National Post (National Edition)
CAGE FANS ARE WELL-MEMEING
Despite all his rage, he is still just Nicolas Cage
Have you ever been so uncouth as to make an “uncaged Cage” or “Cage Rage” joke? Well then, Nicolas Cage, the subject of your mockery, is no fan of yours.
The actor, who currently stars in the cult horror hit Mandy, revealed in a recent IndieWire interview that he has no time, interest and, least of all, love, for your “meme-ification” of him and his turbulent roles.
The actor said, “The issue is, with the advent of the internet, doing these mashups, where they pull these choice moments without the context of the whole film around it to support it, has created this meme-ification, if you will. It’s been branded ‘Cage Rage,’ and it’s frustrating. I’m sure it’s frustrating for Panos (Cosmatos, the director of Mandy), who has made what I consider a very lyrical, internal and poetic work of art, to have this ‘Cage Rage’ thing slammed all over his movie. It’s one thing for me, because I’d like to think I could continue to work with Panos, but the internet has kind of done the movie a disservice.”
Indeed, the most shared shots of Mandy, much like those from his previous film Mom & Dad, feature him in a screaming stupor, or soaked in blood, adding all the more to the Cage Rage phenomenon.
So, yes, Cage is not only well aware of memes, but he does not care for them. Which is a true pity, because if Cage has ever excelled at anything more, it’s momentary glimpses of, well, a twitching rage.
Take, for example, the well memed scene in 2005’s The Wicker Man, in which, a wire hive is placed upon his head, and he screams, “Oh no! Not the bees! Not the bees!!!”
Or his signature wideeyed ogle in Vampire’s Kiss; or when he screams “hallelujah!” while orgasming in Face/Off; or when he, while playing an OCD-afflicted man waiting in line at a pharmacy in Matchstick Men, spits out at an alarming volume, “Have you ever been dragged to the sidewalk and beaten until you pissed blood?!”; or, perhaps his greatest screamed monologue, “I lost my hand! I lost my bride!” in Moonstruck; or, well, any handful of scenes from any of his movies.
But, Cage insists, he always meant for his performances to come off disturbingly unhinged.
Speaking of Mandy, Cage said, “I think that the movie hasn’t been given perhaps a fair viewing by virtue of the fact that the internet has mashed them up with these moments that have been cherry-picked, that aren’t really in the context of the character or how the character got there. I have to be honest. I did make certain choices to realize my abstract and more ontological fantasies with film performance, by playing people who were crazy, or by playing people who were on drugs, or supernaturally possessed — so that I have the licence, if you will, to explore the German Expressionistic style of acting, or the Western kabuki. Whatever you want to call it.
“I had to find some sort of engine to attach it to, so it could coalesce and gel, in some way. I chose to play Peter Loew (in Vampire’s Kiss), the literary agent who was losing his mind, to think he was Nosferatu so I could channel some Max Schreck–like acting. I chose Terence in Bad Lieutenant, who was high on coke, to be able to use drugs — not literally — so I can add more James Cagney into it. There’s always some sort of a reason you can attach to it. It’s all very thought out and carefully planned.”
But what Cage hasn’t realized is that those memes just might be contributing to his cult staying power.
After all, Mandy currently boasts a 93 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with more rave reviews than Cage has garnered in a while.
Rage on, Nicolas. Rage on.