A volcanologist forlorn over the loss of his wife in the Mt. Pinatubo eruption arrives at a small Pacific Northwest town to investigate the rumblings of the local dormant volcano. Though he instantly fears the worse, he must convince the skeptical townspeople and his suspicious superiors who believe he is overreacting in the aftermath of his own tragedy. The beautiful, widowed mayor of the picturesque town believes him, however, and soon they find themselves in a fight for their lives as "Dante's Peak" blows its stack ten miles high, raining ash and fire over everything in its shadow. The Signature Collection Special Edition laserdisc includes added commentary by the director and production designer, a behind-the-scenes documentary, and an isolated score.
2.
Without warning, day becomes night. Air turns to fire, and solid ground gives way to white-hot, molten terror. Brace yourself for action-packed, earth-shaking thrills, and whatever you do, don't look back. Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton star in an epic adventure from Director Roger Donaldson that will blow you away! Erupting with spectacular special effects, heart-pounding suspense, romance and remarkable characters.
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The first of 1997's volcano disaster movies (the second being Volcano) was arguably the better of the two but both of them made for passable entertainment with some spectacular special effects to serve as icing on the stale cake. After all, Dante's Peak doesn't pretend to be anything more than an updated variation on a whole catalogue of disaster movie clichés. Despite all that, it's reasonably enjoyable. It's an added bonus that the script is just smart enough to allow Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton to play their roles with straight faces, never condescending to the audience of the formulaic story. He's a volcano expert from the US Geological Survey, and she's the mayor of a cosy Washington State town perched beneath a volcano that's about to blow. Tell-tale signs are everywhere, so evacuation must be carried out immediately. Of course, not everybody's eager to leave and even some of Brosnan's colleagues think his alarm is premature. This sets the stage for massive ash clouds, rivers of raging mud and molten rock, flattened forests and death-defying escapes by Brosnan, Hamilton and some (but not all) of her family, friends and townsfolk. So what if it's all pretty flaky ... and can a four-wheel-drive vehicle travel over fire and molten lava without bursting its tires? Don't ask too many questions and you'll find Dante's Peak to be (if you'll pardon the pun) a total blast. --Jeff Shannon
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