A review by Brooks Rich
In this new feature we'll be covering films that are generally considered to be not good and sometimes are often just called pieces of shit. Sometimes we like films others don't and it's important to find out why. So I'll kick it off with a film I have no shame for loving, 1997's volcano disaster film Dante's Peak.
Every once in awhile you'll get two films released in very close proximity to each other which are virtually the same film. One film is always superior to the other one though. Most recently it was White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen, two terrorists seize the White House films. Olympus was much better in my opinion. Armageddon and Deep Impact were released around the same time and say what you want about Michael Bay's giant asteroid film it's much better than the snooze fest that is Deep Impact.
In 1997 Dante's Peak and Volcano both came out, movies about volcanoes laying waste to everything around them. Volcano stars Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche and has a volcano erupting in Los Angeles. It's stupid beyond belief but sure it's kind of fun if you're in the mood. Dante's Peak stars Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton and has the much more realistic of a small town in Washington that borders a dormant volcano that has been showing glimmers of life. Brosnan goes out to the town to investigate, people don't believe him, he and Linda Hamilton fall in love, and the volcano erupts and wrecks the tiny bucolic town of Dante's Peak.
Sure I admit that the film drags a bit in the first hour and it takes awhile, about fifty-five minutes, for the volcano to erupt and that Brosnan's boss in the film is a poorly written character. "Hey Pierce, go check out this possible volcanic activity." "What the hell are you doing bringing up the volcano to the town council?" But it's interesting to see a disaster film try to establish characters and show the scientific side of things. Brosnan doesn't just show up and then twenty minutes later the volcano erupts. He investigates, has suspicions, and is met with apathy. Also the music cues in the first half are very well done, the awesome opening theme song coming in whenever the possible eruption is discussed.
Brosnan and Hamilton have real chemistry together. Brosnan is at the height of his Bond prowess in this and Hamilton is always great so they work. The acting is decent from everyone and Dante's Peak takes itself seriously. I always feel like Volcano is winking at the camera as is the other big disaster film of the time, Twister, which I do love as well but for different reasons.
The effects in this film are outstanding and when the volcano does erupt it's a race to the end. It's a Hollywood disaster film and should be treated as such. James Bond and Sarah Connor take on a volcano. I love this movie and don't get why it's hated. It's a disaster film that delivers a huge awesome volcanic eruption. What more do we need?
In this new feature we'll be covering films that are generally considered to be not good and sometimes are often just called pieces of shit. Sometimes we like films others don't and it's important to find out why. So I'll kick it off with a film I have no shame for loving, 1997's volcano disaster film Dante's Peak.
Every once in awhile you'll get two films released in very close proximity to each other which are virtually the same film. One film is always superior to the other one though. Most recently it was White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen, two terrorists seize the White House films. Olympus was much better in my opinion. Armageddon and Deep Impact were released around the same time and say what you want about Michael Bay's giant asteroid film it's much better than the snooze fest that is Deep Impact.
In 1997 Dante's Peak and Volcano both came out, movies about volcanoes laying waste to everything around them. Volcano stars Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche and has a volcano erupting in Los Angeles. It's stupid beyond belief but sure it's kind of fun if you're in the mood. Dante's Peak stars Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton and has the much more realistic of a small town in Washington that borders a dormant volcano that has been showing glimmers of life. Brosnan goes out to the town to investigate, people don't believe him, he and Linda Hamilton fall in love, and the volcano erupts and wrecks the tiny bucolic town of Dante's Peak.
Sure I admit that the film drags a bit in the first hour and it takes awhile, about fifty-five minutes, for the volcano to erupt and that Brosnan's boss in the film is a poorly written character. "Hey Pierce, go check out this possible volcanic activity." "What the hell are you doing bringing up the volcano to the town council?" But it's interesting to see a disaster film try to establish characters and show the scientific side of things. Brosnan doesn't just show up and then twenty minutes later the volcano erupts. He investigates, has suspicions, and is met with apathy. Also the music cues in the first half are very well done, the awesome opening theme song coming in whenever the possible eruption is discussed.
Brosnan and Hamilton have real chemistry together. Brosnan is at the height of his Bond prowess in this and Hamilton is always great so they work. The acting is decent from everyone and Dante's Peak takes itself seriously. I always feel like Volcano is winking at the camera as is the other big disaster film of the time, Twister, which I do love as well but for different reasons.
The effects in this film are outstanding and when the volcano does erupt it's a race to the end. It's a Hollywood disaster film and should be treated as such. James Bond and Sarah Connor take on a volcano. I love this movie and don't get why it's hated. It's a disaster film that delivers a huge awesome volcanic eruption. What more do we need?
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