Sure sounds like he does, doesn't it! I am so intriqued by everything I have read so far, it really seems like a departure for Nic and it is exciting to think of what it will be like. Anticipation!
David Gordon Green Reveals How Nicolas Cage Became A Location Scout On Prince Avalanche
I assume that Joe is the dark movie you were talking about? What's the darkness in that? Child abuse and tree poisoning.
But that wasn’t too much for you? That’s like, it’s not something I’m affected by on a daily basis. I’m not a guy that’s going to do that. Joe is very much a story of a father figure in this kid’s life, getting him out of a bad situation. So, it’s about the strength of masculinity and the strength of character that someone has when someone is in a difficult situation. So, to me, it’s very heroic, you know. Millions of people are in nasty situations and it’s just about finding, identifying with characters that can help dig him out of hard times. So, that’s what the movie’s very, very touching in that way. It’s Nicolas Cage and then this kid Tye Sheridan and it’s the two them and just like, kind of, unbelievable, very raw performances as Cage brings this kid into his life and helps him escape the reality of his fate.
As someone who grew up obsessed with all of the big mainstream movies, Nic Cage has got to be like crazy touchstone. One of my idols. Not even the mainstream movies, I mean Wild at Heart and Vampire’s Kiss and his entire body of work is pretty incredible and this is not like any movie he’s ever done.
Did you give him the crazy hard sell? No, he flew up to Austin to come talk to me about it. I remember the first day I met him, I said, “What do you want to do today?” He said, “What do you want to do?” I was like, “I want to go explore this burned out state park that I think I want to make a movie in.”
Oh, this was before you started making Prince Avalanche? And he said, “Ok, let’s go.” So, we found all of the locations for Prince Avalanche together. He was a great location scout.
Did he get a credit? No, he should have. But he would ask all of the road workers a lot of questions, like I know everything I know about that park because Nic was…
Talking to the road workers? Inquisitive and people loved hanging out and talking to him.
:)
