This movie, "Joe Versus the Volcano," stands out as remarkably strange, yet it conveys a familiar idea. There's value in being alive, and that becomes especially significant when someone’s life is fading and nearing its close—particularly if those final moments provide space for thinking back. It would be truly disheartening to only look back and see a string of chances gone by, all the things that might have been if…

It’s hard to piece together exactly how this movie was, because my recollections are a bit foggy. I clearly recall renting it from our town's independent video store, the one that used to sell adult films (though not for a while) and then had a section in the back room dedicated to Betamax tapes and LaserDiscs before they relocated to a larger space. I have a vivid memory of riding my bike there with my dad wh…

The film, featuring Tom Hanks as a man unhappy with his work, conveys a worthwhile idea, though it’s undeniably strange. That's essentially the essence of this 1990 release. The plot involves him being told he has only six months to live and then agreeing to spend a short time enjoying himself before meeting his end by going into a volcano on an unnamed island in the Pacific. It quickly becomes clear that the stor…