Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

Joe works a soul-crushing job and feels like death all the time. He goes to the doctor who tells him he only has 6 months left to live. What will he do with his remaining time? Travel to the South Pacific and throw himself into a volcano, of course. That's the setup. It's up to you if you want to follow him there. This is a wonderfully whimsical fantasy adventure and one of my favorite films.

4½ floatable luggage out of 5

Do the Right Thing (1989)

A drama that unfolds slowly over the course of one scorching hot summer day in Brooklyn. As the temperature rises, so too does the tension and the tempers of the inhabitants.
The film is like a play in which the stage is an entire street; it feels cut off from the larger city for the purposes of drama, which emphasises its self-sufficiency and its tight community values.
Being a Spike Lee film means it's a political sledgehammer, but it doesn't overwhelm the well-scripted character moments, of which there are many.

4 slices with something extra out of 5

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

From director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) comes this fascinating character piece that examines old age, dying, and broken dreams. Now living in a retirement home where a mummy is feeding off the residents’ souls, it’s up to old Elvis (Bruce Campbell) and “dyed” JFK (Ossie Davis) to save the day. The internal monologues of the character and the dramatization of getting old are brilliant. Whatever else happens in this movie is secondary to the dilemma of the King, as he explores the meaninglessness of life, the futility of death, and it's somehow all done in a very touching and poignant way. Not bad for a “horror comedy.”  

All is well.

4 pus-filled bumps out of 5