Tag Archives: oil
Rocky Meets Patton Meets The Godfather
I have one more comment about The Formula (1980). Its director John Avildsen also directed Rocky and Karate Kid. All three movies center around an underdog upstart who takes on the establishment. In Rocky, Sylvester Stallone’s Italian Stallion takes on … Read More
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Tagged Big Oil, George C. Scott, John Avildsen, Karate Kid, Marlon Brando, oil, Patton, Rocky, Sylvester Stallone, The Formula
Russell Hustles Energy in American Hustle
I was kicking myself for missing American Hustle (2013) when it was in theatres, so I rushed to buy my own copy the day of its release. I’m still kicking myself but I finally watched it (twice), and through ten … Read More
The Formula for Making an Energy Movie
The Formula (1980) with George C. Scott and Marlon Brando is one of the first major oil films released after the 1970s oil shocks. Rather than presenting the very positive side of oil the way most pre-1970s films did, this … Read More
The Rig: A Disaster
The Rig (2010) is a cringe-worthy, low-budget thriller about a disaster in the Gulf of Mexico with the IMDB tagline: “In the midst of a tropical storm, the crew of an offshore oil rig must survive the rampage of a … Read More
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Tagged Creature of the Black Lagoon, environment, Gulf of Mexico, offshore oil production, oil, The Rig, Thunder Bay, UT Austin
The Goonies has Excellent Shelf Life
I watched The Goonies (1985) with my sons. What’s not to love about a classic kids’ movie from the mid-1980s that was written and directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, and Josh Brolin? Energy shows up … Read More
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Tagged batteries, Corey Feldman, gasoline, Josh Brolin, oil, oil cliches, Sean Astin, Steven Spielberg, The Goonies
Oil Man 3: Using Technology To Solve our Addiction
I watched Iron Man 3 (2013) with my son, and we both enjoyed it. While the original Iron Man (2008) and The Avengers (2012) were nuclear movies (see the earlier post here), Iron Man 3 surprised me by including oil as … Read More
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Tagged geopolitics, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, nuclear, oil, oil addiction, President Bush, technology
Oscars Around the Corner – August: Osage County
I saw the movie August: Osage County (2014), which was nominated for two Academy Awards (Meryl Streep for Best Actress and Julia Roberts for Best Supporting Actress). I wouldn’t be surprised if both actresses win, as I found the performances … Read More
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Tagged Academy Awards, Chris Cooper, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, oil, pumpjack, religion, transmission lines, Wind
Energy and Water Save Mr. Banks
I watched Saving Mr. Banks (2013), the touching movie about the creative conflict between Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), with my family over the holidays. A few energy and water references merit sharing. … Read More
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Tagged cars, coal, Disney, Electricity, Emma Thompson, oil, Paul Giamatti, Saving Mr. Banks (2013), solar power, Tom Hanks, train, water
ARGO Stands for “Another Really Gripping Oil” Movie
I finally watched ARGO (2012), which is a gripping film about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis and the 2013 Best Picture Academy Award Winner. The movie—produced by George Clooney and Ben Affleck—addresses US entanglement in Iranian governance through an openly … Read More
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Tagged ARGO, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Middle East, national security, oil, The Kingdom
Wheelers Dealers: Real World Parallels
Reading Marianne’s June post on The Wheeler Dealers (1963) brought two connections to mind. First, though the movie is a spoof-like comedy, the financial tactics and maneuvers (e.g. going to Wall Street to raise money for risky ventures) seem similar to those … Read More
Man of Steel: A Super Energy Movie
I didn’t expect Man of Steel (2013)–the latest in the decades-long Superman franchise–to be an energy movie. But it had several key energy components throughout the movie. Themes related to “Peak Oil” were mentioned twice. In the opening scene, Clark … Read More
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Tagged Deepwater Horizon, explosions, Man of Steel, nuclear, oil, peak oil, Russell Crowe, superheroes
Wheeler Dealers, Wildcatters, and the Texas Oilman Stereotype
I recently watched The Wheeler Dealers (1963 and one of my dad’s favorites), starring James Garner and Lee Remick. The 1963 comedy follows Henry Tyroon (rhymes with “tycoon”), a Texas Wildcatter millionaire, who hits a streak of dry wells and … Read More
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Tagged Boomtown, Chill Wills, Fracturing, Giant, James Garner, Lee Remick, oil, Texas oilman, The Wheeler Dealers, Tulsa, Wild River
Water and Poverty in the Movies
One more comment on Louisiana Story… as I’ve noted before, images of women either washing clothes by hand without piped water and/or carrying buckets of water appear to be the international symbols for poverty. The movie Louisiana Story (1948), which captures some … Read More
1946 Shallow Water Oil Production in Louisiana
Following up the last post, I think it’s interesting that Louisiana Story (1948) and Thunder Bay (1953) are both about shallow water oil production in 1946 Louisiana. Louisiana Story was made in 1946 but released two years later, whereas Thunder … Read More
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Tagged blowout, Giant, Jimmy Stewart, Louisiana Story, oil, Rock Hudson, Thunder Bay, water, Written on the Wind
Where Oil, Water and Cajuns Mix: Louisiana Story
The Louisiana bayou setting in Beasts of the Southern Wild reminds me of a 1948 film, Louisiana Story. This movie is fascinating for a few reasons. And, despite its quirks, I really like it. The black-and-white movie is almost entirely … Read More
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Tagged Beasts of the Southern Wild, Humble Oil, Louisiana Story, offshore production, oil, Standard Oil, water pollution
Quantum of Solace: An Energy and Water Film
Quantum of Solace (2008) is both an energy film and a water film. Oil makes an appearance when the CIA makes a deal with the bad guys to keep Bolivian oil flowing to the USA. Keep in mind that in … Read More
James Bond Saves the World from an Oil Crisis
In Never Say Never Again (1983) Sean Connery makes his triumphant return to the role he made famous (or was it the role that made him famous?) in a self-parody about coming out of retirement to save the day. What … Read More
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Tagged James Bond, national security, Never Say Never Again, nuclear, oil, Sean Connery, Terrorists
Skyfall: NOT an energy movie
While Skyfall (2012) is many things—a fun movie, a Bond thriller, and a blockbuster—it is not an energy movie. But, for me, it does raise the question of which Bond movies have energy or resource themes. And, in spirit of … Read More
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Tagged Daniel Craig, George Lazenby, James Bond, Never Say Never Again, oil, Oscars, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Skyfall, Tim Dalton, water
The Promised Land: Texas Written On The Wall
One more interesting tidbit I noticed in The Promised Land (2012) (Matt Damon’s movie about fracking) was the touching scene where Frances McDormand’s character (a landman* securing lease rights for drilling) communicates with her teenage son in Houston via Skype. … Read More
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Tagged Fracking, Frances McDormand, landman, Matt Damon, oil, Promised Land, Rock Hudson, University of Texas, Written on the Wind
An Energy Expert’s Review of “Promised Land”
I went to watch Promised Land (2013) last night. The movie is rich with energy content, and so I will be blogging about it over multiple entries in the coming days/weeks. But, I wanted to get a brief review and … Read More
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Tagged corruption, environment, Fracking, George Clooney, landman, Matt Damon, national security, Natural Gas, oil, Promised Land, Syriana, transportation, women and energy
Hydropower Saves The Fugitive
