Couch Potato's Tuesday Teaser: How did they create the lava and ash for 1997 movie Volcano?

Let's face it, any film calling itself Volcano would be cheating its audiences if it didn't feature some element of lava and ash.

And this one - starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche - certainly doesn't disappoint. When an earthquake opens a volcanic vent in the Earth's crust beneath Los Angeles, a torrent of molten lava threatens to engulf the city.

So, how did the filmmakers create the effect of the erupting molten rock?

Well, apparently ground newspaper was the basis of the volcanic ash. And, the lava was made mostly from methylcellulose - which just so happens to be the chemical compound that's used to thicken fast-food milkshakes. Urghhh....