The Artist Formerly Known as Cage

Nicolas Cage is nothing if not eclectic. In 2006 Cage was a major Hollywood A-lister coming off a run of terrific movies that included Lord of War, Matchstick Men, and Adaptation. He had already won an Oscar in 1996 for Leaving Las Vegas, proving he could do drama to critical acclaim. He was an established action star thanks to Con Air and The Rock. Cage had even cut his comedic teeth with the Coen Brothers in the 1987 film Raising Arizona. As a member of the Coppola family, Cage is practically film royalty and by the mid 2000s he seemed to have it all figured out.

Now it is 2010. Films like Next, Knowing, Bangkok Dangerous, Ghost Rider, National Treasure 2, and The Wicker Man have all bombed both financially and critically. Two films in development that his name has been associated with are Ghost Rider 2 and National Treasure 3. I don't hold particularly high hopes for either of those. The two or three movies he releases a year have become a parade of the bizarre and the uninteresting. Always appearing a bit off kilter, Nic Cage seems to have turned into his own caricature. What happened to the original and fascinating actor who was one of the most popular stars in the world during the '90s and early 2000s?

In November of 2009 Cage underwent a very public humiliation when he tried to sue his business manager for leading him into financial ruin. It was speculated that his epically bad stretch of movies was an effort to earn some money by taking scripts based on the money he was offered instead of their artistic potential. His two new movies, the intriguing Kick-Ass and the less intriguing The Sorcerer's Apprentice might provide a bounce back. Whatever ends up happening with the rest of his career, it is important to remember what a fine filmography Cage has and the collection of meaningful performances he created. Here is one blogger rooting for him to figure it all out again.

Here are some links for your enjoyment.

1. Cinematical interview with Nicolas Cage on his film Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.

2. A trailer and post on Tony Jaa's Ong Bak 3.

3. Logan Lerman might be the new Spiderman in the series reboot.

4. Great article on Dennis Hopper's career from the NY Times. Be warned, there are some spoilers if you haven't seen Easy Rider.

5. Interesting piece from the BBC about the potential ramifications of Kathryn Bigelow's historic Oscar win.

Links Galore!

Ever since the first time I saw "Goldfinger" and Pussy Galore, I have been a devout fan of both Sean Connery and James Bond. I loved the innuendos, I loved the gadgetry, the tongue-in-cheek dialogue. The Bond movies provided great action, without ever really taking itself too seriously. Roger Moore took the joke a little too far, and Pierce Brosnan brought the iconic spy right back towards the middle ground.

Over the last two films starring Daniel Craig, "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" (the worst Bond title ever), the pendulum has swung too far the other direction in my opinion. After the monstrous success of the recent Jason Bourne films, the new Bonds have been far too serious and action heavy for my taste. Graphic torture scenes, brutal beatings, a near total lack of gadgets, humorless seductions, and even (gasp) Bond in love has populated the newer films while simultaneously removing the joke of the series. Bond is not meant to be taken seriously. Craig appears to have fine charisma and should be capable of playing the role, but the writing and direction have not given this franchise any room to breath.

All this is why I am nervously optimistic about the recent news out of hollywood. One of my favorite current directors appears to be taking the helm for the next Bond venture. Sam Mendes, most famous for his masterpiece, "American Beauty", is in talks to direct the next Bond film. Mendes, while being a terrifically talented artist, has never directed a movie like this before. I am more than willing to give the man a chance, but another Bond disappointment will be tough to take.

Now for some links.

1. The link to the James Bond article.

2. Interesting rumor from Film Shaft about a possible Clint Eastwood - Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration.

3. A new trailer for the Angelina Jolie film "Salt".

4. Clip of the Nicolas Cage character Big Daddy doing some damage from the new film "Kick-Ass". Be warned, there is some blood letting.

5. Talk about Joss Whedon of "Firefly" and Buffy fame possibly directing the new Avengers movie.