Johnny Vengeance » Actor

How to properly mourn Dennis Hopper’s passing…

dave — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:08:40 +0000

Kick back with a can of Wisconsin’s finest beer, PBR. That’s right Pabst Blue Ribbon. Take a look at this clip below and remember the awesomeness that was Dennis Hopper. He will be missed.

Stephen Soderbergh Leaves Oceans Behind To Bring Us The Informant

dave — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:46:24 +0000

Stephen Soderbergh (Oceans Trilogy, The Underneath, Che) is one fantastic filmmaker. I’m not
sure how I feel about the Oceans sequels, but I love the rest of his body of work. It was a nice
surprise to see that The Informant, which I thought was going to be a corporate thriller/drama is
actually a comedy. And damn if it doesn’t look life a funny one. In The Informant the U.S.
government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based
on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark
Whitacre (Matt Damon). The cast also includes Scott Bakula, Patton Oswalt, Candy Clark,
Joel McHale, and Frank Welker. It’s nice to see Bakula back on the big screen. Check out
the trailer below.

*Welker has worked in nearly 600 projects since 1967, including being the voice of
Megatron in 44 episodes of The Transformers animated series.

8 Reasons Not To Hate Nicolas Cage Part 2

dave — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:37:35 +0000

Example #5
Adaptation
In Spike Jonze’s Adaptation Cage plays dual roles as brothers Charlie and Donald Kaufman so well that you almost forget it’s the same person playing both. This film takes Cage back to his quirky roots and reminds us that he can act, even if it’s been a while since he’s actually done it.

Example #6
Leaving Las Vegas
Easily the best reason on this list that Cage should be forgiven for such sins as Ghostrider. Director Mike Figgis reigns in Cage’s over the top tendencies and helps him give the performance of his career as Ben Sanderson the alcoholic screenwriter that is determined to drink himself to death over a weekend in Las Vegas. A depressing and emotionally draining masterpiece.

Example #7
The Rock
I’ll likely be crucified for putting a Michael Bay film on this list, but I don’t give a shit. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. The Rock is a fun, over the top, quirky action flick that doesn’t exactly remind us what a great actor Cage can be, but he’s sure as hell fun to watch in this ridiculous film. “Winners go home and fuck the prom queen”

Example #8
Moonstruck
It was a tough sell to get MGM execs to cast the then 23 years young Cage as the headstrong and angry Ronny Cammareri. In fact it took Cher walking away from the production insisting that she wouldn’t do it without him. It’s a damn good thing they came to their senses. Cage is spot on as Cher’s love interest in the film. Co-stars Cher and Dukakis both walked away with Oscars for their performances and while Cage received a lot of critical acclaim for his performance but sadly wasn’t nominated.

There you have it. 8 reasons why Nic Cage shouldn’t be forced into early retirement. Sure he makes bad decisions, a lot of them, but he’s made a lot of good ones as well. Other than the 8 films I’ve listed here how about Race to the Moon, Peggy Sue Got Married,Face/Off, Birdy, Rumblefish, The Cotton Club, or even his small role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. There are also a few promising films on the horizon for Mr. Cage, he’s got Kick-Ass due out later this year as well as The Dance and a Bad Lieutenant remake with Werner Herzog in the directors chair. There was a time when Cage was considered one of the most exciting young actors in American cinema. He may have shit the bed for the last 10 years of his career, but there is still time for redemption.

8 Reasons Not To Hate Nicolas Cage Part 1

dave — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:17:01 +0000

Cage makes a pretty easy target. Whether it be his ridiculous ever changing hairpiece choices or his long list of craptastic films, he’s just an easy mark. With the release of the already critically panned Knowing this weekend I thought it might be a good time to remind you that Nic Cage didn’t always suck.

Example #1
Raising Arizona
This is the Coen Bros. second and probably still one of their best films. Cage’s Iconic performance as the babynapping H.I. McDunnough made this movie. It also features a great supporting cast that includes Randall “Tex”Cobb, John Goodman, William Forsythe, and of course his costar Holly Hunter. It’s an absolute must see if you haven’t already.

Example #2
Valley Girl
“Gag me with a spoon!” Martha Coolidge’s Valley Girl is one of the most underrated 80′s comedies around. Cage punks it up for his performance of the loud but ultimately sweet Randy who falls for a girl from the valley. Cage is hysterical this might be his best role ever. Great soundtrack too.

Example #3
Wild at Heart
Cage as Sailor Ripley in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart is nothing short of amazing. The story, about two young lovers Sailor and Lula who are on the run from a variety of seedy characters hired to kill Sailor by Lula’s mother, is completely ridiculous and 100% entertaining. If you’re a Lynch fan and haven’t seen this dig it up. The scene where Cage’s character crushes a guys skull with his bare hands during a fight might be one of the coolest scenes he’s ever done. Watch this movie!

Example #4
Red Rock West
John Dahl’s Noir Western about a drifter, Nicolas Cage, who takes advantage of being mistaken for a hitman is a reminder that Cage isn’t just good at being quirky. Cage’s low key performance sets the tone for a great thriller with solid supporting performances by Lara Flynn Boyle and Dennis Hopper. The movie didn’t get much in the way of a theatrical release but critical acclaim helped give it new life on home video when it was released. Highly recommended film.

There are four solid reasons not to hate Nic Cage. Check back tomorrow for the second half, and if you have Cage films you think might be worthy of this list feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Walter Hill and Rourke Team Up?

dave — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:48:45 +0000

I feel a bit like I’ve slipped through a wormhole somewhere and ended in 1988. Walter Hill (48 Hours,Streets of Fire) has reportedly tapped Mickey Rourke to star in his upcoming gangster flick, St. Vincent. In the film Rourke will portray an assassin that poses as a priest to take out a high level informant. Rourke has been rumored to be attached to a lot of projects since the Wrestler, the most exciting of which, in my opinion, is his role in Stallone’s testosterone fueled The Expendables. Hill and Rourke previously paired up for the 1989 flop Johnny Handsome. Which also stars Morgan Freeman, Forrest Whitaker, and Lance Henriksen. Can’t be all that bad, right? Wrong. I’d rather have my eyes plucked from my head with a rusty screwdriver than watch that pile of dung again. Hopefully the second time around these two will get it right. Rourke seems to be headed in the right direction to keep his career on track. I’m hoping he sticks around, I’ve always liked the guy.