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Get mindless for awhile with this 1997 disaster flick, starring the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles as a funky place for lava to spew, plus Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche as the brave souls who know how to shut off the spout. Director Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard) wastes no time getting to the good stuff--it's happening even before opening credits are over--and neither should anyone in the mood for technical efficiency without the burden of art. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Better than that other volcano movie with James Bond ;)
I've watched this movie dozens of times, the first being at an ampitheater in Indiana on a cold fall day. I hadn't heard of it before but the tickets were free, so I checked it out. Wow! What a movie! I couldn't believe it, the entire time I was sitting on the edge of my seat, I left with no fingernails at all. All the actors were just terriffic, especially Tommy Lee Jones, who just adds flair to any film he's in. I'm not sure where people get off saying that this movie is too fantastical, either. As they say in the film, one day in Mexico a man saw a smoking fissure in his field; the next day there was a volcano growing there. That story is completely true, and it's happened repeatedly throughout the world. Why couldn't it happen in LA, the most geologically unstable major city? That's like saying that an earthquake can never hit New York City because it just can't happen. And as the current quote on the page said, you can't fight nature? The techniques used in Volcano are used constantly in Iceland and Greenland, which are all highly geologically unstable places with many volcanos. Anywho :) off my soapbox, if you've got a second, check this out on a large TV with a huge sound system! And skip that Dante's whatever, Volcano is the bomb... literally.

Haha, what were you people expecting? Pyroclastic flows?
I think, overall, this is a good disaster movie. I mean, are you ever REALLY looking for a realistic scenerio in an action flick? I think the plot progressed smoothly (not one of those movies where the screen comes on and starts with people running around getting fried), and the music was great.

Obviously this is a small volcano, considering that if it was a Mount St. Helens thing with pyroclastic flows and lava all over, then yeah, LA wouldn't stand much of a chance, but its fun to think how a major city like LA would face a little volcano deciding to pop up in the middle of the city.

I think I lost some IQ...
This has to be one of the dumbest movies...ever...Yes ever...Seeing this movie I think my IQ dropped 20 points from it's stupid storyline and totally impossible happenings as a volcano magically forming in LA

Really dumb....the only thing good about this movie is laughing at it the entire way for its sheer stupidity

A stale and lame piece of junk
Is it fun to watch? Yes. Why? Because this is so bad you can't help but enjoy. They completely and utterly disregard any realism and totally defy the laws of physics. Let's put it this way, in this movie the coast is toast and the plot is rot. Tommy Lee Jones gets a major pay check to lead the rescue effort when geological mumbo-jumbo causes the La Brea tar pits and the new L.A. subway system to spit steam, ash, fire and a rolling, molten sea. Actually the coast is not even toast. Let me quote from everyone's favorite smart alleck Mike Nelson: "I hate to start this by nitpicking, but the movie really should be called lava and not volcano. The "film" starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche, really was long on lava and, as far as I could tell, had only one small-quite small, really-volcano. And, despite all the hype, the coast was not, at any time during the film, toast. The coastal city of Los Angeles, CA, was indeed in no small danger of being incinerated by flowing magma, but the situation was completely handled by disaster workers, and only the most pessimistic naysayer would describe the situation by saying 'the coast is toast.'" Beyond all that, seeing as how close our characters were to the lava, one would have to wonder why they weren't burnt up. At the temperature of the magma the characters could've in no way been as close as they were. Oh well it's simply a terrible movie. Bad acting, boring plot, crumby music, and doesn't even remotely live up to the hype! Unless you're in the mood for a cheeze-fest I suggest you see something else. Heck watching grass grow would be more stimulating than this.

valcano rocks on!
I love the movie valcano. I recemend it only to people who like horror and death movies becuse valcano is one of them. I hope kids don't really belive that this has happend becuse there has not ever been a valcano so powerful to blow up so much ash and magma to destruct a whole state and more than that so dont belive this happend. I will like this movie so much I am willing to pay for 2 copys of it if I had that kind of money but I dont so dont think I will. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Interesting alternative to Twister
This TV movie was obviously a direct ripoff of Twister and aired on the Fox network mere days before Twister came to theaters. However, it was mildly entertaining, considering the tornadoes didn't make many appearances. Bruce Campbell and Ernie Hudson were decent in their roles. Personally, I would've preferred to have Campbell in Bill Paxton's role in Twister. Special effects (what you see of them) are okay.

It was better than Twister. IMHO.
I seen Twister first in the threatres and then Tornado on TV. I must state that Twister had some romance(not enough), the characters seemed to me to be just reading a script to you. No feelings or emotion they seem flat and lifeless, the special effects were great but there was some scenes where the truck's windshield wasn't even BROKEN when the next scene it was. D'OH! Tornado has alot more romance than Twister did, the people seemed more realistic, and the threat of the Tornado was there and yet unpredictable to know when they show up which they are. The special effects were really kool and not too many scenes where there was anything wrong like a broken windshield of the stormchaser's red pickup truck in Twister. There was only about three to four tornados showing up in this movie and there was six or more tornados showing up in Twister. Twister you knew when they were going to show up even watching it the first time you knew when it was going to show up. In Tornado you never knew it was coming and that is how a real one acts. I recommend buying this movie first and then watching Twister second. You won't be sorry.

HOT AIR
Amazing how Noel Hesseck's direction could make a tornado seem so insignificant. With little special effects of any note, this Twister wannabe suffers from flat, laconic performances, most notably Bruce Campbell and Ernie Hudson. Even L.Q. Jones seems winded and lifeless. An obvious made for TV soapie, that never shows the tornado at its worst.
Rent don't buy.

I just had to comment...
I haven't seen the movie, but Bruce Campbell's the sh*t, so it has to be interesting. Anyhow, I couldn't help but laugh for ten minutes on Azien's "I love tornado movies" line. I love tornado movies? I LOVE TORNADO MOVIES!? I have to put that on a shirt.

Ok, go ahead and check "This review is not helpful"

Wow..lol
Azien...where in the world did you see an F100? That meso must have been at least twenty miles wide...hehe=)
<>A<> ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Miami "Rhap"sody.......
Here is a film that is so negative about the possibilty of finding true love, it should be banned from sale or rental to all engaged couples. In fact, anyone who has a positive outlook on relationships and doesn't wish to wallow in the mire of adultery, divorce and human failure, should skip it altogether. I think that covers everyone who is not one of the characters in this film, or similarly inclined. ............... Sarah Jessica Parker who is the only saving grace here, is Gwen, an engaged lady who is surrounded at every turn by dysfunctional relationships. This film is not even close to reality at any point. No one knows this many unhappy people buried in illicit tawdry affairs, even if they live in Hollywood! In fact, this film tries so hard to be NOW and HIP and COOL, like this is what you can expect from todays relationships. Totally absurd. Gwens mom, played my Mia Farrow, is having an affair with her mothers aka Gwens grandmothers nurse, played by Antonio Banderas in an earlier fleeting role. Makes you wonder why he got later roles. Gwens dad is terribly upset, but mom reveals HE has been having plenty of affairs for years too. Big surprise! What is Gwen to do? Go to her brother for advice, of course. She arrives in the middle of a fight between him and his pregnant wife, they couldn't possibly be cooing on the couch happily now could they? Of course not. What is THEIR fight about? His affair with his partners model wife Naomi Campbell. Wow, let's play the interracial card possibilities here into the film for a little added zest! Of course, she isn't a single model, I said partners WIFE. Yet another wayward spouse to add to an ever growing roster of remorse. There is just NO hope for this family or anyone they touch illicitly in cheap brightly painted motels. .............. So there you have the basics. Everyone is married, everyone is miserable. They're all cheaters, liars, adulterers, and just not any sort of example for poor Gwen to reason herself into not being afraid of the possibilty of her own marriage. The poor girl, even I got depressed at the whole situation. ............. If you want to watch a movie that emphasizes all the negative possibilities of married life, here is a perfect film for the committment shy to bolster his or her argument. However, if you still believe in true love and happily ever after, you will want to avoid this like the plague. Especially don't watch this with anyone you love. Some romantic comedy, it sends a message to the faithful like THEY have the problems. If you are curious, go ahead and watch. Don't say I didn't warn you.

light woody-allen parody
Miami Rhapsody stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Gwynn Marcus, one of several sibs of a prominent, wealthy, Jewish and dysfunctional family in Miami. Though things seem okay on the outside, tangled relationship problems threaten every quarter of the family. Her brother Jordan (Kevin Pollack) cheats on his pregnant wife with a high-strung model (Naomi Campbell); Her sister's (Carla Gugino) new husband is a pro-football player plagued by career insecurities and terminal cheapness; both of her parents (Mia Farrow and Paul Mazursky) cheat on each other; and she remains unhappy if only because she's the sort of person who's so concerned about happiness that she must strangle the happiness out of wherever it pops up in her life. Though she's engaged, Gwynn soon finds herself attracted to the male nurse (Antonio Banderas) who cares for the family's stroke-ridden grandmother.

"Rhapsody" is a lot like an overlong episode of "Sex and the City" without the neat closure of that show's half-hour snippets or the materialism or communal honesty of that show's leads. Gwynn obsesses over Miami and sex, noting that both are extremely popular despite the inherent messiness of either. I had never seen "SatC" when catching this flick back in '95. Instead I recognized the flick as more of a parody of Woody Allen movies - the sort of rambling flick centered around a city (not NYC this time) and the hang-ups of those who endure it. The cinematography, Gwynn's neuroses (the film opens with Gwynn lamenting to a therapist), casting of Mia Farrow and even the opening credits hint at one of those small Woody Allen flicks that breezes through town without warning. "Rhapsody" works mostly on its stars' ernestness but also depends on some familiarity with that sort of Woody-ish kind of film. I doubt anybody who's never seen an Allen film will find this film more than amusing. Despite its dark take on marriage and relationships, I eventually married the girl I took to see it.

a funny, sexy romp
The wonderful Sarah Jessica Parker (HOCUS POCUS, the hit series SEX AND THE CITY), stars in this hip and sexy comedy about love and everything in between.

She plays Gwyn, a young woman about to be married to the man of her dreams (Gil Bellows), and she could not be happier. However, the bulk of her siblings, and her parents, could do with some apparently, as they are all conducting affairs behind the backs of their respective spouses!

Gwyn tries to come to terms with the fact that marriage and fidelity don't always go hand in hand, and in the process, discovers that her fiancee isn't all that she wants either.

Featuring Mia Farrow, Antonio Banderas, Carla Guggino, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollack and Jeremy Piven, MIAMI RHAPSODY is a frisky, funny romantic romp with a great script by David Frankel.

A Fun Walk Down Romantic Comedy/ Light-hearted Film Lane
I enjoyed watching this film, and give it three and a half stars. This film is one to rent when you just want to kick back and laugh a little. It is entertaining and light, and clever in parts. It's good for the kind of night when you're not in the mood for subtitles because you'd have to actually read them. :) Think "When Harry Met Sally," "You've Got Mail," or "Playing By Heart." I'd have been sad to miss it at the video store, as it is sweet in its heart, and had me laughing out loud more than once.

The film is about a family of three adult children and their parents, and the love lives of all of them. It starts with Sarah Jessica Parker's character (Gwyn) getting engaged, and her sister getting married. From there, things get a little messy. Gwyn, unsure of the state of her union (to-be), goes to her mother for advice about marital life. What she finds then is that her mother is having an affair. Shocked and surprised at first, Gwyn anxiously watches as her inner circle of family and friends fall prey to infidelity/relationship-confusion one by one, with no happy outcome in sight. As her wedding day draws near, she must come to some conclusion about her own impending marriage. Should she tie the knot, or are there existing problems in her relationship which would only be made worse by a walk down the aisle? She obsesses. She stresses. She considers dating her mother's lover!

Along the way, there are funny scenes and conversations, and a lot of the type of banter (especially from Jessica Parker) that made Sex and the City such a runaway hit. Parker's role here is reminiscent of her role on Sex and the City. As in that show, she plays a writer, here an ad-writer who reluctantly sets her sights on writing for sitcoms. She has trouble along the way, though, as her work is considered "too creative." This was classic SJP mode, as she is both sexy *and* smart! Jessica Parker may be tinier than most women (or men) I've ever seen, but she packs a wallop when it comes to magnetic acting and comedy skill. Her energy always shines on-screen, and this film is no exception. Gil Bellows (from TV's Ally McBeal) does a decent job playing her zoologist fiance who may or may not move to Africa when his career dictates that he should. There are patches of chemistry between them, and they are believably matched.

Mia Farrow's performance as Gwyn's mother is indeed reminiscent of her acting in her ex's (Woody Allen's) films. Farrow's husband in the film is strong in his role, as are other supporting actors, especially Carla Gugino, as Gwyn's sister, a lusty newlywed. One lackluster standout as far as the acting is Naomi Campbell. She may be one of the most beautiful women on the planet, but she really could do with figuring out whether or not to keep that British accent when playing in an American film, and how to get excited about acting/learn to lose herself in her role instead of striding her way through it as if she's merely rehearsing her lines.

I have to say that, unlike another reviewer on this page, I really *like* the one-liners that appear in this film, and in shows like Sex and the City. What can I say, they make me laugh, and that can't be that bad, can it? This film is funny and has some great lines, including some banter about election woes,this time about Bush *Senior*, and Ross Perot. :) (The film came out in '95). Watching it so soon after Indecision 2000, and feeling many of the same things myself in reference to George Junior this time around was an unexpected highlight.

As an aside, another thing I liked about the film was that it touched on all three generations: Gwyn's, her parents, and her grandparents (specifically, her grandmother, who, after a series of strokes, might not say much, but who showed grace and kindness with her smile, her eyes, and the touch of her hands.) I like that the film had this window into a nursing home/elderly life. People need to remember their elders more than they do these days. The film also briefly made the point that we shouldn't be too selfish in our lives, when we consider the horrors that previous generations have had to endure on a daily basis. Here, the experience of the grandmother having to flee the Nazis when she was a young woman. Jessica Parker's character says, in essense, people used to have real problems, war, etc, etc, [but] "I couldn't live a month without cable TV and a shower. We're a generation of weaklings." So some hints of deepness do exist in this shallow-ish romantic comedy!

Overall, I think Miami Rhapsody is a cute little film which will perhaps be enjoyed most by fans of Sex and the City and similar works.

Rhapsody in Red
Miami : A major U.S. city on the Southern tip of Florida. Rich with Hispaninc culture, affluent yuppies and tropical weather. An ideal location for a film-maker hoping the colorful locale would distract the audience from his apathetic and empty film.

Rhapsody : 1-(Music)Romantic composition in irreglar form 2- Express enthusiasm or delight in speech. Here I suspect the word is borrowed from Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue which was featured heavily in Woody Allen's Manhattan. More on that later.

David Frankel's abysmal 1995 "romantic comedy" is neither romantic or comedic. Its stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Gwyn, a sitcom writer who is having cold feet about marrying her zoolgist boyfriend Matt (Gil Bellows). In her anxiety, she goes to other members of her family to see how their own marriages are going, and perhaps find heartwarming stories that could encourage her to take that big step. From then on the script operates like a wind up toy. She goes to a loved one, asks about his/her marriage, and that loved one then proceeds to narrate a supposedly humorous horror story about his/her relationship. The big band score kicks in as their little, self absorbed and bitter stories unfold. Will she conquer her fears and get back to the man of her dreams, have you seen one movie in your life?

Then again, romantic comedies are not really about plot, but the company of the characters that take you through it. And unfortuantly our heroine Gwyn is a neurotic, self absorbed idiot who suffers diarrhoea of the mouth spewing out hollow, cheap one liners that would embarrasse a gossip columnist. By the end of the film you won't be concerned weather they make up or split up just as long as they shut up.

Now we come to the Woody Allen question. There is a pretty thick line that seperates a homage and a rip-off. And here Frankel lifts Allen's style so completely that it enters the realm of criminal plagerism. What he forgot to steal however was the wit, charm and underlying poignancy that makes Allen's neurosis lovable. Even's Allen's worst film, the pointless Celebrity is infinitly more watchable .

Miami Rhapsody's only virtue is Jack Wallner's luminous photgraphy, he makes the city come alive with bright reds, browns and other tropical delights. The look of the film is why I suffered it to the very end, perhaps its not such a good thing then. To quote Roger Ebert's review of another film "this film is not merely bad, its unpleasant in a hostile way". Quite possibly the most irritating film I've ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Better than that other volcano movie with James Bond ;)
I've watched this movie dozens of times, the first being at an ampitheater in Indiana on a cold fall day. I hadn't heard of it before but the tickets were free, so I checked it out. Wow! What a movie! I couldn't believe it, the entire time I was sitting on the edge of my seat, I left with no fingernails at all. All the actors were just terriffic, especially Tommy Lee Jones, who just adds flair to any film he's in. I'm not sure where people get off saying that this movie is too fantastical, either. As they say in the film, one day in Mexico a man saw a smoking fissure in his field; the next day there was a volcano growing there. That story is completely true, and it's happened repeatedly throughout the world. Why couldn't it happen in LA, the most geologically unstable major city? That's like saying that an earthquake can never hit New York City because it just can't happen. And as the current quote on the page said, you can't fight nature? The techniques used in Volcano are used constantly in Iceland and Greenland, which are all highly geologically unstable places with many volcanos. Anywho :) off my soapbox, if you've got a second, check this out on a large TV with a huge sound system! And skip that Dante's whatever, Volcano is the bomb... literally.

Haha, what were you people expecting? Pyroclastic flows?
I think, overall, this is a good disaster movie. I mean, are you ever REALLY looking for a realistic scenerio in an action flick? I think the plot progressed smoothly (not one of those movies where the screen comes on and starts with people running around getting fried), and the music was great.

Obviously this is a small volcano, considering that if it was a Mount St. Helens thing with pyroclastic flows and lava all over, then yeah, LA wouldn't stand much of a chance, but its fun to think how a major city like LA would face a little volcano deciding to pop up in the middle of the city.

I think I lost some IQ...
This has to be one of the dumbest movies...ever...Yes ever...Seeing this movie I think my IQ dropped 20 points from it's stupid storyline and totally impossible happenings as a volcano magically forming in LA

Really dumb....the only thing good about this movie is laughing at it the entire way for its sheer stupidity

A stale and lame piece of junk
Is it fun to watch? Yes. Why? Because this is so bad you can't help but enjoy. They completely and utterly disregard any realism and totally defy the laws of physics. Let's put it this way, in this movie the coast is toast and the plot is rot. Tommy Lee Jones gets a major pay check to lead the rescue effort when geological mumbo-jumbo causes the La Brea tar pits and the new L.A. subway system to spit steam, ash, fire and a rolling, molten sea. Actually the coast is not even toast. Let me quote from everyone's favorite smart alleck Mike Nelson: "I hate to start this by nitpicking, but the movie really should be called lava and not volcano. The "film" starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche, really was long on lava and, as far as I could tell, had only one small-quite small, really-volcano. And, despite all the hype, the coast was not, at any time during the film, toast. The coastal city of Los Angeles, CA, was indeed in no small danger of being incinerated by flowing magma, but the situation was completely handled by disaster workers, and only the most pessimistic naysayer would describe the situation by saying 'the coast is toast.'" Beyond all that, seeing as how close our characters were to the lava, one would have to wonder why they weren't burnt up. At the temperature of the magma the characters could've in no way been as close as they were. Oh well it's simply a terrible movie. Bad acting, boring plot, crumby music, and doesn't even remotely live up to the hype! Unless you're in the mood for a cheeze-fest I suggest you see something else. Heck watching grass grow would be more stimulating than this.

valcano rocks on!
I love the movie valcano. I recemend it only to people who like horror and death movies becuse valcano is one of them. I hope kids don't really belive that this has happend becuse there has not ever been a valcano so powerful to blow up so much ash and magma to destruct a whole state and more than that so dont belive this happend. I will like this movie so much I am willing to pay for 2 copys of it if I had that kind of money but I dont so dont think I will. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

RUN NOW!
Save your money and invest in a Pet Rock. You'd get amusement from it than you will from this dreadful film. I picked it up at a Blockbuster previously viewed movie sale. Thank god it was only 1.99. And now I know why. IT'S AWFUL. I honestly tried to watch this movie, but I had to fast forward through most of it because of the insipid dialogue and trite premise. It tries to come off as a serio-comic romance, but it's boring, predictable and trite. If you come across it, lie very still and it may just sniff you and leave you alone. If it doesn't, may God take mercy on your mortal soul.

Serious Spackled With Comedy
I actually really enjoyed this movie--a lot. I throw this movie into the category of the successor to those relationship movies such as About Last Night and St. Elmo's Fire, but with a somewhat lighter tone. I thought the ending was well done. The characters and their situations felt real. I don't want to give parts of this movie away, but there are a few interactions with the guys that I found hilarious.

I wish the DVD had more features--actually, any features. Apparently, they did not want to spend a lot of time to put any of those special DVD perks before they shipped it out.

You knew it before you see it.
I know everyone who watched this movie wouldn't like to comment on it because of the title of this movie. But I'd like to take the plunge and be the first person to review it.

I accidentaly knew this movie from an ad on a portal site of South Korea, which was Brooke Shields with a cigar. She is famous and popular in my country, so I wanted to watch this for a try.

This movie is for mature audiences, but not so-called an adult movie. You can't expect a stuff except a slight upper-body one. That's usually good for most viewers.

For the content? It's just what men and women are all about for the ages in this movie. You knew it before you will see this. If you'd like to know it, you don't have to know it.

If you have time and nothing to do, it would be an option to watch this movie. But it would be better for you to watch other better movies, if you'd choose to watch a DVD/VHS.

Just watching your familiar actresses will be fine and that's all. I don't know how familiar they are because I can't watch U.S. TV series except very famous ones in my country.

It's up to you how you spend your leisure time. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Sandra Fan
I rented this 'cause I like Sandra Ferguson. She looked great as usual and the plot was decent. I was really surprised that Cliff Robertson was in it too. The action was good and I wasn't disappointed I rented this movie.

Very poor action movie
I bought this DVD because it was a bargain and because of the review I read about it.

But I did not enjoy it much. The story is poor, even the action scenes are not that great.

It is, in my opinion, a poor imitation of another great movie of the genre: "Firefox", with Clint Eastwood, which I really recommend.

If you want an action movie and don't bother about the plot this is a good and cheap choice.

Falcon Down thrashes Kane in fight for greatest of all time!
I just finished watching this film and I'm still trying to catch my breath. This is without a doubt, the greatest movie ever made. I dare you to put this up against Citizen Kane or anything else in your library. It puts the rest of the world into context and forces the actions of the government to have a cause and effect role in society - something the real world doesn't often provide. Way to go UFO!

Good direct-to-video action movie!
This direct-to-video release is an entertaining movie, although it suffers from a low budget and less-than-stellar acting. The movie's plot is centered on Hank Thomas (played by Dale Midkiff), an Air Force pilot who loses his best friend and wingman in a tragic accident during a routine mission. After being blamed for this accident by his superiors and spending three years out of the Air Force, Hank is recruited by a group of specialists to hijack a government top secret weapon that was responsible for many tragic losses. However, Hank soon learns that these people have another agenda, and it's up to him to stop their plans. Although the story is somewhat routine, the movie also features an "X-Files" twist: home video footage of these government planes and weapons are taken by paranoid people who believe the government is experimenting with aliens and alien spacecraft. The visual effects are pretty good despite budget restrictions, and the swift cutting back and forth between the main story and this "home video footage" is clever. The movie features many familiar faces, including Judd Nelson, Cliff Robertson, and even William Shatner (who chews up the scenery). This is a movie worth checking out because it is somewhat different from standard by-the-numbers action films. ... Read more