The perfect Cage-o-thon is no easy accomplishment. You need to strike an ideal balancing act of all aspects of Cage, you certainly don’t want to peak too early with Cage Prime, but you also don’t want to waste the potential of Cage by limiting to a crescendo (after all the man himself has no sense of rhyme or reason). So you kinda wanna separate his work to 5 areas to cover a basis with each one.
1) Mild Cage
Not to be confused with “muted Cage” or the Cage films less to bother with, you want a Cage film that he doesn’t over power, something complimentary, an obviously early foods means less raunch and wildness. The perfect one is obviously
Raising Arizona as you get a more deadpan Cage performance but the wild nature of the Coens. So you have something that satisfies on a Cage level without blowing it was early.
Other options:
- Kick-Ass
- Ghost Rider
- The Weather Man
- Matchstick Men
2) Action Cage Prime
Obviously, his action 90’s output here is customary, carrying forward that mild Cage energy whilst bringing the man himself into focus more. Obvious choices go to
Con-Air,
Face/Off and
The Rock, again not Cage at his absolute unhinged, but you peel back that curtain more perilously.
Other options:
- Snake Eyes
- Gone in 60 Seconds
- Knowing
- The National Treasure movies (at a push)
3) Action Cage Brime
Can’t have the good with a bit of the bad, nestled ideal at the centre which it leaves least impact, this is where you place the nastier of Cage’s more recent back catalogue of DTV schlock and tired payslip gigs. You may find a diamond in the rough here, but maybe just make some food whilst this is playing in the background keep in mind getting through this will be rewarded.
Take your pick:
Bangkok Dangerous,
Next,
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,
Left Behind,
Season of the Witch,
Seeking Justice,
Trespass,
Stolen,
Rage,
Outcast,
The Runner,
Pay the Ghost,
Vengeance: A Love Story,
The Dying of the Light,
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage,
Primal,
Dog Eat Dog,
Kill Chain,
Arsenal,
The Humanity Bureau,
Looking Glass,
211,
Between Worlds,
A Score to Settle,
Inconceivable,
Army of One,
Running with the Devil,
Grand Isle,
A Score to Settle,
Jiu Jitsu and whatever else he has shelved...
Best choice goes to
Drive Angry, as it’s the most entertaining in a trashy way whilst getting a toned down Cage. Alternatively,
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance offers enough unhinged Cage, and
Mom & Dad is a comedic enough horror thriller.
4) Cerebral Cage
This one is where you find a bit more reward for your patience, grabbing one of Cage’s more challenging roles and hopefully something of more depth. This one and the next category might find a little over, so it’s best to balance correctly. You don’t want the hard come down of a
Leaving Las Vegas matched with the zaniness of a
Mandy, or the density of
Bringing out the Dead offset by the incompetence of
The Wicker Man.
Your choices:
- Adaptation
- Bringing Out The Dead
- Leaving Las Vegas
- Lord of War
- Birdy
- Joe
- Wild at Heart
5) Uncaged Cage
You know what it is, the main attraction, Cage at his most wild. Regardless of the quality of the film, only one man takes charge and the rest of the film bows around him, this is likely to be the one with strongest content as well, from gore to sweary outbursts.
The picks:
- Mandy
- The Wicker Man
- Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans
- Colour Out of Space
- Deadfall
- Vampire’s Kiss
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Create Your Own Nicolas Cage-A-Thon
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