I am not the type of fan this book was made for. Its really just a biography that focuses mostly on his years as an actor and the films he made. It's not a bad read but I think it fits better for people who are really big fans of Nic Cage.

This was a fun read into such an interesting character: Nic Cage, who has both swept the hearts of critics and audiences alike. This book take a look as to why he is such a captivating character and why, even through his worst movies, we can't look away. For the fans of Nic Cage & books about the captivating of his characters.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book achieves everything it sets out to do as far as the scope of a popular book rather than an academic text will allow. Highly recommend for everyone!

An engaging read that I enjoyed as the (I assume) 1% of people who have (now "had") never seen a Nicolas Cage movie! I just love books like this, and was eager to dive in to this intriguing star. I enjoyed Phipps detail over Cage's work, specifically Cage's commitment and interpretations behind each role that I have not been embarking on my own Cageathon, tackling all the films. And THAT really is the gift that keeps on giving!

I am a huge Nicholas Cage fan, or at least I thought I was before reading Age of Cage. I had very little awareness of his early work, so this was very interesting to read about and gave me a great reason to go and find some of the earlier Cage movies, or at least clips on YouTube. This book gets into the background of the decisions made by Cage and quotes a lot of interviews that Nicholas Cage has given over the years to help fill in the gapes. I enjoyed this book very much, but take that with a grain of salt as I’m a big movie fan and history fan, so this fits into my breadbox. This could be viewed as drawn out and long winded and unnecessary to analyze a movie stars movie choices while he is still making movies. I hope that when the sun has set on Cage and his career we will get an updated version of this book.

Age of cage was a boring book about cage career I am not a big fan Nicolas movies I thought this book would better !!

This is a great book for movie fans like me. I had forgotten about all the different roles Nicholas Cage has played over the years and it was a delight to revisit. It is clear the author appreciates Cage's talents but this is not a hagiography. I loved Cage in Raising Arizona and was surprised to find out that they wanted to cast Kevin Costner -- can't even imagine! The chapter on Peggy Sue Gets Married begins with this line that made me laugh out loud - "They wanted a prom king. He gave them a Claymation horse." His career has had many ups and downs and I want to go back and watch some of his classic roles such as in Wild at Heart, Adaptation, Red Rock West. In the beginning of the book, Phipps writes about his envy about seeing his Uncle Francis Ford Coppola's lavish spread up in Napa Valley (of course not knowing how deeply in debt he was) and vowed to take revenge by buying up a lot of properties and spending lavishly. Ultimately, he too runs into money troubles At the end of the book, the author reminds us that Cage had been cast to play Joe Exotic "The Tiger King" - a role he would be absolutely perfect for but alas, this film is no longer in development. This was a fun and quick read about Nicholas Cage's career in the context of changes in Hollywood over the decades.

Couldn’t get in to this one but I did read all of the movies cage started in. Wow - I honestly hadn’t even heard of most! He certainly is prolific!

I've been intrigued by Nicolas Cage for years and LOVED reading about his 40 year career in Hollywood. The various anecdotes added depth to the story of Cage's career and I very much enjoyed this read!

Terrific overview of Cage’s one-of-a-kind career. The best surprise is author Phipps uses Cage’s trajectory as a vehicle to talk about the changes in Hollywood over the years, putting Cage squarely in context of those changes, and painting him as a man without an artistic country in modern-day moviemaking.

I perversely wish Phipps had spent more time on the couple dozen straight-to-video performances - are there jewels there? Is there an artistic through-line through this apparent second-rate material? I also wish it brought us to Cage’s amazing performance in Pig - I guess we wait for the paperback supplement.

In any event, a thoughtful, well-written guide through this unique artist’s work.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and insights on Cage’ acting style and where his movies fit into the stream of recent Hollywood history. Nonetheless, I wanted to read more about Cage’s personal life though I am aware that that was not the subject of the book. For the Cage compulsive reader.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Henry Holt & Company for an advanced copy of this entertainment and biographical critique.

The world, especially the entertainment world, used to be far simpler place, but the one thing that has remained constant is that somehow, someway Nicolas Cage is making a movie. Good or bad is not the question, the big question is wht kind of Cage can we expect in whatever movie shows up in queue that day. Con Air Cage or Pig Cage. Both are memorable, though for different reasons. Keith Phipps in his book Age of Cage: Four Decades of Hollywood Through One Singular Career takes a look at the career, films and roles, of this most singular actor, and of the many changes that Hollywood and the entertainment industry have seen and experienced throughout this time.

The book starts with a biography of the man born Nicolas Coppola in 1964, where he came from, a bit about the famous family whose last name he shares, early roles and his ideas on acting. From there it is movie role after movie role with brief descriptions of the movies, the roles, what he passed up and and what he was passed over. An amazing body of work, that it is amazing that it is the same actor. Rumblefish, The Rock, Raising Arizona, other movies that don't begin with R's. At the same time Phipps examines what was happening in Hollywood, and the changes that were affecting the entertainment industry; pay scales for actors, the lack of small films, independent films growth and fall, the rise of the tent-pole and franchise films, the coming of streaming and Video-on-Demand. The career of Cage fits quite well in the changing landscape of La-La Land.

Not a bio, not a gossip book, though their has been much about Cage that is perfect fodder for the gossip mills. The book is more of a study on how Hollywood changed around one actor who had the ability to adapt and change with it, who kept working as avenues opened and closed, and always tried to do his best, even when his best wasn't worth the material given. The book is loaded with a lot of behind the scenes and making of information about many of Cage's films, with a lot of interesting points and comments about both Cage and the industry. The book flows well and never bogs down, a nice smooth piece of writing.

"I am big. It's the pictures that grew small". This line from Sunset Boulevard sums up Mr. Cage career. Even in dreck he tried to make it good, and his only real crime is that he liked to work, in fact needed to work, financially and psychologically. I've long enjoyed his work, The Rock, Red Rock West, Raising Arizona, heck Con Air was good, usually when Cage was on the screen. And Pig, that's a new favorite. It is good to see a person who likes what they do, and has done well at it, do what they do. A very interesting different look at Hollywood. No villains, just a hero who wants to make movies. Recommended for movie fans, and for creative type who want to know that there are people who really do full out for their craft, and eventually eating cockroaches won't be the only thing you are remembered for.

I just finished Age of Cage by Keith Phipps. Typically, this isn’t the type of book that I’m drawn to read. It’s not a biography. Instead it’s a timeline compiled by the author of Mr. Cage and his choice of movie projects during his life and already published reasons for making of these movies. I’ve always been a Cage fan and shall continue to be one. I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of The Age of Cage and I have to say it did not disappoint! I wanted to say, Pass the Popcorn with each new chapter. Keith Phipps deftly pulls back the curtain on the artistic decisions an actor bravely can choose as with Cage. I greatly appreciated how he did not exploit or sensationalize any aspect of Cage’s personal life and remained true to keeping the focus on his road as an artist. Any time I see a Cage film from a personal favorite, Peggy Sue Got Married, I would look forward to what he specifically would bring to the film and do with the character. Genuinely enjoyed this and highly recommend and also hope author Phipps feels empowered to write on more artists in this fun and enlightening style..

This is a nonfiction story about Nicolas Cage and his life in films. This is a well written story that the author brings Cage's life to life on each page. He is an actor that I have loved watching for years so I was excited to pick up this book. A story that won't disappoint and is hard to put down. It is a fast paced book that will keep you engaged and is entertaining. I enjoyed watching the growth throughout. This is a must read book for anyone who enjoys Nicolas Cage and wants to see behind the scenes in a sense. I highly recommend this book, it truely is a great book.

This is a fascinating look at Nicolas Cage, his films, and the world of Hollywood and films that surrounds him. Charting a course through history with a center of Cage and his films, Phipps explores Cage's films, the man himself, and how Cage's films chart the changes that have happened in Hollywood. This was a fun look at both Cage & the film industry.

I am a big fan of Nicolas Cage. This book was terrific as a fan of his and as a movie buff in general. Age of Cage by Keith Phipps talks about Nicolas Cage himself, his movies and the actors, directors and other movies of the times to give you the big picture and influences on him. It is very informative and entertaining. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a light and fun exploration of Nicholas Cage’s strange and diverse acting career. This is enjoyable for even a casual Cage fan, such as myself. I hope to have a Cage movie marathon weekend at some point in the near future where I watch some of my old faves ands give some other flicks of his a try!

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for proving an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not sure how this book ended up in my reading queue, as I’m not some huge Nicolas Cage fan. I’ve seen a handful of his movies and have given him very little thought outside of them. I’m not even sure why anyone thought a whole book about Nicolas Cage movies was needed. It’s not a biography; more an accounting of all the movies he’s acted in, his motivation behind taking certain roles, mixed with a little of what was going on in his personal life at different times.
Cage is not interviewed for the book; all quotes are dug up from other sources so there really isn’t anything new offered.
That being said, this book was surprisingly entertaining, although I’m having trouble pinpointing exactly why. I guess I enjoy movies and I enjoy reading so reading about movies was pretty alright.
I had no idea that he’s been in so many films, and I probably wouldn’t have watched most of them even if I had heard of them. The book did make me want to rewatch a few of his movies, but that’s mainly because I just like those movies anyway.
Thanks to #netgalley and #henryholtandcompany for this ARC of #ageofcage in exchange for an honest review.

This book excellently serves as a career retrospective of Nicolas Cage, but also of the movie industry over the last 40 years (which I particularly liked). Just like the Next Picture Show podcast, the context is provided and even Cage is buffeted by the winds that change Hollywood. I hadn't thought much about Cage's career as a totality, but this book gave me a new appreciation for his movies. Now I have some new stuff to watch.