April 25, 1997
Volcano is a 1997 American disaster film directed by Mick Jackson and produced by Andrew Z. Davis, Neal H. Moritz and Lauren Shuler Donner. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jerome Armstrong and Billy Ray. The film features Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, and Don Cheadle. Jones is cast as the head of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management (LAC OEM), which has complete authority in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. His character attempts to divert the path of a dangerous lava flow through the streets of Los Angeles following the formation of a volcano at the La Brea Tar Pits.
A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by the film studios of 20th Century Fox, Moritz Original and Shuler Donner/Donner Productions. It was commercially distributed by 20th Century Fox. Volcano explores civil viewpoints, such as awareness, evacuation and crisis prevention. Although the film used extensive special effects, it failed to receive any award nominations from mainstream motion picture organizations for its production merits.
Volcano premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on April 25, 1997 grossing $49,323,468 in domestic ticket receipts, on a $90 million budget. It earned an additional $73.5 million in business through international release to top out at a combined $122,823,468 in gross revenue. Despite its release and recognition, Dante's Peak (which was released 2 months before) gained more commercial success than Volcano. It was also met with mixed critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. The Region 1 code widescreen edition of the film featuring special features was released on DVD in the United States on March 9, 1999.
Skywalker Sound provided Post Production Sound Effects Services: Christopher Boyes was Sound Supervision/Designer and an uncredited Supervising Sound Editor with Tom Bellfort and John A. Larsen. Dennie Thorpe & Jana Vance did foley, edited by Bruce Lacey, Marian Wilde and Sandina Bailo-Lape. Tom Myers did Additional Sound Design, and Matthew Wood did Assistant Sound Design.
Storyline
When a massive earthquake rocks the city of Los Angeles, Emergency Management department head Mike Roark (Tommy Lee Jones) returns from his vacation to help with the city's response. After geologist Dr. Amy Barnes (Anne Heche) warns that a volcano may be forming in sewer tunnels, another severe earthquake unleashes the lava flowing underfoot, threatening to destroy the whole city. As the fiery molten rock runs through the streets, Roark and Barnes must figure out how to divert it.
Sound Effects Used
- CINESOUND - EXPLOSION TYPE 6
- Gary Rydstrom Lion Growl
- Goofy Holler? ("YAAAAAH!" part only)
- Hollywoodedge, Baby Crying Slowly PE144001
- Hollywoodedge, Cats Two Meowing Clos PE022401
- Hollywoodedge, Crash Metal Shatter PE110401
- Hollywoodedge, Machine Gun Silence PE1010701
- LEGO Pick-Up Minikit SFX? (A condensed version from Akazukin Chacha may've been heard when a lava bomb lands on the floor.)
- Looney Tunes Explosion Sound 3
- SKYWALKER, ALARM - AIRCRAFT WARNING SIGNAL
- SKYWALKER, ALARM - REPUBLIC SIREN?
- SKYWALKER BIG METAL SQUEAKING 02
- SKYWALKER, BULLET - BULLET OR RICOCHET SHINGS
- SKYWALKER CAR CRUSHING SLOWLY WITH METAL SQUEAKING (Heard as Engine 17 scrapes to a stop on the road)
- SKYWALKER, CAR - TRUCK TIRES SQUEALING
- SKYWALKER, CAR - TRUCK TIRES SQUEALING 03
- SKYWALKER, CAR - VARIOUS TIRE SCREECHING
- SKYWALKER CONCRETE BREAKING SOUNDS
- SKYWALKER COUGAR GROWL 01
- SKYWALKER, CROWD - SCREAM IN PANIC
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - BIG VARIOUS SPARKINGS
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - THE FORCE WHINE (Heard once mixed with a higher-pitched version of SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND.)
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 01
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 07 (Including many variants)
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 10 / SKYWALKER FIRE ROARING SOUND
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 16
- SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 19
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - BIG CRUNCH (Mostly used for water impacts)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE EXPLOSION, LOUD, HYPER-REALISTIC
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE INFERNO ROARING (various pitches)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - SHORT, MASSIVE BLAST (debut)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - TANK FIRE
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - THERMAL DETONATOR: CHARGE 01
- SKYWALKER, FIRE - FLAMES QUICK ROAR BY 02
- SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED CLUSTERING BIG BOULDER CRACKLE SOUND
- SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND
- SKYWALKER GLASS, SMASH - LARGE WINDOW CRASH
- SKYWALKER LASER BLAST SOUND
- SKYWALKER, METAL - LID CLANGING 01 (debut)
- SKYWALKER, METAL - LID CLANGING 02 (debut)
- SKYWALKER, METAL - LID ON MANHOLE HIT (debut)
- SKYWALKER, METAL - RESOUNDING CLANG 02
- SKYWALKER, SIZZLE - QUICK SIZZLE
- SKYWALKER, WHISTLE - LAVA BOMB WHISTLES (debut)
- SKYWALKER, WIND - REACTOR SHAFT EXPLOSION, WIND, WEATHER?
- SoundDogs, Electric - Sparks & Hum - C U - Series Of Amazingly Creaky Sparks And Reverberant Decay (Heard once mixed with SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND from an off-screen explosion.)
- Sound Ideas, HELICOPTER - BELL 212: EXTERIOR, PASS BY, DISTANT
- Sound Ideas, HOSPITAL - HEART MONITOR: MONITORING, CONSTANT BEEPS
- Sound Ideas, SIREN - OLD POLICE SIREN? (Some old-fashioned siren is used for some of the fire engine's sirens, namely Engine 17 when it's struck down by a "lava bomb")
- Sound Ideas, TEETH, CARTOON - SCOOBY'S TEETH CHATTER, SHORT
- Sound Ideas, THUNDER - BIG THUNDER CLAP AND RUMBLE, WEATHER 01
- WB FIRE HISS/WHOOSH SOUND/SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 20
- WB GLASS BREAK 01
