A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash
starring: n/a
directed by: Ray McCormack, Basil Gelpke, Reto Caduff
directed by: Ray McCormack, Basil Gelpke, Reto Caduff
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Product Description:
Studio: New Video GroupRelease Date: 07/31/2007Run time: 85 minutes
Amazon.com:
While the previous eco-doc Who Killed the Electric Car? spent some time on the world's oil crisis, A Crude Awakening (formerly OilCrash) builds an entire film around the subject. Swiss journalist Basil Gelpke and Irish filmmaker Ray McCormack have constructed their narrative in a conventional manner, alternating between talking heads, archival footage, and modern-day material, but the addition of several pieces by Phillip Glass is an artful touch (and evokes his work on 1988's The Thin Blue Line). Throughout, a diverse array of experts from the U.S., Azerbaijan, Venezuela, and other countries explain how the 20th century became addicted to "the blood of the dinosaurs," and why contemporary society needs to change course. As attorney/activist Matthew David Savinar puts it, "Oil is our God." As Stanford professor Terry Lynn Karl adds, "More and more oil is going to come from less and less stable places...places that actually challenge the taking of oil in the first place." One of the more chilling revelations concerns the discrepancy between the reserves oil-producing nations claim they possess and the actual amount. These padded estimates allow them to drill with impunity, leading to an abundance of wealth in the short term and cataclysmic consequences once they've depleted their supply of this non-renewable resource. A Crude Awakening isn't exactly a day-brightener, but Gelpke and McCormack are comprehensive and impartial in their inquiry, which makes for an informative examination of a vitally important subject. Extras include extended interviews with four participants and bonus chapter Petrostates. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Studio: New Video GroupRelease Date: 07/31/2007Run time: 85 minutes
Amazon.com:
While the previous eco-doc Who Killed the Electric Car? spent some time on the world's oil crisis, A Crude Awakening (formerly OilCrash) builds an entire film around the subject. Swiss journalist Basil Gelpke and Irish filmmaker Ray McCormack have constructed their narrative in a conventional manner, alternating between talking heads, archival footage, and modern-day material, but the addition of several pieces by Phillip Glass is an artful touch (and evokes his work on 1988's The Thin Blue Line). Throughout, a diverse array of experts from the U.S., Azerbaijan, Venezuela, and other countries explain how the 20th century became addicted to "the blood of the dinosaurs," and why contemporary society needs to change course. As attorney/activist Matthew David Savinar puts it, "Oil is our God." As Stanford professor Terry Lynn Karl adds, "More and more oil is going to come from less and less stable places...places that actually challenge the taking of oil in the first place." One of the more chilling revelations concerns the discrepancy between the reserves oil-producing nations claim they possess and the actual amount. These padded estimates allow them to drill with impunity, leading to an abundance of wealth in the short term and cataclysmic consequences once they've depleted their supply of this non-renewable resource. A Crude Awakening isn't exactly a day-brightener, but Gelpke and McCormack are comprehensive and impartial in their inquiry, which makes for an informative examination of a vitally important subject. Extras include extended interviews with four participants and bonus chapter Petrostates. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Every American should see this documentary for true facts instead ofBS!!
A lot of factual in this comprehensive documentary which will arm every citizen who watches it against the lies being spewed by those who want to deceive Americans in order to gain their votes by fraud.Americans are being lulled into believing the lies that reliance on foreing oil will be reduced by any significant amount and that gas/oil prices will be reduced by offshore and arctic drilling - and Americans are desperate enough to believe such lies without question, without wanting to listen to ... Read More
Rating: - A Crude Awakening
Very informative and relevant in light of the rising prices at the pump.Americans need to realize that the days of cheap energy are over.
We need to seek out alternatives that are renewable or face the day when we will run out of oil.
Rating: - Compelling arguements to consider
Today is June 12, 2008, and with oil is above $130 per barrel, we have an ideal environment to take in such a documentary as this.The scenario reminds me of a book called, "What To Do When Oil Is $200 A Barrel."Perhaps by the time you read this, it will be over $200 a barrel.
For this genre, this is a well-produced documentary that combines visual interest with good academic but energizing commentary.It plays out like a story: from the early discoveries of oil, the oil bonanza in ... Read More
Rating: 
- crude crap
THese guys that write these book must do one sided research, Peak Oil LOL not yet. We're finding out the earth core is producing more oil, sounds crayz ,but true. However, according to Popular Science Apr 2008 there are 175 Trillion thats right 175 TRILLION barrels of oil in Tar sands in Canada that they can extract a barrel of oil from for about $20.00 a barrel. Then you have 5 Trillion barrels of oil in OIL Shale in Colo,Wyo & Utah that they can produced a barrel of oil for about $40.00 a barrel. ... Read More
Rating: - Awakening.
This documentary describes a process that is inevitable... but at least it describes it rather than putting ones head in the sand and denying it.
The more people that are aware of what will happen when cheap plentiful energy becomes scarce expensive energy the better.
Highly recommended.
- Every American should see this documentary for true facts instead ofBS!!A lot of factual in this comprehensive documentary which will arm every citizen who watches it against the lies being spewed by those who want to deceive Americans in order to gain their votes by fraud.Americans are being lulled into believing the lies that reliance on foreing oil will be reduced by any significant amount and that gas/oil prices will be reduced by offshore and arctic drilling - and Americans are desperate enough to believe such lies without question, without wanting to listen to ... Read More
- A Crude AwakeningVery informative and relevant in light of the rising prices at the pump.Americans need to realize that the days of cheap energy are over.
We need to seek out alternatives that are renewable or face the day when we will run out of oil.
- Compelling arguements to considerToday is June 12, 2008, and with oil is above $130 per barrel, we have an ideal environment to take in such a documentary as this.The scenario reminds me of a book called, "What To Do When Oil Is $200 A Barrel."Perhaps by the time you read this, it will be over $200 a barrel.
For this genre, this is a well-produced documentary that combines visual interest with good academic but energizing commentary.It plays out like a story: from the early discoveries of oil, the oil bonanza in ... Read More
- crude crapTHese guys that write these book must do one sided research, Peak Oil LOL not yet. We're finding out the earth core is producing more oil, sounds crayz ,but true. However, according to Popular Science Apr 2008 there are 175 Trillion thats right 175 TRILLION barrels of oil in Tar sands in Canada that they can extract a barrel of oil from for about $20.00 a barrel. Then you have 5 Trillion barrels of oil in OIL Shale in Colo,Wyo & Utah that they can produced a barrel of oil for about $40.00 a barrel. ... Read More
- Awakening.This documentary describes a process that is inevitable... but at least it describes it rather than putting ones head in the sand and denying it.
The more people that are aware of what will happen when cheap plentiful energy becomes scarce expensive energy the better.
Highly recommended.
