Shows
Unlocking the CageGuarding Tess with Liz JukovskyShirley MacLaine plays a difficult former first lady, and Nic Cage is the frustrated Secret Service agent assigned to attend to her every whim. It’s a cute 90’s comedy that ends with… a 71 year old woman being kidnapped and buried alive? Liz Jukovsky joins us live in studio (a first for us!) and we all make a lot of intense eye contact while recording.
2021-09-071h 03Unlocking the CageThe Weather Man with Keola RacelaIn this 2005 comedy cringefest, Nic Cage plays a sad sack weather man, who navigates both fast food projectiles and his strained relationships. This movie features Michael Caine playing an American, lots of archery, and far more discussion about camel toe than you’d probably like! Director Keola Racela (who liked this movie far more than we did) joins us this week.
2021-08-241h 15Unlocking the CagePig with Will GianettaIt’s John Wick meets Babe meets Mandy meets Chef’s Table. 2021’s low budget drama Pig got a lot of hype (and is currently Cage’s best reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes EVER), but does it live up to it? We’ve got improviser Will Gianetta back to help us answer deep questions like, “What is a salted baguette?”, “How is this movie influenced by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice?” and “Are there REALLY underground kitchen fight clubs?”. Plus, we watch the trailer for Prisoners of the Ghostland.
2021-08-171h 28Unlocking the CageWilly's Wonderland with Dan ChapmanImprovisor Dan Chapman is back to discuss 2021’s Willy’s Wonderland, which pits a totally silent Cage against killer animatronics in a deserted Chuck E. Cheese-esque kids restaurant. Also, there’s way more cleaning montages than you might expect. Plus, one of our hosts gives out their first perfect 10 overall score!
2021-08-101h 15Unlocking the CageSnake Eyes with Rachel Jane AndelmanRachel Jane Andelman, comedian, writer and producer of @2MBStudios on twitch, joins us this week to talk about 1998’s Sinise/Cage’s Rashoman-style thriller Snake Eyes. It’s got gratuitous one-shots and POV shots as well as a big ol’ TWIST. Is it stupid? Absolutely. Is it fun? We are divided! Plus, we play Snake Eyes (1998) vs. Snake Eyes (2021) trivia.
2021-07-201h 28Unlocking the CageBringing Out the Dead with Rob LamotheIs this a… well written, well made Cage movie? This Scorcese/Schrader movie from 1999 is about an ambulance driver slowly losing his mind. Also, is this movie a Chrismas Carol story? Actor and Comedian Rob LaMothe joins us. Say it with us: “I.B. Bangin’!”
2021-06-221h 40Unlocking the CageKick-Ass with Jeremy WeinreichComedian Jeremy Weinreich has dressed up as Kick-Ass every year for the last 8 years so of course he’s our guest this episode. Is this movie - a rare Cage co-star role - a raunchy, irreverent comic book movie? Or is it the tale of three extremely violent LITERAL CHILDREN who struggle with grief and daddy issues? Also, listen as Meg and Chris die inside when this movie ends up beating one of our absolute favorites in the rankings.
2021-06-081h 21Unlocking the CageSeason of the Witch with Adi HellerWe’ve finally got fellow Nic Cage completist Adi Heller on our show! This movie has it all: gross plague makeup (so many boils), British people pretending not to be British, an extremely lose grip on European history, anachronistic buddy comedy, demons, demon wolves, possessed priests. Plus, we test our Nic Cage knowledge on Sporcle.
2021-05-251h 36Unlocking the CageLord of War with Josh BudmanIt’s our 30th episode, and we watched Lord of War (2005), a dark comedy where Cage is an arms dealer with questionable morals (okay… no morals). Featuring our first international guest, improvisor Josh Budman from Montreal.
2021-05-181h 23Unlocking the CageGhost Rider with Ben ScurriaHappy Mother’s Day, we’re watching a movie with no moms at all. Motorcycle stunt man Johnny Blaze (Cage) made a deal with the Devil to save his dad, it didn’t work out, and now he’s a flaming were-skeleton. He has to fight Wes Bentley, Dirt-dude, Soggy Boy, and Windy Dread Man for some reason. Anyway, this movie is… not as bad as expected? Ben Scurria of 2MBStudios and Union Comedy is here to dig into it with us.
2021-05-111h 29Unlocking the CageRage with ShiyanIn this week’s movie, Nic Cage, an Irish mobster gone straight, finds out that his daughter has been Taken! Not to be confused with 2012’s Stolen (where he’s a jewelry thief) or 2011’s Drive Angry (where he’s broken out of literal Hell), this is 2014’s Rage. This slog of an action movie bravely presents bad accents, worse wigs, and truly stinky acting. Comedian comedian Shiyan is here to work through her Rage at having to watch this nonsense.
2021-04-271h 30Unlocking the CageCon Air with Andrew BarlowOur third and final installment from the 90’s Cage action trilogy (AKA the Beige Volvo Trilogy) is non-stop fun, explosions, guitar licks, dumb one-liners, and more than a few problematic bits. Featuring the most jacked Cage to date and possibly the worst accent he’s ever done. Andrew Barlow (@sirbizlow), the host of the Chuckleheads podcast, is this week’s guest.
2021-04-201h 50Unlocking the CageBangkok Dangerous with Kenny GrayCage plays a hitman who goes to Bangkok for four last kills before retirement. Things are complicated when he falls in love with a deaf-mute pharmacist and runs afoul of his bosses. It’s a lot more boring than you might think! Featuring: a lot of elephant symbolism, very hot soup, and exactly one (1) cool action sequence with a boat and a motorcycle. Our guest this week is writer and musician Kenny Gray.
2021-04-131h 34Unlocking the CageAdaptation with Danny PrikazskyCage plays twins in 2002’s meta-comedy Adaptation in arguably one of his best-acted roles ever. We like this movie a lot, but how does it rank against our current top three? Danny Prikazsky (from MTV’s Are You The One) is our guest and unfortunately, we’ve given him full access to the soundboard.
2021-03-301h 41Unlocking the CageBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans with Shane TaylorWerner Herzog and Cage get “edgy” in this 2009 movie about a Bad Lieutenant doing Bad Things. Is this movie cool and weird or just a Herz-slog? Turn on the iguana cam and grab your lucky crack pipe, because we’re digging into it! Featuring our buddy, Shane Taylor.
2021-03-231h 38Unlocking the CageSpiderverse and Cage Freakout Bracket with Alyssa Barrett JacksonThis already perfect movie didn’t NEED to put Nic Cage as a hard-boiled 1930’s black and white Spider-Man, but it did and we’re all the better for it. Plus, we do a bracket of Cage Freakouts! Featuring Twitch crafting superstar Alyssa Barrett Jackson (twitch.tv/bettermonster).
2021-03-161h 23Unlocking the CageCity of Angels with Dan Slimmon and Rachel KielLet’s all go back to 1998 and have a good cry with City of Angels, the movie you definitely owned the soundtrack for. We have Meg Ryan’s Maggie, a tortured surgeon who rides Chekov’s bike and doesn’t ask a lot of questions about her mysterious new boyfriend. She falls in love with Cage’s Seth, a hirsute yet childlike angel who only has one outfit, can read all of her thoughts and literally stalks her. This will surely end well! Our guests this week are “guy we know” Dan Slimmon and songwriter and musician Rachel Kiel.
2021-03-021h 41Unlocking the CageNext with Renie RivasNic Cage plays a Vegas magician that can see 2 minutes into the future. A nuke is about to go off in Los Angeles, and the FBI needs his help! If you can get past the creepy romance between Cage (a smarmy weirdo) and Jessica Biel (20 years younger), it’s not NOT an enjoyable movie. Featuring actress and comedian Renie Rivas - check out her podcast Ring Ring! with Renie Rivas.
2021-02-231h 28Unlocking the CageMoonstruck with Lara DrasinIt’s Valentine’s Day in quarantine, so we’re celebrating by drinking wine and discussing 1987’s Moonstruck with Cage-hater and Cher-devotee Lara Drasin. In this movie, Cher falls in love with a 17 years younger, one-handed, opera loving and tortured Cage. The ensemble cast is great, the one-liners are classic (“Snap out of it!”), and Cage is in rare form - will it beat out Mandy for the top spot in our rankings? Listen and find out!
2021-02-161h 35Unlocking the CageIt Could Happen to You with Lauren ChapmanIs 1994’s It Could Happen To You a cute romantic comedy about a cop winning the lottery, or a tragedy about a woman who just wants to build a nice life with her partner while he has an emotional affair? 2MBStudios’s Lauren Chapman is Team Rosie Perez and honestly, we’re convinced. Also, did you know that there’s a Bollywood musical based on this movie? We’ve got the clips and they are super fun.
2021-02-091h 25Unlocking the CageTeen Titans, Never on Tuesday, Grindhouse + Superman Lives with Nate LopezWe’ve got so much to talk about this week! Teen Titans Go: To The Movies is our main event but we also cover a few of Cage’s very weird cameos (fake noses, cinnabar and all), as well as the wild story about the Tim Burton/Kevin Smith/Nic Cage Superman movie that never was. Our guest is the cohost of the 91 Donkey Lane podcast, Nate Lopez.
2021-02-021h 07Unlocking the CageMom and Dad with Adam Bradshaw“They brought you into this world. They can take you out.” In 2017’s Mom and Dad, Nic Cage and Selma Blair (watch out for our spinoff podcast “The Blair, Which? Project”) are parents who are struck by a worldwide psychosis that makes them want to literally murder their children. It’s a very stylized horror comedy and dare we say… a bit fun? From a rant about anal beads to the angriest rendition of the Hokey Pokey you’ve ever heard, this is peak Cage Crazy. Featuring a great guest, TV and film producer Adam Bradshaw.
2021-01-261h 21Unlocking the CageUSS Indianapolis: Men of Courage with Anthony Zonfrelli and Will Van AntwerpNic Cage is the captain of a sinking ship, which is a great metaphor for this 2016 movie that is a disgrace to the true story it tells. Instead of watching this movie, watch the infinitely more compelling monologue about the USS Indianapolis from Jaws. But also listen to this episode, because it’s a fun one. Our guests this week are the cohosts of “Boy Detectives Presents” on Twitch.tv/2MBStudios, Anthony Zonfrelli and Will Van Antwerp.
2021-01-191h 36Unlocking the CageValley Girl with Molly WalburnThis charming 1983 low-budget romance far exceeded our expectations and is a new favorite movie of our guest, singer-songwriter Molly Walburn. This episode we discuss scary clown dolls and even scarier chest hair. Plus, Molly performs a lovely cover of “I Melt With You”!
2021-01-121h 20Unlocking the Cage8mm with Michael TrainorWe’re revisiting a movie that our guest, Michael Trainor, watched when he was WAY too young. 8MM has a great cast (Gandolfini! Keener! Phoenix! Stormare! REEDUS?) that it wastes on a terrible script about snuff films and hardcore porn.
2021-01-051h 26Unlocking the CageThe Family Man with Dana SwansonIt’s Christmas! The perfect time for a Soulless Capitalist to find out what would happen if he had married his college sweetheart (and became the titular Family Man). Do you want this cake? If so, listen to this episode. Featuring Toonami’s Dana Swanson.
2020-12-291h 13Unlocking the CageJiu Jitsu with Mike LadermanWe watched this movie so you don’t have to. Featuring improvisor Mike Laderman, a thicc martial arts alien, Tony Jaa outclassing everyone else on screen and a whole bunch of CGI shurikens.
2020-12-221h 15Unlocking the CageRaising Arizona with David RabinowitzThe Oscar-winning screenwriter of BlacKkKlansman (and Coen Brothers enthusiast) David Rabinowitz is our guest and we sure are glad to have him. In this movie, Nic Cage and Holly Hunter are two lovable dummies who kidnap a baby. Find out where this movie lands on the Cage Gage of Craziness vs. Good Acting (spoiler: it’s our first entry in this quadrant). Plus, we introduce Cage Bingo!
2020-12-151h 31Unlocking the CageVampire's Kiss with David ThomasComedian David Thomas helps us dig into the movie that spawned a million memes. This cult classic movie, about a 80’s businessman who gets bitten by a vampire (or does he?) destroyed the careers of almost everyone involved in it. It’s also Nicolas Cage’s favorite movie he’s ever been in. It’s truly a wild ride.
2020-12-081h 13Unlocking the CageMatchstick Men with Chloe ZwiacherIt’s a Very Sam Rockwell Episode of Unlocking the Cage! Chloe Zwiacher from the podcast True Tales of The Illuminati joins us to dig into the realism of Nic Cage’s portrayal of OCD, 2003 mens fashion, con artists with daddy issues, and most importantly, 😍 Sam Rockwell 😍. Or maybe not - this whole episode might just be a con within a con within a con? Listen and find out!
2020-11-241h 52Unlocking the CageGone in 60 Seconds with Jenni StukinLet’s go back to the year 2000 for a fun car heist movie and a surprisingly restrained Nic Cage. With our guest, writer/actress Jenni Stukin.
2020-11-171h 15Unlocking the CageThe Rock with Liz Jukovsky and Conor AllenWelcome to… our episode where we discuss… The Rock. This movie is so big we had to have TWO guests: improvisor Liz Jukovsky and San Francisco native Conor Allen. Listen in and find out what in ZEUS’S BUTTHOLE we rated the movie.
2020-11-101h 54Unlocking the CageMandy with John SerpicoIs there a more metal movie than 2018’s Mandy? Our guest, improviser John Serpico, loves this horror-fantasy revenge film and so do we. Will it unseat Face/Off, our previous #1? It’s Halloween, so let’s cover ourselves in blood, break out the extra-long chainsaws, and find out.
2020-11-031h 46Unlocking the CageNational Treasure with Will GianettaCage goes Disney in a treasure hunt through US history. Is it a good movie? If not, is it at least... fun? And what IS a knights templar, anyway? We’ll attempt to answer these questions and more with our guest (the man behind our theme song!), Will Gianetta, who has a pretty solid theory about the connection between this movie and another key piece of 2004 pop culture.
2020-10-272h 08Unlocking the CageWild at Heart with Brendon BouzardScreenwriter Brendon Bouzard joins us to chat about the this David Lynch / Nic Cage collab from 1990. It’s just as quirky, sexy, and cartoonishly violent as you’d expect, filled with fatal car accidents, a thin Wizard of Oz allegory, and Nic Cage indulging in his Elvis obsession. Also, we answer the question on everyone’s mind: is this movie the prequel to Con Air?
2020-10-201h 30Unlocking the CageFace Off with Dan ChapmanA FBI agent switches faces with a terrorist in order to foil a bombing plot. This movie has it all: campy acting, questionable medical procedures, explosions, and secret dystopian prisons. Is this movie as fun as we remember? Was Castor Troy actually… the hero? Improviser and Face/Off superfan Dan Chapman is our guest this week.
2020-10-061h 45Unlocking the CageLeaving Las Vegas with Patrick GremillionThis week we’re discussing one of Nic Cage’s most critically acclaimed films (and one he won an Oscar for) - a story about a suicidal alcoholic and a “hooker with a heart of gold”. Does it hold up? Improvisor Patrick Gremillion joins us to find out. Content warning: substance abuse, suicide, domestic violence, and sexual assault - this is a dark one!
2020-09-291h 12Unlocking the CageThe Wicker Man with Laura MerliMeg and Chris invite guest comedian Laura Merli to review one of Nic Cage's craziest films: The Wicker Man. So get your bear suit and don't forget your reverse bee keeper torture mask!
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