DVD Clinic

Awfully Good #98
October 28, 2009

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Strike Back Below!

Source: DVD Clinic

By: Jason Adams

Deadfall (1993)

Director: Christopher Coppola
Stars: Michael Biehn, Nicolas Cage, James Coburn

Is there a plot?

A con man accidentally kills his own father during a fake drug sting and in a haze of grief, sets out to fulfill his dad’s dying wish of retrieving a valuable possession from his long lost twin brother. Instead he runs in to Nicolas Cage, who is probably the most ridiculous human being ever.

What's the damage?

People are always asking me why I haven’t covered 2006’s THE WICKER MAN yet for this column, and the answer is…it’s already been done. That genius video that spread around the internet like wildfire a couple years back, which portrayed Nicolas Cage as a crazed man terrorizing and beating up women in a bear suit, gracefully said all that was needed about that movie. Which is why it is with great joy that I bring you something special today; I’m proud to present what is easily Cage’s most ridiculous performance of all time in the forgotten classic DEADFALL.

When FACE OFF goes wrong.

Nicolas Cage is out of control in this movie. I can’t even begin to describe his performance and you cannot begin to imagine the places he takes the character of Eddie. It’s like if Castor Troy had been a character in NATURAL BORN KILLERS, and instead of craft services, the actors were only allowed a steady diet of hallucinogens for the entire production. That’s the only thing that could explain why the man is a complete psychopath in DEADFALL, with a Dorothy Hamill wig and a bizarre made-up accent that constantly changes. Whether it’s part Elvis, part Scarface, or part H.I. McDunnough, you can’t understand Cage half the time and when you can he’s simply speaking in bizarre non- sequiturs like “Sam f*cking Peckinpah!” or “Viva la f*cking France, man!” (There’s also the great “hi f*cking ya!” when someone gets Judo chopped.) Cage pretty much just yells, cries, shakes, dances—whatever he can to be make his performance anything but normal—and the further you get in to the movie, the crazier he gets. He’s honestly so over the top I expected Lincoln Hawk to come in and start arm wrestling him.

Tired of playing second fiddle to Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz would have his revenge with the help of Thora Birch in…MONKEE TROUBLE.

The best part is that Cage’s insane character exists in what is otherwise a standard film-noir setting. Christopher Coppola, nephew of Francis and brother of Cage, pretty much killed any chance at real directing career with this generic con man story full of shadowy dialogue, back stabbing twists, femme fatales and…a villain with scissors for a hand? He also has a serious hard on for Hitchcock, even down to the score and an ending that for no reason takes place on a merry go round. Given his familial connections it’s also no surprise Coppola was able to round out a pretty decent cast including Michael Biehn, who does some hilarious lead acting and narration, James Coburn, a couple minutes of Peter Fonda and a weird cameo by Charlie sheen as a cocky pool shark who dresses like Hugh Hefner, appears for one scene and then is never seen again.

A shot from EDWARD SCISSORHANDS II: THE SHARPENING.

I also love that punk metal band Snot wrote a song about this movie, also titled “Deadfall.” If you read the lyrics, they sound ridiculous and nonsensical. Except they’re all pretty much taken word for word from the film.

“Have you seen KISS OF DEATH, man? Thumbs up to David Caruso.”

"Best" Lines and Parts

Here are the best lines and best parts of the film, all courtesy of Nicolas Cage. It’s a long one, but stick around to the end as it gets exponentially greater. (Warning: A couple NSFW shots.)