Nicolas Cage is Werner Herzog’s BAD LIEUTENANT
Werner Herzog, the genius German director who doesn’t so much grow with every movie he makes but instead sticks to the incredibly high level he set himself to some decades ago and never seems to have a dip in form.
He is Mr. Consistent. He puts out nothing less than a four star movie each and every time he picks up the camera.
BUT, having said that… he is giving himself a challenge here.
The word has leaked from Variety that Herzog will remake the 1992 thriller Bad Lieutenant - a no-holds barred NC-17 movie (looks a little Taxi Driver-ish) made at the height of a resurgence in the career of it’s lead Harvey Keitel shortly after Reservoir Dogs and before his Academy Award friendly turn in The Piano.
Herzog will be remaking the movie with Nicolas Cage and production will begin in the summer…
Edward R. Pressman producing and Avi Lerner’s Nu Image/Millenium Films financing.
The original film, also produced by Pressman, starred Harvey Keitel and was directed by Abel Ferrara from a screenplay by Ferrara and Zoe Lund. That film received an NC-17 rating with the depraved title character heavily involved in drugs, gambling, sex and stealing while a New York police officer.
The new script’s written by Billy Finkelstein, a TV writer with credits on “Murder One,” “Law & Order” and “NYPD Blue.”
Nicolas Cage… really?
One of the most boring leading actors of the last few years. The actor who totally embarrassed himself by his performance in The Wicker Man remake and has stunk out the cinema for his last four movies straight. You get Cage… the epitome of not cool to play the walking God that was Harvey Keitel during one of his career highs?
No thank you.
Werner Herzog… we have interviewed you before for Obsessed With Film - we support you as a great artist… one of the truly great directors of my life time and beyond but what is your thinking here? If you or your reps have one of those Internet name catching devices and you are reading this post, please let us know why you are remaking a movie that is just over 15 years old. WHY would you do that?
I could understand if it was a Foreign Language movie but it’s not. I haven’t seen the original but it seems to stand up on it’s own feet… what is the need for this?
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No offense Matt but your hard-on of hate for Cage sometimes goes too far. Yeah, Cage has pretty much sucked up as of late, but he has made some amazing films in his career. Maybe this film will stir up some of his past glory with it’s edgier material.
Comment by Despacio | May 14, 2008
I consider any negative comments that any commentator has on Nicholas Cage to merely be the mark of a sane man. The only films Cage has been in that were even halfway decent had nothing to do with Cage’s non-existent acting talents. Were Nicholas Cage to fall down a massive well I think the only people who’d notice his absence would be his local grocer and, possibly, his agent.
Also: I think it’d be interesting to collate posters feature Mr Cage and work out the percentage that had his facial expression as ‘a little perturbed, possible sensitive, and mildly confused’. I posit that the results would be around 99.9% positive.
NICHOLAS CAGE SUCKS!!!!!!!!
Comment by Michael Edwards | May 14, 2008
It’s unfair to typecast Cage because of his look. Mind you, maybe that’s why the Elephant Man only did one movie!
Okay, but joking aside for a moment. Have Nic’s last 4 films really stunk out the cinema Matt? Forgive me if I’m wrong, but didn’t those two National Treasure movies make a shit load of money?
Anyway, forget all that. The fact is, do I really want to see any actor remaking that scene where Kietel is jerking off over those two women he pulls over?
Comment by Rory | May 14, 2008
Wild at Heart, Moonstruck, Raising Arizona, Face/Off, The Rock, Leaving Las Vegas, and Adaptation.
You can pretend all these films were boring or Cage was boring in them, but most of the film community found them to be high marks in film, not lows. Yeah, again, Cage has sucked it up a lot recently, but he’s a movie star for a reason, people love his unorthodox personality and looks. He just needs to start making a lot better decisions. Unfortunately the general mass audience finds crap like Ghost Rider enjoyable.
Comment by Despacio | May 14, 2008
Despacio,
Part of it is because his career choices are horrible. One thing he lacks is charisma.
I use to think Cage was a cool actor for the movies you’ve mentioned.. he had a good run of films in the 90’s and I thought he was excellent in Adaptation.
He always felt so cool on screen. I enjoyed him in Matchstick Men too but ever since that Ridley Scott flop he has stunk up every movie he has been in.
And remember I was one of the few who stuck up for Cage with the original National Treasure when it became the easy thing for people to diss him for it.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT I ONLY SAID HE WAS A BORING LEADING ACTOR… which right now he is… AND THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HE HAS STUNK UP THE CINEMA… not his whole career.
So I’m talking about The Wicker Man, Next, National Treasure 2, Ghost Rider, The Weather Man (haven’t seen Lord of War), World Trade Center.
Horrible, horrible performances.
I do miss the Cage from the movies you have mentioned.
Comment by Matt Holmes | May 14, 2008
He sure can suck at times. But he was superb in Matchstick Men, and how anyone can describe Cage as ‘the epitome of not cool’ after Wild At Heart baffles me.
Comment by Paul | May 14, 2008
Cool actors don’t star in shit like The Wicker Man. He has become a paycheck actor and that is just not cool.
Comment by Matt Holmes | May 14, 2008
Why are we even having this debate on the middle ground? Nicholas Cage is just a terrible actor, then only thing that happened is people who make movie seem to have realised. It worries me that Herzog might have had a weird brain attack or something and decided to give him another chance.
Raising Arizona - AWESOME film, but Cage’s pitiful accent, inability to look anything other than confused or startled and total lack of charisma simply matched the naive tone of the movie rather than illustrating any talent.
Face/Off - Great cheesy action film. CHEESY ACTION FILMS rely on having one-dimensional people who don’t need talent, just a big name and an exagerrated hammed-up acting style. (But this is definitely Cage’s best attempt at actually acting).
I haven’t seen Wild at Heart or Leaving Las Vegas but Adaptation was so damn crap. Bored the tits off me and firmly cemented my resolution to never watch Cage act again.
Comment by Michael Edwards | May 14, 2008
*meant to say “people who make good movies have realised”, too angry to type properly. Nicholas Cage sucks!
Comment by Michael Edwards | May 14, 2008
Wicker Man is probably one of the greatest films ever. I’ve never actually seen it, but this is all it will take to convince you doubters/haters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo
Comment by Prometheus | May 14, 2008
Let’s hope Cage is willing to go as far as getting his plonker out on screen, as he’s got the mighty Harvy (I’ll get my fucking dick out at the drop of a hat) Keitel to compete with.
And that’s not good.
Mind you it may more oscar material for Cage…and the winner for best cock scene goes to….?
Comment by The Glove | May 14, 2008
Even if you don’t care for the film, he was excellent in 8mm also.
Comment by Paul | May 14, 2008
We’re also forgetting Adaptation, or did someone mention that already? Quality film. Quality performance.
Comment by Rory | May 14, 2008
nicolas is awesome!!
Comment by KAR | May 17, 2008
Nic Cage? Are you serious?
Comment by CherieD | May 21, 2008