Under the Volcano (1984)

This has been on my "to see" list for more than 15 years -- I put it on there when I first decided I was going to try to see all of the films ever nominated for Oscars in the acting, writing, and best picture categories. I get pretty familiar with the long-term residents of that list prior to viewing -- so I'd seen the poster artwork dozens of times. And, seriously, how cool is the movie being advertised in that poster? That guy looks like a badass and is obviously a lover to boot. Couldn't wait.

Well, what the heck. Instead of a tough guy with a girl in his bed, he's just a dude drunk off his ass in Mexico missing his wife, who ran off with a linen-suit-wearing type. A whiny, excruciating couple of hours. So bad that I started wondering if it'd been written by Don DeLillo -- indulgent, unreal, and terribly long. This is a case where my happy anticipation let me waaay down.

D-