Who all has watched Nick Cage in Willy’s Wonderland?
This may be my favorite good bad film of all time.
I didn’t know I needed it in my life until tonight, and I wish MST3K could riff it, but the R rating is a bit too hard for them.
Who has watched a Nick Cage movie? I think the answer is both everyone and really no one. He is ubiquitous,. However, unlike Kevin Bacon he is usually the one added to the cast for “star power,” so no many careers intersect with his anymore, and there is no Six Degrees of Nick Cage. Well, there could be, but…
So, I’m curious about this movie: apart from Cage (who is a riff bonanza), what else does it have not going for it? Exactly how much fun am I going to have, and will it be enough to justify paying money to see a Cage film?
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If you have Hulu, it is on there now, so no extra money required.
Willy’s Wonderland is basically “What If Nick Cage was hyped up on Caffeine, and played Five Nights at Freddy’s, while also taking a vow of silence?”
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Oh holy Great Bird of the Galaxy! That sounds amazing! Except for the silence part: his derpy voice is one of his few selling points. And it is hard to imagine Cage on caffeine… he already acts pretty tweaky.
I am going to pursue this! Thank you so much!
For the record: Cage will always have my deepest respect for Raising Arizona. His Hi is an absolutely perfect mix of pathetic, stupid, and eminently likeable.
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He’s great in Pig and Joe. I’m a fan of both Mandy and Color out of Space for that matter.
I say, with all due respect, that he is Shatnerian. If you don’t like something he’s in, it’s because he wasn’t trying his heart out.
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I loved Cage in Raising Arizona. Still makes me laugh today.
As someone who had a serious drinking problem, I unfortunately related pretty hard to Leaving Las Vegas. Not the story, mind you, but his performance. Having been there, it hit too damn close to home.
If you still have Netflix, the series History of Swear Words has Nick at his most Shatner-esque.
Oh, and Willy’s is on my to watch list. I saw the trailer and knew I had to see it.
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Just caught Willy’s Wonderland on Hulu. It was a fun watch with a decent/typical horror movie plot.
I don’t think they knew how to explain Cage’s character background and just left it alone for our own imagination to fill in.
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Watch Cage’s film Pig instead. He’s wonderful in it. Willy’s Wonderland looks like Cage caricaturing himself for a quick buck.
Again.
Not that that’s always a bad thing, but the occasional reminder that he’s a talented actor is welcome.
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Pig is incredible. Just… don’t go into it expecting John Wick with a sow.
Hey, I love weirdo Cage movies as much as the next person… but it’s pretty clear when the role is a fit for what’s written (Mandy) and when it’s a quick buck (Willy’s Wonderland). With Pig, Cage is given an opportunity to prove he can act.
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After seeing his past spending habits, I can see why he takes any role that comes his way. He’s got some debts to pay off. He makes Kanye seem a little more normal.
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I clicked on that link thinking “What’s on the list … a shark or something?”
I was not disappointed.
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Willy’s Wonderland is unironically good times. I really, really liked it, and Cage has exactly zero lines.
It feels like an action movie protagonist got caught in a horror movie’s premise and the existential disconnect kept the action hero from getting quips and banter and kept the spookums from being able to spookum properly.
I was genuinely delighted. Kind of an irreverent horror genre take on the tradition of “these scary bad guys targeted the wrong person and don’t know who they’re f***ing with” like John Wick, Taken, etc.
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I was really surprised by how nice the animatronics were. The weasel in particular! Points for the gratuitous amounts of pinball!
Also, as a Type 1 Diabetic I have to ask…… does Cage’s character suffer from some serious Hypoglycemia? The scheduled sugary drink breaks had me rolling.
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The Princess Bride.
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I’m actually a little surprised at how banal the list is. A lot of it is just real estate. None of it really indicates recklessness. Is a guy who makes $40M in one year supposed to NOT buy lavish jewelry for his girlfriend.
He might, of course, have issues (heh, don’t we all?) but I somehow doubt it’s on the level of “If only I hadn’t bought that shark and octopus, I’d be solvent!”
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That was my first thought too. Like you, I was waiting for an explanation that never came, but I’m glad they didn’t. Nice change to not be spoon fed the story and let the viewer think.
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Oh, I agree! I’m quite happy to leave a movie with a level of unsureness or contemplation. I always find it jarring when a Villain explains every aspect of their plan, process, and justifications. I’m also a fan of the occasional anti-climactic ending.
An example, for all the flaws of “The Last Jedi” (And triumphs, just give me the Kylo Ren cut!)
The throne room scene, is just great.Yadayadayada big serious scene, all the buildup and then Snoke is just dead on the floor. No answers, cut in half, goodness. I’m here for it.
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I love the fact that he’s so strict about his break and playing the pinball machine that he just walks off at one point.
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It’s like working from home. Have to create a strict schedule to avoid overwhelming yourself.
But that part was hilarious. Left her to fend for herself for his coffee break.
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And I’m SO glad they didn’t retread the tired trope of “Oh no I’m out of whatever McGuffin gives me strength”. Leave that to Popeye.
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