Oh Mandy

Hello all,

I have emerged from my bad place, coping with the fact that Mandy, the Nicolas Cage movie we have all been waiting for, did not receive one Academy Award nomination. It has, to this date, only grossed $1.2 or so million. SLENDER FUCKING MAN grossed 25x that.

I do think I’m crazy to suggest that Nicolas Cage should have received a best picture nom. But there absolutely is a case to be made for best cinematography or best original soundtrack or best makeup. This is a movie that deserves an award.

Oh, you haven’t heard of Mandy? Well, watch it and clear your calendar for the next few weeks. Because even if you watch it once, you will think about it for a long time.

I started writing the below newsletter shortly after watching this film but got lost in my own mind afterwards. It’s a thing I’ve talked about A LOT.

I am 100% honest when I say that I conceived of this newsletter before knowing of the existence of Mandy, Mr. Cage’s new movie with the brilliantly named Panos Cosmatos.

I fully expected the bulk of this newsletter would focus on the Cage of the past, the brilliant thespian involved in some of the most iconic 90s and 00s films.

<NIC CAGE VOICE AS HE CYCLES THROUGH THE ALPHABET FASTER AND FASTER> Your The Rock’s; Your Face-Off’s; Your Matchstick Men’s and so on.

But like…

Friends, this movie is nuts. It’s gorgeous. It’s trippy. The music is incredible. And it’s got overweight Nicolas Cage like you’ve seen him many times before and hope to see him many times again.

From RogerEbert.com

It’s very possible that Nicolas Cage was specifically put on this earth to star in “Mandy." Set in an alternate version of 1983, it’s a heavy metal revenge epic that turns Cage up to 11 as he hunts "Jesus freaks" and eventually gets into a jaw-dropping chainsaw duel, among other delights.

You get everything you need out of a Cage movie. He glugs a bottle of vodka while in intense distress (call back - Leaving Las Vegas). He kills a coke snorting demon and then proceeds to snort said coke himself.

He ingests a mysterious gelatinous substance that makes him look like this:

It’s the most arresting thing I’ve seen in awhile. I recommend it to everyone.

Did you watch Mandy? Did you love it? Are you my new best friend? Let’s discuss.