Nicolas Cage plays himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Or, more specifically, the iconic actor plays a version of himself that must not only confront the embarrassing indignities piled upon performers, but also the extraordinary circumstance of stumbling into a CIA sting operation that seems the stuff of a Nic Cage movie. As this action-comedy travels from Hollywood to the far-flung and super-swanky mansion of an alleged kingpin, there are high-energy action sequences, international espionage, kooky hijinks, and a bunch of mentions of great movies, many with Cage at their core!
You might not have brought your notebook to the theater, but we did. So, here's our guide to every movie name-dropped in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. And for good measure, we've also tracked down where to watch every single one.
Credit: Moviestore / ShutterstockThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talentbegins with a young couple watching this 1997 hit. Directed by Simon West, Con Airhad Cage playing a Good Guy who got locked up for a crime he did commit (but arguably with good reason). This former Army Ranger is finally on his way home to his wife and baby daughter when his flight is hijacked by a band of baddies hungry for carnage. Of course, Cage's hulking hero won't stand for that. This cast is a Murderer's Row of talent, including John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, Dave Chappelle, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, and John Malkovich. If all that isn't cause enough to queue this up, then how about the way Cage says, "Put the bunny back in the box."
How to watch:Con Airis now streaming on Prime Video.
Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock One of the few movies name-dropped in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talentthat doesn't feature Nicolas Cage, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligariis declared by in-movie Nic to be among his personal favorites. Directed by Robert Wiene, this horror film centers on the titular doctor (Werner Krauss), who wickedly employs hypnotism to turn a sleepwalker (Conrad Veidt) into a killer. Being a silent film from 1920, this might seem the least accessible of the bunch. But between the sensational German expressionism imagery, the slim run-time of 74 minutes, and performances that still pack a punch 100 years later, it's easy to fall under Dr. Caligari's spell.
How to watch:The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is now streaming on Shudder.
Credit: Kerry Hayes / Tri Star / Kobal / Shutterstock This is the kind of mid-budget comedy that Hollywood studios don't bother with much anymore, which only makes Guarding Tessall the more worth treasuring. Director Hugh Wilson's quirky 1994 buddy-comedy pairs Golden Hollywood's smirking queen, Shirley MacLaine, with contemporary hunk Nicolas Cage. She is a feisty former first lady who demands her way all the way. He's the Secret Service agent tasked with keeping her safe and happy, even though she's driving him up every wall. It's a battle of wills that's damned delightful. No wonder Nic would revisit it in his downtime in Unbearable.
How to watch:Guarding Tessis now streaming on Hulu.
Credit: Paramount / Touchstone / Kobal / Shutterstock This 1997 action epic not only gets name-dropped but also becomes a plot point as a pair of flashy prop weapons come out to play once more in Unbearable. John Woo's Face/Offpaired Cage with John Travolta, two big stars who play a charismatic terrorist and a snarling FBI agent, then switch roles mid-movie because of the eponymous face-swap setup. Ignore the plot's impossibilities and revel in Woo's masterful action set pieces, which bring in gun battles, speed boats, cars chasing planes, and the most violent use of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to ever hit the big screen. Not only one of the most bonkers movies in Cage's filmography, Face/Offis also among Cage's greatest performances, offering a 2-for-1 that is wild fun.
How to watch:Face/Offis available for rent on Prime Video.
Regrettably, Nicolas Cage isn't in the Paddington franchise (yet?), but this superb sequel gets lots of love — not only from Pedro Pascal's earnest fanboy, Javi, but also Nic's onscreen daughter. If you haven't seen Paddington 2, the love fest in Unbearablemight seem like a joke. But trust the hype. Following the adventures of a lovable bear framed for a theft by a villainous actor (Hugh Grant), Paul King's critically championed kids movie offers a jaunty adventure, colorful characters played by a star-studded cast, and feel-good vibes so intense you'll laugh andcry — just like Nic does.
How to watch:Paddington 2is now streaming on Tubi.
Credit: RLJE Films / Moviestore / ShutterstockIn Javi's shrine to Nicolas Cage, there is plenty of movie memorabilia, including "the chainsaw from Mandy." Now, imagine Cage wielding a chainsaw, and you'll still only have a vague concept of how truly wild this 2018 horror film gets. Co-written and directed by Panos Cosmatos, Mandy has Cage playing a logger, who lives a quiet, blissful life with his titular girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough). That is, until a vicious cult invades, abducting her and leading him down a path of ghoulish vengeance. Between the psychedelic aesthetic and the unapologetic gore, this one is not for the faint of heart, or stomach.
How to watch:Mandy is now streaming on Shudder.
Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / 20th-Century Fox / Kobal / ShutterstockThis 1987 Coen Bros gem doesn't get a name-drop. But if you look closely in the shrine scene, you'll notice a visual nod in the form of a packet of Huggies. If you know you know. Here, Cage stars as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, a thief who'd do anything to make his police officer wife Ed (Holly Hunter) happy, even if that means kidnapping a rich man's baby to raise as their own. As dark as this premise sounds, the Coens bring their signature whimsy and outlandish shenanigans to the crime caper, creating a story that is wacky, heartwarming, and hilarious.
How to watch:Raising Arizonais available for rent on Prime Video.
Credit: Hollywood Pictures / Kobal / ShutterstockName-dropped repeatedly in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talentis Michael Bay's 1996 action thriller, and it's little wonder why. The Rock was a smash hit at the box office, garnered good reviews, and maybe most importantly, paired Nicolas Cage with Sean Connery for a one-two punch that still has movie-lovers reeling. Following a familiar Bay plotline, a military man (Ed Harris), abandoned by the nation he sacrificed to serve, commits a heinous crime — in this instance holding tourists of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary as hostages and threatening the use of chemical weapons unless his ransom demands are met. The government turns to a bookish yet buff FBI agent (Cage) and a notorious criminal (Connery) to save the day, and the San Francisco Bay. Bursting with bravado, twists, and tension, The Rockis a classic Cage offering that's always worth a rewatch.
How to watch:The Rockis streaming on Prime Video.
Credit: Mgm / Kobal / Shutterstock When characters clamor to list Nic Cage movies in Unbearable, this 1987 romantic comedy gets a worthy mention. A rising star at the time, Cage appeared opposite an Oscar-winning Cher, playing her hot-blooded would-be beau. Written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Norman Jewison, Moonstruckis a masterfully funny film, brought to life by a cast that also boasts Vincent Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis, and Danny Aiello. It's about the madness of falling in love, which Cage captures with compelling and chaotic charm. Never before has the phrase "you ruined my life,"sounded so sweet.
How to watch:Moonstruck is streaming on Hulu.
SEE ALSO:Fall in love with the 10 best rom-coms on HBO MaxAlso known as "Croods 2," this Cage movie is treated as a punchline in Unbearable when Agent Vivan (Tiffany Haddish) feigns as a fan to drop a tracking device in Nic's pocket. Unlike snarling Agent Martin (Ike Barinholtz), we're not too-cool-for-Croods 2. This winsome animated sequel continued the adventures of the eponymous caveman family as they find some new friends who are a bit more evolved. Director Joel Crawford offers audiences fresh action sequences, eye-popping colors, new critters, and a broadened world that adds Leslie Mann, Peter Dinklage, and Kelly Marie Tran to the clan, which already boasted Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Clark Duke, and Nicolas Cage as the Croods' grumbling but lovable dad, Grug.
How to watch:The Croods: A New Age is streaming on Hulu.
Credit: Peter Mountain / Universal / Canal + Working Title / Kobal / Shutterstock In Unbearable, a pivotal plot point hangs on Nic's fictional ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Hogan) being a skilled make-up artist, citing that they first met on the set of this 2001 film. One of Cage's ex-wives wasa make-up artist, but this new movie takes liberties with the rest. As for Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Cage co-starred with Penélope Cruz in the John Madden romantic World War II drama, a flop that was critically panned. Nonetheless, Cage looked dashing as the titular man in uniform.
How to watch:Captain Corelli's Mandolinis for rent on Apple TV+.
Credit: Mandalay / Baltimore / Kobal / Shutterstock When trying to make sense of the CIA's plan to make him an undercover operative, Unbearable's Nic tries to get his bearings through the language he knows best. So, he compares his situation to Mike Newell's 1997 true-crime drama. Cage isn't in this film. Instead, Johnny Depp stars as an FBI agent who infiltrates the mob, only to grow close to the gangster (Al Pacino) he's certain to doom. A box office hit, Donnie Brasco scored critical praise and an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
How to watch:Donnie Brascois now streaming on Netflix.
Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock When Javi and Nic need a speedy getaway, the fanboy begs his idol to drive like he did in this 2000 action flick. Because they're under the influence of overactive imaginations and other substances, vehicular shenanigans ensue. Gone is 60 Secondstook its auto-action far more seriously. Directed by Dominic Sena, this fast-paced heist movie paired Cage with It-Girl Angelina Jolie, boasting steely looks and deeply 2000s fashion. It walked so Fast and Furious's franchise could race. High-octane action with Cage at the steering wheel? Buckle up.
How to watch:Gone in 60 Secondsis now streaming on Prime Video.
Credit: Jerry Bruckheimer / Walt Disney / Kobal / Shutterstock The first in a series of action-adventure films, this 2004 romp from director Jon Turteltaub establishes Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage), a historian and cryptographer who is on the quest for a long-lost treasure. Ushering audiences across the ages and around the globe, National Treasureunfurls action, intrigue, and wonderfully outrageous plot points that include stealing the Declaration of Independence. But only so the bad guys won't! Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel, Sean Bean, and Christopher Plummer co-star, bringing added oomph to this fresh spin on Indiana Jones meets Da VinciCodeentertainment.
How to watch:National Treasureis now streaming on Disney+.
Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock OK, so this 1988 cult classic isn't mentioned as much as its era is suggested. When in doubt, Nic imagines a younger, kookier version of himself he calls "Nicky" and who gives him pep talks. Based on the over-the-top energy and floppy haircut, we're thinking Nicky is from the '80s, when Cage began forging his reputation for go-for-broke performances. Among the fans' faves of this time is this Robert Bierman's R-rated romp, in which Cage plays an executive who believes a one-night stand has turned him into a vampire. An outrageous comedy that poked fun at the '80s fear of casual sex, Vampire's Kissdemanded a performance that was bold and bizarre. And who delivered? Nic fuckiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing Cage!
How to watch:Vampire's Kissis now streaming on Philo.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is now in theaters.
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