Joe Versus the Volcano

Director: John Patrick Shanley

Overview

John Patrick Shanley's quirky comedy Joe Versus the Volcano comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Closed-captioned English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Stereo, while French and Spanish soundtracks have also been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a trailer, a making-of featurette, and a music video. Warner Bros. has done a solid job with this film, which was the first to pair Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/02/2002
UPC:	0085391606024
Original Release:	1990
Rating:	PG
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital, stereo]
Time:	1:42:00
Sales rank:	1,987

Special Features

All-new 2001 digital transfer; Soundtrack remastered and presented in both Dolby Digital 5.1 & Dolby Surround 2.0; Behind-the-scenes documentary ; Eric Burdon "Sixteen Tons" music video; Interactive menus; Cast/film highlights; Theatrical trailer; Scene access; Languages: English, Français & Japanese; Subtitles: English, Français, Español, Português & Japanese

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tom Hanks	Joe Banks
Meg Ryan	Angelica,DeDe,Patricia
Lloyd Bridges	Samuel Harvey Graynamore
Robert Stack	Dr. Ellison
Dan Hedaya	Mr. Frank Watori
Abe Vigoda	Chief of the Waponis
Ossie Davis	Marshall the Chauffeur
Barry McGovern	Luggage Salesman
Amanda Plummer	Dagmar
Carol Kane	Hairdresser
Marion Dougherty	Actor
Jon Conrad Pochron	Actor
Jayne Haynes	Nurse
Jim Hudson	Fred (Guard)
Nathan Lane	Ben, the Waponi Advance Man
Jim Ryan	Bellman
Tony Salome	Clerk (at The Rectal Probe Company)
Lala Sloatman	Waitress
Jennifer Stewart	Statue of Liberty
Paul Thorpe	The (Waponi) God Woo
Darrell Zwerling	Underwear Salesman
David Burton	Mike

Technical Credits

John Patrick Shanley	Director,Screenwriter
Colleen Atwood	Costumes/Costume Designer
Ian Bryce	Production Designer
Cheryl Carasik	Set Decoration/Design
Georges Delerue	Score Composer
Marion Dougherty	Casting
Thomas A. Duffield	Production Designer
Stephen Goldblatt	Cinematographer
Richard Halsey	Editor
Industrial Light & Magic	Special Effects
Kathleen Kennedy	Executive Producer
Frank Marshall	Executive Producer
Teri Schwartz	Producer
Steven Spielberg	Executive Producer
Ken Wannberg	Editor
Robert W. Welch	Production Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
0. Scene Selections
1. Grinding/Credits [5:07]
2. What's the Matter? [6:13]
3. Brain Cloud [4:09]
4. "Ol' Man River" [2:49]
5. Joe Quits [5:26]
6. Feeling Great [1:35]
7. "On the Street Where You Live" [4:22]
8. Graynamore's Proposition [6:02]
9. Shopping [4:36]
10. Luggage for a Real Journey [1:00]
11. Solo Night Out [1:16]
12. L.A. Flibbertigibbet [1:59]
13. Two Troubled People [2:36]
14. "Marooned Without You" [3:13]
15. Felix Heaves To [2:47]
16. Waponi Woo Lore [2:17]
17. Soulsick on a Little Boat [2:08]
18. "Good Lovin'," Weird Catch [3:28]
19. Typhoon! [1:47]
20. Handy Baggage [6:12]
21. Steamer-Trunk Interlude [3:10]
22. Moonrise [4:40]
23. Waponi Welcome [1:54]
24. Preparations [3:22]
25. "Take Me to the Volcano!" [4:13]
26. Taking the Plunge - Twice [2:31]
27. Happily Ever After [3:37]
28. End Credits [4:44]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play Movie
   Special Features
      Cast & Crew
         Tom Hanks - Joe
         Meg Ryan - Dede/Angelica/Patricia
      Behind the Scenes
      Music Video
      Theatrical Trailer
   Languages
      Spoken Languages: English Dolby 5.1
      Spoken Langauges: English Dolby 2.0
      Spoken Languages: Français
      Spoken Languages: Japanese
      Subtitles: English
      Subtitles: Français
      Subtitles: Español
      Subtitles: Português
      Subtitles: Japanese Narrative
      Subtitles: Japanese
      Subtitles: Off

Editorial Reviews

The directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter John Patrick Shanley, this quirky comedy is one of the few flops under the belt of star Tom Hanks, its off-kilter brand of loopy charm flying over the heads of most audiences. As a nebbish who thinks he's dying of a bizarre disease, Hanks diverges from his usual role of an intelligent, supremely competent professional, perhaps alienating his fan base, but delivering a winning, funny performance that ranks with his work as a wide-eyed innocent in Big (1988). In her first pairing with frequent co-star Hanks, female lead Meg Ryan loses herself in a trio of roles that rank among her best work and presage the most undeservedly ignored performance of her career in Courage Under Fire (1996). It's the goofball characters and sneaky symbolism of the screenplay by Shanley that make this wacko project the comic delight that it is, however. Whether it's Abe Vigoda as an Orange Crush-worshipping tribal chief, Lloyd Bridges as an eccentric millionaire, or the recurring visual references to fate (keep an eye peeled for hidden zig-zags and lightning bolts), the film is a major cinematic treat. Although trounced by many critics, Joe Versus the Volcano is a woefully underrated film, one of the decade's lost classics and a film that star Hanks has often singled out as the lone, unfairly tarnished gem on his resumé.

All Movie Guide - Karl Williams