As I continue my stay in Japan, I become more and more enamored with some of the aspects of American life that I took for granted while living at home. Now, I understand that the outside perspective I have acquired gives me a warped view of many features of American culture that I would dislike if I was still in country. Despite this, there are some things that I loved at home, and that upon constant reflection, I still love here. One of the main examples is actor Nicolas Cage. His recent blemish aside, ("World Trade Center", which I didn't see, and for Cage's sake, I won't); Cage has starred in some of the greatest movies ever put on film. Listing all of his films accolades would be incredibly time consuming for just one blog, so instead I'm going to focus on his great action trilogy of the mid nineties. The "Cage Trilogy" included the three great films of "The Rock", "Con Air", and "Face Off".
I will begin with "The Rock". "The Rock" is a quaint little tale about a group of disaffected soldiers who feel betrayed by their government. They decide the only way to relate their grievance to the proper authorities is by taking over Alcatraz Island. Thus, they use their expert military skills to steal some poison gas and take everyone visiting the island hostage. Despite the brilliance of the plan's execution, and the forgone knowledge that taking prisoners always results in a favorable settlement for the hostage takers, the government hesitates to acquiesce to the demands of the soldiers. Instead they call in chemical weapons specialist Nicolas Cage (called Stanley Goodspeed in this film) and former prison inmate and British secret agent, Sean Connery.
What results is a hilarious trek for our two heroes through the dark tunnels beneath the prison. Connery continually antagonizes Cage, who in brilliant fashion utters lines like... "Cut the chit-chat, A-hole!" and "How in the name of Zeus butthole, did you get out of your cell!" Connery, as if in awe of Cage's brilliant acting begins to listen to Cage, especially after Cage talks about the dangers of the poison gas that is present on the island. Everything gets resolved after Cage dismantles the missiles the soldiers have set up. The climax of the movie shows Cage stabbing himself in the heart with a syringe, then running out with flares to stop jets from napalming the island. He is unfortunately a little late, and the bomb blast throws Cage into the ocean, where he is saved by Connery. (Cage being thrown in the air by a blast is the trademark end to all three movies) Cage and Connery separate with mutual respect, and Cage bravely covers for Connery. Brilliant movie.
The second movie I will be discussing is "Con Air", possibly my favorite movie in the trilogy. In this movie Cage is the incarcerated former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe. Cage's dead on southern accent is breathtaking, and he uses it to perfection when he is placed on an airplane full of convicts. Cage was imprisoned for a crime of passion (as if there is any other type of crime that Cage would commit!) and he has recently won parole. He boards the plane with his diabetic friend, on a trip to see his wife and daughter. The excitement evident in Cage's eyes at the prospect of seeing his daughter is displayed throughout the movie by his tenacity when fighting other prisoners for the stuffed bunny he plans to give his daughter. The criminals, (notably John Malkovich and Ving Rhames), take over the plane and call it Con-Air.
They plan to fly to South America and party. Cage is noticeably shaken up by what transpires, but after someone breaks his friend's insulin bottles, he knows he can't leave. Cage attempts to thwart the criminal's plans, all the while delivering brilliant lines like, "Johnny: You know what I am?!? Cage: Ugly all day." The rest of the movie has John Malkovich uttering lines that are barely understandable to a majority of the audience as well as numerous fights over the bunny. (Cage famously demands one prisoner to "put the bunny in the box" during one scene, when the prisoner does not oblige, Cage kills him.) The movie ends with the plane crashing into Las Vegas and Cage and Malkovich fighting across the city. Eventually Cage gets blown away from a runaway fire truck and Malkovich gets his head smashed by a concrete crusher. Cage, with a cut or two on his face collects himself and offers the bunny to his daughter. She gratefully accepts the gift.
Finally, the last movie in the trilogy is the fantastic film, "Face/Off". This movie is notable because Cage plays first Castor Troy and later Sean Archer. The major weak point of this film is the box office poison that is John Travolta. It is impossible not to see the brilliance of Cage especially when standing beside the blackhole of acting talent that is Travolta. The movie starts with Cage being a really cool villain. He walks around almost perpetually in slow motion sexually harassing young girls while brandishing two guns. Eventually, he is captured by Travolta and they take Cage's face off and put it on Travolta. When Cage finds out that he doesn't have a face he begrudgingly accepts to use Travolta's by claiming that he "wants to take his face... off. Eyes, nose, skin, teeth.
It's coming off." Afterwards, Travolta and Cage fight it out, with Cage forced to take the sniveling lines that Travolta's character usually used. There are massive fights with Travolta trying desperately to ruin the movie by saying thing like "Ohhhhhhhhweeee, you good-lookin." Shutter. Anyway, Travolta and Cage eventually end up fighting on a boat, the boat then crashes to the shore and explodes, throwing Cage onto the beach. The end is a little bitter-sweet, because you get to see Cage kill Travolta, but later you realize it's the other way around, and Travolta gets his face back. Anyway, it's still a good movie, because Cage is in it.
In conclusion, I would urge all of you to go out in rent a Cage flick. They are all brilliant, and my previous post is just scratching the surface. I recently watched "The Weather Man" (very funny) and "Lord of War" (another good Cage flick, which almost got me in trouble when I asked for "Man of War" {a great Kentucky Derby Winner} and received a ticket to the Eugene Levy and Samuel L. Jackson movie "The Man". I fortunately escaped before ever having to lay eyes on that piece of garbage.) I would also like to turn everyone's attention to a new Cage flick coming out in February called, "Ghost Rider". This looks like one of the greatest Cage flicks yet. He plays a flaming skeleton riding a flaming motorcycle! I can't wait to see it!
As I continue my stay in Japan, I become more and more enamored with some of the aspects of American life that I took for granted while living at home. Now, I understand that the outside perspective I have acquired gives me a warped view of many features of American culture that I would dislike if I was still in country. Despite this, there are some things that I loved at home, and that upon constant reflection, I still love here. One of the main examples is actor Nicolas Cage. His recent blemish aside, ("World Trade Center", which I didn't see, and for Cage's sake, I won't); Cage has starred in some of the greatest movies ever put on film. Listing all of his films accolades would be incredibly time consuming for just one blog, so instead I'm going to focus on his great action trilogy of the mid nineties. The "Cage Trilogy" included the three great films of "The Rock", "Con Air", and "Face Off".
I will begin with "The Rock". "The Rock" is a quaint little tale about a group of disaffected soldiers who feel betrayed by their government. They decide the only way to relate their grievance to the proper authorities is by taking over Alcatraz Island. Thus, they use their expert military skills to steal some poison gas and take everyone visiting the island hostage. Despite the brilliance of the plan's execution, and the forgone knowledge that taking prisoners always results in a favorable settlement for the hostage takers, the government hesitates to acquiesce to the demands of the soldiers. Instead they call in chemical weapons specialist Nicolas Cage (called Stanley Goodspeed in this film) and former prison inmate and British secret agent, Sean Connery. 
What results is a hilarious trek for our two heroes through the dark tunnels beneath the prison. Connery continually antagonizes Cage, who in brilliant fashion utters lines like... "Cut the chit-chat, A-hole!" and "How in the name of Zeus butthole, did you get out of your cell!" Connery, as if in awe of Cage's brilliant acting begins to listen to Cage, especially after Cage talks about the dangers of the poison gas that is present on the island. Everything gets resolved after Cage dismantles the missiles the soldiers have set up. The climax of the movie shows Cage stabbing himself in the heart with a syringe, then running out with flares to stop jets from napalming the island. He is unfortunately a little late, and the bomb blast throws Cage into the ocean, where he is saved by Connery. (Cage being thrown in the air by a blast is the trademark end to all three movies) Cage and Connery separate with mutual respect, and Cage bravely covers for Connery. Brilliant movie.
The second movie I will be discussing is "Con Air", possibly my favorite movie in the trilogy. In this movie Cage is the incarcerated former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe. Cage's dead on southern accent is breathtaking, and he uses it to perfection when he is placed on an airplane full of convicts. Cage was imprisoned for a crime of passion (as if there is any other type of crime that Cage would commit!) and he has recently won parole. He boards the plane with his diabetic friend, on a trip to see his wife and daughter. The excitement evident in Cage's eyes at the prospect of seeing his daughter is displayed throughout the movie by his tenacity when fighting other prisoners for the stuffed bunny he plans to give his daughter. The criminals, (notably John Malkovich and Ving Rhames), take over the plane and call it Con-Air. 
They plan to fly to South America and party. Cage is noticeably shaken up by what transpires, but after someone breaks his friend's insulin bottles, he knows he can't leave. Cage attempts to thwart the criminal's plans, all the while delivering brilliant lines like, "Johnny: You know what I am?!? Cage: Ugly all day." The rest of the movie has John Malkovich uttering lines that are barely understandable to a majority of the audience as well as numerous fights over the bunny. (Cage famously demands one prisoner to "put the bunny in the box" during one scene, when the prisoner does not oblige, Cage kills him.) The movie ends with the plane crashing into Las Vegas and Cage and Malkovich fighting across the city. Eventually Cage gets blown away from a runaway fire truck and Malkovich gets his head smashed by a concrete crusher. Cage, with a cut or two on his face collects himself and offers the bunny to his daughter. She gratefully accepts the gift.
Finally, the last movie in the trilogy is the fantastic film, "Face/Off". This movie is notable because Cage plays first Castor Troy and later Sean Archer. The major weak point of this film is the box office poison that is John Travolta. It is impossible not to see the brilliance of Cage especially when standing beside the blackhole of acting talent that is Travolta. The movie starts with Cage being a really cool villain. He walks around almost perpetually in slow motion sexually harassing young girls while brandishing two guns. Eventually, he is captured by Travolta and they take Cage's face off and put it on Travolta. When Cage finds out that he doesn't have a face he begrudgingly accepts to use Travolta's by claiming that he "wants to take his face... off. Eyes, nose, skin, teeth. 
It's coming off." Afterwards, Travolta and Cage fight it out, with Cage forced to take the sniveling lines that Travolta's character usually used. There are massive fights with Travolta trying desperately to ruin the movie by saying thing like "Ohhhhhhhhweeee, you good-lookin." Shutter. Anyway, Travolta and Cage eventually end up fighting on a boat, the boat then crashes to the shore and explodes, throwing Cage onto the beach. The end is a little bitter-sweet, because you get to see Cage kill Travolta, but later you realize it's the other way around, and Travolta gets his face back. Anyway, it's still a good movie, because Cage is in it.
In conclusion, I would urge all of you to go out in rent a Cage flick. They are all brilliant, and my previous post is just scratching the surface. I recently watched "The Weather Man" (very funny) and "Lord of War" (another good Cage flick, which almost got me in trouble when I asked for "Man of War" {a great Kentucky Derby Winner} and received a ticket to the Eugene Levy and Samuel L. Jackson movie "The Man". I fortunately escaped before ever having to lay eyes on that piece of garbage.) I would also like to turn everyone's attention to a new Cage flick coming out in February called, "Ghost Rider". This looks like one of the greatest Cage flicks yet. He plays a flaming skeleton riding a flaming motorcycle! I can't wait to see it!
4 comments:
i'm all for taking time out of your day to praise "captain charisma" nicholas cage. i was actually going to suggest watching lord of war, but i guess you already have. thats a fine film. he was also in gone in 60 seconds which is pretty good for an adrenaline junkie, and city of angels if you happen to like the sight of meg ryan trying to get angels to fuck her. nice blog, face off rules the school!
Looks like I am going to have to see a movie where Cage rides around on fire! At least if his face is on fire then I don't have to look at it for very long!
By the way, the bunny being held at gun point is hilarious!
Love you!
have you ever noticed cage kinda looks like jesse? except for with a shirt on and belly less full of peas. i hate jesse, to bad HIS face isn't on fire.
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