Dirty Movie Club: Joe Versus the Volcano

[b.miller]

well... my netflix is scheduled to come in Saturday... it's taken a bit longer than the ideal... i guess this is the downside of never physically going and renting movies anymore.

from the general lack of activity on this thread I'd guess it's a similar story for the rest of us?

[Tom]

Yeah, having a hard time tracking it down too. I will get it though.

[gambit]

Wow, I'm really the first one to have watched it? I got it yesterday from the Netflix and just got done watching it. I'm not sure where we want to head with the conversation, so I'll just go with my initial reaction.

Damn, this movie is stylized. I know I've seen this before oh so long ago because I remember the crooked road pattern that we see four times throughout the movie (the entrance to Joe's work, the rip in the wall of Joe's apartment, the lightning bolt that rips the ship apart, and the path up to the volcano). Just about everything is over-the-top, comical, and melodramatic. Meg Ryan pulled out three distinct personalities at once, each absurd in its own way, and Abe Vigoda as the chief of the orange soda can-wearing Pacific Island tribe? Gold! I was almost going to get serious and question how Joe and Patricia could possibly fall in love so quickly (and Joe and the red-head Meg Ryan, even though that was one-sided), but this movie is clearly not for the serious minded. Even the limo driver was great.

[GreenPea]

I agree with gambit. Specially the whole begining including Joe's appartment and Joe's work is straight out of a comic book, the parking lot of the factory with all the mud and all, is the most absurd thing I've ever seen in any movie that is not based in a comic book. One thing that I found ironic is how many people die in the movie only for the sake that those two can fulfill their romantic destiny. A whole ship crew and a whole island population dies so that they can live happily ever after.

[Tom]

I finally tracked down a copy of this. Should have my thoughts up sometime this week

[viddy]

Been trying to rent this for over a week now. My blockbuster finally had it last night, but when they opened the case to check me out, the actual DVD disc was missing. GRRRRRRR. This shouldn't be so difficult!

[b.miller]

I really like this movie. I remember when it came out it completely bombed... actually it was the last bomb before Tom Hanks' run of like 15 mega-hits and i read this interview with him once where someone remarked on that and he said "yeah but why didn't they come to Joe Versus the Volcano?"

So in fantasy scenarios where I find myself with 15 minutes of face time with Tom Hanks, The two movies I'd want to talk to him about are That Thing You Do and this.

The first half hour of this movie stands as timeless classic in my opinion. All the stuff with the office job, especially Dan Hedaya. All the stuff and especially Hanks' quitting speech is awesome.

In fact there's a few lines from this movie that've successfully managed to wiggle their way into my toolbox of everyday phrases: "I'm not arguing that with you" and "I have no response to that."

I really dig on the expressionistic aspects; the clearly fairy tale aspects. I like that it's not reality... and I suppose that forgives the happily ever after ending but I suspect, with a few tonal changes and a more realistic ending, that there's a great tragedy tale here (...or you can just watch Ikiru). BUT, part of the reason why I like it is because it's light and funny with just hints of darkness rather than the other way around so... it is what it is.

I'm also surprised to see recognisable faces in really small parts... Not only Ossie Davis as the (perfectly portrayed) chauffer but also Nathan Lane as a tribal dude, Amanda Plummer as a sailor, and Carol Kane as the hairstylist. They, like the small thematic or stylistic touches that sparkle throughout the film give it a real sense of design for me. This is really a well put-together piece of filmmaking. i still feel it's unjustly dismissed.

But... yeah the ending kind of strains me. I really love all the lost at sea part... the weird typhoon with the green lighting, all that stuff reminds me of a less crack-adled Cabin Boy... but once they get to the island it wears pretty thin. Especially when they're up on the volcano and Meg Ryan insists on jumping with him. I just don't buy any of that. To me, he should've jumped and died and become legend to the (non orange soda-loving) tribe... but again, it is what it is.

Glad to see this again though... Love this movie.

[grady]

Finally got around to transcribing my notes on the film.

Overall, I really enjoyed the first half of the film, esp. the work scenes of Joe's life and the change that occurs. I loved the scenes with Ossie Davies helping Joe shape his new perspective on life and giving him a subtle push/jab in the right direction.

Like other's before me have stated, once the film reaches the point of the island and the volcanic conclusion, it loses some of the gloss and glow that it had going for it. But I don't really see a better way to wrap things up.

On a side note, I'd recently seen some of Castaway on a cable channel a week ago and this was a kind of amusing glimpse into the Hanks that would come later.

Now onto the Sweet Smell of Success, which I'm still waiting on.

[kid cue]

i finally finished watching this today. it took about 4 separate viewings because i kept falling asleep (not because i was bored, but because i've only been able to put it on at really late hours).

i really really liked it -- the first half hour was like Brazil meets Ikiru meets Sleepless In Seattle (or some other Tom Hanks romantic comedy). and i was impressed that the film kept up its wry/meta tone to the very end. it was the only thing that made the big mortality theme convincing, especially given the genre it was twisting up.

i loved the implications of the three Meg Ryans, as if there was nothing necessarily special about the blonde one--Joe could've easily fallen in love with someone else, if only he'd opened his eyes.

finally, i actually thought the island sequence clinched the preceding hour or so. when it came it was suddenly hurtling towards the end of the film, and even though we'd been expecting these scenes all along, they felt dreamlike, like an expressionistic portrayal of the shortness of life. i loved that the camera never dwelled on either the island weirdos or the burgenoning love b/n those two. it kept the focus on Joe's impending 'death' and made one question whether it (what we saw of his life & relationships in the film so far) had all been worth it.

oh, and i thought the part with the giant moon was pretty moving. anyway, thanks for the rec, what a strange & wonderful film.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

I have not been able to get a copy of ANY of the three up for viewing.

I am in hell.

Did you guys set this up like this on purpose? ;>)