If there is one movie with which to introduce the crazy that is Nicholas Cage, I’d like to nominate his masterpiece Vampire’s Kiss. I cannot stress enough how much I adore this movie but I will say that my metal armor of hatred for Nick Cage now has a little ding in it. Cage plays Peter Loew, a literary agent turned lunatic and possible vampire in this black comedy penned by Joseph Minion, who also wrote Scorceses’s After Hours. After a night of soul searching at a nightclub Loew meets Rachel (Jennifer Beals), a mysterious woman who leaves him with more than a hickey. A thirst for blood, some increasingly erratic behavior and a newfound appreciation for wearing sunglasses inside. One night stands aren’t always easy!
Before this encounter he was already a bit of a spazz: terrorizing an innocent secretary at the office and drifting in an out of an indistinguishable accent (Possibly British?). Vampire’s Kiss reminded me a little of American Psycho in that everyone and no one notices or seems too alarmed by Loew’s ridiculous behavior. “He’s so eccentric!” a coworker whispers. Lady, you have no idea. There are moments and facial expressions that have to be seen to believed. And someone needs to turn the best dialogue into a soundboard or perhaps a ringtone in time for Halloween (see:”I’m a Vampiyah! I’m a Vampiyah!” scene). Scratch that, I want it for always.
