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Nicolas Cage fights to keep scene featuring 'testicle detonators' in what he says is the 'wildest movie' he's ever made

Actor Nicolas Cage describes his provocative new movie, working with visionary director Sion Sono and why he might be done filming big, Hollywood studio movies.

Video transcript

- I would have her return to me post haste. And you, sir, I am told, are the man to do the job.

KEVIN POLOWY: Congrats on this film. It is a wild ride. You've done so many great and eclectic films over the course of your career. What did "Prisoners of the Ghostland" offer you that you'd never gotten to do before?

NICOLAS CAGE: Sion Sono, Sion Sono, Sion Sono. I call him "the warlock of cinema." He's a total artist, and my job was to walk in his world. I wanted to walk around in a Sion Sono vision. I even chose this backdrop because it reminds me of his movie. And my job was to protect that.

I wanted to facilitate his vision, so much so that I was very protective of his cut. It's different, and in the best way. And I had just done '"Pig"-- I call him archangel Michael-- who allowed me to do a very quiet kind of haiku approach to film performance. So I was ready to go back to my more kind of Western kabuki fantasies of what can be done with film performance, more operatic. So when I read the script to Sion Sono's movie, I'm seeing a word like "testicle," I literally wanted to hit it out of the ballpark.

KEVIN POLOWY: I haven't done extensive research on this, but I believe your first film to have testicle detonators. That hurt to watch.

NICOLAS CAGE: It's like, originally they wanted to take that scene out. Even my manager wanted to take it out. And I was like, well, no, because it's kind of like what's happening now. And these are dangerous waters.

But like sexual assault, you want to be very careful. You don't want to offend anybody. You don't want to treat women that way. And I think that scene is kind of like a microcosm of the warning, warning, you know. That's why I thought they should put it back in.

KEVIN POLOWY: I think you've called this your wildest film, right? I mean, that's saying a lot with "Mandy" and such. How much part of the appeal is that, that it is so insane?

NICOLAS CAGE: I had read the script, and I met with Sion Sono. We didn't even make the movie yet. I said it in a magazine. This is going to be the wildest script I've ever made, and that transmogrified into the wildest movie I've ever made. And I stand by that.

I was just excited to be able to be in his vision. And I knew that his vision would be different, and I wanted to play in his world. And I knew, because he had a specific surrealistic vision, that I could also go surrealistic with performance style.

It's no secret that I've tried to challenge the boundaries of what can be done with performance, at great risk. But I've been blessed to work with filmmakers that have allowed me to do it, and I knew that his vision would support that. So coming off of "Pig," it was like, yeah, man, go, man, go. Now let's go back to Western kabuki.

KEVIN POLOWY: Yeah. "Pig," I got to give you a shout-out for that one, too. Loved it. I was at the premiere over there by the 405. That was a great night.

NICOLAS CAGE: I chose that venue, the Newark--

KEVIN POLOWY: Oh, yeah. That's cool.

NICOLAS CAGE: --because I used to go with Crispin Glover to see David Lynch movies as kids.

KEVIN POLOWY: You guys were best friends, right?

NICOLAS CAGE: Yeah, yeah. I said, you got to do it at Newark, man. I don't want to go to-- let's go to the art house cinema, like where I grew up.

KEVIN POLOWY: That's amazing.

NICOLAS CAGE: So I'm glad you were there. We saw it together. I call him Michael, archangel Michael. I always knew-- because I've been doing this now for 43 years, if you can believe that, since I was 15. Actors, we go up and down, hot and cold. It just is. But I always knew that it would take the young, new filmmaker who had maybe grown up with a couple of my movies to kind of rediscover me.

I knew that I had-- I never lost faith that my archangel Michael would show up, and he did. And I'm very thankful for that. And then to get to parlay it into Sion Sono's vision was-- I'm very blessed. Because I work with great people.

KEVIN POLOWY: I want to ask you about bigger picture for a second, because you are on this amazing run of really eclectic, really inspired, unique, singular, independently produced films. Are you done with big Hollywood studio movies? Are you done with this sort of "National Treasure"? I mean, would you do a "Fast and Furious" movie, or have you found your lane here?

NICOLAS CAGE: I think I like my lane. I mean, look, it's all about the script and the director. If there's a studio movie that has a fascinating script that I think I have the emotional content to bring it, I'll do it. But I'm very thankful that I've discovered something with my audience together. We've done it together in independent movies.

I like the oxygen in the room with independent cinema. I like it because it's not a lot of money. And there's more air to try things, experiment. But you got to bring your A game because there's no time, and you can't make mistakes.

Now, a studio movie, some of those movies like "Treasure," they took six months to make. I don't want to knock Jerry. I think Jerry did a lot for me. He was the one that had faith in me that I could even attempt to act like an action hero. That was just a challenge.

People thought, why would he do that after the Oscar with "Leaving Las Vegas"? Well, because it was new. And my job, at my age-- and it's getting harder-- is to stay interested. Because if I lose interest, you're going to lose interest. And I don't want to do that.

I do not phone in a performance. Not once. Even if the auspices around me weren't the best, I always said, you know, not every scene can be great, but I want every scene to be great. But if I can bring two interesting scenes, like an album, like two great rock songs, well, then I'm thankful. And I've been working with people that have allowed me to experiment and play. And I couldn't do it without you. So thank you.