Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), a romantic comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, follows the story of Joe Banks, a Staten Island resident who works in a dreary factory with an unpleasant boss named Frank Waturi. Despite regularly consulting doctors for his chronic illness, Banks remains joyless and listless. Eventually, Dr. Ellison informs him that he has an incurable disease called a ‘brain cloud’, which has no observable symptoms but will result in death within five to six months. The doctor attributes his previous job as a firefighter as the cause of his psychosomatic symptoms and urges him to make the most of his remaining time. After quitting his job and going on a successful date with former coworker DeDe, Joe reveals his condition to her. However, DeDe is unable to handle the news and leaves him.
The next day, an unexpected proposition is presented to Joe by a wealthy industrialist named Samuel Graynamore. Graynamore is in need of ‘bubaru’, a vital mineral used in the production of superconductors. The only known deposits are located on the remote Pacific island of Waponi Woo. However, the native Waponis have a condition for allowing mining on their land – solving a problem involving their belief in appeasing the fire god of their volcano with a voluntary human sacrifice every hundred years. As none of them are willing to volunteer this time around, Graynamore offers Joe an all-expenses-paid final adventure if he agrees to jump into the volcano within 20 days. Without much to lose, Joe decides to accept the offer.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Tom HanksJoe  Meg RyanDeDe / Angelica / Patricia  Lloyd BridgesGraynamore  Robert StackDr. Ellison  Abe VigodaChief of the Waponis  Dan HedayaMr. Waturi  Barry McGovernLuggage Salesman  Amanda PlummerDagmar  Ossie DavisMarshall |
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), a romantic comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, follows the story of Joe Banks, a Staten Island resident who works in a dreary factory with an unpleasant boss named Frank Waturi. Despite regularly consulting doctors for his chronic illness, Banks remains joyless and listless. Eventually, Dr. Ellison informs him that he has an incurable disease called a ‘brain cloud’, which has no observable symptoms but will result in death within five to six months. The doctor attributes his previous job as a firefighter as the cause of his psychosomatic symptoms and urges him to make the most of his remaining time. After quitting his job and going on a successful date with former coworker DeDe, Joe reveals his condition to her. However, DeDe is unable to handle the news and leaves him.
The next day, an unexpected proposition is presented to Joe by a wealthy industrialist named Samuel Graynamore. Graynamore is in need of ‘bubaru’, a vital mineral used in the production of superconductors. The only known deposits are located on the remote Pacific island of Waponi Woo. However, the native Waponis have a condition for allowing mining on their land – solving a problem involving their belief in appeasing the fire god of their volcano with a voluntary human sacrifice every hundred years. As none of them are willing to volunteer this time around, Graynamore offers Joe an all-expenses-paid final adventure if he agrees to jump into the volcano within 20 days. Without much to lose, Joe decides to accept the offer.
