Deadfall

This movie is a must see simply because it is so horrible. Just poor film making with an even poorer script performed by a good cast. It was recommended by a friend (as a great bad movie) and we were near tears from laughter as a continuous parade of well-knowns spit out one cheesy line after another.

Joe (Michael Biehn) learned grifting from his father Mike Donan (James Coburn). In his final deadly con, Joe is supposed to shoot him with a blank but the bullet turns out to be real. As Joe looks into his mysterious unknown life, Joe discovers his money had been stolen by his twin Lou (James Coburn). Eddie (Nicolas Cage) and Diane (Sarah Trigger) work for Lou.

This tries to be a noirish crime drama. It never gets to feel real. From the bullet onwards, there are obvious questions left hanging. There are jumps in logic. There are easy conveniences. Then there is Nicolas Cage. His is a fake character gone too far. He's insane bothering on a cartoon. The movie stops being a real thing. Everything is in question and Joe is too dumb in not asking them. The con becomes a mess and none of it matters. The whole movie is a mess.

DEADFALL (R) - Vidmark Video (Original 1994 VHS distributor):

You'd think a cast of pro actors (Michael Biehn, Nicholas Cage, Sarah Trigger, Peter Fonda, James Coburn, Mickey Dolenz, Clarence Williams III, Charlie Sheen, Rene Estevez and PHANTASM heavy Angus Scrimm), and a famous daddy to guide him, Christopher Coppola (sone of Francis and director of the better-forgotten 1985 opus DRACULA'S WIDOW) would have no trouble pulling off a neat little GRIFTERS-style caper flick. Instead, he's pulled abominably inconsistent performances out of many in the cast (Cage is cosmically unrestrained) and proven himself one of the most talentless, non-descript son-of-a-directors ever to sit behind a camera. I give it a 1.

I can't believe I've never seen this gem of a bad movie. For starters, it's the most over the top Nicholas Cage role Nicholas Cage has ever played. If he was at 11 in Wicker Man, he's at like a 23 in this, yet somehow it never made any of the "best of Cage" videos on YouTube. It's also got James Coburn, Peter Fonda, Charles Wainright III ("Linc" from Mod Squad), Michael Constantine, Talia Shire, and even a small part by Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees.

Then just when you think it can't get any weirder, they hit you with Charlie Sheen and - wait for it - Angus Scrimm. who actually has a bigger part here than in Phantasm.

They were going for noir, but ended up making an unintentional parody of noir. Very entertaining if you like that sort of thing.

This film has to be the worst part that Nicolas Cage has ever played and he's lucky to still be in the film industry after having done it! In my opinion, his other worst film in (not necessarily acted) is Snake Eyes. I found it to be boring, a re-scripted plot and seriously lacking in action (as depicted by the trailers). Other than that, he's one of the industries best actors.