Nicolas Cage’s first 100 films

Language: español

Year of publication: 2021

Valuation: Recommended for all audiences, but definitely a must for fans…

The fabulous actor Nicolas Cage (what am I saying, actor? The star!) shines in his own right in the Hollywood universe and thanks to his magnificent acting work and his undoubted charisma, he has generated throughout his long career an army of followers, who can be found in the most unexpected places… Without going any further, in this worthy blog he has, at least, two: our founding father, Santi, and myself (I must clarify that I am a fan, but of low intensity; I do not sleep in sheets printed with Nicolas Cage’s face, or anything like that… Mind you, I am not saying that Santi does it either. I repeat: I AM NOT AFFIRMINING THAT SANTI SLEEPS IN SHEETS PRINTED WITH NICOLAS CAGE’S FACE… At least, I am not aware of it).

As you might expect, two other great Nicolas Cage fans are the authors of this book, Paco Alcázar, a cartoonist who had already incorporated the actor as a character in his comic strips, and Torïo García, author of an online NicCagepedia; two people, therefore, ideally suited to carry out the glorious compilation of the first hundred films of this titan of acting. And yes, I am not mistaken, because Cage has already appeared – and not taking into account the dubbing of cartoons – in more than a hundred films, a hundred (quite a few more, at this point), since his first appearance on the screen, when he was still a teenager. And also: a hundred films may seem like a lot (it is) for any actor, but Cage is not an actor, he is a whole cinematographic genre, in the words of the book itself… Among these hundred interpretations we find, of course, simple cameos – it is true that when we talk about who we are talking about, nothing is “simple” – and more or less secondary roles, but also clearly leading roles and even doubles; cult films, blockbusters and Z-series, experimental and popcorn cinema, metafiction and comic book adaptations. Films directed by great contemporary directors -watch out there, because Nicolas Kim Coppola, aka Cage, has been directed by the Coen brothers, David Lynch, Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Werner Herzog, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Spike Jonze (with a script by Charlie Kaufman) and, of course, his uncle Francis Ford… It is true that, except in the case of Jonze, none of the films is among the best of these directors-, as well as by artisans of action cinema -Simon West, Michael Bay-, visionaries of crazy gore -Rob Zombie, Panos Cosmatos- or stuntmen, camera operators and debutants looking for their chance. He has even directed himself, albeit in a supporting role, and Cage may have some misaligned ducks, but not all of them… Naturally, the range of characters he has played in all these films is endless, epic, although with some repetition of a certain typology: law enforcement officers both corrupt and incorruptible, various criminals -gangsters, thieves, various drug dealers-, scriptwriters, drunk or not, young and mature rebels, vampires, treasure hunters, lumberjacks, superheroes, ghost riders and, above all, avengers of various types and conditions, because perhaps no other actor has taken revenge so many times on screen, with the exception of Liam Neeson…

All this interpretive eloquence is due, in large part, to the financial collapse suffered by Cage a few years ago, a consequence, more than of the economic crisis, of the legendary tendency to waste, especially in real estate, that our idol suffers from. But also, I believe, to a totalizing tendency, to the ambition to become an artist, more than complete, absolute. Apart from that, among so much rubbish as he has had to accept since he went bankrupt (understood in the way that the rich and famous go bankrupt) gems can emerge and, in fact, do emerge that cement his prestige and legend as an actor. All thanks to his acting techniques that he himself has dubbed “Nouveau Shamanic” or “Western Kabuki” (sic), but, above all, to certain characteristic resources, such as his famous “Cage explosions”, his crazy gestures and expressions or his excesses (on screen, of course) when drinking, singing, dancing or killing his adversaries. Traits that have turned him not only into cannon fodder for memes on social networks, but, possibly, into one of the main providers, albeit involuntary, of the same. Circumstance that, on the other hand, has contributed decisively to the cult of his figure (this term may be excessive, let’s leave it at “subcult”) that we have been experiencing in recent years, and that perhaps is already mainstream.

The structure of the book, repeated a hundred times, is simple: each film is explained on a page, which contains a synopsis of the film, how it was created and anecdotes – more or less juicy – about the filming, promotion, etc. The information sheet is completed with the authors’ opinions on the film and an assessment of Nic’s “level of intensity”, which can range from “moderate” to “flying demon”, for example. On the opposite page, a portrait of Cage made by Paco Alcázar, with the look that the actor sports in that film and which, on many occasions, tends to be quite peculiar. (1).

In addition to the list of films, this curious biography also offers us a series of sections, which deal with the fascination of the authors (and the general public) with Nicolas Cage, his hectic biographical, family and marital circumstances, the phases through which his acting career has passed, the even more varied phases through which his hair and clothing arrangements have passed, his acting techniques – this is saying a lot – and the projects that Nic was involved in after his hundredth film, many of which have already been brought to the big or small screen. Because, friends, so far, in the three years since this was published, Mr. Nicolas Cage has already appeared in no less than thirteen films, with such outstanding performances as that of the owner of a truffle pig in Piga histrionic -how else- Count Dracula in Renfield or the embodiment of oneself in the metafictional The unbearable weight of an enormous talentwhose title says it all…

At this rate, Nic Cage will soon reach two hundred films and the authors of this book will write another, no less hilarious. In the meantime, let’s enjoy this first part and, above all, the “enormous talent” of their (and our) idol… Long live cinema and Nicolas Cage!

(1) It should be noted (and admired) that for the book Paco Alcázar has drawn Cage, if I’m not mistaken, not one hundred, but two hundred and fifty times! That, without counting the countless Nics on the cover and back cover, which I have not dared to do…