Nicolas Cage = Dreadful

[bellaozzydog]

I've just started watching all of Nicolas Cage's films in a row, starting from the beginning. Perhaps it's rather ambitious - there are 107 listed in IMDb!
Watched the first one last night, a failed pilot of a sitcom called The Best Of Times, which also features Crispin Glover in his first role.
It's dreadful, of course, but he goes Full Cage in his first scene, so he's hit the ground running. Great scene in a shop, owned by a wisecracking Jackie Mason, in which Cage and friends make a tune by 'playing' items in the store, such as bottles n that. Cage uses a lighter as percussion while grinning maniacally.

Orangutan suffering so others don’t have to

honourable

 

[Orang Utan]

He benefited from the same phenomenon as Keanu Reeves, going much further than his acting ability should ever have taken him.

Reeves is a good actor, he just doesn’t have a lot of range.

 

[T & P]

I've just started watching all of Nicolas Cage's films in a row, starting from the beginning. Perhaps it's rather ambitious - there are 107 listed in IMDb!

Wait...
What?

 

[Orang Utan]

Wait...
What?

107! I imagine most of them are absolute dogshit. Can’t wait!
Was going to see Bill & Ted tonight but I’ve sacked it off for Cage’s cinematic debut, Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Can’t remember if I’ve seen it before, but it’s famed as one of the movies that established The Brat Pack and Cameron Crowe wrote the novel it’s based on.

 

[Reno]

Just looked at his filmography as a reminder and there are plenty of interesting to great films in the first two decades of his career. He worked with a lot of great filmmakers. Then things get more wobbly and when his money troubles started in 2009, he makes up to 7 films a year and quality is not the deciding factor, though the occasional decent film still slips through.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I've just started watching all of Nicolas Cage's films in a row, starting from the beginning. Perhaps it's rather ambitious - there are 107 listed in IMDb!
Watched the first one last night, a failed pilot of a sitcom called The Best Of Times, which also features Crispin Glover in his first role.
It's dreadful, of course, but he goes Full Cage in his first scene, so he's hit the ground running. Great scene in a shop, owned by a wisecracking Jackie Mason, in which Cage and friends make a tune by 'playing' items in the store, such as bottles n that. Cage uses a lighter as percussion while grinning maniacally.

I saw you were doing this on Facebook and thought is was a mad and painful idea, but reading this I'm already getting behind it.

 

[Cid]

There's a podcast called er... originally 'we heart Hartnett', but then 'can't get enough of Keanu' which goes through the entire filmography of actors with er... interesting careers (so far they have only managed the two aforementioned, because covid). It's in the vein of that other podcast I'm absolutely sure everyone on urban is familiar with and wouldn't be incredibly irritated by 'blank check' (which explores the filmographies of directors who have received a blank check). But yeah, he would be an absolutely sterling selection. He is at once fucking brilliant, and fucking awful. Fortunately usually in different films. I'm kind of intrigued by the national treasure trilogy.

 

[Orang Utan]

There's a podcast called er... originally 'we heart Hartnett', but then 'can't get enough of Keanu' which goes through the entire filmography of actors with er... interesting careers (so far they have only managed the two aforementioned, because covid). It's in the vein of that other podcast I'm absolutely sure everyone on urban is familiar with and wouldn't be incredibly irritated by 'blank check' (which explores the filmographies of directors who have received a blank check). But yeah, he would be an absolutely sterling selection. He is at once fucking brilliant, and fucking awful. Fortunately usually in different films. I'm kind of intrigued by the national treasure trilogy.

not me, what is it?

 

[Reno]

There's a podcast called er... originally 'we heart Hartnett', but then 'can't get enough of Keanu' which goes through the entire filmography of actors with er... interesting careers (so far they have only managed the two aforementioned, because covid). It's in the vein of that other podcast I'm absolutely sure everyone on urban is familiar with and wouldn't be incredibly irritated by 'blank check' (which explores the filmographies of directors who have received a blank check). But yeah, he would be an absolutely sterling selection. He is at once fucking brilliant, and fucking awful. Fortunately usually in different films. I'm kind of intrigued by the national treasure trilogy.

Keanu Reeves may be limited as an actor but he's a great movie star, which requires the skill to connect with an audience on screen. That's something many more technically talented actors are not able to do. Early in his career he sometimes got miscast but over time he learned what roles suit him and that's what he's been sticking with to great success. As an actor he's the opposite of Nicolas Cage, who is a character actor who become a movie star. Reeves underplays, Cage is best when he can go big with his performances. Films like Wild at Heart, Raising Arizona and Mandy need that type of larger-than-life actor. Cage always felt a little out of place as a mainstream action star to me, something Keanu Reeves excels in, He can move and there is a vulnerability to him, which makes him more interesting than the muscle men of 80s and 90s action films.

 

[Orang Utan]

Keanu Reeves may be limited as an actor but he's a great movie star, which requires the skill to connect with an audience on screen. That's something many more technically talented actors are not able to do. Early in his career he sometimes got miscast but over time he learned what roles suit him and that's what he's been sticking with to great success. As an actor he's the opposite of Nicolas Cage, who is a character actor who become a movie star. Reeves underplays, Cage is best when he can go big with his performances. Films like Wild at Heart, Raising Arizona and Mandy need that type of larger-than-life actor. Cage always felt a little out of place as a mainstream action star to me, something Keanu Reeves excels in, He can move and there is a vulnerability to him, which makes him more interesting than the muscle men of 80s and 90s action films.

I dunno - he's very good at actioning in The Rock and Con Air - hated Face/Off though

 

[Cid]

not me, what is it?

I thought I'd laid in the irony enough there. I mean no-one here knows it. It's a podcast I like, because tbh I just like listening to people without too much conflict chatting about interesting shit. Even if some of the bits they do are... a bit annoying.

 

[Reno]

I dunno - he's very good at actioning in The Rock and Con Air - hated Face/Off though

I must admit, I hate all three. Just not my type of action film.

 

[Orang Utan]

I thought I'd laid in the irony enough there. I mean no-one here knows it. It's a podcast I like, because tbh I just like listening to people without too much conflict chatting about interesting shit. Even if some of the bits they do are... a bit annoying.

what's the podcast?

 

[Cid]

I dunno - he's very good at actioning in The Rock and Con Air - hated Face/Off though

This is a good point, he's kind of fascinating as an actor.

And also fascinating how The Rock is by far Bay's best film.

 

[Cid]

what's the podcast?

Blank Check. It is in the post.

 

[Reno]

Blank Check. It is in the post.

I know Blank Check, but got bored with it. It's rather glib and the episodes go on for too long.

 

[Cid]

I know Blank Check, but got bored with it. It's rather glib.

Yeah, I have a high tolerance for these things as it's just noise while I do practical work. One of them is a critic on the Atlantic, the other is Arthur off The Tick. I am so far off the level of film criticism that you're on that most of it is at least interesting to me, even if I find myself disagreeing/finding some stuff annoying.

 

[Orang Utan]

wtf

 

[Orang Utan]

 

[Orang Utan]

I've just started watching all of Nicolas Cage's films in a row, starting from the beginning. Perhaps it's rather ambitious - there are 107 listed in IMDb!
Watched the first one last night, a failed pilot of a sitcom called The Best Of Times, which also features Crispin Glover in his first role.
It's dreadful, of course, but he goes Full Cage in his first scene, so he's hit the ground running. Great scene in a shop, owned by a wisecracking Jackie Mason, in which Cage and friends make a tune by 'playing' items in the store, such as bottles n that. Cage uses a lighter as percussion while grinning maniacally.

7 films in now. Only a couple of good ones so far.

 

[Sue]

He's actually been in some very good films, the problem is most people remember the dross (and there's been plenty of that). My personal anti-favourite is The Wicker Man.

 

[Orang Utan]

Though I’m losing the will to live at the prospect of watching his next film, a period biopic about an oarsmen/sculler/rower - zzzzz

 

[killer b]

He's actually been in some very good films, the problem is most people remember the dross (and there's been plenty of that). My personal anti-favourite is The Wicker Man.

I loved his wicker man. I also love how much it irritates purist wicker man fans.

 

[Sue]

I loved his wicker man. I also love how much it irritates purist wicker man fans.

Wouldn't say I'm a purist but the entire premise of the whole thing is blown out the water by

Spoiler

the missing girl being his daughter. FFS

 

[killer b]

Oh, I can't remember anything that happened in it. Cage films (at their best) are more of a psychedelic experience than a conventional film. You finish them confused and wide eyed, not sure exactly what just happened.

 

[Orang Utan]

His early films aren’t much like that. Mostly just conventional teen coming of age stuff. There are glimpses of the Nouveau Shamanic Western Kabuki Expressionism or whatever he’s calling it this week, but he takes his time. Peggy Sue Gets Married is next and I’m hoping for the Full Cage in that one.

 

[Reno]

His early films aren’t much like that. Mostly just conventional teen coming of age stuff. There are glimpses of the Nouveau Shamanic Western Kabuki Expressionism or whatever he’s calling it this week, but he takes his time. Peggy Sue Gets Married is next and I’m hoping for the Full Cage in that one.

Did you watch Birdy ? I haven't seen it in a long time, but I remember really liking it when it came out.

 

[Orang Utan]

Did you watch Birdy ? I haven't seen it in a long time, but I remember really liking it when it came out.

Yeah, saw that at the weekend. Very of its time but well shot and directed and the male friendship depicted is of a rare sort in Hollywood - platonic but affectionate. Have not really seen that sort of thing before and was surprised considering it came out in 84

 

[Orang Utan]

Rumblefish was terrible though, esp when compared to The Outsiders. Don’t often use the word pretentious, but it was soooo pretentious. Though it is well shot and the sound design is brilliant

 

[spanglechick]

His early films aren’t much like that. Mostly just conventional teen coming of age stuff. There are glimpses of the Nouveau Shamanic Western Kabuki Expressionism or whatever he’s calling it this week, but he takes his time. Peggy Sue Gets Married is next and I’m hoping for the Full Cage in that one.

Peggy Sue Got Married is... atypical. He’s weird in it. Maybe miscast? But it’s quite charming.