Entertainment
Surreal And Stylish '90s Comedy On Tubi Makes You Rethink Your Life
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Finding a purpose in life isn’t always easy, and sometimes you need a reminder to live your life to the fullest like in Joe Versus the Volcano. Are the workplace fluorescents sucking the life out of you one eight-hour shift at a time to the point where you try to invent illnesses so you could get a day off? Has an ever-increasing sense of occupational dread caused you to give up on your dreams and succumb to the daily drudgery of the rat race?
Well, the same thing happens to Tom Hanks’ Joe Banks in Joe Versus the Volcano, and he learns a thing or two about focusing on what matters, even if his approach may seem a little unconventional.
Never Trust A Doctor
Joe Versus the Volcano immediately paints a bleak picture about company men and women trudging into the workplace under a pallid sky, but only before they enter a facility thats illuminated with various hues of grey and green thanks to the constantly flickering and dirty fluorescent lights hanging overhead. Working in the advertising department for American Panascope, a company that made its fortune selling rectal probes and petroleum jelly, Joe’s simply going through the motions because he’s a hypochondriac who’s terrified of his boss, Frank Waturi (Dan Hedaya).
Joe experiences a number of imagined health problems, which are the result of the traumas he experienced while working as a firefighter before starting his employment at American Panascope, and as a result hasn’t felt like himself for years. So much, in fact, he never fully reveals his feelings to his coworker, DeDe (Meg Ryan).
Forever afraid that he’s coming down with some unknown terminal illness, Joe pays a visit to Dr. Ellison (Robert Stack), who suggests he’s suffering from a “brain cloud,” leaving him with only six months to live.
Joe finds himself in a unique situation when Dr. Ellison violates his Hippocratic oath in Joe Versus the Volcano by tipping off the exceedingly wealthy superconductor tycoon, Samuel Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges), who may have a use for him, given his supposed declining health.
Living Out His Last Days In Style
Joe is made an offer he can’t refuse in the form of getting an all-expenses paid trip to the island of Waponi Woo. The Waponi people living on the island have the access Samuel needs to continue his manufacturing process, but they need a human sacrifice to jump into their volcano so they could appease their angry fire god and continue to drink orange soda.
Knowing that he has nothing to lose in Joe Versus the Volcano, our hero goes on the shopping spree of a lifetime, lays down Samuel’s credit cards, takes a flight to Las Angeles to meet the industry titan’s daughter, Angelica (also Meg Ryan), who then leads him to her half-sister, Patricia (Meg Ryan, again), to board her yacht, the Tweedledee.
Knowing that he’s not going to survive his plunge into the volcano, Joe tries to keep the intent behind his adventure a secret, even though he’s slowly but surely starting to bond with Patricia, and begins to have second thoughts about following through with Samuel’s instructions. Realizing that being on the verge of death is the first time he’s ever truly feel alive, Joe perseveres against the elements to do what he set out to do, which forces him to make the most difficult decision in his life when he finally approaches his destination.
Equal Parts Surreal And Sentimental
Joe Versus the Volcano sets out to show its viewers that there’s more to living than simply surviving, and how sometimes you can only experience the clarity you’re looking for once you’ve hit rock bottom. It’s also bittersweet in the sense that once you achieve the level of clarity that you’re looking for, it may be too late to live your life with intent because you already agreed to embark on an all-inclusive one-way trip to your inevitable death, and have to see that whole thing through or suffer the consequences (also death, but slower and more agonizing).
If you happen to find yourself feeling a little existential, and need a quality 1990s rom-com to help take the edge off, you can stream Joe Versus the Volcano for free on Tubi as of this writing.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
