Just like the “Because You Watched…” lane that pops up on your favorite streaming service, Now Playing Podcast wants to help you find the perfect companion flicks. Each week, contributor Chris Bravo brings you fresh recommends that tie in with one of our reviews.
If you truly liked Renfield (2023), there is only one big reason that you did–Nick FUCKIIIIIIIIING Cage. And so you know I had to recommend another Nic Cage vehicle. Now Playing Podcast has already covered most of the best ones. Hopefully, you recently watched the most natural recommendation – Vampire’s Kiss. That is truly Cage at his most vampiric. But there are others. Con Air. The Wicker Man. Wild At Heart. Face/Off. Now Playing has covered them all, so you have a lot to listen to in order to get full Nic Cage coverage.
But here’s one they haven’t covered yet that really should command your attention – Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009). He has a bad Cajun accent. He walks everywhere with a zombie-esque limp. He takes every drug, sleeps with every woman, shoots every gun, and has no qualms about breaking every law in his quest to secure his next hit. Add to that director Werner Herzog adding in visual flair and trippy iguanas, and you have one wild ride.
It’s not a perfect movie. It has lulls in the second half, it has an incomprehensible plot, and neither Eva Mendes nor Xzibit makes for a good supporting cast. But when the movie shines the spotlight on Cage, which it fortunately does often, then you know you’re going to see something ridiculous, audacious, and shocking. More so than Mandy and Pig and National Treasure, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is not only a mouthful of a title, but also a wild, wild time.
