GBW #80: Cage Match Vol. 3: Despite All My Rage (Mandy / Willy's Wonderland / The Wicker Man [2006])

Hello, and welcome to another episode of The Good, The Bad, and The What!? The show in which we discuss three films that we have deemed "good," "bad," or "what!?" within a subgenre, theme, motif, director or actor's filmography, and more! This week, Chris and Ryan dive back into their mutually-favorite subject in Nicolas Cage for the third iteration of "Cage Match." In this edition, we discuss films that hinge on the famous Nicolas Cage "freakout" moment. We start with Panos Cosmatos' 2018 doom metal mood piece "Mandy," with both hosts noting that it was one of their respective favorite moviegoing experiences, specifically for the "freakout" moment, which showcases some of the best acting of Cage's career. That and it's just one beautiful, brutal picture. Then, we move into the 2021 stinker "Willy's Wonderland," which clearly never made it past the cocktail napkin pitch of "A mute Nicolas Cage fights animatronics." Finally, we move into what was perhaps the start of the meme-ification of Nicolas Cage, which is Neil LaBute's 2006 remake of "The Wicker Man." While neither of us will go to bat for the film as being a misunderstand gem, we both agree there's at least a bit more going on than just the infamous "NOT THE BEES!" tirade. You can find this and future episodes on our website thegoodbadwhat.com. You can subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Anchor.fm, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and more! Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or just want to say hello. You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram @thegoodbadwhat. You can also like us on Facebook. Our logo comes from Michelle Parkos, and our theme music comes from Paco.