In the disaster genre, Dante’s Peak has earned a firm place. Although the film, which has a prominent cast, is not based on a true volcanic eruption, it attached great importance to the correct depiction of one. Dante’s Peak is on TV today with ex-Bond Pierce Brosnan and Terminator star Linda Hamilton.
Massive volcanic eruption: What is Dante’s Peak about?
Geologist and volcano expert Harry Dalton (Pierce Brosnan) is sent to the village of Dante’s Peak, where there are signs of an impending volcanic eruption. Harry finds an ear for his warnings in the dedicated Mayor Rachel Wando (Linda Hamilton). When shortly afterwards a couple dies while bathing because the pond has turned into a boiling hot bathtub in a very short time, all alarm bells go off in Harry’s head.
Dante’s Peak shows a volcanic eruption that comes very close to reality
Director Roger Donaldson placed great emphasis on realism and was well received by experts. The US Geological Survey, for example, compiled a dossier that answers key questions about the film’s authenticity. One of them is: Is the volcanic eruption at Dante’s Peak realistic?
The answer: “In many respects, though not in all aspects, the depiction of the eruptive dangers in the film almost hits the mark“ – geologists generally do not deign to praise the cinematic depiction of volcanic eruptions. Many other details of the film were nodded off by the dossier. The only criticism was that the film underestimated the effects of a false alarm.
Dante’s Peak wasn’t a particularly big success
The budget of 115 million US dollars, which was particularly high for the time (1997), was countered by an only passable box office result of 178 million dollars, reports The Numbers. The marketing budget is usually at least half of the production budget. Dante’s Peak will only just end up in the black, if at all.
When and where is Dante’s Peak?
Vox is showing Dante’s Peak on TV on Thursday at 10:50 p.m. It’s worth switching on, because the film will not be repeated and is unfortunately not available as a flat rate on Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Co.
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