“I’m on TV! I’m on TV!”
Because we all love the scene-stealing LUNACY of a Cage-centered meltdown, especially when his character is named Rick Santoro! Go, Tyler! Go, Tyler! Goooooooooo!
Nic Cage might have won an Oscar for a very subtle performance in Leaving Las Vegas, but that’s ancient history. And, honestly, it’s not really why we love and (dare I say) respect Cage as an actor. I can’t be the only one who loves to see him lose his shit. Like I said, we love the lunatic side of his persona and can usually bank on him LOSING HIS MIND on the screen in whatever B-type picture he stars in. Those moments are EPIC dissolves that provide us glimpses at our own weaknesses and he’s good at handling those moments of sheer cheesiness.
Now, combine that with the B-movie mechanisms of Brian De Palma and you have the recipe for a movie that is probably going to be snubbed left and right due to its sheer INSANITY. Behold, I give you Snake Eyes, which debuted in theaters almost 25 years ago. Written by David Koepp, De Palma’s is a conspiracy thriller like few others due to the involvement of Cage as yet another corrupt police detective who finds himself in the middle of a political scandal involving fake airstrike results and a weak missile defense program.
Oh, and there’s this boxing match that is the central gimmick in the movie which sees heavyweight champion Lincoln Tyler (Stan Shaw) throwing a match to help pay off his debts and Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise), who is a U.S. Navy Commander and best friend to Cage’s character, who - well - I don’t want to completely spoil the experience for you. But, hey, it’s the 1990s so of course Gary Sinise is going to show up and do some UNEXPECTED things. Surprise! Surprise!
This time, though, Cage lives and breathes like all the rest of the LOUNGE LIZARDS in Atlantic City and the movie, with some awesome cinematography from Stephen H. Burum and clever edits from editor Bill Pankow, is made all the better by his CRAZY performance. It’s damn entertaining to see him operate like he actually owns every single piece and parcel in Atlantic City and the movie shimmies and shakes alongside him with unmatched FERVOR.
The plot hinges around an assassination plot involving not one but two FEMME FATALES - the ruby wearing redhead named Serena (Jayne Heitmeyer) and the wig-wearing Julia Costello (Carla Gugino) - who BOTH catch Cage’s eye (and ours) and De Palma, who certainly knows his way around the archetype - succeeds in giving us a movie that is a definite roller coaster of unhinged Cage moments, mixed with long takes, splitscreens, and extortion.
Roll the bones! Snake Eyes, now on blu-ray with a brand new coat of paint (thanks to a GREAT and IMPROVED 4K transfer) and a digital code thanks to Kino Lorber, hasn’t aged one bit!
Home Video Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Available on Blu-ray - May 18, 2021
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 2.0Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
From its sensational opening shot to its atmospheric final showdown, Snake Eyes seethes with inventiveness and suspense! Nicolas Cage (Face/Off) and Gary Sinise (Reindeer Games) star in this acclaimed thriller directed by the master Brian De Palma (Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables) that combines the glitter, glamour and bedlam of a heavyweight championship fight with pulse-pounding mystery and excitement. Cage plays Rick Santoro, a flamboyant Atlantic City police detective who’s come to watch the fight and cash in on the hectic betting action. Suddenly, gunfire cuts down a ringside government official, and 14,000 fans become 14,000 suspects. What eyewitnesses saw, what a casino-wide spycam network reveals and what a mysterious woman in white (Carla Gugino, Sin City) knows—all lead to a shattering truth Santoro does not want to believe. Featuring a tightly wound screenplay by David Koepp (Jurassic Park), music by the great Ryûichi Sakamoto (The Last Emperor) and a knockout cast filled by John Heard, Stan Shaw, Kevin Dunn, Michael Rispoli and Luis Guzmán.
Video:
Remember the prior release of this film on blu-ray? I hope not because it was unwatchable. Paramount FINALLY improves this release thanks to the NEW transfer presented on Kino Lorber’s 2160p, AVC-encoded blu-ray. Everything sparkles like it should and, thanks to the fine details, scenes that were once completely trash - thanks to the DVD copy to Blu-ray - are now 100% better. Black levels are strong. Colors are vibrant. Cage is greasy and slimy and the babes are banging! What’s not to love about this film?
Audio:
Presented in lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, the sound is commanding as we move alongside Cage’s character in this thriller. Everything rings true from the remembered cinematic experience.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- See below for details
Special Features:
DISC ONE (4KUHD):
- Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 16bit 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
- Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
- Brand New HD Master – From a 16bit 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- Theatrical Trailer
- 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
- Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R for some violence.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Brian De Palma
Writer: David Koepp
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, John Heard
Genre: Crime | Thriller
Tagline: He's got 14,000 eyewitnesses and no one saw a thing.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Oh, Monique? Skinny, mean, expensive - I *LOVE* her!"
Theatrical Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: August 7, 1998
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 31, 2024.
Synopsis: Corrupt Atlantic City police officer Rick Santoro and Navy Commander Kevin Dunn join forces to investigate both the assassination of Secretary of Defense Charles Kirkland and the disappearance of a beautiful stranger.
