St. Helens

Rating:
Summary: Boom!
Review: "St. Helens" does do better than "Dante's Peak" since it does depict a more realistic aspect to a volcano disaster movie. Unlike the scripted and acted "Dante's Peak", "St. Helens was based on the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. At 8:32 a.m. the violent eruption begins and campers, hikers, and fishermen in the Northwest woods have to evacuate otherwise perish. Even the old native Harry Truman who refused to leave the Spirit Lake lodge is now buried under 200 feet of ash and mud. "St. Helens is good for the Northwesterners even those who lived through the real event like myself.

Rating:
Summary: mount Saint Helens
Review: I went to Mt. St. Helens on vacation and came back home and saw this movie on TV. It's very good, but you can't appreciate the movie and the real life event unless you've been there or experienced what happened. It was a very good movie

Rating:
Summary: Another title that SCREAMS for DVD release!
Review: This cool movie is full of Northwestern atmosphere. It is the kind of movie that has that slow, ominous creep to it that really lends itself to a lazy, Sunday afternoon or a late night movie-watching get-together. It is a cult fave and should be re-released on DVD, preferably by Anchor Bay Entertainment. SO SOMEONE HOP TO IT AND GET THIS ONE OUT ON DVD!
Sidenote: Goblin does the soundtrack! How much more cult could you get?

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating film (though probably a bad one!)
Review: This film follows the familiar disaster scenario: gifted scientist comes to small town where he is sure a horrible natural disaster is about to happen; he warns the citizenry but his cautions are rejected by the establishment (fear for tourist or manufacturing or whatever dollars); cataclysm occurs and hero is vindicated; often leading character(s) perish; finally disaster (volcano, meteor, shark, flood, whatever) effects occur.

This plot outline could describe St. Helens, Dante's Peak, Jaws, and a bunch of other films. In the present film, however, it is used to good effect to describe the very real eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State, and along the way gives an interesting accounting of the life and death of Harry Truman, noted St. Helen's character. The movie's strengths lie in its portrayals of the actual events surrounding the volcanic eruptions; its weaknesses occur with the invented characters of the scientist and his love interest.

As a citizen of Washington State with a love for disaster films, I have watched this film numerous times and enjoyed it. I would really recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A well acted biography on the character's around the volcano
Review: This was an excellent movie! Some people may fall asleep to it because different things are happening at once and it's also dated, but for people who like true stories and the great outdoors will be sure to enjoy it! David Huffman's best peformance as he plays the scientist David Jackson, who explores the volcano(He was really murdered in 1985, bless his soul!). The late Art Carney does an excellent job as Harry Truman, the old man who refused to leave his home during the explosion. The ending is very sad. I love the country music score on this movie, which got me into really liking country music in the first place. Too bad they don't really make movies these days as nice as this.

Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable!
Review: This was the first "disaster" movie I recall seeing when I was about 13 and I still watch it every chance I get. The film combines real news footage of the actual eruption with re-enacted chaos, leaving the viewer with some idea of what it must have been like at ground zero. The scientist character is indeed based on a real scientist who camped out at the North side of St. Helens. His love interest may be fictional but it adds a human touch to his character. And Art Carney is very funny and warm as Harry Truman. No gore, no senseless violence or gratuitous sex scenes....I like this movie.

Rating:
Summary: camp classic - not true to life though
Review: When I saw this movie a found it a laugh a minute! It was like an east coast person's view of what life must be like in the Pacific Northwest. We don't all wear flannal shirts, drink beer in bars, listen to country-western, brawl, work as loggers and chew tobacky! Wow, did they ever get it wrong! I am from Gresham Oregon and had a front row seat (the Portland area had about the best view of this in the world.) May 18, 1980 was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the clear blue sky and I watched that mountain spew its contents all day long. No movie can ever capture it. The only thing I think I will never forget is that and seeing the ash cloud traveling east as far as the eye can see. Oh, the movie? Just watch it for fun, it's harmless, unlike the real deal.

Rating:
Summary: camp classic - not true to life though
Review: When I saw this movie a found it a laugh a minute! It was like an east coast person's view of what life must be like in the Pacific Northwest. We don't all wear flannal shirts, drink beer in bars, listen to country-western, brawl, work as loggers and chew tobacky! Wow, did they ever get it wrong! I am from Gresham Oregon and had a front row seat (the Portland area had about the best view of this in the world.) May 18, 1980 was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the clear blue sky and I watched that mountain spew its contents all day long. No movie can ever capture it. The only thing I think I will never forget is that and seeing the ash cloud traveling east as far as the eye can see. Oh, the movie? Just watch it for fun, it's harmless, unlike the real deal.