Shoot The Hostage

Hello, fellow Cage-o-philes! This week, we're almost at the end of our Nicolas Cage season with Panos Cosmatos’s 2018 hallucinatory masterpiece, Mandy.... Sarah was pushing hard for this one, and Dan caved, so buckle up!

In this episode, we're diving deep into the gory, stylized world of Mandy (2018). Expect plenty of Nicolas Cage appreciation, Andrea Riseborough stanning, and Richard Brake love.... We'll be dissecting everything from the film's stunning visuals to its exploration of grief and revenge.

We’ll also be exploring how Panos Cosmatos directs and creates a visually striking and memorable film and try to figure out WTF is up with the Cheddar Goblin.... Plus, we may or may not go on a tangent about evil triangles.

So, strap yourself in you unholy abominations and witness the Rage of Cage!

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

Get ready for another dive into the weird and wonderful world of Nicolas Cage. This time with a bonus Werner Herzog to bring Nic Cage crashing back down to Earth in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009).

Is this a remake of the Abel Ferrara movie or was it just a cynical attempt to cash in on a well-known title? What is the plot of this film? IS THERE a plot to this film? Why is Nic Cage doing a voice… sometimes? And why are reptiles a major part of this movie?

All that plus the question: Is there a Nicolas Cage character you would have a drink with?

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

This week on Shoot a Hostage, Dan and Sarah are diving headfirst into the cinematic mess that is Neil Labute's 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, starring everyone's favorite wild card, Nicolas Cage.

You might be asking yourself why we would subject ourselves (and you, dear listener) to such a film, and frankly, so were we. But curiosity, as they say, killed the cat, and in this case, nearly killed our brains

We're not gonna lie, The Wicker Man (2006) has a reputation for being, well, terrible. With a 3.8 on IMDb and a measly 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s certainly not winning any awards. But is it so bad it's good? Or is it just plain bad? We'll try to figure that out, while dissecting the bizarre choices made by the creators and whether or not it was intended to be a comedy.

Not the bees!

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

Welcome back for another episode in Dan’s “Coming of Cage” season.

This week we’re taking a gamble with Brian De Palma’s 1998 neo-noir thriller Snake Eyes, starring, of course, everybody’s favourite national treasure, Nicolas Cage.

Strap in for a ride through Atlantic City as we witness Cage’s charismatic but corrupt detective, Rick Santoro, unravel a sinister conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. We dissect that legendary opening one-take sequence, analysing De Palma’s signature style and cinematography.

Be prepared for hot takes on terrible shirts, questionable romances and a certain tidal wave that should have made it into the final cut of the film.  

It’s fight night baby!

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

This week Dan and Sarah take a deep dive into John Woo's 1997 masterpiece of mayhem, Face/Off.

Strap yourselves in as they dissect the film's ludicrous plot, gravity-defying action sequences, and the career-defining performances of Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.

Dan makes a valiant attempt to untangle the film's convoluted science while Sarah ponders the logistical nightmare of swapping all body parts. They also discuss the film's questionable family dynamics and debate whether it's acceptable to introduce your foster child to the joys of face swapping.

Plus, Dan delves into the murky depths of Nic Cage Facts, revealing just how close Cage came to donning the Superman suit and how many times he's walked down the aisle. (Spoiler alert: it's more than you think!)

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

Welcome to The Rock!

This week Dan is making Sarah watch one of his childhood favourite movies, The Rock (1996) for the second instalment in his “Coming of Cage” season.

Tune in to see if Sarah agrees with Dan on this being peak Michael Bay and whether Alcatraz does indeed have a subway underneath. We also talk about the huge cast of actors including Sean Connery, Ed Harris, William Forsythe, Tony Todd, Bokeem Woodbine and Claire Forlani.

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

Coming of Cage!

This week on Shoot The Hostage, Dan and Sarah sink their teeth into the batshit world of Vampire's Kiss (1988) starring Nicolas Cage.

Is he a vampire? Is he insane? Does he like bats, plastic fangs, and cockroaches? (Yes, he eats a real one). Is Jennifer Beals a figment of his imagination? And did this movie directly inspire Bret Easton Ellis and Christian Bale for American Psycho? Dan and Sarah dive deep into the glorious weirdness of this film and explore the possible meaning behind Vampires Kiss. Plus, three freaky facts about Nicolas Cage.

Season 9 runs until 24th February. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | X | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

We started a tradition last year and today we continue that tradition. Yes we're back to talk about the best films of 2024. 

Make yourself a drink and strap in for our 2024 end of year show. In a similar format to last year, we talk about the year in film, offer our separate top 5 lists, attempt to come up with a combined top 5 and talk about some of the worst films of 2024. We also take a look at 2025 upcoming movies. 

We also hand out our Jason Statham King of Turds award and make it through the whole ep without spoilers. 

Season 9 (Coming of Cage) begins Jan 6th 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

As we have reached the end of another year, we thought it would be fun to release a whole episode with some of our favourite moments from recording in 2024. 

We covered 5 themes over the year and a total 42 movies. If you avoided any of the episodes for fear of spoilers, fear not, there are no spoilers here. Just a bunch of clips from moments that made us laugh. 

We'll be back with our new season covering 8 Nic Cage movies which begins on January 6th. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

We will be back with a brand new season very shortly. Join us on January 6th where we begin our journey through 8 Nicolas Cage movies. This here is a little teaser to get you in the mood. The first movie we're covering is Vampires Kiss and in a slight change of format, this time we're going chronological. 

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 9? The only place we announce our schedule is over on Patreon and you don't even need to be a paying member. Just sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup. If you have some change rattling around in your pocket, we have a £3.00 a month tier where you'll get access to around 90 movie reviews plus all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-8.   

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.  

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube