Posts Tagged ‘Nicholas Cage’
10 items.
I didn’t see the Nicholas Cage remake of The Wicker Man when it was in theaters last fall, but judging by this out-of-context collection of clips from the film, maybe I should have!
I’m not typically one to link to snarky internet videos, but this one was too hilarious to ignore. I laughed my ass off at it. When you see Nicholas Cage in a bear suit knock out a little girl, you’ll understand why.
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Ghost Rider comes out today and I’m excited for it. I would go so far to say that I’m looking forward to it.
I know that this is the unpopular opinion. People have been ragging on this movie for months now and who can blame them? Everything about it seems to have been bungled in some way. It was originally slated to be a big summer tent pole release in 2006. Then it was pushed back to the studio dumping ground during the latter part of February.
Bad sign.
There were rumors that star (and unrepentant comic book nerd) Nicholas Cage was doing bizarre improvisations on set, even adding sections to the script he wrote himself. People complained he was too old or too much of a fanatic for the material. Don’t get me started about that IMDB item that reported that it took 3 hours every day to apply Cage’s hair piece.
There was a botched marketing campaign that inexplicably centered around an overweight goth girl being interviewed about the Ghost Rider and a movie poster that showed a burning motorcycle tire tread and nothing else. What’s this movie about again?
And, of course, there is fanboy punching bag director Mark Steven Johnson at the helm. The man who ruined Daredevil. The critics were licking their chops.
I recognize all of these incredible missteps, but here’s the thing: I don’t care. I am genuinely excited for this movie.
You know me. I’m a comic book nerd. So right there, this movie gets a pass. But added to that, Ghost Rider was one of my favorite comic book characters when I was coming up in the world. I didn’t read Ghost Rider in the ’70’s when Marvel was trying to capitalize on Evel Kinevel’s cool factor. I read it in the ’90’s when it was all angst and supernatural doing’s. Trust me – when you’re 12 or 13 and still carving out a niche for a personality, an authentic biker from hell leaves an impression. Skull on fire, bad-ass motorcycle, spiked leather jacket and gauntlets, sentient chains swirling around – Ghost Rider looked like a prison tattoo come to life. Visually, I always he looked as cool as Spider-Man, The Punisher or Iron Man. I was infatuated.
Fast forward about 15 years or so and I still don’t have a motorcycle, or any tattoos or even a length of chain lying around my garage. But I still think Ghost Rider is awesome and I can’t wait to see this movie.
The only thing that matters to me is that they got the look of the character right. And, from the stills I’ve been seeing, it appears pretty spot on. The look of his new “hellcycle” leaves a little bit to be desired. It looks like a left-over from Spawn’s garage sale. But so long as they keep G.R. on screen, they’ll be fine. I know Nic Cage is the star, but I don’t care. This is a film where I don’t mind looking at CG effects for the majority of the running time. If Nicholas Cage is on screen more than 40% of the time, THEN we can call the movie a failure!
I want to give a quick shout out this week to David Buist for his guest strip on Monday and Jerry Holkins for his guest essay on Wednesday. From the sound of it, you guys got a kick out of both of their efforts this week. It means a lot to me that they would both take the time to contribute, so thanks guys!
By the way, how is this working out for everyone so far? Two guest strips and then a new comic from me on Friday? I think it’s been a good compromise. Let me know you’re thoughts in the comments! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! You guys remember those 5 samples of a new t-shirt design I was working on from earlier in the week, right? Well, I made a decision and there is a new shirt available in the store:
The shirt is currently available for pre-order through February 28 and all current bundling discounts apply. So if you want to pick up this shirt with one of our other shirts or maybe one of our books, you can!
To place your pre-order for “Junkie” click here!
Oh, and for those of you who are on “Baby Watch ’07,” no news for you yet. Cami is extremely uncomfortable, but that’s about all. We have our fingers crossed for a baby this weekend! I’ll be sure to let you know if it happens!
Have a great weekend, everyone. SEE GHOST RIDER! Piss off one of your movie snob friends!
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Well, Henry is a week old, he lost his umbilical cord and I’m going back to work today after a week off. Will I live to tell about it? Who knows.
This is probably the last week of guest strips before I return to a regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. I question if I’ll be able to do them in color. It’s not so much finding the time to draw and ink the comics. It’s the coloring that takes the most time. So, if push comes to shove, you’ll get the comics in black and white. I just have to play it by ear.
At any rate, sincere thanks to Josh Anderson for his guest strip. Josh does his own work with Man in a Box Comics. Go check it out. I really liked his treatment of the “gabbing girls” in his comic. I miss the Tex Avery level of cartoon violence I used to have in Theater Hopper. I need to get back to my roots.
A quick programming note – I’m going to try and participate in our weekly talkcast The Triple Feature tonight at 9:00 p.m. over at TalkShoe. I wasn’t able to make it last week for obvious reasons. I’d really like to be there tonight so I can talk with my good budies Joe and Gordon about The Oscars. If I can’t make it, Gordon will be running the show. I guess he ran into technical difficulties last week – NOT HIS FAULT – so hopefully this week will go a little smoother for him if I can’t make it. Anyway, check it out!
Speaking of the Oscars, I decided to try something a little different – LIVE BLOGGING DURING THE TELECAST. The concept is simple. I jot down whatever comes to mind during the show. Without further ado, here they are. I hope you get a kick out of them!
LIVE BLOGGING – OSCAR’s 2007
7:34 p.m. – Kind of interesting opening montage of nominees from the acting and technical categories – even though I keep waiting for the guy from the Macintosh ads to show up.
7:38 p.m. – Henry just had a massive poop. Thank goodness for TiVo.
7:43 p.m. – Nice suit, Ellen. *cough*
7:47: p.m. – Alright, I’ll give Ellen points for the J-Hud / Al Gore “America voted” joke…
7:51 p.m. – First award goes to Art Direction? What happened to the Best Supporting Actor leading off the ceremony?
7:56 p.m. – Will Ferrell with a giant ‘fro smelling a rose. He had me laughing right away. Add Jack Black and make it a musical? Brilliant. “Ryan Gosling. He’re hip and now. I’m going to break your hip, NOW!” “Mark Wahlberg? Actually, I’m not going to mess with you. You’re pretty bad ass.”
Wait! John C. Reily? Aw, yeah.
8:01 p.m. – Pan’s Labyrinth is sweeping the Oscars! I know that won’t be the case a few minutes from now. I just wanted to say that.
8:03 p.m. – Abigail Breslin and Jaden Smith presenting an Oscar? Say what? At least their line flubbing is an authentic moment.
8:08 p.m. – Henry needs a diaper change and to be put down to bed. TiVo to the rescue again.
8:22 p.m. – I’m back. I’m going to have to fast forward to catch up! Sorry Best Live-Action Short Film!
8:23 p.m. – Holy crap! Pause that! Is Jack Nicholson bald during the Best Live-Action Short Film acceptance speech? He pulled a Britney!
8:24 p.m. – Back from commercial. Still fast forwarding. Sorry Sound Effects Film Choir!
8:27 p.m. – Best Sound Editing falls under the digital blade of TiVo’s fast-forward technology. Best Sound Mixing, too.
8:28 p.m. – Alan Arkin wins Best Supporting Actor! The Movie Gods have spoken and they hate Norbit.
8:34 p.m. – Can someone please explain why Randy Neuman’s song from Cars was nominated instead of Sheryl Crow’s? Fast forward. All caught up now!
8:44 p.m. – Happy Feet wins Best Animated Feature Film? Booooo!
Look, I know Cars wasn’t the best movie Pixar ever produced, but giving Happy Feet the Oscar awards it’s box office take and nothing else. I would have been happier if Monster House had won.
8:45 p.m. – “Academy award winner for Best Screenplay Ben Affleck.” Uh oh.
8:53 p.m. – William Monahan wins Best Adapted Screenplay for The Departed! Are things shaping up for a Best Picture win? Maybe too early to tell…
8:56 p.m. – Chris Connelly is a complete tool with that Parcheesi board he’s trotting around. Tom Hanks responded in absolutely the right way.
8:57 p.m. – Man, I love that Wes Anderson American Express commercial…
8:59 p.m. – Ellen’s Oscar Bjorn. I probably wouldn’t have found that as funny a week ago and if I weren’t walking around the house in Henry’s Baby Bjorn earlier in the day.
9:05 p.m. – Apparently it’s a big deal that Tom Cruise is presenting Sherri Lansing with the Oscar’s Humanitarian Award. Both she and Cruise were ousted from Paramount by Sumner Redstone last year. I heard it’s supposed to be kind of a thumbing of the nose that industry people are supposed to get excited about.
9:11 p.m. – Clint Eastwood came off a little senile at first, but he’s doing a good job keeping up with Ellen’s request for a photo from her MySpace page. Asking Steven Spielberg to take it? Great timing!
9:20 p.m. – Nice bit of self-deprecation from Robert Downey Jr. In the Best Special Effects introduction. Dead Man’s Chest wins and rightly so. Davy Jones is probably the most startling CG creation put to film.
9:31 p.m. – Whoa! Pan’s Labyrinth LOSES Best Foreign Language Film to Germany’s The Lives of Others? SHOCKER!
9:33 p.m. – I thought those dancers making the shadow puppets were pretty lame until they busted out the Snakes on a Plane logo. Nice.
9:35 p.m. – Jennifer Hudson wins Best Supporting Actress. The upstaging of Beyonce is now complete.
Hudson climbing from the American Idol reject pile to Academy Award winner is an impressive story. But that’s all it is: A story. Let’s be honest. We’ll never hear from her again. Can you really say she’s a better actress than Kate Blanchet?
8:46 p.m. – Jerry Seinfeld is delivering an excellent bit during the Best Documentary Feature introduction about movie theaters wanting you to pick up to yourself and I desperately wish I had thought of it.
9:52 p.m. – Clint Eastwood having a little trouble reading the prompter during the tribute to Morricone. Kinda shameful, Clint.
10:17 p.m. – I feel like I haven’t commented in a dog’s age. A lot of awards in technical categories, I guess. Interesting that Little Miss Sunshine won for Best Original Screenplay. So, at this point, I’m thinking it’s got to be between Little Miss Sunshine and The Departed for Best Picture – which is how I would prefer it. If Babel wins at this point, I would be shocked. But there have been lots of nice little twists tonight!
10:37 p.m. – Henry needed another diaper change during the Best Original Song award. What did I miss? Melissa Etheridge? Hmm! Not feeling so bad about missing Dreamgirls in theaters now.
10:46 p.m. – And now the sad portion of our evening, remembering those who have died. I had forgotten about Bruno Kirby and Don Knotts passing away last year. Joe Barbarra, James Doohan, Peter Boyle, Jack Pallance (although I already thought he was dead). Of course Robert Altman. A sad year.
10:54 p.m. – The show is running long. Helen Mirren wins Best Actress for The Queen. Very much deserved. An elegant woman to be sure and an excellent performance.
11:04 p.m. – Forest Whitaker wins Best Actor for The Last King of Scotland. Expect a lot of “King and Queen” headlines on Monday morning.
11:06 p.m. – “The Original Three Amigos” George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola presenting Best Director… and Martin Scorsese FINALLY WINS! YES!
Man, I was going to say – if you pool those three icons of 70’s film making together to hand over the award to Best Director, it better go to one of their contemporaries! Standing ovation? HELL YEAH!
Funny that Lucas was relegated to the bitch seat for being the only one never to have taken home an Oscar. I don’t think too many people are crying into their Cheerio’s about that.
11:14 p.m. – The Departed wins Best Picture. I will sleep soundly tonight.
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So that’s my Oscar’s ’07 live blog. What did you guys think of the broadcast? I thought Ellen DeGeneres did a pretty good job as host . Better than I anticipated. Were there any surprises for you guys? Anyone you think was robbed? We you entertained by the show? Who had the best speech? Who was the worst dressed? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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Sorry, guys. No blog this morning. I’m still recovering from the 24 Hour Comics Day challenge that I participated in over the weekend. Come back later this evening for a status report on that front along with some additional news.
Be sure to listen to The Triple Feature talkcast tonight at 9:00 PM CST. We’ll be discussing Hot Fuzz and you’ll also have a chance to win a copy of another British import – The Queen, out on DVD Tuesday, April 24.
Talk to you soon!
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If you’re looking at the site today and wondering where the full-color comic is, then it’s likely you missed the announcement I made late Monday night.
In order to spend more time with my infant son and wife, I have reduced my output of full-color Theater Hopper comics to once a week effective immediately. I will continue to maintain the Monday, Wednesday, Friday update schedule – supplementing the site with sketches, movie and DVD reviews. With any luck, it is my goal to evolve Theater Hopper beyond strictly comics and into a movie resource for movie fans. Comics have become a great drain on my time. However sketches and reviews are something I can do anywhere. So, here we are.
Again, if you missed Monday’s blog post, I encourage you to read it. This was not a decision I came to lightly and that post speaks more to the emotions and reasoning behind it. To those who have already read it and left your words of support, I can’t thank you enough. It’s that kind of encouragement that will make this transition easier. 
With that said, part of my objective with this new model is to bring film discussion more to the fore. With that in mind, I wanted to talk for a few moments about Nicholas Cage’s Next.
On paper, it sounds like an interesting premise. A Las Vegas magician can see a few minutes into the future so the government is trying to recruit him to stop a terrorist cell from bombing Los Angeles. Previous attempts to harness his power by the government has left him a little gun-shy, so he goes on the run using his talent to stay one step ahead of them.
Phillip K. Dick was the author of the original short story called “The Golden Man”. You might be familiar with his time-bending works that have been adapted into films like Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly. I have a few friends who love his written works, but are miffed that the guy can’t seem to catch a break with a cinematic retelling. Most of them are tweaked that Nicholas Cage was tapped for the role. Looking at that goofy DaVinci Code mullet he’s sporting in this film, I don’t blame them. Nic – give it up. We know you’re bald. Just shave your head like Bruce Willis and get on with it.
What I don’t get is why they thought a title like “Next” was any good. If you ask me, you’re pretty much INVITING lousy reviews even if the movie is good! Snarky movie reviewers can’t resist the chance to insert a delicious pun into their headlines. For the latest example of this phenomenon, please consult Are We Done Yet? I’m sure Ice Cube has some opinions about it. Those are pretty much all of the thoughts I had on the matter, but keep checking back to the site during the day – and even on the “non-update” days. I’m going to try and sprinkle the blogs with more movie news and encourage you guys to respond in the comments!
Due to the fact that I was unable to participate in Monday night’s Triple Feature talkcast, I did not provide the first half of the clue to our latest DVD giveaway promotion.
On Tuesday, April 24, Helen Mirren’s Academy Award winning performance in The Queen comes to DVD. I have a handful of copies that I can give away to you guys. Again, since I wasn’t able to do the “one half of the clue” thing in the Triple Feature talkcast, I’m just going to give you the whole clue here on the site. All you have to do is access this page to get it. Be sure to include the clue along with your name, age and mailing address and e-mail it to theaterhopper@hotmail.com. Winners will be chosen at random.
Apologies to Gordon and Joe for not being a part of the show last night, but they did a great job without me. You should really download the episode and take a listen when you have some free time. They both went to see Hot Fuzz over the weekend and had some very interesting thoughts about it that I think you would enjoy!
That about does it for me and this post. Again, remember to check back to the site a little more frequently. I’m going to try and pad things out with more movie news and such for you guys to comment on!
Thanks for your patience during this transition!
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It’s kind of funny how time can change your perception of a movie.
When the first National Treasure came out a few years ago, I dismissed it as an American knock off of The DaVinci Code done on the cheap. To me, more notable than the outlandish plot was the excessive and blatant product placement in the film.
But you know how things change. A few years go by, the movie crops up on cable from time to time and you end up watching it. No matter how so-so my reaction to it the first time or how many time I had seen it since, I would always stop what I was doing to watch National Treasure on TV and… I came to like it!
Apparently enough people felt the same way because National Treasure: Book of Secrets is coming out on Friday and it looks like more of the same.
That’s not a left-handed compliment. There’s nothing especially wrong about National Treasure except that its mechanics are somewhat cliché and its ties to actual history are tenuous at best. The further the original film progresses, the further it slides away from reality.
But then again – why not? It captures the imagination in a unique way, recasting history in a way you wish it were. The performances from Nicolas Cage, Sean Bean and Jon Voight are all amiable. It’s really one of the top shelf “B” movies of the last 5 years.
Cami never had a question about her affinity for the original movie. She’s a history buff – specifically Presidential history. So the plot of the second film – a President’s book of secrets that contains all the top secret goodies we’re not supposed to know about – will be too much to pass up. That’s what I love about her. Despite her interest in actual history, she doesn’t find fake history to be a detractor. I think she just likes a good story.
Concerning today’s comic, I don’t know if anyone will find the joke funny except for me. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Nicolas Cage seems to sport a different hairpiece in every movie and, for me, it’s starting to get distracting.
Obviously I encourage any actor to use whatever tool in their arsenal to inhabit the spirit of the character they’re portraying. If it means gaining 50 pounds or wearing a fake nose, so be it. Similarly, if wigs help you find the essence of the character, go for it.
But Nicolas Cage is the exception to the rule for me mostly because his wig choices are so damn awful. I mean, you can SEE it’s a hairpiece from a mile away and some of them are laughablly stupid.
Ghost Rider, for instance. Or Next. Or The Weather Man.
Some of his hair choices have made more sense. Like the redneck bad ass Cameron Poe in Con Air or the neurotic Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation. But in those roles, he was actually trying to do a little acting. Throwing on an accent or performing in a way contradictory to his usual character. For his more recent action fare, he’s pretty much been playing Nicolas Cage. If that’s the case, why would you go out of your way to look weird?
I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me.
Be sure to tune in tonight for another live broadcast of The Triple Feature talkcast over at Talkshoe.com. Tonight we’ll be talking about I Am Legend and it’s record-breaking box office win this weekend. We hit the air at 9:00 PM CST. Be there!
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Hey, guys. I know this is extraordinarily short notice, but it was one of those happy accidents that just cropped up at the last minute and I wanted to let you know about it.
In celebration of National Treasure: Book of Secrets being released in theaters this Friday, Disney has also released a brand new 2-disc collectors edition of National Treasure on DVD this Tuesday, December 18.
This thing is loaded to the hilt with features. Four brand new documentary shorts, deleted scenes, an alternate ending and a slew of featurettes that go further behind the scenes!
You’ll have a chance to win a copy of your very own by listening to The Triple Feature talkcast tonight at 9:00 PM CST.
The last few weeks we’ve been doing call-in trivia contests. I didn’t have enough time to prep any questions this week, so that means we’ll probably do our old standby routine – I drop one half a clue in the broadcast and you come back here on Wednesday for the second half of the clue. Send the completed clue along with your name and e-mail address to theaterhopper@hotmail.com and one winner will be chosen at random!
Be sure to dial in and listen to the show live tonight. We’ll be talking about I Am Legend, Atonement, The Kite Runner and the brand new trailer for The Dark Knight!
Be there!
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Mar23
HIS HAIR IS A DEMON AND YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID
March 23rd, 2009 |
(13 votes, average: 7.62 out of 10)
At this point there have been so many B-grade thrillers starting Nicholas Cage and his mighty-morphin’ hairline, it’s almost become a sub-genre within the comic!
I’m kind of fond of the idea that Cage is host to some kind of demonic, mousse-infused demon hairpiece. It would certainly justify a lot of the decisions he’s been making lately.
Knowing was the big box office winner this weekend, bringing in almost $25. I know some people who liked it, but the general consensus is that the film is not good. I’m intrigued by the concept, but it looks like a rental to me so long as no one spoils the whole number thing. I have to admit I am curious to see what happens when they run out.
…But not so curious that I have to run out opening weekend and drop $10 on it.
What’s been interesting is reading the articles about Cage that basically said he’s sold out. Jeffery Wells from Hollywood Elsewhere suggests some kind of virus has gotten into his system, “like a pod was placed next to his bed in ’05 or ’06 and another life form took over.”
John Anderson from The Washington Post cuts to the bone when he suggests that “Cage, once held up as an example of the intrepid artistic impulse, has become something of the poster boy for blind ambition, cynical role selection, questionable judgment and, worst of all, humorlessness: He glowers, he hunches, he looks meaningfully into the distance without it meaning anything at all.”
Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly doesn’t even attempt to hid his contempt, asking in his article’s headline: Nicholas Cage: Artist or hack?
This could very well be a case of critical dog-piling. These guys could all be feeding each other in terms of their theories. But could the also be reflecting a sense of general disappointment with Cage and his choices?
Not that it’s any business of ours, I suppose. But I think Gleiberman is onto something when he points out that Cage makes movies that people want to see. But Gleiberman is quick to point out that, for some, “Cage has become something of a joke, a proud I don’t give a f—! hack-for-hire who sells out his gifts with such unabashed promiscuity that it’s almost as if he were daring you to call him on it.”
I’m curious what the rest of you have to say about this topic. Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I cringe when Cage shows up in movies like Bangkok Dangerous and Next. But I won’t front when I say I really enjoyed him in straight-up-the-middle family entertainment like the National Treasure movies.
What’s your opinion about Cage? Is he selling his gifts short? Has he been doing these B-grade films for so long that you can barely remember his Oscar winning turn in Leaving Las Vegas? Leave your comments below.
In the meantime, don’t forget to tune in to The Triple Feature tonight at 9:00 PM CST over at TalkShoe.com. We’ll be talking about Knowing and the other box office winner this weekend, I Love You, Man.
I managed to see I Love You, Man over the weekend and I liked it. But I spent a lot of time cringing at the awkward social situations Paul Rudd’s character puts himself in the middle of. I saw a little bit of myself in that character. I don’t have a lot of guy friends and I can certainly identify with the challenge of trying to cultivate friendship in adulthood. It’s friggin’ hard! Seriously – I’ve you don’t set yourself up with at least one or two guy friends early on in life, you’re kind of screwed.
To be notified of when The Triple Feature is about to start recording live, start following my Twitter feed. I always make sure to post an announcement about 5 to 10 minutes before we start the show. If you’re online, you can join in the conversation! We hope to see you there!
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know that the original Ghost Rider was clown shoes. And, yes, we all know that Nicholas Cage is probably the LAST guy to deservedly play Johnny Blaze. That said… I’m kind of digging the first trailer for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence.
I like the way they’ve tweaked Ghost Rider’s look. He kind of looks like a charcoal briquette. Plus, keep in mind that this outing is being lensed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor – the same guys who directed Crank and Crank: High Voltage.
I know that those films have their critics – and rightfully so. But at least we know Ghost Rider won’t be boring this time.
…
Coulda used with out the pee-napalm, though.
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A few months ago, the teaser for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance -ahem- lit the internet on fire with it’s depiction of a gleeful Johnny Blaze urinating napalm over some unsuspecting victims. This time Nicholas Cage and his crazy wigs are back with a new trailer.
It’s a lot more plot-heavy and serious in tone than the first one. I don’t know if I’m on board with it, or not. Especially now that I know that rescuing a kid from becoming the Anti-Christ is the main plot point.
It looks a little euro-trashy, doesn’t it? If I’m not mistaken, they did a lot of filming in Romania.
But you know what? The action scenes look sick. Speed. Power. Authority. Those were the words that kept coming to mind for me while I was watching this. Whoever decided to give the Rider that charred look hit the nail on the head. I’d rather the film be trashy but serious instead of trashy and goofy like the first one.
What’s your take on the least-likely superhero movie sequel since Rise of the Silver Surfer? Leave your comments below!
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