Sadly, with today’s episode we have reached the terminal point in our journey through the underappreciated works of the one and only Tom Hanks. Though the sun must set on our HANKSgiving series, REJOICE, because the moon rises with this final film! A film that we believe just might be the keystone text that binds together everything that Hanks has ever been in. It’s JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO (1990)! Nathan, Eric, and Dan break down this existential fairy tale to discuss its four wildly different acts and what each step in Joe’s journey may represent emotionally for both its protagonist and the viewers along for the ride. We’ll also discuss the polarized reactions to the film and how its unique stylings make it a fascinating litmus test for an audience. Is it a life-affirming film about appreciating what little time you have on earth? A satirical take on white privilege? A cynical dark comedy about the crushing inescapability of capitalistic exploitation of the working class? All of the above? All this plus remarkable production design, an exceptional supporting cast, a wickedly strange sense of humor, endless quotability, and three(!) bravura Meg Ryan performances?! What more could you want out of a movie? So max out those Gold cards, pack up your comically oversized trunks, watch out for rogue Hammerheads, and crack open a nice cold can of Jump Soda because it’s time to step into the ring of fire with JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO!
If you enjoyed this episode, come join the Video Monsters crew on Discord!! Hangout episodes are live (and unedited!) every Tuesday night starting around 9:00pm EST. Listen and chat along with us in the Discord chat and we’ll even give you a shoutout on the episode!
Video Monsters is brought to you by the Chattanooga Film Festival and Central Cinema in Knoxville, TN. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or online at chattfilmfest.org and centralcinema865.com. Links for each of these can also be found on our pages, so be sure to follow us at videomonsterpod on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.
music for Video Monsters by Evan Simmons
