In the great tradition of disaster movies, there was a race in 1997 to create the first of the volcanic eruption movies with Dante's Peak coming out in theaters first, but probably ending up less recognizable than the simplistically named Volcano. Volcano had the odd plot of a volcano erupting below the streets of Los Angeles, where of course anything of substance, and therefore movie-making, occurs. But Dante's Peak has the distinction of being my favorite sexist movie. "Sexist?" you say? Well, let me explain.

Dante's Peak does offer the pro-woman role of a female Mayor of the local town. She's a leader, supposedly strong and decisive, played well by the underrated actress Linda Hamilton. An expert on volcanoes comes into town, played by that forever-in-my-eyes-Remington Steele Pierce Brosnan and they join forces to help the town avert disaster.

So where's the sexism you say? Well, throughout the movie everytime they would get into the car to drive through town, he would drive. Now, why would he be driving? It's her car. She's the Mayor of the town. She knows the town like the back of her hand. He's an outsider who doesn't know the town from Adam. She just keeps telling him where to go from the passenger seat.

And then, during the final parts of the movie when the volcano's erupted and they are trying to get away, he is again driving. And of course he figures out that they can go to a safe cave in the mountain, whereas she's clueless as to what to do. May I remind you that she's supposedly the Mayor of the town? And yet, she takes second seat to this visitor who not only drives her around town, but also packs up her kids and tells her what to do. Now, how bizarre, and sexist, is that?!? I'm sure the men behind the making of movie just couldn't fathom the idea of having the female lead be seen driving the man around the town. And they say that Hollywood is liberal.