Nicolas Cage electrifies fans at Cinequest
Like so many of his colorful movie characters, Nicolas Cage electrified an audience at Cinequest, where he received the Maverick Spirit Award on Wednesday night at the California Theatre. I had a front-row seat as the moderator of a conversation with Cage, but it was really more like trying to keep up with a speeding car. Based on the applause, his fans were happy to be along for the ride, too.
It was definitely an interesting conversation, and Cage revealed a few things about himself and his work that I didn’t know. Among them:
• His late father, San Francisco State literature professor August Coppola, encouraged him to read classics like Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and challenged him to write the “missing chapters.” His dad also inspired his love of movies, taking him to see iconic films like “Citizen Kane” at art-house theaters when he was a kid.
• For his Oscar-winning performance in “Leaving Las Vegas,” Cage
watched other actors portrayals of alcoholics and drew the most from Albert Finney in “Under the Volcano.” He even hired a “drinking coach” to help him perfect his work in the scenes when he was supposed to be drunk.
• His agent had to talk him into doing 1987’s “Moonstruck,” and he only did it when he was able to make “Vampire’s Kiss” as well. For the latter movie, he was a stickler about having a real bat in one scene and about eating a real cockroach in another. Cage says director Robert Bierman had him do two takes of eating the insect, but he used the first one. “I think he was just punishing me,” Cage said.
The actor’s new movie, “The Humanity Bureau,” has a virtual reality component that Cage participated in, but he said he’s more comfortable working with traditional film than the 360- degree experience.
Right after the talk, Cage signed some au- tographs for fans who rushed the stage at the California and headed out to dinner with his family, including his brother, director Chris Coppola, and his nephew, actor Bailey Coppola, in downtown San Jose.
MOST ADORABLE RED CARPET EVER » Bay Area filmmakers Dana Nachman and Don Hardy will have a few guests Saturday at the California Theatre for Cinequest — more than 30 puppies-intraining from Bay Area Guide Dogs for the Blind. These are the stars of the co- directors’ newest documentary, “Pick of the Litter,” which is the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Award winner at the film festival this year.
“Pick of the Litter,” which made its debut at the Slamdance Film Festival, traces two years in the lives of the pups who are being trained to aid blind or visually impaired people. Nachman and Hardy, who have worked together on six films presented over the years at Cinequest, say its a pretty emotional ride for audience, filled with a lot of cuteness, in- spiration and some sadness for the dogs that don’t make the cut.
The screening Saturday starts at 4:30 p. m., but audience members should arrive about 30 minutes early to get a look at the parade of puppies. Tickets and passes are available at www.cinequest.org.
SAN JOSE’S JUST ‘ KRAZY’ ABOUT GEORGE » San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez helped welcome the San Jose Earthquakes new season, which opens Saturday at Avaya Stadium, with the raising of the Earthquakes’ f lag at City Hall on Wednesday. The downtown councilman also presented a commendation to “Krazy” George Henderson, who has been cheering on the Quakes — in their many iterations — since the 1970s.
It was a chilly evening, but Henderson wore cutoff shorts and a shortsleeve, classic red Earthquakes jersey. He’s got plenty of energy to keep himself warm.