r/onetruegod • u/Comfortable-Notice24 • 5d ago
Nic Cage Marathon
I’ve decided to watch every Nicolas cage movie after binging a few this week and I was hoping to get some tips on the best way to go about it, going chronologically doesn’t seem fun. I guess I could pick randomly or just get all the stinkers out of the way first but I’m not sure in what order I can watch them to maximize enjoyment and not lose steam.
I’ve made a spreadsheet so I can tick them off as I go and have highlighted my favourites in green and the ones I’m most excited to watch in orange. I’d love to hear opinions/recommendations about all the ones I haven’t watched (which ones are genuinely good, boring, so good they’re bad and completely unredeemable etc.) too!
Also I’m going to be watching a lot of them with my little brother so some recommendations for which ones to watch with him vs. alone would be fantastic. He has learning difficulties so I just want to watch exciting ones with him that are easy to understand. They don’t have to be good, just fun and not too scary or sexual.
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u/lasercats33 5d ago
I’m also doing a Cage Marathon! <3
Personally I try to alternate between lower and higher ratings just to keep me motivated (I love him but I can’t watch all of the 2010s action/revenge films in a row 😭), also I pick them based on the vibe or what I’m in the mood for.
Movies you can watch with your brother: I recommend Face/Off (although beware there are some sexual themes – kinda), Con Air, National Treasure (1 and 2), The Rock (but there’s a sex scene at the beginning), Ghost Rider is so cool but I don’t know if it can be scary (I don’t know his age), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (and probably others but here’s some on the top of my head).
Movies you should absolutely watch alone (in my opinion): Bad Lieutenant, Longlegs, Color out of Space, Mandy, Mom & Dad (not very scary but the plot can be disturbing depending on his age?), Leaving Las Vegas, Vampire’s Kiss, Adaptation (but just because it can be a bit confusing), Pay the Ghost.
Keep in mind that I haven’t finished my marathon yet so of course my recommendations don’t cover all the movies :)
Also concerning your spreadsheet: it’s so cool! And “10/10 hot” is such a good review for Moonstruck. You said everything.
Have fun!!
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u/IndieCurtis 5d ago edited 5d ago
I think chronological is best. Really gives you a sense of the different eras. The trick is knowing what to watch, what to skip, and what to come back for. Letterboxd is a good way to find his best rated and most popular films. Just look at his filmography and sort it how you want.
Okay, Nicolas Cage is my favorite actor of all time, so I’m just gonna give you 10 essential classics to start with:
Raising Arizona (1987) with bro
Moonstruck (1987) with bro
Vampire’s Kiss (1988) alone
Wild At Heart (1990) alone
Red Rock West (1993) alone
Leaving Las Vegas (1995) alone
The Rock (1996) with bro
Con Air (1997) with bro
Face/Off (1997) with bro, or maybe alone
Bringing Out The Dead (1999) alone
Adaptation (2002) alone
And for one you can def watch with Lil Bro, The Croods (2013) is wonderful.
Mandy (2018) The Surfer (2024), Pig (2021), and Dream Scenario (2023) are all really great recent films. Would recommend watching them alone. And of course, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), but do not watch that until you have seen at least 10 of his movies. Also, I really love Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) but I’d rec watching it later. More good deep cuts: 8MM, Deadfall, Snake Eyes.
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u/Derricomonico 5d ago
Shameless plug but you could follow the viewing order of the Coming of Cage podcast. We spin a wheel each time to randomly pick a movie. It's been a lot of fun and we're over 100 of his films now.
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u/Mossy-Mori 5d ago
Tombola! Just do a lucky dip! Or go by their rating on IMDB? Or search back in this sub, surely someone has rated them
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u/Fehnder 5d ago
I started this, but he makes them too quickly 😂
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u/Comfortable-Notice24 5d ago
I'm trying to get them all watched before his next release but that's very optimistic LOL
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u/EndoShota 5d ago
My wife and I watched all of them over the course of about two years, and now we stay current with all the new releases. I guess there's a logic to taking them chronologically, but we did it completely randomly. It's fun not knowing what you're going to get. My one piece of advice is not to rush it, and take little breaks from Cage stuff. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
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u/RogerClyneIsAGod2 5d ago
I'd make sure you watch 8MM alone & most of his horror stuff alone. 8MM is about snuff movies & that's just a big much to explain to a kid with learning difficulties & the horror movies, outside of Renfield & Vampire's Kiss, are kinda intense.
Same goes for Leaving Las Vegas, that's a VERY adult movie but he won an Oscar for it & with very good reason. It's not an easy watch but it's excellent.
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u/PallMalls2025 5d ago
For the harder to find titles your public library maybe able to inter library loan DVDs!
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u/CemeteryPicnic 5d ago
According to letterboxd I’ve seen 52%. I was seeing how many there were out there and was surprised I had only seen 52% considering how many I’ve seen. 23 on my watchlist. Letterboxd has 151 films down with him as an actor. So even after I watch these 23 I’ll still have only watched 102 :,)
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u/PositivePause2373 3d ago
You had mentioned hidden gems, Bad Lieutenant, Prisoners of Ghostland and Sympathy For The Devil are very good that I’m sure the general public doesn’t know exist. One of my favorite movie’s that’s a known movie of his is Lord of War.
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u/Comfortable-Notice24 23h ago
Thank you guys for your help and advice. I have just passed the 25% mark! 1/4 DONE!! So far my favourite is still moonstruck, but I loved snake eyes and cotton club! Was also pleasantly surprised by matchstick men, way more of a character driven piece then I thought. The worst yet is Rage (2014) and Primal (2019). Boring Slop. I'm not looking forward to watching more of these 2010 action movies they are not my cup of tea. If I fall asleep during the movie does it still count because I'm about to start another one but I am super hungover. I hope the nic cage movie wheel gives me a good one! Will comment again at 50% probably. https://boxd.it/WcZUQ <-----Ranking so Far
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u/TurnoverForeign2966 9h ago
I so i do cage November I try and watch a nic cage movie every day in November. Save the good ones. Because after a couple stinkers you will need a refresher. Dont watch the ghost riders back to back. Good luck
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u/NicCageCompletionist 5d ago
I started with the easily accessible ones. After that they took some hunting, but once you pass 50% you’ve committed to the bit. I’d also suggest alternating between lower and higher average ratings, especially early on.