VOLCANO, FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

US, 1997, 90 minutes, Colour.
Brian Kerwin, Dan Cortese, Cynthia Gibb.
Directed by Graeme Campbell.

Volcano, Fire on the Mountain is an exploitation of all the disaster films of the previous 20 years, most especially 1996's Dante's Peak. It has the usual range of characters from a mayor who wants to keep the resort open, to the good sheriff who does everything for the town (and whose wife gives birth), the ruthless businessman estranged from wife and son, the expert who is not listened to, the expert who refuses to listen to the evidence, dismissing it as hunches. The special effects are quite effective for the small screen.

1. Audiences being entertained by disaster films? The tradition of the '70s to the '90s with the format of Jaws and Dante's Peak...?

2. The mountain locations, the town, the ski slopes, the volcano, the special effects for the avalanche and the lava? Musical score?

3. Audience identification with the characters, the dangers, the themes? The range of people? Their responses?

4. Peter and Kelly, their love but clashes? Peter and his expertise, going on hunches, Dr Osborn not believing? On the mountain? The clashes with Kelly, their going together, his fall when skiing, his seeming to be dead, alive? Kelly, pulling the gun on him, seeing him trespassing? Their clashes, her idea for diverting the avalanche? Their success?

5. The sheriff, stalwart, his wife and the roadblock, her pregnancy, Jason finding her, rescue, the birth of the child?

6. Dr Osborn, scientist who altered evidence and proof? Her staff? Her admitting the truth?

7. Corbin as the ruthless businessman, his estranged wife, his harsh comments about his son? His selfishness, pushing the deal even though there was danger, the businessman dying in the crash? His taking the vehicle and his death? Maureen and the injury, her being rescued, Jason and his helping Beth?

8. The mayor, refusing to face the evidence? His handling of the situation?

9. The people at the resort, hearing the news over the radio, trapped? The avalanche striking the town? Survival? (The moralising of the opening with the two skiers disobeying the regulations and skiing to their deaths?)

10. The excitement of the danger? The moral and human issues in confronting such perils?