There's something rather amazing about Nicolas Cage films. It's not that he can't act ? although, seriously, we're not sure that he can ? it's more that you simply don't know whether you're going to spend the last few moments of the credits shouting furiously at the screen and simulating over-the-top air rabbit punches, or hugging everyone else in the cinema, because you've just shared a moment together. A wonderful wonderful moment. A moment that could end in sex.
High points in his career include: Con Air, Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock, Vampire?s Kiss, and Adaptation. Whilst crippling, ?let's brick up this picture house!?, low points can be found after watching Snake Eyes,?World Trade Centre, Ghost Rider, or, especially, The Wicker Man ? a film which must surely rank as the worst remake of all time. There isn't another actor on the planet capable of such a movie-going lottery. He's either excellent, or shit. There is nothing in between.
Well, the good news filtering through the grapevine is that he's magnificent in the upcoming remake of Bad Lieutenant ? which, remember, was a 1992 film, starring Harvey Keitel, about a really bad lieutenant. He was a horrible lieutenant in fact. They should really have called it Horrible Lieutenant.
Anyway, with this great news singing in our ears, we thought we?d celebrate a cluster of remakes that were definitely better than the originals?