#CageClub: The Nicolas Cage Podcast

#CageClub returns with the first of two new episodes releasing in short order! First up is Gunslingers, which hit VOD (and some theaters) two weeks ago. (Coming up soon: The Surfer!) Gunslingers is yet another Western film in his recent filmography, prompting us to reflect on Nicolas Cage's VOD filmography. Is the juice worth the frequent squeeze? We try to break down the amount of bullets, shootouts, CGI blood, and dudes in all places; whether it was an "actual" Rockefeller who was killed in the film's inciting incident; and what ever happened to that poor horse. We admire Cage's look -- including his cross-shaped glasses and his raspy voice -- and talk about how this sort of feels like a Twilight Zone episode. Mike reveals who the bartender is. We talk about the reality behind the paternity twist at the end and share our confusion and disbelief at the film's credits scene.

The biggest Nicolas Cage film in years is finally here, and we're here to talk all about the summer's biggest horror film: Longlegs! First, though, we talk about Nicolas Cage discourse on Twitter, his fears surrounding AI, and how many movies he (might, possibly, could?) have left. We discuss the marketing of Longlegs and what it means that both Cage and director Osgood Perkins dedicated this movie to their moms. We talk about the movie not exactly aligning with what we expected it to be (and the importance of going into films without a preconceived notion), Cage once again "going full Cage," and whether or not Brad Pitt would have worked in the role of Longlegs. We also talk about Osgood Perkins' other films (as well as his type of filmmaking), Maika Monroe's strong performance as Lee Harker, and the inevitability of the ending. We wonder: is the titular character of Longlegs simply a sad old man? What does his name mean?

#CageClub is back already to talk about Arcadian, a movie that hit movie theaters for a weekend or two a bit earlier this year! We talk about the strange inspiration behind the creatures in this movie (which we find to be both creative and interesting), the intentional lack of understanding about why society seems to have crumbled, and Cage's newfound cinematic affinity for... running? Joey talks about how this (narratively) reminds him of The Last of Us Part II. We talk about what's "missing" (or "lacking") in Arcadian, as well as the sort of strange way that the movie wraps up the stories for our main characters (both the living and the dead). We preview upcoming Nicolas Cage movies -- including one maybe releasing tomorrow?? -- as well as news about other upcoming projects.

After a long winter slumber, #CageClub is back with a vengeance to talk about last year's Nicolas Cage masterpiece, Dream Scenario! We praise Kristoffer Borgli and explore the real family affair both on screen and behind the scenes of this movie. We talk about how Dream Scenario shares similarities to other Cage movies, the reality and the terror of the film's dream scenes, and an all-time great monologue from Nicolas Cage. We talk about Dylan Gelula (and all of Michael Cera's ad agency), antelligence, and how we'd handle the reality of the entire world dreaming about us. (We have no good answers.) Mike teases a dreamcast (not the Sega console). Joey shares his one real issue with the movie. We talk about whether the ending works, how to pivot to make it even deeper/more profound, and how perfect the perfect final scene is. (We'll be back very soon for Arcadian!)

This has been a banner year for Nicolas Cage fans, as Butcher's Crossing marks his sixth (!) new film of the year… so far! This is a moderately spoiler-heavy episode, so if you want to wait until you've seen the movie (releasing in theaters on Friday, Oct. 20 and on VOD after that) to listen, just know: it's Cage's best movie of the year so far. We talk about feeling re-energized for this podcast based on the success of this movie, we admire the cinematography (and the landscape of the American West in general), and we discuss cinematic name coincidences. We talk about the tragedy of the American bison (and how it correlates to modern waste), Cage's bold (read: incredible) look in this movie, and how Butcher's Crossing adds elements of horror without ever going full-tilt. We find a new wrinkle on a Cage movie staple, talk about Cage's character's slow descent into madness, and whether or not Cage's star meter is higher right now than it's been since 2008.

This is turning out to be quite the prolific year for Cage -- with still more to come -- as #CageClub returns for the fifth time in 2023 to talk about The Retirement Plan! This one made its way to theaters, but did historically poorly -- and we try to explore why. This movie is Nicolas Cage's version of Nobody or John Wick -- which is exciting -- but if this is the only time he'll ever play this type of character... we wish we got more. Even though our podcast's "brand" is positivity, The Retirement Plan puts that ethos to the test. We talk about it failing to be the type of movie it desperately aspires to be, its internal confusion over technology, and its unclear villainous hierarchy. We also talk about the movie drawing influence from Quentin Tarantino and the cool ideas it showcases, featuring some new stuff we've never seen.

#CageClub returns with yet another new Nicolas Cage movie this year -- with even more to come -- in the form of Sympathy for the Devil! This movie marks the return of "Crazy Cage," which (while fun to watch) does not a good movie make. We talk about how Sympathy for the Devil is reminiscent of other (better) movies, like Collateral and A History of Violence, and its determination to add twists and turns to draw out suspense without layering in new narrative. We talk about the things we liked (and the things we didn't), whether the movie wanted to look like a COVID movie, and the strange visual effects on display throughout. We re-assess the types of movies Cage makes (and look ahead to the rest of the year) and talk about Rotten Tomatoes' ratings twisting our perceptions of this film.

It's been long enough since The Flash released for us to spoil the good news: Nicolas Cage finally played Superman in a live action film! We're back with a brief episode (before two more [!] episodes later this summer) to talk about Cage's non-animated debut as the Man of Steel. (Let's never forget Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.) We talk about the frustration of having this reveal spoiled for us (and how incredible it would have been if we didn't know it was coming). We wonder who this cameo was for, other than, like, us and Nicolas Cage. We also try to parse the hate toward The Flash in general, both understanding it and not (at all). We also break down Nicolas Cage's explanation of using City of Angels as a training ground (???) for his work as Kal-El. 

Nicolas Cage is back in theaters with Renfield, and #CageClub is back with a spoiler-filled review of the movie! We're talking about Nicolas Cage's portrayal of Dracula, his return to vampire living, and whether or not this was the type of film he always saw himself playing one of his dream roles. Joey shares his worries about the film (and whether or not they manifested), Mike offers some Universal monster history, and we discuss whether or not the movie "feels" like New Orleans. We pitch alternate versions of Renfield, ways to tighten up the movie, and Cage embracing a role in a way that isn't "Cage-y." We look ahead to upcoming Nicolas Cage movies, try to link Universal's recent monster releases, and discuss the (other) Dracula trailer that played before we saw Renfield.

Nicolas Cage has a new movie in theaters (well, by now it's on VOD), so #CageClub is finally back to talk about The Old Way! Since the very start of this podcast, Mike has wanted Cage to star in a western. His dream finally came true... but did it live up to expectations? We talk about how Cage held up in his first "true" western, the killer mustache he's rocking, and the authentic look of the scenery and locations. We pick out our favorite moments -- and the issues we had with the movie -- as we discuss how The Old Way exists in a space somewhere between VOD and theaters (for whatever this means in 2023). We also talk about the return of "Joey" from A Score to Settle and the #CageClub debut of podcast network royalty Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is finally here, and we got a chance to see it a little early! We're keeping this episode almost entirely spoiler-free, so feel free to listen before you see it… and you SHOULD see it as soon as you can, because it's great! After literally years of worrying, our fears were put to rest as The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent turned out to be much more than a movie where Cage (and the creative team) lean into the meme-ification of his personality. It's a celebration of his career, his persona, and the people who love him (hey! it's us!). We share some of our favorite moments, reactions to the different actors cast in the film, and some of the most interesting things we learned from the in-person Q&A from writer and director Tom Gormican.

This year has treated Nicolas Cage fans very well so far, and the hits keep on coming with Sion Sono's Prisoners of the Ghostland! It's not clear if we'll get another Cage movie this year, but if this is our final one in 2021, we sure went out with a weird, neon-soaked bang. In this episode, we talk about the work of Sion Sono, the rules of this world (and the relatively grounded nature of all this insanity), and why Prisoners of the Ghostland may have been more interesting if its narrative focus was placed elsewhere. We also look ahead to the four new Nicolas Cage movies that he's got coming out in the next few months, and reflect on the crazy amount of news that has hit the wire since we recorded Pig a month or so ago!

Many people are calling Pig "the return of Nicolas Cage," but ask any fan, any real fan, and they know he's been here for years. That said, Pig is easily his best performance since (at least) Mandy, and likely one of the finest in his career. We headed to the theater to watch Cage's latest, and we're here to talk about the quest for truffles and his search for a stolen pig. Plus, as has become custom on these episodes, we look forward to what's coming after Pig to see where Cage may be headed, and to see what types of roles and types of movies he could find himself in in the coming years. This may be our last #CageClub episode of the year -- there's nothing left on his IMDb this year, so hope for Prisoners of the Ghostland! -- but we'll be back whenever we're able to see another one of his films.

Nicolas Cage is off to a rapid-fire start with 2021, quickly following up a Netflix series with Willy's Wonderland! Available now on VOD, Willy's Wonderland sees Nicolas Cage in the unnamed role of "The Janitor," tackling a challenge he has not yet faced in his career: an entirely wordless performance! In this episode, we talk about how the movie compared to our expectations, what we hope to see Nicolas Cage take on in the future, and how Willy's Wonderland could have been even more fun. We also run down the checklist of #CageClub Movie Bingo (and get a result that is kind of surprising, given the nature of the movie) and look ahead to wonder what the next Nicolas Cage movie will be... and what other movies we may wind up talking about in 2021.

We closed out 2020 in a strong way with a few new Nicolas Cage movies, and we're opening 2021 equally strong with the Netflix original series History of Swear Words! The series marks Cage's return to TV after nearly a decade away (he hadn't graced the small screen since his return to SNL in 2012) and his first official TV series ever (or, at least since his bygone TV pilot for The Best of Times). After all that time... was the wait worth it? Is History of Swear Words worth your time? Join us as we chat about the six episodes that Netflix dropped in the first week of the year, the Cagenections we found in the series, and whether or not we think that we'll get more episodes in the future. Also: mathematical swear breakdowns!

'Tis the season for gifts and joy, and what more could we ask for than The Croods: A New Age, our second new Nicolas Cage movie of 2020?! Even better: it's Nicolas Cage's 100th acting credit! In this episode, we return to the Stone Age (right?) after more than 7 years away to re-visit the Croods and to meet the Bettermans for the very first time. We talk about the visual wonder of the movie, the real-world Cagenections, and (of course) the Banana Bros. (Plus, Wigasus, but that's so weird that it's probably best if we just move on.) We sing the praises of Kelly Marie Tran and dream up ways to re-team Nicolas Cage with Peter Dinklage. We also wonder if The Croods: A New Age is the end of the road for the franchise -- or if there's another story in this world to tell -- and figure out just how "Cagey" this movie is by running through our #CageClub Movie Bingo categories!

The streak continues! After nearly 11 months of worrying (and 8 months of a global pandemic), a new Nicolas Cage has seen the light of day in 2020: Jiu Jitsu. The internet has created a massive backlash against this movie, but we've gotta say: it's pretty okay! Featuring one of Cage's most grounded performances in a while (pay no mind to our episode art), it's a nice return to form for Supporting Character Cage and a new foray into the world of martial arts. In this episode, we talk about Cage's performance, some of the narrative/plot inconsistencies, and how we would have made this movie better. We also talk about a semi-major (albeit brief) crossover with 2 Fast 2 Forever, the physicality (and acting styles) of Frank Grillo and Tony Jaa, and determine just how Cage-y this movie is with our #CageClub Bingo checklist.