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Nicolas Cage

Writings and musings on the films of Nicolas Cage

‘Taxi Driver’ Meets Nicolas Cage in ‘Bringing Out The Dead’

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Martin Scorsese and Nicolas Cage were on quite a tear in the 1990s. Scorsese directed five critically acclaimed movies throughout the decade that all earned Academy Award attention. Nicolas Cage earned his well-deserved Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas and would soon become one of the biggest action stars of the decade. In 1999, these two virtuoso artists collaborated for their last movie of the century with Paul Schrader coming in to write the screenplay. The stars aligned; with this kind of talent coming together at a high point of each of their careers, could we expect anything less than one of the greatest movies of the 20th century? Let’s take a closer look at Bringing Out the Dead.

Nicolas Cage stars as Frank Pierce, a paramedic in New York City working the graveyard shift. The story follows Frank over a period of three turbulent nights working with different partners played by John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore. Frank tries to maintain his sanity working his shifts as he forms an unlikely friendship with a daughter of one of the patients. He also has various run-ins with bizarre characters and is haunted by visions of his past.

The best part of this movie is, of course, Nicolas Cage. To prepare for his role he rode along with real NYC paramedics to get a feel for what they do and what they go through. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he was on a three hour sleep schedule during the entire 65-day shoot. He looks completely exhausted throughout the entire movie and his “Cagey” moments start to reveal themselves as his shifts become increasingly hectic. I enjoyed his performance overall and the strength he brought to the role.

Ving Rhames must be singled out and recognized for what I believe is his best performance. His character is an energetic, religious paramedic that tags along with the Cage on his second shift. It was easily the most exciting act of the movie and it made me wish Rhames would consider taking on more roles like this, as opposed to his typecast-character as a quiet, more subdued tough guy. He and the Cage play really well off of each other and if this movie lacked anything, it was more screen time for Ving Rhames.

Schrader once again successfully encapsulates the darker side of NYC nightlife. So much of this movie reminded me of Scorsese’s and Schrader’s first collaboration, Taxi Driver. Both movies are about a character who is slowly losing his sanity while he observes the horrors of the NYC night life working graveyard shifts. Both characters narrate the story, giving us a window into their dwindling state of mind. I appreciate Schrader revisiting similar themes through a different lens. It feels familiar yet unique and original at the same time.

In the end, I think the film’s shortcomings came down to its lack of pacing and direction. This is Scorsese’s only film he made in the 90s that received no Oscar nominations, and it shows. The direction did not feel on par with his prior films and there are some odd choices that don’t do much for the story. The narrative also doesn’t go anywhere interesting. I love the premise that Schrader sets up for us. But unlike Taxi Driver, I was left unsatisfied with this ending with not much to think about.

With the right expectations, this is a good watch. The performances are on par and there’s enough going on in the story to keep things interesting. I just think with the combination of Cage, Scorsese, and Schrader, I was expecting a lot more out of the movie. Overall, if you’re a Cage fan (or a Ving Rhames fan for that matter) you will not be let down.

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Everything and Nothing You Expect It To Be: A Look Back at “Vampire’s Kiss”

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In honor of The Goat’s birthday, I decided to finally visit a film of his that has become increasingly popular, especially with memes and gifs. For so many years I have seen clips of this movie played in Nicolas Cage compilations, often used to show the wild and “Cagey” side of his acting. In an interview with GQ, (see minute 9:18-9:49) the King himself said it is his favorite movie that he has ever worked on. Logically, I had to check it out. While it definitely stands as one of the Cagiest performances I have ever seen, the film itself turns out to be one of the more bizarre, strange, and surprisingly dark movies in his filmography. Let’s unpack Vampire’s Kiss.

Directed by Robert Bierman, Nicolas Cage plays a publishing executive named Peter Loew. Yes, you read it correctly, Loew. He seems to be having problems with his romantic relationships and consults with his psychologist from time to time. After meeting a certain woman and bringing her home, she bites his neck as they are getting romantic. It is from this point on where the movie takes you through a strange turn of events as he begins to believe that he is turning into a vampire. At the same time he becomes increasingly irate with his secretary and harasses her relentlessly to find an old contract for one of his clients. We see Peter slowly devolve into a deranged state of mind where it becomes difficult at times to tell what is reality and what appears to be mere hallucinations.

In the words of Cage himself, this movie is truly a laboratory for experimental acting. Cage is experimenting with everything, from trying different accents throughout the movie, to playing with his physicality. The trailer and poster for the movie attempt to market it as a silly, light-hearted romantic comedy. It is anything but that. The movie never gave me time to really settle with my feelings about it. At times I want to laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing, while another time I’m left disturbed watching this guy sink deeper into madness. For example, one scene he is running around screaming he’s a vampire, the next he attempts to rape his secretary. I just couldn’t pin point what exactly this movie wanted me to feel. Objectively, some of the scenes by themselves are silly and outright Cagey. But in context with the rest of the film, it’s harder to laugh and not feel unsettled at watching this guy eat a live cockroach on screen, catch a pigeon in the street and eat it, and attempting suicide multiple times. His actions were wildly unpredictable and I never knew what was going to happen next. It’s ending was sad and depressing no matter how I tried looking at it. The whole thing really becomes less funny and more depressing the more I think about it.

From a production standpoint, it’s actually pretty impressive. New York City is a character in and of itself. A lot of the movie is shot on the streets of New York unbeknownst to bystanders. We see authentic reactions from actual citizens to Cage’s performances in the street which did add something to the film. Even the score is well done and helps create an eerie feeling that let me know I was not about to experience a light-hearted comedy.

Overall, Vampire’s Kiss is not a movie I would recommend to a casual moviegoer. Even for die hard fans of Nicolas Cage, it’s hard to recommend it on a selling point other than, well, it stars Nicolas Cage. I mean, I myself was sold on that aspect of it alone. There are things to appreciate about what Cage is doing and he truly goes all out in this movie. Knowing that it was a laboratory of sorts helps put what he was doing into perspective. But in the end, this is a strange, eccentric, bizarre and somewhat sad and depressing movie that left me conflicted with emotions. Not sure I will be revisiting this one anytime soon.

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A Star Is Born: The Humble Beginnings of the Actor Nicolas Cage

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In this world, if you look too happy, people think you’re stupid.

On July 13th, 1981, a star was born.  Almost 40 years ago, on ABC, a television pilot was released.  The pilot, titled The Best of Times was not picked up for more episodes.  Despite the ambitions of this variety show falling short, there was a resounding success to stem from the ashes.  Being credited under the name Nicolas Coppola, a 17-year old Nicolas Cage made his acting debut.  

The show has a decent enough premise: It showcases life as a teenager as portrayed and narrated by actual teenagers.  There’s canned studio reactions, breaking of the fourth wall, and even some musical numbers.  More than anything, the teenagers plead to adults to be understood as they leave adolescence and prepare for adulthood.  In the opening scene, a young Crispin Glover introduces the rest of the crew.  The first images on screen of young Nic are priceless: he is doing one-armed push-ups on the beach.  And boy is he toned, which we can see clearly because he is topless and only wearing jean shorts.  

How many people have dreamt about doing laundry on those abs?

It’s crazy how much of adult Nicolas Cage can be seen in a teenaged Nicolas Coppola in terms of acting method and style.  As he is talking to the nerd character, he is shadow boxing on the beach, recounting a scene from one of the Rocky movies.  The foreshadowing contained in this brief clip is incredible.  He’s semi-yelling his dialogue, giving it his all.  It’s easy to see the seeds of the matured actor we have come to know as Nicolas Cage begin to take root.  This scene establishes Nic as the jock of the cast.  This is furthered in his next scene, where he gives dating advice to a nerdy guy (a nerdy guy who wears a pinky ring).  

While on the beach, the nerdy kid asks Nic if he is attractive.  “Not to me you’re not!” yells Nic, fiercely leaving no doubt about his heterosexuality.  He goes on to give tips to the nerd regarding how to flirt with women, constantly referring to his muscles as the ultimate object of desire for women.  Which, fair enough, a muscley Nic Cage is dangerous for women to be around.  And in case there was any doubt about Nic’s masculinity, the next scene is an ensemble musical number at a car wash.  Singing “9-5,” the entire cast is bouncing around, tickling each other, and just having a good time.  Nic is wearing overalls, miming his way through the number.  It’s an impressive piece of acting.

Up until this point, Nic has been painted as the meathead of the group.  Apparently not owning a shirt, he is either hitting on girls or working out, with some occasional mentoring of a nerd.  He even gets pulled over by a cop when driving a go-cart (um, allusion to Gone in Sixty Seconds?).  He is, however, given the chance to provide his character with some depth in the final act of the pilot.  It’s the emotional apex of his character’s arc, and maybe of the whole episode.  Nic swings for the fences and hits a home run.

Alone on the beach, Nic is talking to the audience.  He opens up, talking about the possibility of a war.  He admits he is registered, making him eligible should there be a draft.  War frightens him, but his father is quick to remind him it’s his patriotic duty.  There’s still the immature Nic here; he tells the audience that if you mention you are going to war it’s a hit with the ladies.  He thinks about college and how his bad grades might affect his future.  Amidst all the shenanigans and singing and Talking Heads music, there are some real concerns these teenagers are preoccupied with.  Nic is the only one brave enough to open up about his plight and bear his soul.   

Nic’s just one of the guys, having a good time.

Call me crazy, but I think Nic almost cries in this monologue.  He really, really hopes there isn’t a war.  It would spoil his future as he envisions it.  In this brief two minutes, Nic shows a rough version of the range of emotion and depth he has been showing us for the last 37 years.  The final shot in this scene is a lonely Nic walking on the shore of beach as the tides of time lap at his feet.  It’s no surprise Nic was the one tasked with carrying the emotional weight of the narrative. Multiple times, Glover pleads with the audience to take into consideration the plight of seniors in high school, but he doesn’t give us a real reason.  Nic provides the depth to that request.

This pilot is one of those “sliding doors” moments.  If this pilot had been picked up, Nic may have seen steady TV work for a time, limiting his ability to act in movies.  It’s easy to say it was for the better that it didn’t work out, but who knows?  Can you imagine a world where Nic was beamed into homes across America on a weekly basis?  Could be pretty great.  

It’s not terribly surprising The Best of Times didn’t work out.  It’s pretty hokey.  Even in an era of all the mawkish and campy 80s shows, this one manages to stand out.  Stereotypical characters with no real narrative thread can only go so far.  It’s easy to roll your eyes and laugh at this.  In fact, if you laughed in earnest and not jest, I’d be concerned.  But rising from the banal and the bland is the making of a true thespian.  Even at 17 years old, it’s evident Nic takes his craft seriously.  He is already fashioning personas, range, and technique.  And so it is out these humble and bizarre beginnings that Nic started his career.  You can almost imagine him echoing Esther Blodgett’s line, “Someday you won’t laugh at me! I’m going out and have a real life! I’m gonna be somebody!” And thus Nicolas Coppola became Nicolas Cage.

Where to watch: It’s available on YouTube.

 

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Adele Lifted “Hello” From A Nicolas Cage Film And You Can’t Convince Me Otherwise

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If you were alive in 2015, you could not turn anywhere without hearing Adele’s instant classic “Hello.” The music video was sweeping and haunting (directed by a talented young filmmaker named Xavier Dolan). Adele’s vocals are as good as any other, imbued with her heart and soul. Oh! And the lyrics—tragic confessions of love lost, laced with regret. It has all the right ingredients. In an interview with i-D magazine, Adele reveals the meaning of her song:

“The song is about hurting someone’s feelings…It’s about a yearning for the other side of me. When I’m away, I really, really miss my life at home…No, it’s not about anyone specifically. It’s about friends, ex-boyfriends, it’s about myself, it’s about my family. It’s also about my fans as well.”

Adele says it is about hurt feelings, but is not targeted at someone. Multiple times, she says the song is about herself.

But…what if I told you I discovered Adele was inspired to write this song by the 2000 film The Family Man starring Nicolas Cage–that I believe Adele loves this movie and wrote a song based on its plot? Go ahead.  Call me crazy.  But not until you hear me out. But just in case you don’t remember the plot of the film, allow me to refresh your memory.

Jack Campbell (Cage) portrays your typical Wall Street executive: single, overworking, and has little regard for anyone but himself and his luxurious lifestyle. On Christmas Eve, he misses a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, Kate (Téa Leoni). Later that night, Jack runs into a man who won the lottery, and decides to help him out when the store clerk will not give him money. Jack asks the lottery winner/mystic (Don Cheadle) if he is missing anything in his life because he feels he has everything he needs. Next thing he knows, he wakes up the father of two in the suburbs of New Jersey, married to his ex-girlfriend of yesteryear. In It’s A Wonderful Life-fashion, Jack learns what is important, but ultimately returns to his single lifestyle. He tracks down Kate before she moves to Europe and they agree to have coffee.

Alright, so you’re still wondering what this has to do with Adele’s song? You are thinking there is no way the most charming English singer watched a Nic Cage movie and used the story to write her biggest hit!  Allow me to prove otherwise. Let’s break it down, line by line.

Hello, it’s me
I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet
To go over everything

These lines refer to two scenes in the film, the first being when Kate calls Jack in the beginning of the film. She is calling him after many years. The second scene is the end of the movie where Jack stops Kate from getting on a plane and asks to grab coffee “to go over everything.”

They say that time’s supposed to heal ya
But I ain’t done much healing

After 13 years of being single and finding himself unfulfilled, Jack has not healed from letting Kate go. They were optimistic things were going to work out. But the fact that she calls him, he visits her, and then stops her at the airport is a strong indication he has not “done much healing.”

Hello, can you hear me
I’m in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet.

Here, California is not a reference to the Golden State, but more of a status, or state of mind. Often, when people become rich and successful, they move out to California (see Oprah living in Santa Barbara). Even though they are both financially successful, they are reminded of who they were 13 years prior, when they were “younger and free.” Before the world fell at their feet, there were so many possibilities ahead of them.

There’s such a difference between us
And a million miles

This can be interpreted two ways. Jack went to London, leaving Kate behind. London might as well be “a million miles” from New York City. But it also acknowledges the differences between them now. They have different values and lifestyles now. And once Jack has seen his vision, there is even more of a difference.

Hello from the other side
I must have called a thousand times
To tell you I’m sorry for everything that you’ve done
But when I call you never seem to be home.

Jack left for London, and now feels “sorry” that his decision is the reason they broke up. He ends up throwing away her number after his secretary gives it to him. And when Jack is back in the real world, he visits their house in New Jersey, only to find that she does not live there; she never “seems to be home.”

Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I’ve tried
To tell you I’m sorry for breaking your heart
But it don’t matter it clearly doesn’t tear you apart anymore.

Jack has an experience from “the other side.” Through some sort of voodoo or mystical grace, he has a chance to view an alternative world. Near the end of the film, he tries to reconnect with Kate only to find out she is moving to Paris. It appears that Kate is not “torn apart anymore” by the end of their relationship. But Jack goes to the airport because he wants to “at least say he has tried” to reconcile and mend their rift.

Hello, how are you?
It’s so typical of me to talk about myself I’m sorry
I hope that you’re well
Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing happened?

Jack has a solipsistic view of the world. When they are poor, he wants to buy an extraordinarily expensive suit. He does not consider Kate’s opinion and makes an executive decision to move his family to the city and pursue his career. He does not care about his employees or their families. It is “typical” of him to talk and think only of himself and his needs. In this alternative universe, Kate’s father owns a tire shop in a suburb in New Jersey, implying that is where Kate is from. Compared to Manhattan, that suburb is a “town where nothing happened.”

It’s no secret that the both of us
Are running out of time

Jack and Kate have aged 13 years since they last saw each other. They have been focused on their career. They are “running out of time” to reconnect, start a life together, and have a family.

There you have it. The case is cracked. Adele must love this film. And with good reason! It is a solid movie with an important message, reminding viewers to slow down and ponder what is important in life. No wonder she lifted from it to write a song. And look, this is fine! There’s the old saying “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Artists are constantly influenced by all the culture and media they consume. It is not hard to imagine Adele, sitting home alone after her break up, perhaps around Christmas time, stumbling across this movie on TV and finding that it perfectly captures her emotions and experiences.

Oh, and there’s just one more thing about the connection of this film and song. Jack’s secretary is the one who tries to get Kate on the phone, literally dialing when Jack stops her. She hands Jack the phone number, trying to reconnect Jack and Kate. Her name? Adelle.

 

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