marks Heslov's directorial debut. It teams up Clooney with Heslov again after "Good Night, and Good Luck," which Clooney directed and Heslov produced, a movie on the true-life clashes between newsman Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

True to his style, Clooney joked when asked if he researched paranormal powers for the movie.

"At the premiere I am going to actually walk through a wall," he quipped.

"What we love about this film and what is so fun about it is there is a tremendous amount of it that is true. And as funny as it is, it's some of the dumbest parts of the film that are the true parts," he added.

Grant Heslov, Ewan McGregor and George Clooney

Clooney arrived in Venice by speedboat on Monday night, with Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis in tow. The two, who have been seen together recently, are expected to walk the red carpet Tuesday evening.

Clooney's right hand was bandaged. He said he broke it an a car door.

Clooney, who owns a villa on Lake Como and spends time in Italy, is a frequent guest at the festival.

"Honestly, this is the only premiere that you come up to in a boat," he said.

The Men Who Stare at Goats will have its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival later this week.

showbiz

Clooney speeds into Venice for premiere of 'Goats'

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