This is a fun read that gives you a lot of information about Cage, which I was excited about since I didn't know a lot about his personal life. However at times it reads very much like a dissertation or long paper. Which I know most books are but I feel like it was missing a spark of some sort to make the words come alive and become more like a story I was being told and not a list of all the movies Cage was in and what he did in each. I still loved reading it but some parts were a chore.

If you love Hollywood stories this is for you. It’s four decades of Hollywood told in relation to Nic Cage’s career and it’s so interesting.

The audiobook is a great listen. So good I may have listened to it in one day oops. And on top of that the author gives you a ranking of Cage’s movies that is better than Rotten Tomatoes. Give it a listen today!!

I certainly didn't expect this book to blow my socks off but it's still extremely weird. The first 20% is about the Coppolas, which, while relevant (and more interesting that Cage, honestly) is not *that* important to Cage's journey as an actor. Then the author just spends a lot of time putting their own opinion in as if it's fact- saying Con-Air was subpar, or that Cage brought nothing to certain roles. Just weird. I expected more of a biography and while it's technically that, I feel like I could write this book with a few weeks time and access to Wikipedia.

I think another reviewer nailed this book when they wrote that it "sticks to the facts." It's much more of a serious overview of Cage and his work than I expected. I was imagining something more in line with the Bill Murray and Christopher Walken books released by Quirk Books -- informative, but in a short, digestible format. Fun. Bullet points, sidebars, the whole works. The audiobook, at least, was competently narrated. This might be the Nicholas Cage book other readers are looking for -- it's certainly the most exhaustive.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works.

I didn't know that I needed this, but I was completely engrossed and entertained. Nicolas Cage is definitely a bit of a cultural phenomenon/meme in and of himself, but this book took him and his career seriously and analyzed how his roles have developed and changed (for better or worse) over time.

Coming off of Alicia Malone's book, Girls on Film, I was really looking forward to reading another film biography. I love Nic Cage so I looked forward to seeing him and his work through another's eyes. Unfortunately, while I found the subject matter very interesting, the execution was pretty dry.

It's not a bad book, just not a wildly well-written one. It's very by the numbers which, when writing about Nic Cage's career, is a disappointing choice to make. I think this book would have benefited from being less of a serious look at the film industry and including more of the author's personal experiences with Cage and his films. The most interesting chapter is the last one where the author mentions the time he interviewed Nic Cage.

The book tries to do too much and suffers for it. Often it reads as a 6 Degrees of Nicholas Cage book, giving career backgrounds of the writers or directors Nic worked with in order to show just how they wound up working with Nic. Sometimes those threads worked to add something to the book as a whole, but more frequently they felt unnecessary.

I would have preferred a book with more heart to it, more connection. As it is, it is a fine historical documentation of Cage's career as it fits within the larger framework of 4 decades of cinema, but it's not a particularly entertaining read, which is a shame.

The audio narrator was fine, but by the end I was listening at 1.5x speed because the delivery was dry and boring.

*there is a throwaway line in one of the last chapters, which takes a potshot at the last decade of Bruce Willis' career. Given recent revelations about Bruce's struggles with aphasia and how that has likely affected his acting, that line (which adds nothing to the book beyond a sense of meanness) should probably be edited out of future or current editions if possible.

I love Nicholas cage in national treasure but this was a little too serious and career driven for me.

I'm a huge Nicolas Cage fan so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Thankfully Net Galley and the publisher decided to give me a free ALC to enjoy.

The good in this is that I learned quite a bit about Nicolas Cage and have come to appreciate him even more. This book doesn't go too in depth but it does touch a little on each part of his career.

The downside is that the author seems to get distracted by talking about other people. I don't need the history of Michael Bay and it did nothing to advance Cage's story. This happens quite a bit and gets distracting. Also I would much rather the author give each movie its own time in the spotlight but he barely mentions some films and it feels like its because he didn't like them. Well maybe some of us DID like Gone is 60 Seconds thank you.

That being said this was still a good read that made me want to revisit some older Cage movies and look upon his lesser films in a nicer light. This is a good book for Cage fans.

A great book for any Cage fan or movie fan in general. This took us from his very first bit parts as Nicholas Coppola in Rumble Fish to his first major role as Nicholas Cage in Valley Girl, one of my favorite movies, and beyond, through each movie of his career.

Not only did it discuss the effect he had on the movies and the movie world, we learned about his troubles with women and much more. It isn't quite a biography, but it does give us a bit of insight into his career, which is nice because Cage is a very private person and does not give many interviews.

The narrator was clear and concise, but sometimes got a bit monotoned and dry, but otherwise, the audiobook was a great listen and I really enjoyed it.

What an unexpected pleasure this turned out to be. Fun read and incredibly informative. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Thank you to Tantor Audio and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook for review in return for an honest opinion.

Age of Cage provides a deep look into the filmography of Nicholas Cage as well as the movie trends of the late 1970s to today. Nicholas Cage has a career spanning four decades with over a hundred films. Ranging from zany to action-packed, then on to the depths of human suffering and the heights of depravity. His characters show a range that is unseen in any other modern actor. All these factors make Nicholas Cage the perfect subject when discussing the films and trends that shaped modern cinema.

I could not stop once I started this audiobook. Keith Phipps's in-depth antidotes create a layered step-by-step history of Cage's career. Where one might see a decision as odd, Phipps explains why certain film projects were accepted and others turned down. By the end of the book, I found myself with a new appreciation for Cage's work. A must-read for any cinephile.

Absolutely fantastic. Hate or love his movies, Nicholas Cage has had an impact on Hollywood and this novel is an easy gateway into that impact. This is not an in-depth biography but a look into the trends of Hollywood movies within the four decade career of Nic Cage, the author states this right off the bat and it is very appreciated. The audiobook is great, the narrator and production is smooth.

I did pick out one mistake, in Con Air- Casey Poe the daughter to receive the plush bunny, not a son. Doesn't change how great the book is, no one should just have the information on the top of their head.

I initially requested Age Of Cage thinking the book was a biography of Nicolas Cage. My curiosity about Nicolas Cage goes beyond his movies. However, Phipps clearly states in the introduction that Age Of Cage is not a biography but about movie trends, industry changes, and various “hot” genres seen through Nicolas Cage’s four-decade career.

With expectations reset for the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the walk through movie history! Cage unconventionally navigated the movie landscape, making choices that at times seemed cavalier but successfully paid off and at other times seemed to safe but were doomed from the start. I loved learning how other actors/directors during the same periods also navigated the landscape and saw their own successes and failures.

Anyone who loves movies, considers themselves a movie buff, or wants a bit of movie anthology will thoroughly enjoy Age Of Cage, regardless of your thoughts on Cage. But if you are like me and have a morbid curiosity about this iconic movie figure, the book pleasantly offers more details surrounding his decades-long career.

Reads like the script to a documentary...or a really long school report biography. Wasn't bad, just think it coulda been better. Definetely seemed to stick to the facts and I liked how it went chronologically.

I just finished listening to Age of Cage by Keith Phipps. Age of Cage follows non other than Nicolas Cages' four decade career through Hollywood. I loved learning about Cage's career especially his early career and marriages, but I felt there were too many tangents about other Hollywood Stars and I had to remember where we were in Cage's career when we returned to him. This book did make me want to do a full Cage-a-thon! Thank you Net Galley and Keith Phipps for a great listen. My review is also posted on Instagram @teritalksbooks

Thank you to the publisher Tantor Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

The Age of Cage is an appropriately titled, high-level look at the evolution of the movie industry as told through the life of a single actor - the enigmatic Nicolas Cage. However, this book purposely avoids delving too deeply into Nic Cage’s personal life, beyond discussing his poor financial decisions and the nepotism that allowed him a foot in the Hollywood door in the first place. It really is a straightforward, but sincere, analysis of the tumultuous direction of his career in the film industry. His fall from grace, if you will.

I came into this as someone who has only seen a smattering of his blockbuster action hits (i.e. National Treasure), some of his very bad recent takes (i.e. The Knowing), and compilations of his manic acting on YouTube. I was born after the period of his major accolades, in the era of his extravagant spending on presence in the media as not a serious actor but a serious mess. So I can say I learned a lot not only about the extensive and hugely varied list of films under his belt, but what those films reflected of the time in which they were made. I don't think anything here is going to leave a lasting impact on me as factoid that will stick in my mind, however. But that's more a function of my disinterest in Hollywood in general.

Overall, I think this book works well as a bird’s eye view of the film industry and the changing demands of a consumer audience. It’s not for dedicated fans of Nicolas Cage who are already intensely familiar with the films discussed. Nor is it for those looking for more information on the man himself, on any level either than his filmography list. As someone who doesn’t have a strong interest in film, or film criticism this wasn’t my preference for a non-fiction read. But I think this is an easily digestible, clever approach to a discussion on the rapidly changing demands of the everyday movie-goer.

For me, I could have lived my entire life not knowing Nicolas Cage was offered the role of Aragorn in LOTR, an image that will haunt me for time untold.

Nicholas Cage. If you’re a film fan, odds are you have a strong opinion of him one way or another. Personally, though appreciating his deviation from the norm, I can’t say I’ve enjoyed his work overall. That, however, didn’t stop me from picking up this book, because as a movie enthuaist, I always want to know more.

Age of Cage explores the actor’s work, explores reasons why he’s endured for 40+ years, and shares a lot about film history in the last few decades through his filmography. I loved anecdotes from the sets of his films, and the exploration of how he made a name for himself apart from his family’s famous name gave me a new appreciation for this cult icon. If you like movies at all or have any interest in the film industry, I definitely recommend it, whether you’re a Cage fan or not. It’s out next week where ever you get your books.

The Age of Cage is a profile of Nicholas Cage's four decade-long career, and to a lesser extent, it is a lens for looking at the changes in the film industry, the world outside of film, how production studios and audiences have evolved, how genres have risen/fallen/combined in movies, and how other actors have kept relevant (or not) over similarly long careers. 

The book starts with Cage both struggling against his Coppola legacy and yet continuing to work with his family, which sends mixed messages. As his career took off separate from the Coppola name, the walk through his filmography was a real reminder of how, despite being a more recent meme star and absent from theatrical releases, Nick Cage has never "phoned in" an acting job. Some of his character choices have been really out of the box, even over the top, and sometimes in just outright bad movies, but he has completely dedicated himself to each role and could never be accused of taking an apathetic approach to a character. This is backed up by the backstage stories in the book of his character prep and Method dedication to a part, such as when he once had four teeth removed for a role and then refused to unbandage his face until filming started. 

I appreciate the nuanced breakdown of some of Cage's on-screen choices, but when talking about his career at large or the experience of working with him, I do wish this volume would have used more first-person content. It would have been nice to hear original content from his costars and those involved in Cage's career (if not Cage himself). The style of the book is very journalistic but relies on secondary sources, or at least it seems like all of the quotes are taken from existing sources, but it isn't made clear. While it contains a lot of interesting information, there's a lack of personal connection or intimacy in the book. 

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy of this audiobook to review.

Age of Cage
by Keith Phipps
Pub Date: March 29, 2022
Henry Holt and Co
Thanks to the Author, Publisher, and NetGalley for this audio ARC. I loved it!
Icon. Celebrity. Artist. Madman. Genius.

Nicolas Cage is many things, but love him, or laugh at him, there's no denying two things: you’ve seen one of his many films, and you certainly know his name. But who is he, really, and why has his career endured for over forty years, with more than a hundred films, and birthed a million memes?
I recommend this to his fans and people who want to know more about him.
4 stars