For his next escape

Matt Damon’s troubled anti-frack film

  • Last Updated: 12:23 AM, September 26, 2012
  • Posted: 10:24 PM, September 25, 2012

 

Matt Damon and John Krasinski ran into a big problem while making their film “Promised Land”; how they solved it tells us a lot about Hollywood.

Some time ago, the two actors decided to make a movie about fracking — a method of getting once-inaccessible oil and gas out of the ground that has become the bête noire of many environmentalists.

The two wrote a screenplay they said was about “American identity . . . and what defines us as a country.”

It was the usual Hollywood script. We all know the . . . drill: Damon’s character works for an “evil” oil company. He comes to small-town America and sells locals a dangerous bill of goods.


 

Then he encounters two problems — his corporate heart is melted by an attractive local woman and Krasinki’s character, an environmentalist, reveals the oil company plan to exploit, pollute and leave.

Shocked townspeople feel betrayed. Damon is conflicted — will he go with the company and his career, or with his heart and ride back into town in his white SUV, denounce the oil company and save the day?

The filmmakers were so pleased with the script that they announced it would be promoted as a potential Oscar winner.

But then came trouble.

I broke the news that “Promised Land” was about fracking and now I can reveal that the script’s seen some very hasty rewriting because of real-world evidence that anti-fracking activists may be the true villains.

In courtroom after courtroom, it has been proved that anti-fracking activists have been guilty of fraud or misrepresentation.

There was Dimock, Pa. — the likely inspiration for “Promised Land,” which is also set in Pennsylvania. Dimock featured in countless news reports, with Hollywood celebrities even bringing water to 11 families who claimed fracking had destroyed their water and their lives.

But while “Promised Land” was in production, the story of Dimock collapsed. The state investigated and its scientists found nothing wrong. So the 11 families insisted EPA scientists investigate. They did — and much to the dismay of the environmental movement found the water was not contaminated.

There was Wolf Eagle Environmental Engineers in Texas, a group that produced a frightening video of a flaming house water pipe and claimed a gas company had polluted the water. But a judge just found that the tape was an outright fraud — Wolf Eagle connected the house gas pipe to a hose and lit the water.

Other “pollution” cases collapsed in Wyoming and Colorado. Even Josh Fox, who with his Oscar-nominated documentary “Gasland” first raised concerns about flammable water, has had to admit he withheld evidence that fracking was not responsible.

These frauds and misrepresentations created huge problems for the Damon/Krasinski script about “what defines us as a country.”

So, according to sources close to the movie, they’ve come up with a solution — suggest that anti-fracking fraudsters are really secret agents employed by the fossil-fuel industry to discredit the environmental movement.

In the revised script, Damon exposes Krasinski as a fraud — only to realize that Krasinski’s character is working deep undercover for the oil industry to smear fracking opponents.

Hollywood is worried about declining theater audiences; it’s blaming the Internet and the recession. But the real problem might be closer to home.

Damon and Krasinski said they were making a movie that “defines us as a country” but then shoehorned ideology into a script — and when real-world events became a problem, they shoehorned in more ideology.

The simple truth about fracking is that much of the opposition is being driven by proven liars, charlatans and fraudsters — some driven by zealotry, others by hunger to win a big lawsuit.

There is a war going on in parts of America between impoverished locals and urban elites. These elites are using fraud, exaggeration and celebrity star power to stop rural communities from prospering through gas drilling.

Sounds like a great setting for a movie. Unfortunately for America, it’s not one Hollywood is going to make anytime soon.

Phelim McAleer is a journalist and the director of “FrackNation,” a documentary about fracking.

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My list just keeps getting longer of the "stars" or singers I won't watch or listen to..And products I won't purchase because of their political misstatements.  Note that Oprah who was a mover in the 2008 campaign is not around this time? And her ratings dropped big time after the election. 

In my youth these films would be classed what they are ..propaganda.  Did you know that there are dozens of films that are not allowed into the states because they are classed that to this day?

Here the problem..and until it is addressed it going to remain a problem.  These people have made impact on the public minds.

I have 12 huge trees here that are dead.  I have lost one third of my pine forest.  My well has gone dry.  This is a well that has had water for 104 years with no problem.  Four springs on my place have simply gone away.

I have been taking bids to remove the trees.  (I am shocked at the prices quoted)  But I am also shocked at the remarks these guys with their chain saws make ..they telling me in such an off hand we know it for a fact manner that its the drilling and fracing that has caused this to happen.

One thing...this is certainly not the driest year ever ...and the springs never dried up before. 

So what is causing these trees to die?  Somebody out there needs to find out and get the word out..because these anti fracing people sure have convinced some that its to blame for the dead trees.  And when you have just been presented a huge bid to remove trees by these people...its galling to say the least.

Tree cutters fall into the same catagory as roofers with me. Don't trust them.

I happened to see this brilliant interview the morning it aired.  Yoko and Sean Lennon obviously know all about fracking!

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7419780n

 

When you finish watching their interview, give it up for their new protest song "Please Don't Frack My Mother"!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzZ_Fix5K6I

"But while “Promised Land” was in production, the story of Dimock collapsed."

i'm shocked.  who could have seen that coming?

btw hello rosebud :)

This is BS.  I've heard a lot of different conspiracy theories in my life. However, the idea that Big Oil is secretly funding environmental groups so that they can discredit them is news to me.  How does that work in real life?

Anyone ever heard about Big Pharma paying activists to protest their drugs?  Or, Big Coal paying demonstrators???  Either this conspiracy is deeper than the gas or these articles are BS. I will be shocked if the film is not anti-fracking and I don't think it will succeed at the box office with a conspiracy theory that no one believes.  Do you believe that Big Oil is funding environmental extremists???

Don't get me wrong, I'd love for these extremists to be refuted - and science is doing that quite effectively.

"So, according to sources close to the movie, they’ve come up with a solution — suggest that anti-fracking fraudsters are really secret agents employed by the fossil-fuel industry to discredit the environmental movement."

Hollywood and movies:

Goal one:  Make money.

Goal two:  Find subject matter that riles folks into a frenzy.

Goal three:  Exploit that frenzy, the bigger the lie, the bigger the crowd standing in line for tickets.

Goal four:  Milk all the theaters, sell remaining rights to HBO and the Documentary channel.

Goal five:  Make second movie and start all over.

Krkyoldhag, the oak trees are subject to two diseases spreading across the country.  One is 'Crown Rot', the other is a fungus (slip bark) that spreads from tree to tree above ground, as well as below in the root system. 

Stress plays a big part in the spread of the diseases, drought, insects, and acid rain top the list of stresses.  Crown Rot kills the tree from the top down and takes about five years to complete the job.  Slip Bark will kill a tree in a couple of months, especially red oaks.  Once the fungus has taken hold, insects move in and bore deep holes through out the heart of the trunk.  The tree dies and the fungus moves on, carried by insects and the underground roots.

There are two methods to help protect healthy trees. 

Cut infected trees down and burn them where they fall.  If you move them, the disease moves with the infected wood. 

Trenching around the base of the tree; four feet deep, 30' radius to cut all roots.  Neither method works very well.....if that big red oak in the front yard is puny looking, get ready to say goodby to your shade.

That sounds more like what has happened to my oaks because they started dying five years or more ago..its just that its gotten worse.  The trees have seemed to have died from inside out in my case. The explanation of the diease spreading from tree to tree would explain the continued losses.  It sure makes more sense then anything the guy with the chain saw said.  And one more note...drilling was not going on much around here five years ago.

I hate it that the shade trees are going.  But I didn't think it had a thing to do with fracking..but I sure will pass this defense along.

I have gotten very selective where I spend my movie money.  Did go see 2016 and felt the price of $8 was well spent.  But was doubtful about the $8 I paid for popcorn (didn't realize it was that much or sure would have passed on the purchase.  Oh the bottle of water was $4.

My new name:  suckerhag

Love your insight and response. Wonder how, or if fracking affects Japanese beatles? Perhaps frac water might kill them. I enjoy your rants!! Think we are of same generation.

Let's really get the conspiracy theorists talking (of whom I am a proud member).  It looks like Promised Land is being made partly with Abu Dhabi Media. They are from the UAE. I don't know if they have invested in other Hollywood movies. 

I believe this will be an ANTI-FRACK movie and Abu Dhabi Media is having a big conference with Bill Gates and others speaking. If you think you can afford to attend, click on the link below.

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/28/matt-damons-anti-fracking-movie...

http://www.screendaily.com/news/corporate/bill-gates-ari-emanuel-bo...

"While left-leaning Hollywood often targets supposed environmental evildoers, Promised Land was also produced “in association with” Image Media Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of , according to the preview’s list of credits. A spokesperson with DDA Public Relations, which runs PR for Participant Media, the company that developed the film fund backing Promised Land, confirmed that AD Media is a financier. The company is wholly owned by the government of the UAE."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49218229  This newslink this evening takes you  to the CNBC (even that liberal newsite spread this info) article detailing that this movie was finacially backed by members of OPEC.Hmmm  guess they wouldn't have any ulterior motives would they???????

BINGO for Kittycatmama!  you guys should read the link she's posted. It's the most important and up to date info on this topic. It's just been posted tonight (Friday)  It's written by a senior editor at CNBC.

I've pasted the CNBC story below. Here is an an OPEC member funding their very first movie.  I wonder how they came to pick natural gas as a topic for their first movie?  The article points out that OPEC wants to slow fracking down. What better way than with a movie that sways public opinion??

.

Matt Damon's Anti-Fracking Film Backed by OPEC Member

The times they are a-changing.

Who would have thought that Hollywood environmentalists would find themselves aligned with Persian Gulf oil barons?

But the strange politics of energy have managed to bring the greens into line with the OPEC-member United Arab Emerites on the issue of fracking.

"Promised Land" is a new film starring and written by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, based on a story by San Francisco-based writer Dave Eggers. In the film, Damon and actress Frances McDormand play a team that shows in rural town hard hit by economic decline, offering to pay big money for drilling rights.

Krasinski plays a local activist who leads the town into rebellion against the drillers, arguing that their plans would damage the local environment. To anyone who is familiar with the debates about fracking in, say, upstate New York this will be a familiar story.

The more interesting twist here isn’t in the move—it’s in the movie’s creation. The film was produced “in association with” Image Media Abu Dhabi, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media, as first reported by the Heritage Foundation. Abu Dhabi Media—which has never had a role in a major American film before—is wholly owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates, a small but extremely wealthy federation of absolute monarchies along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf.

The UAE has the world’s seventh largest oil reserves, according to the CIA Factbook. It is ranked ahead of Russia and just behind Kuwait in proven oil reserves. It is the fourth largest exporter of oil in the world. And, of course, it is a member of OPEC.

Very obviously, the UAE has an interest in slowing down the expansion of hydraulic fracking that has created an energy boom in the United States. A popular film—there’s even talk of it being an Oscar candidate—might give a boost to the opponents of fracking.

Although that’s not necessarily what will happen. There’s already a Facebook group formed by residents of the area in Pennsylvania where much of the movie was filmed who claim they were deceived about the filmmakers intentions.

“They filmed this movie in our backyard. They told us it would be fair to drilling. It’s not. We’re p*ssed,” the group complains.

No doubt news of the UAE’s involvement in the film will make backlash even more likely.

- by CNBC.com senior editor John Carney

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URL: http://www.cnbc.com/id/49218229/

Thanks for the great fyi!

CNBC has really been the only consistant Channel promoting U.S. Nat Gas.

Here's To CNBC!

 

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