YOU GOTTA STAY HAPPY (1948)

Borrowing heavily from IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU GOTTA STAY HAPPY is the well-meaning, but not really funny, romantic comedy about a mega-wealthy heiress (Joan Fontaine) who runs away from her forced relationship (on her wedding night!) and hides in the hotel room of a very sleepy pilot (Jimmy Stewart). In his sleepiness he thinks that she's just a innocent girl that got mixed up with a married butthole, so he allows her to sleep in his bed while he takes the sofa. The next day she, feeling an attraction to him, begs to be brought along on his cargo plane trip across the country. Reluctantly he agrees and she joins she rest of the cargo: two newlyweds, an embezzler on the run, a dead guy in a coffin, some lobsters, a cigar smoking chimpanzee...and maybe love?

As a time passer it's entertaining enough, but the script is pretty weak. There's no witty dialogue and zero spark between Stewart and Fontaine. In fact, if it was up to me I would have just replaced Joan altogether. Worth watching, if you're a Jimmy Stewart fan, but other than that you'd be better off just watching IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT again. Oh yeah, the chimpanzee is not as funny as you would hope. Actually he's kinda depressing since he remains in a cage the entire movie. I felt sorry for him.

DANTE'S PEAK (1997)

Volcanologist Pierce Brosnan is sent to do a routine investigation on a gigantic dormant volcano somewhere up in a northwestern state. Nestled down below this sleeping giant is the peaceful town of Dante's Peak.  Aww. Once he takes a few readings, Pierce starts to get worried and wants to evacuate the town, BUT THEY JUST WON'T LISTEN!!!! Why? Whyyyy?!!! Anyway, his team shows up and they do some more investigating in the daytime, but once the sun drops...it's time for ol' Pierce to try and pierce Mayor Linda Hamilton's meat curtains, if you know what I'm saying. Nudge nudge wink wink. Say no more! A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat, eh? Time passes and things look pretty grim.  A few people start to listen, but by then it's too damn late and everything just blows the fuck up.

DANTE'S PEAK was in direct competition with VOLCANO for the "Best Volcano Disaster Movie of 1997" Award and I'm voting for DANTE'S PEAK. The special effects on VOLCANO looked kinda crappy (as did the story), but here on DANTE'S PEAK, things look impressive (for the time) and the story is actually good. In fact, I would've been fine if the film had been even longer! I really enjoyed the build up scenes.  Hamilton and Brosnan have good onscreen chemistry, the supporting cast is interesting and the town/scenery is gorgeous. Oh my god, I would love to live somewhere as beautiful as the town in this movie.

But not everything is perfect...even though the tone of the movie is serious there's plenty to laugh about and I certainly did. The two most ridiculous scenes, without a doubt, have to be the grandma in the lake-turned-to-acid scene and the truck successfully driving through lava scene. Neither one of them made a lick of fucking sense, but their corniness just makes the movie more enjoyable.  It's awesome!

DANTE'S PEAK is not the greatest disaster movie ever, but it's a lot of fun to revisit every so often...even if the cute skinny dipper never got naked.  Boo!!!

A few post-review questions... 1) what's up with that scream when the dude falls in the river?  2) what's up with that one guys hair?!