Peaceful Warrior

[Capt_Scrummy]

So this past weekend, my friend got 10 free tickets on an online promotion to go see "Peaceful Warrior."  She didn't tell me what we were going to see until we were halfway to the theater in another town, and by then it was too late to jump out of the car.

Did anybody else see this abortion of a film?  It's like "Remember the Titans" meets "Karate Kid" minus the racial tension.  Essentially, an arrogant gymnast shatters his leg in a "tragic" motorcycle accident, but he rehabs with a gas station attendant (called Socrates) who teaches him... zen?  He then competes for the olympics and wins national titles for Berkley.  This is based on a true stories, guys.  Oh yeah, did I mention that SOCRATES CAN TELEPORT????

The lead for the film was played by a Keanau Reeves wannabe, and Socrates looked like Willie Nelson chopped off his pony tail.  The philosophies in the movie are bastardisations of Buddhism and Greek ideals that were crushed up, rolled into a cheap joint, and smoked.  Not that I'm saying that the philosphy was terrible, but you could pick out bits and pieces of everything (kinda like KFC). 

This movie wasn't very entertaining, unless you like low-budget inspirational films.  Or you like to see a guy fight his id on top of a belltower.  Or unless you're a 12 year old.

[Fausto]

There was a controversy over this film, as it was directed by Victor Salva (the guy who directed Powder and turned out to be a convicted pedophile). Otherwise, it seems to be almost completely off the radar. The book on which the film is based is said to be very inspirational, and I'm curious about different philosophies and ways of thinking. However, if the film is as lousy as you say, I'll probably just read the book. On the other hand, there is a difference between inspirational and uplifting, and if the book is just about determination and believing in yourself and all that BS, I'll probably pass on both.

[Mr_Vindictive]

Blockbuster and Best Buy were giving away tickets to this.  I stayed far away as Salva's films are normally less than great.

[soylentgreen]

About ten years ago, more than a few people raved to me about Millman's book, insisting that it would change the way I looked at things in life(a job previously filled by Irwin Allen films  ).  Well, it was alright...pretty much as has been remarked before, it's kinda new-agey/self-helpy before the whole new-age/self-help racket took off.  Sort of like a scientology gimmick without the sci-fi machinery and naval attire.

While I thought POWDER was ok and the JEEPERS CREEPERS flicks not to bad either, and one of his least known films, NATURE OF THE BEAST with Lance Henriksen and Eric Roberts was pretty darn good...the real funny thing about Salva is that his best film, I think, is CLOWNHOUSE....the very film the sexual molestation issue stem from. 

[Andrew]

Troubling thing about "Jeepers Creepers" when you realize that Salva wrote and directed it.  Check this thread and read Squishy's post about halfway down:

http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,20569.0.html

[Pilgermann]

It's kind of a bad sign when tons of free admissions have to be given away.

Oh, and that Jeepers Creepers thing is kind of, uh, creepy.  I thought that final scene was just a generic twist unhappy ending, but I guess it could be viewed in a more sinister way.

[peter johnson]

     The guy being described here as a "chopped off Willie Nelson" is, in fact, Nick Nolte, who Katherine Hepburn once touted as the new Spencer Tracy, and was once looked upon as someone to take up where Brando left off . . .
     Oh, how the mighty have fallen . . .
     Re. The Book:  Yes, real hippie-dippy bilgewater from page one.  Really quite unreadable, unlike Robert Pirsig's "Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintainace" which is about real ideas.
     I too had this book touted to me as a life-changer & so deep and spiritual, etc.  Just like "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", another unreadable book.
     My theory is that these books catch on with people who don't read very much to begin with, so the hackneyed and shopworn prose and paper-thin "ideas" seem to them brand new, as they have never encountered them before.  If, on the other hand, you read more than say, one book a year, you've already encountered these themes in a thousand other, better guises.
     And I especially loathe "Way of The Peaceful Warrior" for using that Carlos Castaneda/Don Juan trick of pretending the fictional events portrayed are somehow "real" and that it's a "true story".  Balderdash.  I don't care how bloody spiritual you are, you cannot heal a broken bone just by meditating over it, to give but one horrid example.  And gas-station attendants do not teleport . . . period.
peter johnson/denny crane

[quabrot]

My uncle passed out free tickets to the entire family...

I don't think anyone went.

[Pilgermann]

And gas-station attendants do not teleport . . . period.

I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU!

[Javakoala]

When I first heard that "Peaceful Warrior" was being made into a film, I thought it would be neat if they gave it to Pixar. At least then it would be fun to watch with the sound down.

I agree with the general attitude that the book was *cough*bulls**t*cough* of inferior quality. I too had this thing thrust at me with the best of intentions. I could have put up with the thrown-together ideals as good natured belly rubbings, but then I saw all the ads at the end. Almost lost a friend over my rather foul-mouthed rant on Millman's blatant intention to brainwash and bilk people.  This is the only book I have ever thrown in the trash so that no one else would be exposed to it.  (I did through Brett Easton Ellis' "Less Than Zero" across the room in disgust, and I rudely tossed the first Bridget Jones novel aside after the first 20 pages.(Don't ask why I was reading it because it really isn't as interesting as NOT know why.))

Sorry, I just had to throw my p**sy 2-cents worth of crabbing on this topic.

[Flangepart]

Troubling thing about "Jeepers Creepers" when you realize that Salva wrote and directed it.  Check this thread and read Squishy's post about halfway down:

http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,20569.0.html

Irritable as Squishy could get, gotta give 'em this one. Another reason not to watch this film...yeesh!