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The above-mentioned films all have their moments and once the rear view mirror of time gives us some distance, we realize how unfair we were to these fun, if admittedly flawed, movies. To this list of mega-bombs worthy of reexamination, I submit Joe Versus the Volcano, a fluffy fairy tale making its DVD debut courtesy of Warner Home Video. In the film, Tom Hanks plays Joe Banks, a dreary, beaten down man living a mirthless, colorless existence working at a Long Island factory that proclaims itself, "Home of the Rectal Probe." Joe's office features cement walls and florescent lighting that may literally be driving him insane. These first few scenes (with production design by Bo Welch, who also designed "Beetlejuice") constitute a great setup. They create the anticipation of being taken on a unique journey. We're locked into the movie and look forward to what will happen next.

As it turns out, Joe isn't slowly being driven insane: he's slowly dying. Diagnosed with something called a "Brain Cloud," Joe is told he's got about five good months left, after which he'll take a rapid turn for the worse,then die. Emboldened by his impending demise, Joe quits his job. Later he is visited by a man named Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges), who owns an island rich in a certain rare mineral. The natives (who, for some reason are quite fond of orange soda) will let Graynamore mine his precious mineral if he provides a human sacrifice for their volcano. Since Joe is about to die, it sounds like a winning scenario all around: Graynamore gets his minerals, the natives get their sacrifice and Joe gets to check out in style.

So after going on a fabulous Manhattan shopping spree via limo (driven by the great Ossie Davis), Joe boards a yacht and sets sail for the island of Waponi Woo. Joe is accompanied on his voyage by Graynamore's daughter (Meg Ryan, one of three roles she plays in the film), who will be given the boat as a thank-you for escorting Joe to the island. Once on Waponi Woo, Joe meets the Island's tribal chief, played hilariously by Abe Vigoda. Joe's ultimate fate will not be disclosed here, but it is a letdown considering what came before.

What I liked about Joe Versus the Volcano was that it was conceived and written by one man. Not by committee. Not by focus groups. Not by 25-year old studio executives who change things because they think it justifies their jobs. It has a voice and a point of view and plenty of well-crafted lines. However, as with any singular voice, you get not only the best, but occasionally the worst of one writer's vision. And the writer in question is John Patrick Shanley, a former playwright who won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Moonstruck. Not only did he write Joe Versus the Volcano, he also directed it.

While I admit the film gets less interesting as it goes along, it does have a winsome, cracked quality that I liked. What I believe people didn't like in 1990 is how the film's desire to be unusual didn't mesh with its desire to tell a love story and make a point. Still, the movie is a sweet and watchable fable, unlike anything you've seen. And when was the last time the words "unlike anything you've seen" were used to describe a love story?

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

For a twelve-year old film, Joe Versus the Volcano looks pretty good. I was very surprised at how little grain was evident in this print. Still, artifacting was heavy at times. Detail is fairly sharp, although the overall picture was soft. Film begins with a very muted palette, as Joe withstands another day in his dingy, gray cubicle, but once his adventure begins, the picture gets much more colorful. Blacks are well within the acceptable range of a 12- year old film given basic DVD release and flesh tones are mostly accurate, if a bit soft. Finally, there are some edge enhancements, but nothing to hamper your enjoyment of a modestly fine video presentation.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

Joe Versus the Volcano has been remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0 and while there is some creative use of the lefts and rights, in both mixes, a 12-year old studio film should sound better. The good news is there were no pops, hisses or other bits of distortion. The clink and clank of tribal instruments and the annoying buzz of florescent lights were rendered crystal clear. The dialogue is always easy to understand, however some of Meg Ryan's dialogue tears a good bit. Overall fidelity is good, but when Joe reached the island, I expected a more aggressive surround experience. In all, a more enveloping aural presentation would have been nice, but what is supplied is fine. Of the two, go with the Dolby Digital 5.0.

The disc features additional English, French and Japanese 2.0 surround dubs, along with English Closed Captions and subtitle options in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Warner has cobbled together supplements of the "What have we got in the vault that we can throw onto the DVD so we don't get criticized?" variety.

First off, there's a theatrical trailer, presented in anamorphic widescreen. Colors are pretty dull, as I'm sure this was pulled from one of the dustier levels of the studio dungeon. Next is an item that Warner describes as a documentary. I beg to differ. It's really just a four-minute EPK. Granted, I always enjoy EPKs from movies of this era because they are so shamelessly corporate and flavorless. Here we get Hanks, Ryan and Shanley reaching deep into their hearts to discuss with the utmost candidness and honesty how this is the funniest, most romantic film in cinema history. Video is full-screen and although the print is pretty clean, it's a bit dull and looks like 3rd generation Beta footage.

Also on the disc is a music video of Eric Burdon performing the song "Sixteen Tons," made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Burdon is best known for his work with the Animals and the hits Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and Spill the Wine. In Joe Versus the Volcano, Sixteen Tons is played over the opening credits, as Joe shuffles towards another hopeless day at work. The video is presented in full screen and includes some pretty horrible looking clips from the movie. Audio is full and aggressive with some good bass action. Finally, we've got resumes from all the major cast members.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts