by Bandidoz » Thu 04 Aug 2005, 13:00:36
Yes. I'd give it 3/5.
On the negative side, some of the production is naff (such as walking up to a car and seeing the economist wind his window down and saying "Hello" - very amateur looking). The "Dick Cheney - Dick Cheney - Dick Cheney" effect was off-putting. And the film feels like it ends suddenly.
Also there is no mention of Hubbert, although I guess it's not so necessary since the discovery and production profiles of a number of countries is shown. What I would have liked to have seen was the statement made by Simmons in "End of Suburbia" where he points out how Hubbert's detractors kept saying "we're producing more than ever", considering there are now people around saying the same thing about global production in the same vein.
I also think it would have been better if there was more of Colin Campbell's material that he uses in presentations.
I think a big plus point is gained by having an economist on board, describing how PO impacts on the markets, and that the same signals are appearing as other commodities that become short in supply. Also, since the film is shorter than "End Of Suburbia" it may serve as a quicker introduction from a group of experts.
In summary, it's a good, short introduction to the issues, with emphasis on the financial domain. It just could have been better.