American Jedi Documentry

(this got pulled to the split thread, so I'm reposting it where it makes sense)

Opie Macleod (34) turned to Jediism as a way to escape his days as a misguided, fledgling gangster, but his most difficult challenge turned out to be losing his wife to the “dark side of the Force” – a real-life Sith named Miles.

I didn't catch this part was in the description until just now, but since it's out in the public eye: I hope that Opie tells the truth of what happened during this situation. Because the way this trailer protrays it, it paints two very good people in the wrong light. So for any of you that were thinking "OH THE SITH ARE EVIL!" or "WOW SHE WAS A HORRIBLE WIFE!", you've got it wrong- you've got it soooo very wrong. (And that's all I'm going to say on the matter)

"reposting where it makes sense.

Alethea Thompson wrote: I hope that Opie tells the truth of what happened during this situation

1.) You don't know the "truth" of the situation. Only three people know that (and truth never gets portrayed properly - people always try not to look the like the idiot of the situation). So for once in your life stop acting like you know. I understand that calling your gossip - gossip - may not appeal to you. But please, try to let go of the high school mentality for two seconds. Instead making snap judgments before you have anything to make judgments on. Your assumptions are telling.
2.) Why would anyone, especially a Jedi, jump to such awful conclusions about people they know nothing about? You threw that out there, not the trailer. Again, your assumptions are telling.
3.) I told the truth as best as a person can who is dealing with it. I didn't hide my idiocy or mistakes and my own issues. But that doesn't change facts.
4.) I have no idea how it plays out in the documentary because I wasn't involved in the process. Editing, Additions, all of that can change a lot. And if I don't know - then you definitely don't know. So how abut we wait and see what they do with it before passing judgment?

What was that symbol at the beginning?

Yeah, sure. And yes, the trailer DID throw it out there. VERY clearly, where it directly calls out Miles as being some home wrecker. Kinda paints your ex in a terrible light too. I quoted the trailer information directly. But hey, since you're here- why not take an opportunity to tell everyone that the trailer's description of the whole thing isn't the whole story, why don't you?

And no, you're "I didn't hide my idiocy or mistakes" is not enough. You should see this as an opportunity to clear up the air before the film gets out. That way, if Laurent DID NOT represent this well, you can.

And for the record, I was asked to let people know this trailer is a poor understanding if it came up. Which it did- when Br. John posted the description.

J. K. Barger wrote: What was that symbol at the beginning?

That is the symbol of the for profit Church of Jediism which, as far as I know, had no members at the gathering where this was filmed. Someone has mistaken it as the symbol for Jediism.

If anyone knows better please correct me.

No, there wasn't anyone at the gathering that was from CoJ. It's possible they were taking the definition from CoJ directly when they filmed this? We wouldn't know anymore since they redid their website.

Though, , funny enough, CoJ is all UK based, and at the time only had one Canadian on the team. Their only USAer left before the filming of this, as I recall.

Before I forget, one of the main people (Hannigan?, Opie?) should remind the producer or associate producer that there is no listing in IMDB.com. I was looking for it and was surprised that nothing was there.

Even my little bit of this and that is there http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3035787/ so this certainly should be.

I could have sworn I saw it on there, not the 2002 one, but this one, today....Anyways, the information is passed on Hopefully that will get resolved.

Br. John wrote:

J. K. Barger wrote: What was that symbol at the beginning?

That is the symbol of the for profit Church of Jediism which, as far as I know, had no members at the gathering where this was filmed. Someone has mistaken it as the symbol for Jediism.

If anyone knows better please correct me.

No, you're right. It would be easy to mistake it for a symbol for Jediism across-the-board, because two of the first four search results are that logo when you GIS for "jediism."

Alethea Thompson wrote: I could have sworn I saw it on there, not the 2002 one, but this one, today....Anyways, the information is passed on Hopefully that will get resolved.

It's not there as of the time of this post. Here is the page for the director. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0538942/
It would show there if it was listed and the global site search only shows the short comedy film from 2002. They know now.

Hey Alethea - thanks for being a friend when we were married. OH WAIT! That is right. You didn't interact with any of us while I was married. You were never directly involved at any point during that time. Not even slightly involved. You weren't in our lives at all. But no no. Continue to act like you know what the hell you are talking about because you gossiped with someone going through an emotional and heart-wrenching divorce. Yeah. You got it all figured out. Three people can talk on that situation. That is it. Because they lived it. They went through it. Not you.

Alethea Thompson wrote: And yes, the trailer DID throw it out there.

You threw out derogatory names. Not the trailer. That is ALL you.

Alethea Thompson wrote: where it directly calls out Miles as being some home wrecker. Kinda paints your ex in a terrible light too.

It doesn't directly do anything. It is a TRAILER. Again - this is ALL you. You make assumptions and they speak volumes. You are being aggressively defensive in such an insulting way to the two people you are "defending".

Alethea Thompson wrote: But hey, since you're here- why not take an opportunity to tell everyone that the trailer's description of the whole thing isn't the whole story, why don't you?

Why don't I allow the documentary to speak for itself instead of assuming like some little kid that is throwing a tantrum? Since I have no idea where they are going with all this nonsense. It was years ago. It covered a lot. We talked about a lot of things. They could have made me out to be a saint or a villain. They could have Jedi with super powers. The power of editing. So why don't you stop with your childish nonsense and pretend for two seconds that you really are a Jedi master.

Alethea Thompson wrote: You should see this as an opportunity to clear up the air before the film gets out.

I don't need to clear the air on anything. Three people have a story to tell due to direct experience. And they are allow to tell their story - because IT IS THEIRS. And if they want to - they can. To anyone they want. But again - their story - not your's.

Guys, please.... Take it to PM.... Please. . .

Agreed.

May i say that i find the gossip and ambiguous responses of some of you extremely distastefull and that i fully understand someone from a different community seeing the need to defend himself here. Its pathetic a whole thread about a trailer ? Please watch the whole documentary and save judgement until then , like i said , the trailer was fun , the rest of my jugdement if i can even call it that way , will have to wait.

We should lift eachoter up here and not tear eachother down , please try to be a bit more respectful of other peoples hard work and efforts.

This was a long time coming. Let's celebrate that it happened and see what comes of it. Let's defer judgement... Also assumptions are rarely a good thing.

Ok this has been turning in my head for the last 24 hours so i am going to say it.

This may be offensive to some so read at your own risk.

People are talking so much trash wondering how Opie, Perris (Grandmaster WARBEAUTY of totjo), and Hannigan are going to make the community look. Are you people so unaware of what is really going on? The people featured were chosen with reason. The people of this film were part of the community long before many here even thought to join the band wagan jedi.

So if this film comes out great there is no vindication for us. Sure the community may get some great growth but yinz tossing us under a bus because you are worried about how you will look? Really? Can you get more selfish if you tried?

Do you understand how the featured people are telling the world who they are verses all of the people hiding here under sceen names and silly pictures. Opie has been promoting the community for years on youtube, i have done it through btr and we have put ourselves out there for the community. (Oh and lets not forget OPIE and I can not stand each other but at least we can agree that being public jedi is not as much fun as what people may think and we put our own livilhoods at risk for being as public as we are.

This poor me, what about us BS i am seeing here is beyond foolish. If this film goes poorly your little screen names and silly pictures will not be effected but how will Opie, Perris or hannigan be effected? Think about other people then your damn selves for a minute.

IF TOTJO is not going to support this project the do the right thing and post a big note on the front page saying if you saw American jedi and want to be a jedi please find the people in the film we do not want you, Tell them all how you do not stand behind the project and are hateful towards those in it.

Do not take the benefits of what we did while trashing us until then.

Hannigan I have never spoken to you before. I apologize for whatever transgressions you have endured here. I agree the attack on Opie was distasteful but this isn't much different. You are making many generalizations based on the actions of a few. Please handle this personally.

MJ Hannigan wrote: IF TOTJO is not going to support this project the do the right thing and post a big note on the front page saying if you saw American jedi and want to be a jedi please find the people in the film we do not want you, Tell them all how you do not stand behind the project and are hateful towards those in it.

Do not take the benefits of what we did while trashing us until then.

I... I really don't even know where you're getting this vibe.

I've read the thread. Yes, perhaps some people don't like those in the video. Perhaps. But in the end, most people here are worried about how the Jedi community will be portrayed. I have faith the director will do an excellent job (given his past work and how he went about doing it). But to say that we don't want anyone who is attracted to Jediism because of this film would be closed mined to say the least.

I came here because of what I read about Kevin Cottam, the Jedi of Rhyl. I've since discovered that his Path is quite different from a majority of those here. And that's fine. He's not doing any wrong, and is in fact (when I last checked) doing lots of charity work. Despite how many may view him, his actions are very much in line with what the Jedi are.

So no, I think it would be very elusive and, well, hateful to turn away those attracted to this community because of how they discovered it.

In the end, their worries are valid. This may be one of the biggest bits of coverage we've had to date. So yeah, people are worried about how we will be portrayed. And those are valid concerns.

I've seen most of the people in this thread counseling a wait-and-see attitude toward the film. I've seen some people express some trepidation toward how the community will be portrayed. Those aren't even mutually inconsistent positions, much less indicators of a lack of support from "TotJO" as a body. We have all seen how the community has been covered in media, and it's all over the board, from serious and thoughtful depictions at one extreme to parodying us for the lowest form of low-brow humor at the other. It's natural we would hope that a mass-market depiction would show the community as we all see it.