Though I risk having to rename this to the "Nleyten Peak Oil Blog", here's just a quick overview of some of the film documentaries that I've seen about the subject. Though I really can't say that I found any of them 'outstanding', they are all worth watching anyway, and complement each other nicely. Curiously, after the first couple of films, you'll start to recognise in the interviews always the same faces: those of the usual Peak Oil suspects, like Kunstler and Simmons. The latter, having served as an energy advisor to Bush junior, is seen by many as a key piece in understanding US policy during the current "administration". (A subject to which I will return soon; incidentally, there's still two more posts coming on the topic of peak oil — then I'll make a break, I promise¹.)

• The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream (2004)
  (film website and IMDB entry)

  As the title suggests, this film is pretty much focused on that insane idea that goes by the name of the American suburb. I quite enjoyed it, and it does provide some solid pieces of documentary film-making. Though obviously very focused on the American reality, the conclusions are universal.

• A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2006)
  (film website and IMDB entry)

  Generally entertaining, though it could benefit from a slightly higher amount of information (a criticism that extends also to the other documentaries to some degree). It's quite recent and up-to-date.

• Crude Impact (2006)
  (film website and IMDB entry)

  From a strictly film-making perspective I found it a bit below par, but it does compensate for touching on most issues around oil production (not just peak), and for being frontal about numbers. Overall, it might be the most comprehensive of the four documentaries listed here, possibly because it does feel at times like a slide presentation.

• Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
  (film website and IMDB entry)

  Though at first glance not directly related to peak oil, the story of the electric car is quite revealing of the role that Big Oil played in eliminating alternatives to petroleum. They therefore deserve a significant part of the blame for what will happen in the near future. Overall, this is quite an engaging documentary, and definitely an eye-opener.

¹Not an actual promise. Conditions may vary.