When the movie ended, credits rolled but no one moved or said a word. That doesn’t often happen in a fairly crowded movie theater. Processing was required.
Promised Land was much better than I expected. We knew there was a plot twist coming but we were unprepared for the creepiness–picture George Clooney on a hill petting some horses when his car blows up creepy, and that’s not creepy enough. As I sat there watching the credits roll, I thought, “Yeah, they would totally do that.”
Most regular people can’t calibrate their moral compass low enough to comprehend how sinister the fracking mafia truly is.
Chip Northrup was, apparently, at the same showing with me and about 25 other people that I know. His review is on the ShaleShock blog.
Great casting, witty, insightful dialogue and a Double McGuffin that I did not see coming, but that was convincing in that it grew out of the plot and was creepily plausible – if you understand the industry’s dirty tricks and realize that they use gas roots operatives posing as locals. . . and vice versa . . .
Big money and huge effort has been invested to discredit this movie just like they did with the documentary Gasland. The fracking mafia has created a new strain of Fracking Joe Camels and Fracking Pushers solely for Promised Land. But Dory uncovered the new players and connected the dots right back to the fracking mafia.
They rolled out a new website called The Real Promised Land and a new Facebook page by the same name. I’ve been banned from commenting on the Facebook page along with MANY others. We were banned for posting news stories and videos–the truth about life near fracking.
A new report by Checks and Balances Project found that fracking’s Joe Camel, aka Energy In Depth, has been ”secretly influencing the media and the public on energy issues by moving pro-fossil fuel messaging.” There is no excuse for creating false balance or using fake experts. A real journalist provided this list of resources for journalists who report on fracking. Now, PR Watch has a reporters guide to reporting on Energy In Depth aka Fracking Joe Camel.
Now I understand why the huge investment in discrediting Promised Land. Movies that make people think are dangerous.
This movie is not about the environmental devastation caused by fracking. It’s about the predatory practices used by industry to gain access to our backyards and how communities loose their way in gasland and are torn apart.
I wasn’t expecting the emotional roller coaster At first I had pride that the movie was fairly accurate. A little boredom crept in at one point. Then my blood boiled so hot I thought it would blow out my ears and it all drained out in the next moment leaving me with my mouth gapping open.
Promised Land opens nationally on 1.4.13. Go see it. We’re going back.
UPDATE: I forgot to link to one of my landman stories. Also, see the comments for a perfect example of fracking Joe Camel deception.
Why sitting still and quiet to think is dangerous to fracking.
We march collectively toward self-annihilation. Corporate capitalism, if left unchecked, will kill us. Yet we refuse, because we cannot think and no longer listen to those who do think, to see what is about to happen to us.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. On EID’d new face book page “The real promised land” they have a few people who claim to be extolling the nebulous virtues of shale gas. EID claims that Joe Lopez is “discussing the positive impact the industry has had on their community.” I’d say that is a bit of a stretch. here he says “ there’s a crisis situation in southwest Texas due to the Eagle Ford Shale Plate.” ” Our Section 8 clients which are the low and very low income are being displaced, and in some cases they’re also being left homeless.” http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/board/docs/transcripts/111004-board.pdf page 50
I also noticed that other seemingly satisfied customers on the EID site are not simply in the occupations listed, I only checked a few but they seem to have vested interests:
Gregg Murrelle is a Comfort Inn operations director
Ed Vahalik works for Curry Drilling LLC
Amy Lackey is a financial advisor but introduced as a farmer only
Here are what a few others have to say about landmen!
http://www.landmanreportcard.com/lrc/landman/browse?page=4
landman report card
Ruth Tonachel
http://innovationtrail.org/post/front-lines-fracking-get-personal
Tonachel says a classic example is how landmen pitched waster water holding ponds.
“They described like basically lakes where you could go swimming,” she says. “You could go fishing. You could have a dock. And then they started building them. And they’re plastic lined … surrounded by chain linked fence with barbed-wire around the top. I was just appalled.”
Fleased
http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110715/NEWS01/107150356/Landowners-look-escape-after-signing-gas-drilling-leases
Fleased is collecting accounts of how the landmen who visited us operated—specifically what information and misinformation they gave us about the process and impacts and what pressures they put on us to sign. How many of us were told that the duration of disturbance would be a few months? Or that there was no threat to water quality? Fleased is also examining the content and import of specific provisions of our leases. We are making our presence and concerns known to the political “powers” locally, in Albany and nationally, and we are considering possible legal actions.
I forgot my favorite part of Promised Land: they quote Matt Pitzarella more than once.
I’m still waiting for the frackers to respond to this:
Shale critic Deborah Rogers named to advisory board
Read more here: http://blogs.star-telegram.com/barnett_shale/2012/12/shale-critic-deborah-rogers-named-to-advisory-board.html#storylink=cpy
That might make them choke on their Holiday treats! So much for effective smear campaigns.
I know. That’s a great piece of news.
Now, EID has been taken to task:
“Energy In Depth” – A Reporters’ Guide to Its Founding, Funding, and Flacks
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/12/11921/%E2%80%9Cenergy-depth%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%93-reporters%E2%80%99-guide-its-founding-funding-and-flacks
The “PR dept” that the landmen refer to, when they’re getting push-back. Kaptain Kangaroo . . .
http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2012/12/29/energy-in-depth-fracking-shills/
I saw “Promised Land” twice. The first time was at the Cinemark Theater on SH 121 in Allen at 1:30 PM on Friday, and the second time was at the same theater at 10:00 PM the next night.
At both showings it was exactly as Sharon described it. The movie ended and the credits rolled, but nobody moved or said a thing. People seemed to be stunned and immersed in thought about how landmen lie and connive to sell communities down the drain. I think this movie is effectively exposing the dirty underbelly of the snake that is the natural gas industry where integrity and honesty are dirty words.
But, what really surprised me was that at a theater in VERY conservative Allen there were at least 50-60 people at each of the screenings I attended, neither of which was during prime movie-going time. It would be interesting to know what the attendance was between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM on Friday, as well as all day Saturday and Sunday.
One thing is certain – industry cannot be happy about this movie. MANY more people will see the movie than read their propaganda website, and most who do visit their website will be their own choir.