The Blog

USA Broadcast Premiere, and DVDs in Whole Foods

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:04:00 GMT

This month, Revenge of the Electric Car celebrates Earth Day with some great new ways to see the film. Still available on DVD online, and streaming on multiple outlets over the internet, we're happy to announce our USA broadcast premiere of the film this month!

Starting April 19th, Revenge of the Electric Car will be on TV on the Independent Lens documentary series on PBS. We're proud to be a part of their excellent documentary programming and hope that the millions tuning in to see the film this month will learn more about electric cars and will want to do more to bring them to their communities.

Some areas will have broadcasts of the film on April 19th, others April 22nd, and even some other dates, plus re-broadcasts over the course of the month-- so we encourage you to CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS with your cable provider to find out exactly when the film is broadcast to your area.

Invite your friends over to your place (or go to theirs if they have a bigger TV), make some popcorn, and watch the film together. We made this film with the intent of opening a conversation about electric vehicles, so we urge you to invite your EV-skeptical friends over to see the film and discuss it with them afterward. This is the month to spread the word about alternative fuel vehicles!

Also this month- Whole Foods has announced that they will be carrying DVDs of Revenge of the Electric Car in select stores across the country! Many of their stores offer charging stations for electric cars, and now they're offering our film on the shelves to further the cause for EV.

Stop by your local Whole Foods and grab a DVD copy. And if you don't see it there, tell them you want that location to carry the DVD too!

Gearing up for the month of Earth Day, 2012

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:13:00 GMT

Next month the world will draw its attention to Earth Day on April 22nd, and over the next several weeks we're all guaranteed to see more environmental action and activism in the news. The filmmakers of "Revenge of the Electric Car" urge you to bring electric vehicles to the front of the conversation next month, so we can introduce alternative energy mobility to more people and free us from inefficient oil dependance.

We keep adding new dates to our theatrical screenings, including a special Midwest tour on April 9th and 12th in a dozen theatres in the Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Missouri areas. Grab a friend who knows nothing about electric cars and take him or her to see this film!

Buy the film on DVD and give it to someone who needs to be introduced to the future of electric vehicles, or see the film any way you can- including through Netflix or online streaming! And get acquainted with our Revengers- the people doing what they can to bring electric cars to life in their communities- and aspire to be a Revenger too!

A big week for electric vehicles

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:55:00 GMT

This week is HUGE for electric vehicle advocacy. REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR RELEASES ON DVD JANUARY 24TH! And on that very same day the town of Normal, IL will take delivery of 6 electric fleet vehicles from Mitsubishi, as part of the EVtown collaborative- an effort to make Bloomington-Normal, IL a model town for the future of electric cars. An amazing collective of community groups, businesses, and local government are working together to install charging stations, promote electric vehicles, and get as many EVs as possible on their roads to become a leader in electric vehicle employment.

Later this week, producers from the film will be traveling to Normal, IL for an exciting EVening of EV's on January 26th with a film screening and panel discussion, and about a dozen electric cars on display indoors and out. If you're in the Normal, IL area, come join us!

But back to the really important stuff... WHERE TO GET THE DVD.

We are distributing our film independently and have a lot of costs to cover; so we first ask that you purchase the film directly from our distributor, New Video. This ensures that more of the revenue goes directly to the film, enabling us to take the film and the message of electric vehicles further! Thanks! And here is a complete list of where you can get the film, starting January 24th:

New Video
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble/BN.com
Walmart.com
Bestbuy.com

Also on January 24th, the film will be released on these Video On Demand outlets:

Direct TV VOD
ECHOSTAR IPVOD
Verizon
TVN
Charter
AT&T

Stay tuned for more updates on where you can see the film, and thank you for supporting us and the future of electric vehicles!

Happy New Year! The DVD Release...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:29:00 GMT

After opening a great theatrical run with so many great events, we're proud to announce that "Revenge of the Electric Car" releases on DVD on January 24th, 2012! We've jammed the DVD with all sorts of special features, including a 35-minute panel discussion after the premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival this year- with Chris Paine, Dan Neil, Carlos Ghosn, Elon Musk, and moderated by David Duchovny. We especially love the moment when Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Neil says, "you're not going to see electric tractor trailers out there any time soon..." and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk replies, "yes you will," then the crowd cheered. There are plenty of great discussion topics during this panel presentation. The DVD also has extra footage, celebrity interviews, and more!

As an independently distributed film we've done a lot of work ourselves to bring this film to you, and we ask that you please consider ordering the DVD directly from our distributor-- which brings more money directly to the filmmakers and less to the middleman. You can purchase the DVD January 24th HERE.

Or add it to your Netflix queue HERE.

Or order on Amazon.com HERE.

And we've still got plenty of theatrical dates across the country with some great panel discussions, EVs on display at theatres, and other great live-event screening; so check the schedule HERE, which is updated constantly.

Thank you fans for all your support. Happy New Year to all, and cheers to a new year getting us closer to getting off oil!

Revenge is Upon Us

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:22:00 GMT

REVENGE is growing strong, playing in theatres across the country, and the reviews have been glowing! Thank you to everyone who who requested the film in your area- we're still adding more locations and more screenings and putting together some great events for people to meet the filmmakers, the electric cars, and each other.

Check out this behind-the-scenes video from our October 21st premiere in Los Angeles:

"Revenge of the Electric Car" Premier in Los Angeles. from Steve Payne on Vimeo.

And tomorrow the film opens in Columbus, OH and Philadelphia, PA!

This weekend's screenings include many special events

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:40:00 GMT

JOIN US for premiere events at our new theaters the weekend of 11/11, including Q&A's with Director Chris Paine, Former GM Executive (and Revenge star) Bob Lutz and much more. Come out this weekend in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, Houston and Sacramento!

Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor, MI

11/12 - Director Chris Paine to participate in post-show Q&A after 7:00 pm screening
11/13 - Director Chris Paine and former Vice Chairman at General Motors, Bob Lutz to participate in post show Q&A after 8:00 pm screening

Lagoon Theatre, Minneapolis, MN

Showtimes - Fri-Tue 2:20, 4:40, 7:00, 9:30 Wed-Thu 2:20, 4:40

11/14 - Post Show Q&A with Chris Paine hosted by Fresh Energy at 7:00 pm.

Varsity Theatre, Seattle, WA

Showtimes - (1:00 3:00 5:00) 7:10 9:40

11/11 - Discussion immediately following film featuring Ross Macfarlane from Climate Solutions, Rich Feldman from Ecotality and Sandra Pinto de Bader from the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment

Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL

Showtimes: -Fri. (11) at 6:00, Sat, 4:45 pm and 8:30 pm, Sun. 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm, Mon., 8:15 , Tue. (15) at 6:00 pm, Wed. 8:15 pm ,Thu., 6:15 pm, 8:15 pm

11/11 - Panel Discussion following 6:00 pm screening featuring:

James Salle, PhD Asst Professor at Harris School of Public Policy, U of Chicago
Jack Darin, Director, Sierra Club Illinois Chapter
Stefano Durdic, Executive Producer, Revenge of the Electric Car
Moderated by Sarah Jindra, Traffic Reporter for WBEZ-FM Chicago Public Radio

Ken Cinema, San Diego, CA

Showtimes - 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 8:00 10:00

11/11 - California Center for Sustainable Energy hosting opening night event at 6pm

Alamo Theatre, Mason Park, Houston, TX

Showtimes - Fri. 7:00 pm, Sat: 7:00, Sun: 8:00 pm

11/11 - Houston Electric Auto Association hosting event 7:00 pm.
Electric DeLorean car will showcased outside the theatre

Crest Theatre, Sacramento, CA

Showtimes - Fri-Sun 12:00 2:30 7:30, Mon-Thu 7:30

11/13 -Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association hosting event

Bay Area – 11/4 Opening Weekend Events

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:28:00 GMT

JOIN US for our premiere events this weekend, including Q&A's with Director Chris Paine and Greg "Gadget" Abbott at the theater along with appearances by Tesla executives and much more! Come out this weekend in San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Rafael and San Jose:

Landmark Embarcadero - San Francisco

Daily Showtimes: 12:15 2:50 5:10 7:30 9:45

Appearance by Greg Gadget Abbott & Ricardo Reyes, Tesla VP of Marketing and Communications - Fri. 11/4 at 5:10 pm, 7:30 pm screenings
Appearance by Jessie Deeter, Producer of "Revenge" - Sat., 11/5 at 7:30 pm screenings
Appearances by Director Chris Paine and Greg Gadget Abbott - Sun 11/6 - All Showtimes

Landmark Shattuck - Berkeley

Daily Showtimes: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45

Appearance by Jessie Deeter, Producer of "Revenge" - Fri. 11/4 at 7:30 pm screening
Appearance by Chris Paine and Greg Gadget Abbott - Sat 11/5 at 3:00 pm screening
Appearance by Jessie Deeter, Producer of "Revenge" - Sat. 11/5 at 5:15 pm screening

Landmark Aquarius - Palo Alto

Daily Showtimes: Fri-Sun: 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45; Mon-Thu 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45

Appearance by Diarmuid O'Connell (VP of Business Development at Tesla Motors) - Fri., 11/4 at 7:30 pm screening
Appearance by Chris Paine and Greg Gadget Abbott - Sat 11/5, 5:15 pm, 7:30 pm screenings

Christopher B. Smith Rafael Center - San Rafael, CA

Daily Showtimes: Fri: 4:45, 6:45, 9:00, Sat. & Sun. 2:30, 4:45, 6:45, 9:00, Mon.-Thurs.: 6:45, 9:00

Camera 3 - San Jose

Daily Showtimes: Fri: 7:00, 9:20, Saturday: 2:50, 4:55, 7:00, 9:20, Sunday: 2:50, 4:55, 7:00, Monday, Wednesday: 7:00, 9:20, Tuesday, Thursday : 9:20

A Conversation

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:43:00 GMT

Below is an interview with Director Chris Paine and Journalist Robert Steadman with UK-based Blue and Green Tomorrow:

ROB: Was it difficult to gain behind the scenes access to the auto industry after the first film? Was there a level of distrust among the execs?
CHRIS: Yes. It took time and there was distrust on all sides at different times. We knew we were vulnerable to car industry PR efforts and they knew they couldn't control what we did editorially. One of my producers, Jessie Deeter, directs for the PBS show Frontline, and we used her guidelines about keeping our integrity about junkets and careful dealings with our subjects and the film was entirely independently financed. We had a few run-ins with corporate handlers but over time we got more access. Our one agreement was that we wouldn't release any footage until 2011. There was risk all around.

ROB: Do you feel the tone of the film could risk your credibility?
CHRIS: Both films share a common thread for me as a filmmaker and a journalist - great stories that needed time to tell. The first film is about frustration and anger- what went wrong one day in capitalism. This other is what went right. As 90 minute films, they are both condensations of much longer stories that reflect both a journalistic and artistic vision which is more then any single tone. Both films reflect my experience that plug-in cars are an important advance forward on many levels.

ROB: Do you/The manufacturers hope this movie will help to market and drive sales? If so are you pleased with the inherent ethical implications of this?
CHRIS: Frankly, I hope this film encourages more people to give highway speed plug-in cars a shot whatever their perspective or politics. There's incredible push-back to fundamental change because we are all creatures of habit. We spend a lot of time justifying those habits and no amount of reasons will change us. For example, there are some incredible advantages to plug-in cars. First among them in my view is they can slow down the export of vast amounts of money to other countries for petrol. Second, you can make the energy to run them domestically and renewable, and finally they are better driving experiences. But no one will even consider one in any capacity until they actually can experience one. It's all just argument until you give people experience. That's why this film is not an argument - it's a story about momentum to change.

ROB: How did the new film come about?
CHRIS: I reached out to the car makers on hearing that electric cars might be coming back into production. Many said no. A few eventually said yes. And I found independent money to make the film.

ROB: What are your personal feelings on the outcome of the film?
CHRIS: I'm glad to have completed two films on one topic with such different stories. One is about how great innovation gets blocked by vested interests and resistance to change. The other is about innovation taking hold because of some very big risk takers. Hopefully this trend will continue.

ROB: Have you had any feedback from the auto industry yet?
CHRIS: The automotive press is a good indicator. They did not like the first film. They like this one much better but of course with caveats. For most people the electric car seems so risky. What if I am wrong? Very few people want to to be wrong. And our film gets that blowback but that's okay, its part of the bigger story.

ROB: Do you have any personal comments about climate change, Carbon emissions, etc., you'd like us to print?
CHRIS: I care about the health and the quality of life whether its drinking water, the air that we burn up with our cars, or the food we consume everyday. If we continue to trash these with fossil fuels, our situation will get worse and worse. This is a shame because we have the intelligence and renewable resources to do much better.

EMA Awards and thanks for your support

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:07:00 GMT

"Revenge of the Electric Car" friends, this week we learned some exciting news: the film's trailer is currently among the top 10 most popular movies on the iTunes Movie Trailers site! This tremendous accomplishment would not have been possible without support from our wonderful fans. We can't thank you enough for your efforts, whether it's simply watching the film's trailer, demanding the film in a city near you or coming out to a preview screening.

Then this weekend we got even more good news- "Revenge of the Electric Car" was chosen as a winner for the 21st annual Environmental Media Awards! On Saturday at the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, CA, my producer P.G. Morgan and I accepted the award in the documentary category. We were up against some great documentary films for the advocacy of environmental issues and we're truly honored to be chosen this year.

This success is just the beginning. It's time to make "Revenge of the Electric Car" a success where it matters the most – at the box office. The film opens at theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, October 21st, with many more theaters coming this October and November. Come out to see it on opening weekend in New York and L.A., and check our screenings page to find out when it's coming to a city near you.

Thank you again!

-Chris Paine

Fall Preview and Theatrical Launch

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:43:00 GMT

Wow! This summer has been a wild ride of festivals, terrific opening press and special event screenings across the country. Now, after your votes and months of work by our amazing distributor Area23a, we've got Revenge premiering in LA and NY on October 21 and then rolling out nationally!

Big thanks to all of you who voted for cities and who emailed our producers with theater suggestions, organizations to partner with, and individuals who can help bring audiences to "Revenge" in their towns. Please keep suggestions coming to on our contact page!

The Revenge of the Electric Car story totally depends on you. Not just in the real world, but in movie theaters on opening weekends in every city. Box office determine how long the film plays and if it can open in more cities, video on demand, television and more. That's the movie reality in 2011: It all comes down to fans, friends, and buzz...

The results are in!

Our Revenge screening request form has already gotten several thousand requests (both USA and international). Baltimore has recently shot into first place and now our distributor is scrambling to find the right theater there! Here are the top requestors in order...

Baltimore
Portland
Los Angeles
San Francisco
New York
Seattle
San Jose
Chicago
Washington, DC
San Diego
Philadelphia

Where is the film playing? We'll be adding more dates to the list of our theatrical release here, and on our Facebook page. Many more dates to be announced soon, so keep checking back! This looks a lot like the roll-out for Who Killed the Electric Car? managed by Sony Pictures, only this time we're doing it with YOU!

My Plans:

Coming up August 25 is an opening night screening for Aspen's MountainSummit at the Wheeler Opera House followed by a TEDx presentation in Black Rock City on September 1. Next up is our European premiere on September 8-10 at Deauvillle, France and then a couple of special event screenings later in September and October before our launch. I'm very pleased I get to represent the film on behalf of everyone who helped make the film and make this story possible. That's a great thing about documentaries - they tell the stories of real people creating real change. I'm glad this change is about getting electric cars on the roads and starting the transition off of gasoline.

-Chris Paine

Theatrical release and an advance screening in New York

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:43:00 GMT

Theatrical distributor Area23a has just partnered with Revenge of the Electric Car to bring the film to major cities nationwide this fall. "We're very excited to announce our partnership with Area23a for our theatrical release at Silverdocs," says director Chris Paine. "Area23a has a strong team that understands the changing distribution model for documentaries. 2011 marks the return of the electric car to the world and I'm happy ’Revenge’ will be able to bring that story to people this fall.”

"We are thrilled to be working with Chris Paine on Revenge of the Electric Car and to have the opportunity to connect and inspire audiences across America with this fascinating film," said Kirt Eftekhar, Co-founder of Area 23a. "Revenge of the Electric Car provides communities with a one-of-kind platform to discuss how they can benefit from the use of electric cars and alleviate dependency on foreign oil."

But if you live in New York City, you won't have to wait until fall to see the film. The New York City Mayor's Office has partnered with Nissan to bring a special advance screening of the Revenge of the Electric Car to Central Park on July 12th! Here are the details:

When: July 12th, 2011 7:30pm-10:30pm (film screening starts at 8:30pm)
Where: Central Park Naumberg Bandshell (south of Bethesda Fountain at 71st St)
Cost: FREE

A very special thanks goes to the City of New York and to Nissan for putting together this advance screening event! If you're in the NYC area on July 12th, stop by to see some new electric cars, what the city of New York is doing to get more on the road, and a preview screening of Revenge of the Electric Car!

More festivals

Mon, 16 May 2011 15:24:00 GMT

After an amazingly successful World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this past Earth Day, Revenge of the Electric Car will be making an appearance at a handful of other festivals across the country, as we gear up for a wider release. Check our "See the Film" page for links to showtimes, and keep checking back for new screening announcements and to request the film come to your city.

A little birdie told us that Chris Paine will be present for the Mountainfilm screenings, for those of you who can make it to Colorado for that festival and want to chat with the director in person.

Who swore?

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:31:00 GMT

We recently got our official MPAA rating: "Revenge of the Electric Car" is rated "PG-13 for brief strong language." Envisioning, developing, creating, and bringing an electric car to the mass market is an intense and stressful process- just ask any of these 4 main characters. Any one of them could have possibly opened their mouth a little too wide at a tense moment and released a swear word. But which one of them let out a bit of strong language in the film to earn us our PG-13 rating?

Was it Bob Lutz, former Vice Chairman of GM, as he tried to convince the company of the viability of the Chevy Volt? Was it converter Greg "Gadget" Abbott, battling the recession and unbelievable setbacks to his independent operation? Or perhaps it was Elon Musk- CEO of Tesla Motors- the first new American car manufacturer to go public in decades. Or was it Carlos Ghosn, President of Nissan, betting all his chips on the success of the Nissan LEAF?

The chips are on the table

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 03:20:00 GMT

Tonight's second screening of Revenge of the Electric Car at the Tribeca Film Festival was followed by a 45-minute panel discussion with Dan Neil, Elon Musk, Chris Paine, Carlos Ghosn, and moderated by David Duchovny. Actually, not just a panel discussion... a very vibrant, inspired, action-packed panel discussion. Duchovny, a former electric Toyota RAV-4 owner and EV enthusiast, opened the talk by jumping right into the questions the audience members had on their minds after seeing the film. What did they think of how they were portrayed? What are Nissan's and Tesla's plans for the future and what has happened in EV development since the crew stopped filming?

Updates from the car makers were positive: Musk predicts Tesla will be paying off their Department of Energy loan ahead of schedule and sales of cars are up, while Ghosn claimed Nissan has a list of 250,000 people ready to buy the LEAF and his main problem now is that he can't build the cars fast enough to meet the high demand. But auto journalist Dan Neil made sure to provide the checks and balances necessary to keep the car makers on their toes and into a heated conversation, not just a sales pitch for their cars, making them prove their claims with real facts, figures, and accurate projections. At one point Neil said the battery technology is still at the bleeding edge of chemistry and engineering and that "you're not going to see EV semi-tractor trailers on the road any time soon." To which Musk quickly replied, "yes you will." The audience cheered.

Tonight's panel discussion illustrates what many EV enthusiasts have known for years- the technology isn't just coming, it's here, and electric cars in the mass market has a certain inevitability in the air. What some audience members were most pleasantly surprised by would have to be the confidence of the car makers in electric vehicle technology. The film follows these companies as they struggle to create the cars and take what most would call a huge gamble on the technology and the buying habits of the public. But as Ghosn said in tonight's panel, "if you want to take a risk on something, this is a good one."

It Begins...

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:45:00 GMT

Last night Revenge of the Electric Car premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival to a sold-out, enthusiastic, attentive audience. At some moments there were cheers, laughs, sighs, and gasps rippling through the seats as everyone watched the behind-the-scenes access to major car makers as they worked so hard to get new electric cars to market.

And several of the stars were there, taking the stage for a brief Q&A with Director Chris Paine after the final credits rolled off the screen. "This is the first time I've seen the film," said former GM exec Bob Lutz, who was profiled as "Mr. Detroit" in the film as he and his team worked on the development of the Chevrolet Volt. Then Lutz gave the filmmakers the best compliment a documentary filmmaker could get: "it was accurate. Everything was portrayed accurately and just like it happened."

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors was also on stage, and Chris asked him if he regretted letting filmmakers in so closely and to follow him during such a stressful time in his life- building an electric car company while going through a divorce and the financial difiiculties of the recession. "Not at all," he said, "I forgot you were there sometimes- I was so stressed out!"

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Wall Street Journal Dan Neil, and Edmunds.com Analyst Michelle Krebs were also present and joined the conversation on the future of electric vehicles and sustainable energy- driven by great questions from the audience. Watching this group of people all agreeing that electric cars are inevitability and the much-anticipated solution to our dependence on oil was truly a momentous event and one for the history books.

Tonight, the film screens again. And this time, a longer panel discussion as part of the festival's Tribeca Talks series, with Chris Paine, Dan Neil, Elon Musk, Nissan President Carlos Ghosn, and moderated by actor David Duchovny!