New Nicolas Cage film to premiere at Glasgow’s Cage-a-Rama

Roll out the red carpet, because Cage-a-rama – “Europe’s longest-running Nicolas Cage film festival” – is back for its second year and it’s bringing with it a UK premiere in the form of Cage’s latest film, Between Worlds.

Written and directed by Maria Pulera, Between Worlds stars Cage as a down-on-his-luck truck driver, haunted by the memory of his deceased wife and child, who strikes up a friendship with a woman who claims to be a medium. You probably don’t want to know much more, as Birth.Movies.Death describe this as “a bonkers movie that Cage aficionados are likely going to want to experience for themselves.” They also call Between Worlds an “absolutely bugnuts display of Nicolas Cage's cult appeal.” Pulera will present the film at Cage-a-Rama 2 on 6 January, taking part in a post-screening Q&A, and she’s just one of many guests planned for the Cage weekender.

Another highlight should be 2017’s Mom and Dad on 6 January, which will be followed by a post-film Skype Q&A with director Brian Taylor (Crank, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance). Other guests beaming in from elsewhere include Casper Kelly (the mind behind surreal web video masterpiece Too Many Cooks) and Shane Morton – the duo behind Mandy’s iconic Cheddar Goblin sequence – plus Wild At Heart author Barry Gifford, who has pre-recorded an interview for Cage-a-rama’s screening of Lynch’s 1990 film.

At this year’s Cage-a-rama you’ll also find Going Full Cage: Exploring the enigma of Nicolas Cage, a live event with film experts Tara Judah and Ti Singh; the same event went down a storm at Bristol’s Watershed last month. Canadian Cage academician Lindsay Gibb will also premiere a brand-new and exclusive video essay at the festival. And that’s not to mention the rest of the Cage films in the programme, which include Cage classics (Vampire's Kiss, Bad Lieutenant), little-seen oddities (Army of One, Zandalee) and the gloriously awful remake of The Wicker Man; there’s also the annual Nicolas Cage Birthday Quiz, which takes place on 7 January.

It’s a line-up that should prove, as Cage-a-rama programmers Matchbox Cineclub believe, that “Nicolas Cage is the world’s greatest performer”. It’s a opinion backed-up recently by Cage’s fellow actor Ethan Hawke. “I think Nicolas Cage is one of the few people in the history of acting that has really changed [the form],” Hawke told Newsweek. “I mean, he’s a true original – one of the greatest actors ever. His confidence and madness and dedication – you take his top ten performances and I’d put ‘em up against anybody.”

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Cage-a-rama 2: Cage Uncaged, CCA Glasgow, 5-6 Jan. For tickets and more info, head to cca-glasgow.com/programme/cage-a-rama-2-cage-uncaged