Title: Out of BalanceRelease Date: 11/06/2007
Label/Distributor: Cinequest
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Retail Price: $24.99
Genre: Documentary Director: Tom Jackson
Running Time: 65
DVD Video Options: DVD-Video, NTSC
DVD Audio Options: English, Original Language
UPC Code: 891640001430
Out of Balance
By Mekado Murphy -- Video Business, 3/31/2008
CINEQUEST
Available now
> Eye-opening documentary about climate change looks specifically at ExxonMobil’s impact on the issue.
With his entry into the environmental documentary genre, director Tom Jackson decides to focus on one company, ExxonMobil, and the ways its practices have had brutalizing, long-term effects on the environment. Jackson interviews climate scientists and academics who support his claims. He also lays out a brief history of ExxonMobil and looks at the various public relations spins and political maneuvers that the company has used to dominate the oil industry and keep a debate going about the validity of global warming.
Shelf Talk: It’s difficult to not weigh this documentary against Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. At times, this one covers the same territory. But its deeper investigation into the efforts of one company sets it apart. Jackson’s narration throughout the film is the weakest link. It feels like he’s trying to have the same edginess as Michael Moore but doesn’t quite pull it off. The film fares much better when it moves away from narration and allows experts in the field of climatology to weigh in on the issue. This title will certainly be of interest to consumers concerned about climate change and will be eye-opening to viewers who have yet to see many documentaries on the issue.
Documentary, color, NR (noting offensive), 65 min., DVD $24.99
Extras: none
Director: Tom Jackson
First Run: DVD premiere
