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Peter G. (247 KP) rated Leaving Las Vegas (1995) in Movies
Jun 5, 2019
Nic Cage gives a career best performance as a man with nothing left to live for and decides to drink himself to death in Vegas where he meets an unlikely love interest played by Elizabeth Shue.
Cage's performance is both remarkable and believable and truly portrays a man ready to die at all cost, swigging a bottle of alcohol at all times, including just before he passes out at bedtime, we soon see his health deteriorate as Shue (although agreeing to allow him kill himself) struggle as she is forced to watch him fade away. Astounding and startling performances.
Cage's performance is both remarkable and believable and truly portrays a man ready to die at all cost, swigging a bottle of alcohol at all times, including just before he passes out at bedtime, we soon see his health deteriorate as Shue (although agreeing to allow him kill himself) struggle as she is forced to watch him fade away. Astounding and startling performances.
Mike Birbiglia recommended Moonstruck (1987) in Movies (curated)
David McK (3204 KP) rated Red Notice (2021) in Movies
Dec 12, 2021
Wonder Woman.
Deadpool.
Black Adam.
All in the same movie; a wannabe twisty-turny crime thriller in which a framed FBI agent (played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) has to team up with his former notorious art thief target (Ryan Reynolds) to clear his name and to catch the new '#1 art thief in the world' thief aka The Bishop (Gal Gadot).
I found this to be reminiscent of the Nic Cage starring 'National Treasure' series, with the main characters all globe-trotting around the world in pursuit of the McGuffin, and with the interplay between Johnson and Reynolds raising a few laughs/raised eyebrows along the way.
In short: good, but not brilliant.
Deadpool.
Black Adam.
All in the same movie; a wannabe twisty-turny crime thriller in which a framed FBI agent (played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) has to team up with his former notorious art thief target (Ryan Reynolds) to clear his name and to catch the new '#1 art thief in the world' thief aka The Bishop (Gal Gadot).
I found this to be reminiscent of the Nic Cage starring 'National Treasure' series, with the main characters all globe-trotting around the world in pursuit of the McGuffin, and with the interplay between Johnson and Reynolds raising a few laughs/raised eyebrows along the way.
In short: good, but not brilliant.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Knowing (2009) in Movies
Dec 9, 2019 (Updated Dec 9, 2019)
Nic Cage Knows Everything, I Mean Everything.....
I watched this film last month, and i thought holy shit that was something. I mean their were alot of good parts, intresting parts and than the ending which i wouldnt get it. You just have to watch this movie to find out. I like the plot/the concept of the film.
The Plot: Fifty years after it was buried in a time capsule, a schoolgirl's cryptic document falls into the hands of Caleb Koestler, the son of professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage). John figures out that the encoded message accurately lists every major disaster from the past five decades, and predicts three future calamities -- one a global cataclysm. When his warnings fall on deaf ears, John enlists the help of the prophetic author's daughter and granddaughter to try to avert the ultimate disaster.
Its really sci-fi though out the movie, expecally the ending, again i wouldnt get into. Its really a good and entertaining film to watch.
Highly reccordmend watching it.
The Plot: Fifty years after it was buried in a time capsule, a schoolgirl's cryptic document falls into the hands of Caleb Koestler, the son of professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage). John figures out that the encoded message accurately lists every major disaster from the past five decades, and predicts three future calamities -- one a global cataclysm. When his warnings fall on deaf ears, John enlists the help of the prophetic author's daughter and granddaughter to try to avert the ultimate disaster.
Its really sci-fi though out the movie, expecally the ending, again i wouldnt get into. Its really a good and entertaining film to watch.
Highly reccordmend watching it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Happytime Murders (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Childish, ridiculous nonsense... and that's why it's fun.
Something that films like this can be guilty of is taking a joke too far in a single scene. Happytime tap dances down that line and looks like it might stumble clear over but it does managed to just avoid it. Just.
Much like I didn't know I needed to hear Nic Cage saying "anal beads" in Mom & Dad, I didn't know that I needed to see a muppet jizz silly string.
It's not muppets like you know them, but there are some nostalgic drops in there. The one thing that I can't judge is whether this will stand up to being watched more than once. What I do know is that I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the TV.
Something that films like this can be guilty of is taking a joke too far in a single scene. Happytime tap dances down that line and looks like it might stumble clear over but it does managed to just avoid it. Just.
Much like I didn't know I needed to hear Nic Cage saying "anal beads" in Mom & Dad, I didn't know that I needed to see a muppet jizz silly string.
It's not muppets like you know them, but there are some nostalgic drops in there. The one thing that I can't judge is whether this will stand up to being watched more than once. What I do know is that I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the TV.
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Joe (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
So, officially … spring is here although it still feels like winter to your friendly
neighborhood freelance photographer but according to the calendar it’s spring.
Another indicator that it might be spring? Nicolas Cage has a new film out.
Seriously, he does .. and it’s actually a dark, heavy-duty drama.
‘Joe’ is based on the 1991 novel of the same name written by author Larry Brown.
Directed by David Gordon Green who’se credits include comedies like 2008’s
‘Pineapple Express’ and the HBO t.v. series ‘Eastbound & Down’ … ‘Joe’is certainly
no comedy.
Starring Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, and Ronnie Gene Belvins ‘Joe’ is a dark, gritty
film that tells the story of Joe Ransom. An angry ex-con who befriends Gary, a teenager
from an abusive, broken home who approaches Joe looking for work with his ‘tree poinsoning’
crew. Impressed by Gary’s stubborness and determination Joe gives him a job (and later
his truck) and attempts to set Gary on ‘the right path’ and becomes an unlikely rolemodel
for him. At home though, Gary’s family life is slowly spiraling at of control due to
his alcholic father and the situation points to a dark, violent confrontation.
I can honestly say that this is one of Nic Cage’s best and ‘sincere’ performances in a
while and due to the darkness of the film, it will most likely go unrecognized. The film
doesn’t hold back. It’s in-your-face, gritty, and violent. The minute you don’t think it
can get more disturbing, it does just that. As the viewer, the experience was like an
old-fashioned pinball machine only you, the viewer, ARE the pinball.
I don’t recommend this as a ‘date movie’ but if you like Nicolas Cage’s work and you’re
looking for a good drama, this is defintely one to see. If this movie is any indication,
I imagine it won’t be too long before Nic Cage has another great performance under his belt
so keep an eye out. ‘Joe’ is rated ‘R’ and you can catch it in theaters on April 11th.
I give the film 4 out of 5 stars.
neighborhood freelance photographer but according to the calendar it’s spring.
Another indicator that it might be spring? Nicolas Cage has a new film out.
Seriously, he does .. and it’s actually a dark, heavy-duty drama.
‘Joe’ is based on the 1991 novel of the same name written by author Larry Brown.
Directed by David Gordon Green who’se credits include comedies like 2008’s
‘Pineapple Express’ and the HBO t.v. series ‘Eastbound & Down’ … ‘Joe’is certainly
no comedy.
Starring Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, and Ronnie Gene Belvins ‘Joe’ is a dark, gritty
film that tells the story of Joe Ransom. An angry ex-con who befriends Gary, a teenager
from an abusive, broken home who approaches Joe looking for work with his ‘tree poinsoning’
crew. Impressed by Gary’s stubborness and determination Joe gives him a job (and later
his truck) and attempts to set Gary on ‘the right path’ and becomes an unlikely rolemodel
for him. At home though, Gary’s family life is slowly spiraling at of control due to
his alcholic father and the situation points to a dark, violent confrontation.
I can honestly say that this is one of Nic Cage’s best and ‘sincere’ performances in a
while and due to the darkness of the film, it will most likely go unrecognized. The film
doesn’t hold back. It’s in-your-face, gritty, and violent. The minute you don’t think it
can get more disturbing, it does just that. As the viewer, the experience was like an
old-fashioned pinball machine only you, the viewer, ARE the pinball.
I don’t recommend this as a ‘date movie’ but if you like Nicolas Cage’s work and you’re
looking for a good drama, this is defintely one to see. If this movie is any indication,
I imagine it won’t be too long before Nic Cage has another great performance under his belt
so keep an eye out. ‘Joe’ is rated ‘R’ and you can catch it in theaters on April 11th.
I give the film 4 out of 5 stars.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Willy's Wonderland (2021) in Movies
Jul 18, 2021
Oh come on... you know I'm watching Nic Cage go full rage at some killer robots!
A stranger runs into bad luck as he nears a small town in the middle of nowhere. Luckily a local mechanic comes across him stranded and offers him assistance. But the bad luck isn't over. With no way to pay for his new tyres, he has to agree to some light cleaning work in the abandoned town attraction. What could possibly go wrong when you're locked in a family restaurant overnight with some large, menacing looking, animatronics?
What's not to love about this particular breed of film? Horror that is so over the top with daftness and unintentional/intentional humour really does hit the spot.
Is this storyline sensible? Absolutely not. If you pick at any thread this will very quickly fall apart... but we're here for the nonsense. You don't come to a Nic Cage film these days for anything else. And much like shark films, I have an independent scoring system to deem the quality of his offerings.
The dynamics between all of the characters is hilarious. Cage with... everyone... is stranger (as expected), and the others all have stereotypical elements to them that bounce back and forth well. Though none of them are quite as obvious as you'd see in spoof horrors though. Beth Grant is always fun to have in things, and she's got the sinister thing down quite well, definitely a great pick for this role.
Our animatronic actors have the perfect creepy movements, combine this with the oversized costumes and the somewhat magical elements to their activities, and you get some fantastic nightmare fuel.
Though I have to query who designed such a terrible layout for a family restaurant, I can't help but marvel at all the different rooms scattered around the building. A fantastic maze of terror waiting for anyone who enters, and each one with its retro-ramshackle look is a delight to see. Throw in the oversized entertainment and the look is great.
At just 88 minutes in length it's a nice easy watch, and you'll definitely have enough to keep you... intrigued? I found myself shouting at the screen with "why", "how" and "what" type questions, and that just added to my enjoyment. A masterpiece.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/07/willys-wonderland-movie-review.html
A stranger runs into bad luck as he nears a small town in the middle of nowhere. Luckily a local mechanic comes across him stranded and offers him assistance. But the bad luck isn't over. With no way to pay for his new tyres, he has to agree to some light cleaning work in the abandoned town attraction. What could possibly go wrong when you're locked in a family restaurant overnight with some large, menacing looking, animatronics?
What's not to love about this particular breed of film? Horror that is so over the top with daftness and unintentional/intentional humour really does hit the spot.
Is this storyline sensible? Absolutely not. If you pick at any thread this will very quickly fall apart... but we're here for the nonsense. You don't come to a Nic Cage film these days for anything else. And much like shark films, I have an independent scoring system to deem the quality of his offerings.
The dynamics between all of the characters is hilarious. Cage with... everyone... is stranger (as expected), and the others all have stereotypical elements to them that bounce back and forth well. Though none of them are quite as obvious as you'd see in spoof horrors though. Beth Grant is always fun to have in things, and she's got the sinister thing down quite well, definitely a great pick for this role.
Our animatronic actors have the perfect creepy movements, combine this with the oversized costumes and the somewhat magical elements to their activities, and you get some fantastic nightmare fuel.
Though I have to query who designed such a terrible layout for a family restaurant, I can't help but marvel at all the different rooms scattered around the building. A fantastic maze of terror waiting for anyone who enters, and each one with its retro-ramshackle look is a delight to see. Throw in the oversized entertainment and the look is great.
At just 88 minutes in length it's a nice easy watch, and you'll definitely have enough to keep you... intrigued? I found myself shouting at the screen with "why", "how" and "what" type questions, and that just added to my enjoyment. A masterpiece.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/07/willys-wonderland-movie-review.html
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Wicker Tree (2012) in Movies
Apr 30, 2019
I had the good fortune to attend a screening of this film in the presence of its writer-director Robin Hardy, back in 2012, and afterwards Hardy took us all off to the cinema bar to talk about it. 'So, what did you think?' he asked, clearly very proud. An awkward silence ensued. 'The songs aren't as good as in The Wicker Man,' was all anyone was prepared to say.
Any follow-up to The Wicker Man has a lot to live up to, and the good fortune of Wicker Tree is that it was preceded by the Nic Cage remake ('a ****-up', according to Hardy). It's better than the remake, but by any other standard this is a blunderingly crass and unsubtle semi-remake of the 1973 film, filled with painfully broad humour, gaping plot holes and a cheery anti-Americanism it's difficult to get on-side with. A huge disappointment in all kinds of ways, but Robin Hardy was a true gent.
Any follow-up to The Wicker Man has a lot to live up to, and the good fortune of Wicker Tree is that it was preceded by the Nic Cage remake ('a ****-up', according to Hardy). It's better than the remake, but by any other standard this is a blunderingly crass and unsubtle semi-remake of the 1973 film, filled with painfully broad humour, gaping plot holes and a cheery anti-Americanism it's difficult to get on-side with. A huge disappointment in all kinds of ways, but Robin Hardy was a true gent.
David McK (3204 KP) rated Next (2007) in Movies
Feb 14, 2021
Hmmm ... I'm not really sure what to say about this.
Other than it stars Nicolas Cage (who doens't go as overboard in this as he normally does), Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore, and is based on a short story by prolific sci-fi author Philip K Dick (who wrote works that become the basis for both Total Recall (based on "We Can Remember it for You Wholesale") and Blade Runner (based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"), to namedrop but two), with Nic as a Las Vegas magician who can see no further than 2 minutes into his own future.
Except where it concerns Jessica Biel's character (who he has not yet met as the film begins).
Decent enough premise, then, with some decent enough action scenes - even if they won't blow you away - and a decent enough twist ending (even if I want to know what happens Next).
In fact, maybe that single word sums it up: Decent.
Not spectacular.
Other than it stars Nicolas Cage (who doens't go as overboard in this as he normally does), Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore, and is based on a short story by prolific sci-fi author Philip K Dick (who wrote works that become the basis for both Total Recall (based on "We Can Remember it for You Wholesale") and Blade Runner (based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"), to namedrop but two), with Nic as a Las Vegas magician who can see no further than 2 minutes into his own future.
Except where it concerns Jessica Biel's character (who he has not yet met as the film begins).
Decent enough premise, then, with some decent enough action scenes - even if they won't blow you away - and a decent enough twist ending (even if I want to know what happens Next).
In fact, maybe that single word sums it up: Decent.
Not spectacular.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Renfield (2023) in Movies
Apr 22, 2023
Cage feels Caged-In
Sometime you are in the mood for a drama, sometimes an action flick, other times a romantic comedy.
And then there are times you just want to watch Nicholas Cage camping it up on-screen as Dracula.
If that is the mood you are in, boy do I have a movie for you.
Based (very loosely) on the character created by Bram Stoker (and the classic 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi), RENFIELD tells the tale of an over-the-top Dracula in modern times as seen through his “familiar”, Renfield.
Nicholas Hoult (Beast in the latest series of X-Men films) plays Renfield as a put-upon assistant to Dracula - kind of a comedy/horror version of the relationship of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - and it works (for the most part). Hoult is a winning (enough) and sympathetic presence on screen and you find yourself rooting for him in the end.
The surprising thing to me in this film is the sub-plot of Renfield finding love with a Police Office portrayed by (of all people) Awkwafina. This comedienne/actress has really grown on the BankofMarquis as a solid and dependable presence on screen and she doesn’t disappoint here. And that’s a good thing for the Renfield/Rebecca the Cop relationship ends up taking center stage during the 2nd act of this film (moving Nic Cage’s Dracula off-screen for a long stretch of time) and it works for Hoult and Awkwafina play off each other very well.
As for Cage, his Dracula is off-center, wacky, frenetic and out-of-this world. A true fish-out-of-water. But…if I’m being honest…his performance feels reigned in and it didn’t go far enough out-of-the-box and didn’t get nearly crazy enough for my tastes.
When something like that happens, one needs to look no further than the Director and Chris McKay (THE LEGO MOVIE, THE TOMORROW WAR) has a track record (at least for the BankofMarquis) of pulling his punches - and he pulls many, many punches in this film. But, he also DOESN’T pull punches at times (like in the scene where one guy gets his arms ripped off and then these arms are used as nunchucks on a bevy of bad guys). He doesn’t really know how far or how outlandish he should go. So he filters in a comedic amount of blood and gore - and then reigns Cage in. It’s an odd choice.
If you decide to watch Renfield, you already know what to expect - and for the most part you get it - except in the one spot that you really need it.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And then there are times you just want to watch Nicholas Cage camping it up on-screen as Dracula.
If that is the mood you are in, boy do I have a movie for you.
Based (very loosely) on the character created by Bram Stoker (and the classic 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi), RENFIELD tells the tale of an over-the-top Dracula in modern times as seen through his “familiar”, Renfield.
Nicholas Hoult (Beast in the latest series of X-Men films) plays Renfield as a put-upon assistant to Dracula - kind of a comedy/horror version of the relationship of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - and it works (for the most part). Hoult is a winning (enough) and sympathetic presence on screen and you find yourself rooting for him in the end.
The surprising thing to me in this film is the sub-plot of Renfield finding love with a Police Office portrayed by (of all people) Awkwafina. This comedienne/actress has really grown on the BankofMarquis as a solid and dependable presence on screen and she doesn’t disappoint here. And that’s a good thing for the Renfield/Rebecca the Cop relationship ends up taking center stage during the 2nd act of this film (moving Nic Cage’s Dracula off-screen for a long stretch of time) and it works for Hoult and Awkwafina play off each other very well.
As for Cage, his Dracula is off-center, wacky, frenetic and out-of-this world. A true fish-out-of-water. But…if I’m being honest…his performance feels reigned in and it didn’t go far enough out-of-the-box and didn’t get nearly crazy enough for my tastes.
When something like that happens, one needs to look no further than the Director and Chris McKay (THE LEGO MOVIE, THE TOMORROW WAR) has a track record (at least for the BankofMarquis) of pulling his punches - and he pulls many, many punches in this film. But, he also DOESN’T pull punches at times (like in the scene where one guy gets his arms ripped off and then these arms are used as nunchucks on a bevy of bad guys). He doesn’t really know how far or how outlandish he should go. So he filters in a comedic amount of blood and gore - and then reigns Cage in. It’s an odd choice.
If you decide to watch Renfield, you already know what to expect - and for the most part you get it - except in the one spot that you really need it.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)