Confessions of a Dangerous Mind marks the feature film directing debut of George Clooney. Instead of plunging into the Hollywood mainstream, however, Clooney chose this highly unusual project based on the "unauthorized autobiography" of TV game show producer/host Chuck Barris of The Gong Show fame. Barris led no ordinary life, if we're to believe his memoirs: he was also a CIA assassin who frequently plied his second trade while chaperoning couples from The Dating Game to far off destinations.