Television Review: "Oil Storm," on Fx
I was very interested in the teasers shown on Fx for this original production. The catchphrase was “America’s Lifeline Has Been Severed!” After all, I have Fx to thank (blame?_ for some of the best television (and lost sleep) this side of "Deadwood" over the past couple of years. Their boundary-stretching series "The Shield," "Rescue Me," and "Nip/Tuck" are, for me, must-see TV. I was intrigued at the premise for the story, at least, as it was presented in the teasers. I was terribly disappointed in the actual production, "Oil Storm."
It was a story set in the hurricane season on this (2005) year. It follows the domino effect of a category 4 hurricane hitting the Houston port and refineries and knocking out our oil supply. As the sequence of events follows - rising oil prices, rising food prices (related to trucking and transportation costs), job loses - the story fell, progressively, apart. The dominos - supertanker crashes in the Gulf of Mexico, increased troop requirement to shore up the security of Saudi Arabia, a Russian immigrant (naturalized to U.S. citizenship) being appointed our "Oil Czar," striking a deal with Russia and Vladimir Putin for oil and, then, being outbid by China for the oil, etc. - became less and less tenable. To make a long story short, America fell apart, went through a full depression and recovered fairly well over the space of 3 or 4 years. But, “we were never the same.”
I really didn't mind the "pseudo-documentary" (think "War of the Worlds" TV-style) format. I did find it amusing that, after each commercial break, they would should the obligate "This is an entirely fictional account...." as if anyone, at least those who claim to reside on the proper side of the sanity gap, would think what they were seeing on television was actually happening. The acting was extremely poor and the characters - the family who owned a gas station and lost a son protecting the Saudi pipeline, the Russian-born U.S. “Oil czar,” the farmer who went to jail protesting loss of farm subsidies (“food not oil!”) and his wife - were all unconvincing and mediocre actors. Even the fake newscasters were not believable. The riot scenes (yes, there were riots in America’s streets) looked like film jacked from riots over the World Bank or the G7 conferences.
Then, again, it was my little inner voice saying “this could never really happen.” And, in my blissful naivety, I am pretty sure it couldn’t. It did make some significant points about our reliance on foreign oil and the extent to which we base our - at least according to this story - entire economy. Hopefully, it was a success in convincing a few folks to park their SUVs and get smaller, more efficient cars. Equally optimistically, maybe it made a few viewers more aware of the house of cards the oil industry has put in place. But, it could have done those jobs much better and with more conviction. I expected more from Fx.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - reply
Fast forward to July 2005. Think “this could never really happen” now? Oil at a record high . . . Hurricane Dennis bearing down on the Gulf Coast . . . China oil firm in Unocal bid war (the ninth-biggest US oil firm) . . .
Bad acting or not, maybe "Hollywood" is relaying a message from above, to prepare us for the future???
Hmmmmm.....
2 - dietdoc
reply writes: "Bad acting or not, maybe "Hollywood" is relaying a message from above, to prepare us for the future???"
Reply: It was, indeed, a tenable situation, when the dominos are stacked just right. Logically, we could have such a crisis. I just hope that there is a "White Paper" somewhere in the government that will deal with it. The main point - through all the leaking presentation - was it can happen because of our reliance on oil. On that issue, the documentary was certainly on solid ground. I'll just start riding a bike, never a bad idea anyway.
Cheers,
Ron
3 - Jeremy Horne, Ph.D.
It is a rather shallow comment simply to comment on the acting. I don't see this as a theater's critic issue. I am a political science/philosophy professor, and scenario analysis is critical for planning. Dennis was before, and now (26 August 2005) is Katrina (ironic that the name is Russian, with that country being a potential supplier of petrol to the US, both in the film and in reality). I just returned from a seminar in Orlando on the National Critical Infrastructure (NCI), and, believe me, the Houston Ship Channel problem a IS real emergency! 50% of all refinable petrol goes through this narrow channel, and we really are sweating the issue. Again, the docudrama UNDERSTATED the problem!
While "Oil Storm" was running, I checked out Port Fourchon, LA, and the situation is WORSE than portrayed by the docudrama. Check it out! I taught in LA for a year, it is true, the whole coastal area IS sinking.
One of the idiocies in the film was the plethora of rednecks chanting about raising food and not expending resources for oil, all the while neglecting the fact that petrochemicals are the hub of fertilizers and pesticides! This is a minor detail, compared to the overall message.
In political science, we'd say that large parts of "Oil Storm" are "plausible". I'd suggest to FX that they run the film through Brookings or like "think tank" clean up some of the errors and circulate it widely to scenario analysts and policy planners.
So sad it is that the message really isn't out there with all these mindless and selfish pigs in the US (and China) driving their Hummers and SUVs (except for those with a REAL need - really a very few). GWF Hegel talked about reason working itself out in history, and, the U.S. being so sociologically stupid (no health care, Viet-Nam/Iraq, no real educational system, and the widening gap between rich and poor), I am afraid, we'll have to "do" a Germany.
I pity the socially conscious who will have to suffer because of mob stupidity (like electing the gangster in the White House). The word in language is: resistance". Of course there are emerging alliances hopefully willing to take the perpetrators to the World Court (which the US doesn't recognize, except when it fits its Wall Street interests, not unlike Nuremberg.
Jeremy Horne, Ph.D.
4 - Jeremy Horne, Ph.D.
Previous post - Change from "... theater's critic issue..." to theater critic's issue...". I'm a BAD prufreeder. :-) Maybe other other errors - ignore and read the substance, please. TX.
5 - D.C.
OH NO! The kooks come out online! You nut cases from the fringe left. Go drink your coffee at starbucks wearing your Michael Moron shirts!
6 - Ken
Katrina is building to a catagory 4. Just as in the fictional Oil Storm. The hurricane is headed for the city of New Orleans and possibly Houston? This is really eerie. In the movie on FX it happens on the Labor day weekend!
I am anxious to see what happens next.
Could it be a hint of a disaster looming in the very near future?
7 - Kevin
Well, here we go! I'm an energy specialist in the realm of commodity investing. FX might not have been exactly correct, but like horse shoes & hand grenades, close is good enough, if you were long in oil & its derivative products that is. The public generally doesn't like to invest in oil; however, those that didn't over the past year and a half will always wish they did. See you @ $100 per barrel. Good Luck!
8 - Dave Eames
Wow! Let's hope the movie overstated the effects by a LOT!
9 - Kenny
The headline on Labor Day; OIL STORM!!!
I live in south Florida. Katrina came ashore as a Cat 1 storm. I have been a weather enthusiast my entire life. I experienced the eye wall of Katrina as a Cat. 1 and could not believe the damage and flooding caused by it. Good Luck and God Speed New Orleans.
BTW: I'm a democrat and hate micheal moore!!!
10 - julie
Well for those who think "oil storm" was far fetched........Katrina is now headed for Port Fourchon. I am now worried what this cat 5 storm will do to our fuel prices by the end of this week. Nature has a way of surprising us all doesn't she? I watched OIL STORM and thought "boy I hope that will never happen" well I have been watching the weather channel all weekend and am now very worried about the impact of Katrina on Port Fuorchon and the gulf oil industry.
11 - Ray H
It is amazing how close they got that movie to reality.What is next Independence Day?
12 - Michele C.
Watching the news now and all I can say is Wow. It appears that I'm watching the beginning of that movie on the news now.
13 - Ray H
I am curious to see how much unleaded goes up to on Monday!
14 - Ken
They expect 100,000 to take shelter in the Astro Dome. Let's hope that the pressure difference inside vs outside will not collapse the roof. I would be leary about staying there!
15 - Ken
Port Fourchon currently services all of the Gulf of Mexico's deepwater projects, which accounts for over 75% of the Gulf's deepwater oil production.
This port lies on the outer banks. Let,s hope the damage is held to a minimum! This will take the early hits by the hurricane. It,s odd that the news has not touched on this very important subject of oil facilities!!
16 - Ken
a post script to the last posting.....
Port Fourchon plays a stragetic role in supporting transporting and securing 16-18% of the entire United States energy supply.
We could be in deep sh__ if they get damaged!
17 - Khan Leobens
I knew i wasnt the only one begining to draw similarities while watching Katrina. The proximity to Labor Day, the size and location of the storm, i think FX has clarvioants on their payroll. I feel so sorry for the people in N'orlens... it looks like its gonna be dead on. Just pray that the oil ports dont suffer heavy damage as in the movie.
18 - Steph
I'm sitting here watching the news about Katrina, whose eye is going to hit NOLA in just a few hours, and it's just looking worse and worse for the city and the people. When I watched "Oil Storm", I knew it was Hollywood but based on grains of truth. I read about Port Fourchon and the amount of oil that comes out of that area. All I can say is that... hang on to your seat for the next several weeks, as I'm sure the price of gas will shoot up as people are racing to the pumps to beat oil shortages, and oil shortages are going to then add to the price. Just try to remember like on 9/11 - get only what you absolutely need, report those stations who are price gouging, put money into the economy, and be patient. It's likely this will play out sharply over several weeks, and months, before we hit a plateau and steady recession. I seriously doubt it will be like it was portrayed in the movie, but it's likely we will all have to tighten our belts just a little more. Pray for the folks on the Gulf tonight.
19 - Bill
Glad I drive a diesel Jetta (45+MPG), and telework from home! Gas prices will go up as I just read that oil futures opened above $70 per barrel in Sydney, AUS due to Katrina! OilStorm, how true!
20 - Ken
I dont like to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the latest as of tonite.
"If this thing knocks out significant quantities of refining capacity ... we're going to be in deep, dark trouble," said Ed Silliere, vice president of risk management at Energy Merchant LLC in New York.
The impact was immediate Sunday night when electronic trading resumed on the New York Mercantile Exchange, as crude oil futures spiked $4.50 per barrel, putting the cost above $70 for the first time since oil began trading there in 1983
Source: Yahoo finance
21 - Eric Berlin
Damn Ken, I thought about that as well. I shouldn't have with the impending crisis for all of those good people down there, but the thought definitely crossed my mine that the ramifications can be even wider and far-reaching.
22 - ken
usually the things we worry about most never happen. Lets hope that happens this time!!
23 - Ken
more bad news this morning
It's not only the suspension of production that's causing concern, it's the fact that we could see potential damage to the platforms, which would cause longer disruptions to production," said energy analyst Victor Shum of Texas-headquartered Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.
The Gulf of Mexico normally produces 1.5 million barrels of crude oil a day, or about a quarter of the United States' domestic output, according to the U.S. Mineral Management Service.
"It looks like the perfect storm to drive prices up," Shum said.
Fill your tank now! Gas should go above $3 very fast!
source: Yahoo financial
24 - Brad
I watched the movie and it scared me!! Now it seems like it could be possible. I can't understand why no one is talking more about this? Oil Storm is NOW!!
25 - Dan Levin
I echo the comments above about the similarity between Oil Storm fictional events and those that are occurring for real the last couple of months. It was because of the real possibility of a confluence of events like those portrayed in the fictional account that made Oil Storm so interesting to me.
The American and world economies would certainly suffer and will suffer as a result of much higher oil prices. And America's reliance on energy to drive the economy is not fiction at all, and requires some political resolve to fix.
The one aspect of Oil Storm I found completely unbelievable is that people would stop driving entirely. This could never happen, and if it did then the price would fall quickly as demand fell. Nobody would sell gas for $8 per gallon if nobody was buying. The price would fall to an equilibrium, as it always does in market forces.
The real issue is that demand is nearly 100% inelastic. People will drive slightly less, but people will still have to drive to work and for other reasons -- no matter what the cost. Maybe at $50 per gallon there might develop alternative approaches to individual vehicles.
So people would have to spend far more of their money on transportation, at the expense of other purchases and a negative impact on the economy. That would result in at least a recession.
I'l thinking of getting a motorscooter. And maybe even a motor-scotter franchise!!