Nicolas Cage offers up an interesting list of his favorites among his own movies. An Oscar-winner for 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas, Cage later starred in blockbusters like Face/Off, The Rock and National Treasure before settling in to a long and prolific run as the internet’s favorite unpredictable wild card of an actor. Currently, the star can be seen in one of his wildest roles yet, playing an overbearing Dracula to Nicholas Hoult’s fed-up lackey in the horror comedy Renfield.
Renfield might yet prove memorable enough to wind up on some people’s lists of the best Cage movies, but for now, it’s not on Cage’s own rundown of his favorites, as he presented it in an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Asked by Colbert to list his five favorites among his own films, Cage had no problem coming up with a fascinating and rather eclectic list (around 1:55 of the video clip). Check out what Cage had to say in the space below:
I’m going to start with Pig. That’s my favorite movie I’ve ever made. I love Mandy, the movie that Panos [Cosmatos] directed. I love Bringing Out the Dead, that Martin Scorsese directed. I loved Bad Lieutenant, Werner Herzog. I loved a movie called Joe that David Gordon Green directed.
Nicolas Cage’s Favorite Nicolas Cage Movies List Snubs A Lot Of Fan Favorites
It is perhaps no surprise to see the eccentric Cage giving love to some rather out-there films, like Panos Cosmatos’ bonkers horror movie Mandy, and Werner Herzog’s strange and atmospheric neo-noir Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. It’s also probably no surprise to see him singling out films like Bringing Out the Dead and Joe where he worked with acclaimed directors. Pig is also a movie that makes sense for Cage to be fond of, given its heavy subject, and the powerful nature of Cage’s own performance.
It might be a surprise however to see Cage completely snubbing a lot of fan favorites from the course of his long career. Cage’s top five rundown does not include his Oscar-winner Leaving Las Vegas, or his early-career stand-outs Moonstruck and Peggy Sue Got Married. It also doesn’t include big blockbusters like Face/Off, The Rock and the National Treasure movies.
It’s clear from Cage’s list that he prefers working with auteur directors who have a very specific and original vision for their works. It’s also clear that he enjoys roles that give him a chance to stretch out and try new things outside the confines of big-budget studio movies. Ultimately, Cage’s filmography is so long and varied that it truly contains something for everyone. There are big movies to love, and small ones to cherish, and terrible ones to guiltily enjoy, alongside gems like the five movies Cage listed as his own favorites.
This content was originally published here.
