Episode notes
Oil. Whether it’s powering war machines, spilling into the oceans, or drowning you in a dream, black gold doesn’t exactly have the best public image. But how can that be, I hear you ask, when oil is extracted by such upstanding gentlemen? Why, not two weeks ago I was told by a charming magnate and titan of industry that oil brings wealth to everyone around it, and that our community was sure to benefit from his new drilling project! Ah, my dear, innocent reader, it sounds to me as if you’ve been taken in by the charismatic but deceptive oil baron Daniel Plainview as seen in There Will Be Blood, a 2007 period character study directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. There Will Be Blood made a big, oily splash when it released, enjoying critical acclaim, numerous awards nominations, and a respectable chunk of change as a reward for its dr ...