Trying to impress that edgy outsider chilling in the corner at the party? Looking for something to talk about with your cool uncle at the family bonfire? Grew up homeschooled in a cult with no electricity? Whatever your excuse is, let’s face the facts, you’re never gonna see all the flicks you’ve been shamed for missing to this point. You can either crawl up in a ball and cry yourself to sleep, or you can take our class and get the education you need to help arm you for the future.

This week’s subject is Nicolas Cage, also known as Cager, Nic Cage, Nicolas Coppola and Cameron Poe. His contributions to cinema are countless, and for me his actions and words speak louder than Spinal Tap plays guitar. He uses this voice to preach individuality, freedom and personal style, and for this, he should be respected.

Homework: Watch these 6 Nicolas Cage diamonds and you’ll have street cred with those wise enough to comprehend his true genius and a foundation to determine just how deep you want to explore into the dark netherworlds of the Cage catalogue.

Valley Girl (1983)

What??? You haven’t seen Valley Girl yet? You are so totally lucky because no matter how many times you end up watching it, the subsequent viewings will for sure never be quite like the first one. Outside of a bit part in the spiritual prequel, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Valley Girl was the first time Nicolas Cage graced us with his presence on the silver screen and this time around he’s a great big shining star. Set to one of the most killer soundtracks of all time, Cage plays the Romeo archetype; in this case it’s a punk from the city in love with a suburban mall rat played by mega babe Deborah Foreman (an 80’s icon on her own merit). Cage commands throughout and sends some pretty solid messages about pursuing what brings you happiness and not worrying what other people think about you. He also breaks down the common stereotype by showing it’s possible to be cool and to be punk without being a dick. No matter what side of the tracks you come from Valley Girl is the perfect late-night conversation starter that reminds you nobody is going to tell Cage who he can score with. Go get her, Cage.

Raising Arizona (1987)

Nicolas Cage is paired up with the Coen brothers in cooler than cool Matthew McConnaughey’s most watched movie of all time. Do you really need any more motivation than that? Probably not, but here’s some for you anyway. Cage plays a recently convicted prisoner (H.I.) who’s smitten with Ed (Holly Hunter), the sparky police officer snapping his mugshots at a county lockup before he heads off to prison. In prison Cage embraces the camaraderie, gets paroled and robs the Short Stop convenience store upon release, only to be reconnected with Ed for the next round of photos. Back in prison Cage enjoys his reunion, but determines it’s not for him, so he plays by the rules and gets paroled, only to hold up the Short Stop once again. Back in prison he can think of nothing but Ed, and in another 8 months he’s out of the slammer and proposing to her. They get married right away and work hard to bring a baby into the world. Sadly, Ed has fertility issues and H.I.’s criminal past won’t allow for an adoption, so they decide to kidnap a baby from a recent batch of quintuplets… and that’s just the first 11 minutes!!! Why is Raising Arizona on the list? I think you’ve got to see what a controlled Cage looks like, and legend has it the Coen brothers were as strict with his artistic liberties as any of the filmmakers he ever worked with. The Coen’s vision and Cage’s contributions make for a time capsule that still warms the heart to this day.

Vampire’s Kiss (1988)

Ready to see Cage unleash the beast and go completely bananas? This is the flick where he turns it up. Vampire’s Kiss has made a moderate resurgence into pop-culture conversations, largely due to its scenes stealing the show in arguably the greatest YouTube clip compilation of all time: Nicolas Cage Losing His Shit. Between teaching you the ABC’s, munching on cockroaches and letting the streets of New York know he’s a vampire, Cage creates a character that captures the essence of an egomaniac, coke-riddled, over privileged, yuppie elite and somehow, he does it with charm. While it’s an incredibly similar persona to American Pyscho’s Patrick Bateman, Cage’s twist on the “80’s business cutthroat losing grip with reality” takes the form of a vampire. Comically inspired by Orlok in Nosferatu (1922), Cage’s lurching mannerisms and impeccable dance moves coupled with his faux British accent and overwhelming insecurities from being a creature of the night take over the back half of the movie, ensuring it finishes strong. After being cooped up by the Coen brothers in Raising Arizona, Cage uses the opportunity to hot-dog, showing off his range and daring directors to give him these creative liberties again. If you’re looking for ways to release your weird, watching this film can open some gates that most of your friends might want you to keep closed. You’ve just got to ask yourself, what would Cage do?

Wild At Heart (1990)

Nicolas Cage is so obsessed with Elvis Presley. He’s so obsessed that he married Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie just to see the King’s bedroom at Graceland. He’s so obsessed that he’s one of the largest collectors of Elvis memorabilia and he’s so obsessed that any opportunity he gets to summon Elvis on screen, he takes. Fortunately, we get to witness this obsession and one of his best portrayals is the crooning Sailor Ripley in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. At the same time, it appears David Lynch has a little thing for the Wizard of Oz. Enough so that he made his own feature length version of it and it’s called Wild at Heart. Watch Nicolas “Snakeskin Scarecrow” Cage scorch his way across America’s yellow brick road in one of Lynch’s most linear films. You’re gonna learn a lot of life lessons with this one; some are subtle, some hit you like a shotgun to the face. When it’s all said and done, you need to ask yourself one question: do you have a jacket that represents a symbol of your individuality and your belief in personal freedom?

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

You’ve watched a few Cage flicks and your know-it-all friend is questioning your newfound admiration? Well, if you’re ready to move on to a new topic, Leaving Las Vegas is your mic drop. Sure, it’s been used countless times before in similar scenarios to give Cage the credit he deserves, but if you’re dealing with someone who simply can’t understand the man, then they deserve an equally simple retort. I’m not an awards guy, and my guess is that Cage cares even less, but he did win an Oscar for Best Actor in Leaving Las Vegas, which is an indicator he can be good at his job. Legends have it that Cage went full on method acting for the role of an alcoholic drinking himself to death in Las Vegas by slugging glasses of vodka before takes and hiring a drinking coach to inspire his authenticity. When you get to the scene in the casino where Cage flips the table, just know that he doesn’t remember shooting it because he was blacked out at the time. The guy takes his job seriously.

Mandy (2018)

We have Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp to thank for Cage’s latest masterpiece. Writer/Director Panos Cosmatos made enough cash working for his dad on the set of Tombstone to fund his first feature film, Beyond the Black Rainbow. The success of that psychedelic slow burn was enough to get Cage connections and with one glimpse of Cosmatos’ equally trippy sophomore feature we can all be grateful those particular stars aligned. After decades balancing overindulgence with underwhelming efforts, Cage comes back to the screen with total commitment. Settled happily off the grid with the girl of his dreams, Cage’s Red lives a poetic existence that comes to a crashing halt when some folks with bad intentions enter his world. Mandy plays out like an acting battle between cult leader Jeremiah (Linus Roache) and vengeance seeking Red (Nicolas Cage), and that’s a battle Cage will win at any cost. He is full on peacocking in the second and third acts, reminding us that it’s not just fine wine that gets better with age. Oh, and if you’ve been missing all those Cheddar Goblin references your friends have been throwing around, this’ll get you back in the loop.

Extra Credit: Can’t get enough Cage? Me neither. Fortunately, he’s got over 100 credits to his name so take some inspiration from the man himself and go buck wild. Below are some of my favorites:

Rumblefish, The Rock, Con Air, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Red Rock West, Face/Off, Moonstruck, Adaptation.

CRASH COURSE: Nicolas Cage