#2. Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) | Own Joe Versus the Volcano ($10 @ Amazon.com)
Why it shouldn’t have flopped: At the time, Meg Ryan was a bigger star than Tom Hanks (although 1988’s Big was the start of his big push as an A-lister), but the quirky plot of a guy who was diagnosed with a rare disease — a brain cloud — who finds himself in a Brewster’s Millions type of situation. On a $25m budget, the total gross as of 2015 is nearly 39.5m.
Why it flopped: It’s a cheesy romantic comedy with a quirky plot.
What could have saved it: It was ahead of its time. It’s reached cult status now, but it’s still difficult to get past Hanks’s shitty haircut and Ryan’s overacting.
Next: Green Lantern
