A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash
by Ray McCormack, Basil Gelpke, Reto Caduff
List Price:
Our Price: $13.49
You Save: $13.46 (50%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $12.00 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Abdul Samad Al-Awadi, Wade AdamsDirector: Basil Gelpke, Ray McCormack, Reto Caduff
Brand: NEW VIDEO GROUP INC
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-07-31
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: DOCURAMA
DVD Reviews of A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash
DVD Review: Scarier than horror movies
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very real problem that may very well define future generations' ability to adapt to a world where energy has become more scarce. The fact that, in the third year after this film's debut, only 32 reviews have been posted about this movie speaks volumes about the lack of knowledge the general population has about this issue.
It is true that alternative energy sources may break our dependency on fossil fuels, but for that to happen there must be a huge increase in the amount of time/money our governments allot to research and development of new energy technology. And it has to happen fast.
Whether or not you believe the doomsayers who say that in the future we'll all have to live like the Amish, this is a great documentary that explores the possibilities of our lives without oil.
DVD Review: fantastic and bone chilling
Summary: 5 Stars
this is a very well made documentary about world'd addiction to oil and how that may soon come to an abrupt end due to PEAK OIL crisis. consequence of this will be severe.
the various speakers presented in the movie offer an unprecedented glimpse into the peak oil crisis
this movie is to be shown at my grad school in spring 09.
DVD Review: Every American should see this documentary for true facts instead of BS!!
Summary: 5 Stars
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 the unappetizing truth that we use over 25% of the world's oil while we possess less than 4% of oil reserves. The mathematics show the truth, that drilling all the 5% total reserves would not even put a dent in our dependence on foreign oil nor prices, but the cynics know voters want hope even when a lie. The cynics know the reality and the truth will be face well AFTER the elections!!! Meanwhile, the old policies that got us into this mess will prevail, and contunue until the reality of depletion arrives for us to face, still dependent on foreign oil and still UNPREPARED!! And this deplection will be happening within the lifetime of our children, this has been well documented by both oil companies and governments, who withhold this coming catastrophe from the public!!!!DVD Review: A Crude Awakening
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
DVD Review: Compelling arguements to consider
Summary: 5 Stars
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 the USA to the peaks in Venezuela, Russian states and Saudi Arabia.
As one watches how peak discovery USA or other early regions yielded to peak production then leading to ultimate decline, you quickly see the model used for calculating "peak oil" globally which many experts say is anywhere between 2003 and 2030 (many predicting around the next five years). The famous, so-called Hubbert's Peak is described by the man himself.
US production started around the 30's but peaked in 70's and has dwindled to a fraction of peak now. That's apparently what we see now in the giant of giant fields that produce a lion's share - some being pumpued with seawater to maximize output (something normally done when a field is peaking down). ALL these will eventually follow the model peaking scenario that was seen in USA, Baku and other areas. North Sea is also peaking apparently if you follow news in EU.
Arguements for being at a peak include the strong and sustained rise in demand, the apparent signs of peaking of the giant fields today and the fact that no fields this big have been discovered in a while (given oil companies have mapped much of the planet). This doc makes the strong point that huge discoveries are needed just to keep up with current demand - let alone feed growth - since all current fields will eventually decline.
But with price of oil so high, it will and is opening up discovery previously not pursued until crude hit a magic threshold price. The doc could have presented such supply-side possibiities more clearly to give more balance. But, this is a compelling documentary that will stimulate your own analysis. If nothing else, you will probably see just how oil permeates so much of our lives in the products we buy and way we live. PS: Some of the best writers on this topic in my opinion are economists who have little direct bias or professional stake in any particular outcome ("A Thousand Barrels a Second" is a quite good analysis of the situation).
Description of A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash
An unforgettable and shocking wake-up call, A CRUDE AWAKENING offers the rock-solid argument that the era of cheap oil is in the past. Relentless and clear-eyed, this intensively-researched film drills deep into the uncomfortable realities of a world that is both addicted to fossil fuels and blissfully unaware of the looming "peak oil" crisis. Drawing on an international cast of maverick energy experts and thinkers, directors Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack debunk the conventional wisdom that oil production will continue to climb, and instead stare bleakly at a planet facing economic meltdown and conflict over its most valuable resource. Featuring a haunting score by Phillip Glass and a fascinating array of rare archival footage, the film explores oil's rocky relationship with human progress in locales ranging from ancient Baku, Azerbaijan to dusty oilpatch town McCamey, Texas.? Amidst a dark and disturbing vision of our future, A CRUDE AWAKENING hints at a humbler way of life built around sustainability and alternative energy, providing a visually stunning, boldly prophetic testament which provokes not just thought but action.Q&A with Basil Gelpke
1. What inspired you to make this film?
I thought it was the most underreported burning issue at the time when we embarked on the project back in 2005.
2. What kind of response have you encountered from audiences who've seen it?
We've got a lot of feedback: Either people would deny our conclusion or they would see the film as an eye-opener.
3. What, if anything, do you think has changed since you made the film about the oil situation?
The current financial crisis has lowered the overall consumption but it's interesting to see that not very much as oil consumption is so vital to our societies. While demand goes down in the US it's still increasing in places like China.
4. Do you feel that the high price of gas last year and the current economic crisis has changed our oil addiction?
Yes, and I think there's a growing consensus that we have to change our dependence on imported energy and now there's a remarkable push to look for alternative sources of energy.
5. How much do you think things have changed now that there is a new administration in the White House?
The Obama administration is definitely very aware of the issue and they have taken lots of promising steps to change our addiction to oil and fossil fuels in general. Whether they'll be successful remains to be seen but it's certainly going into the right direction.
6. Can you discuss your decision to use animation and archival footage that sings the praises of oil?
It seemed a good way to show how perceptions change over time and how we're all conditioned by history.
7. The score by Philip Glass is remarkable. What made you choose him for the film?
Yes, we love his work too!
8. Faced with the alarming future shown in the film, what, if any, is your hope for curing our addiction to oil?
There's always hope. However, I strongly believe that when the financial crisis has subsided there will be a next crisis caused by nature: The dwindling resources of the planet simply can't satisfy the ever increasing demand arising from a growing population. So over time we'll have to rethink our way of life.
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
General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
Man on WireRelease date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $13.37
Price in other shops:
Blue Planet: Seas of Life (Special Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-10-02; DVD
Best price: $17.59
Price in other shops:
Expelled: No Intelligence AllowedRelease date: 2008-10-21; DVD
Best price: $8.44
Price in other shops:
Planet Earth & The Blue Planet Seas of Life (Special Collector's Edition)Planet; Release date: 2007-10-02; DVD
Best price: $52.97
Price in other shops:
The Beales of Grey Gardens - Criterion CollectionImage Entertainment; Release date: 2006-12-05; DVD
Best price: $13.60
Price in other shops:
A Haunting in ConnecticutRelease date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $3.53
Price in other shops:
Grey Gardens - Criterion CollectionImage Entertainment; Release date: 2001-08-14; DVD
Best price: $25.20
Price in other shops:
ReligulousLions Gate; Release date: 2009-02-17; DVD
Best price: $10.20
Price in other shops:
The BBC Natural History Collection featuring Planet Earth (Planet Earth/ The Blue Planet: Seas of Life Special Edition/ Life of Mammals/ Life of Birds)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-04-01; DVD
Best price: $85.99
Price in other shops:
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC SeriesWarner Brothers; Release date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $19.49
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Energy Crossroads: A burning need to change courseRelease date: 2007-07-02; DVD
Best price: $25.95
National Geographic: Six Degrees Could Change the WorldWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-04-08; DVD
Best price: $9.68
Price in other shops:
Peak Oil Survival: Preparation for Life After Gridcrashby Aric McBay
The Lyons Press; Published: 2006-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.97
Price in other shops:
Maxed OutMAGNOLIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT; Release date: 2007-06-05; DVD
Best price: $12.58
Price in other shops:
The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American DreamMICROCINEMA INC; Release date: 2007-11-27; DVD
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
In Debt We TrustRelease date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $11.32
Price in other shops:
NOVA: Solar Energy - Saved by the SunWGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2007-07-31; DVD
Best price: $10.23
Price in other shops:
TRASHEDRelease date: 2007-07-16; DVD
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops:
The 11th HourWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-04-08; DVD
Best price: $2.93
Price in other shops:
Who Killed the Electric Car?Sony; Release date: 2006-11-14; DVD
Best price: $7.19
Price in other shops: