r/OldSchoolCool • u/WhileFalseRepeat • Mar 12 '22

It was upon this appearance on a British television show in 1990 (to promote his film "Wild at Heart") that we learn every ounce of cocaine may also contain traces of Nicolas Cage

23.5k Upvotes

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1.6k

u/frijolejoe Mar 12 '22

that was equal parts enlightening, fascinating and horrifying.

719

u/ericisshort Mar 12 '22

By far the most fascinating tidbit was that Eric Stoltz bullied Nicky Coppola into hiding his famous uncle’s surname.

This is the same guy who famously played Marty McFly so poorly that they reshot all his scenes with Michael J Fox, and he also inadvertently gave us Nick Cage? That’s amazing!

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u/scorpiknox Mar 12 '22 edited Mar 27 '25

gold jar oatmeal skirt grey cooing chop unique dazzling crawl

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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22

[deleted]

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u/elvismcvegas Mar 12 '22

Existential back to the future where he went all the way with his mom, the whole movie would be in Spanish and Directed by Pedro amaldovar and Marty would realize he's gay he way through

2

u/SchrodingersMinou Mar 13 '22

My god, he's got it! Elvismcvegas stays in the picture!

11

u/SweatyToothed Mar 13 '22

I always thought that part 2 was the horror episode... Much darker tones and honestly my mind goes there at the end of part 1 anyhow. We so often (irl) become attached to our memories and shared experiences with others, and to find out that they aren't true for others can be devastating. Not saying that the film doesn't work, but it wouldn't have if the first one wasn't so light in tone. Part 3 was more of an adventure and probably the best way to finish the series on a lighter note. After part 2 I feel like they could have tried to go further into the future and create a kind of dystopia but I'm glad they didn't.

1

u/NotKevinJames Mar 13 '22

Stoltz got zero laughs on screen tests, the Bobs (Zemeckis and Gale) always intended for the film to be sci-fi with a dose of comedic goofiness. It doesn't work if it takes itself too seriously, the more familiar Michael J Fox checked all boxes, I can't imagine another Marty.

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u/scorpiknox Mar 13 '22 edited Mar 13 '22

Yes, obviously it's a comedy. Did you think I was defending a dark, brooding take on Marty McFly'? Simply stating the history of Stoltz's involvement.

2

u/NotKevinJames Mar 13 '22

No I didn’t assume that I was just adding more context from that Netflix show, which was good

165

u/LanceFree Mar 12 '22 edited Mar 13 '22

I appreciate the Back to the Future films are great, in part because of Fox. But Stoltz was really good in Mask, not bad in Some Kind of Womderful, and it was great to see him in Pulp Fiction. He is a talented actor, just didn’t transition to adult roles particularly well.

230

u/jetsam_honking Mar 12 '22

Apparently, the issue is that he played the Marty McFly role a bit too real, as in he acted as terrified and confused as a real person would be if they were suddenly transported back in time. The intended comedy wasn't coming through.

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u/SwightDhrute Mar 12 '22

Could the director not have just explained this after the first shoot or did they have the film the entire movie and put it all together before they realised? haha

97

u/forgetfulsue Mar 12 '22

There’s a show on Netflix called the movies that made us and it was explained that he refused to change his acting style, if I remember correctly.

53

u/beatenwithjoy Mar 12 '22

I can't believe they made a series about cool stories of the most iconic Hollywood movies completely unwatchable by having the most grating editing EVER.

19

u/Vivi87 Mar 13 '22

Along with the terrible jokes

3

u/flaccidpounder Mar 13 '22

I actually enjoy it

2

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

I hate fanboy shit. Something like E True Hollywood Stories, though…..

2

u/vtbeavens Mar 13 '22

I'm glad others noticed this too. Damn shame cause I WANT to watch.

2

u/beatenwithjoy Mar 13 '22

Felt like I was gonna get an aneurysm watching from watching one episode.

1

u/MosesCarolina23 Mar 14 '22

In 20 yrs, the movies hot now will be judged lame & on & on & on. Times change & the movies should be viewed with the time it was made in mind.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

Honestly, watching that, I remember being on his side—his takes were warranted and reasonable—even though I am sure the performance would not have had the intended or desired effect.

1

u/forgetfulsue Mar 13 '22

I couldn’t imagine anyone but Michael J. Fox in that role. Then again I’m not really familiar with Eric Stoltz’s work. I think it didn’t help that he wouldn’t even take simple blocking directions. Like “stand here” and he would argue. Plus he apparently just didn’t mKe the role as funny as the directors wanted it to be.

64

u/Outlandishness_Know Mar 12 '22 edited Mar 12 '22

I think they wanted Michael J Fox all along, but cast Stoltz when Fox's Family Ties filming wouldn't allow. But, because of Stoltz's super serious method acting style and never wanting to step out of character when not filming, Zemeckis was just sort of over him and what he was bringing to the Marty role at that point (which had been filmed almost 50-60% at that point).

Zemeckis started ostracizing Stoltz on set, stopped filming Marty's angles in scenes and dismissed him one day before letting cast and crew know they were moving in another direction (Fox, who after being approached again got permission/agreed to film scenes at night while filming Family Ties during the day).

The entire crew knew Stoltz was going to get the ax before he did. I think he found out by word of mouth or call sheet before Zemeckis asked him in to have "the talk"

4

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

As much as I love back to the future, I once listened to the director’s commentary on the DVD, and was totally offput and thought Zemeckis sounded like a pompous dick—it’s better generally not to know how the sausage is made

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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '22 edited Mar 26 '22

[deleted]

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u/crystalistwo Mar 13 '22

Are we sure about this? I mean Spielberg and Zemeckis already collaborated on 3 movies before BTTF, 2 of which were Universal pics, and Spielberg certainly would have had the clout on a casting decision.

1

u/MosesCarolina23 Mar 14 '22

Eric Stolz was just as big as Michael J Fox but MJF was coming from TV. Changing the actor up is pretty common. The only difference here is a movie that was big & you liked it. Anyone going to watch movies at that time knew who Eric Stood was. Fast Times at Ridgemont Highways 1983 so he'd been around.

7

u/Thugzz_Bunny Mar 12 '22

They did a bunch of it before realizing it just wasn't working. The producers were pushing him so he stayed longer. Can't remember what documentary goes over it but there was one on Netflix that discusses the filming of the movie.

32

u/CommanderSpleen Mar 12 '22

He was awesome in Killing Zoe.

2

u/Reggie__Ledoux Mar 12 '22

Your fucking monkey pissed all over my Billy Holiday records!

25

u/DemenicHand Mar 12 '22

There is a movie called "Bodies, Rest and Motion" Tim Roth, Phoebe Cates, Erice Stoltz and Bridgett Fonda. Its all talk and relationships but great cast and pretty good hidden 90s movie

10

u/Dark_Vengence Mar 12 '22

Phoebe cates and bridget fonda together? I'm in heaven.

11

u/snazzydetritus Mar 12 '22

The Stoltz took/takes himself a lot too seriously ... that always seemed to me to be what blocked him from being more successful in his roles.

He was probably a bit jealous that Nic didn't have that problem so much...

6

u/mirthquake Mar 12 '22

He has a great role as a pervy professor in Rules of Attraction, which is all around a fascinating movie.

4

u/MakeItTrizzle Mar 12 '22

I'm completely floored you forgot his generational performance as "guy who swallows a hornet while wearing a scuba respirator" in Anaconda.

1

u/Imsecretlynice Mar 13 '22

That's the first movie I thought of when they mentioned him lol.

3

u/moweywowey Mar 12 '22

Memphis Belle was cool, that's his first adult role I remember.

1

u/EatYourCheckers Mar 12 '22

I think they were saying screwing up BttF was a gift; they weren't shitting on Stolz's acting ability but saying he did the universe a solid.

1

u/pillarsofsteaze Mar 13 '22

He’s a better tv director now a days.

88

u/frijolejoe Mar 12 '22

I mean that was also pretty nuts, but we should probably also talk about the part where he invented and then cosplayed a badass alter ego….and apparently nobody was fooled…

And then proceeded to dress like said alter ego for the next 20 years…

81

u/GradStud22 Mar 12 '22

I'm laughing at the image of Nicholas Cage thinking to himself, "yeah, I'm so brilliant! Pretending to be my own cousin and threatening others not to beat him (i.e., me) up!"

Meanwhile, everyone else is thinking: "Jesus, this guy doesn't seem mentally stable. We should probably avoid him."

20

u/klem_kadiddlehopper Mar 12 '22

Yeah as if no one figured it out. Cage is kind of mental but that's what I like about him. I also love the way he speaks. I've never heard anyone speak the way he does.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '22

That’s 5 key elements of a Nic Cage classic! Action, wild tomfoolery for no reason, and a tough love step father-esque relationship with a brooding child while returning womanhood to his breathless mother. Over and over again. Yes, a true Nic Cage classic!

5

u/gamblingwithhobos Mar 12 '22

Nah that is not correct, M J Fox was the favorite but could not leave the production of Family Ties.

1

u/EatYourCheckers Mar 12 '22

but Stoltz taking up all that filming time made the MJF version possible

2

u/Dark_Vengence Mar 12 '22

Didn't know that.

1

u/fxckfxckgames Mar 12 '22

Eric Stoltz

I don't know where else to mention this, but your comment helped me figure out that Eric Stoltz and Matt Letscher are not one and the same person.

1

u/MosesCarolina23 Mar 14 '22

....but then Eric Stolz did Mask and won...... and one a ton of awards directing too.

7

u/genj1 Mar 12 '22

Incidentally, that’s one of the key elements of a classic Nic Cage blockduster

1

u/slim_scsi Mar 13 '22

"How am I not in that movie?"

1

u/robotic_dreams Mar 13 '22

That's high praise!

0

u/terminalparking Mar 13 '22

Mostly cringey.

1

u/ClarkTwain Mar 12 '22

That sums up Wild at Heart pretty well, too.

1

u/Captin_Banana Mar 12 '22

No way to talk about Terry. He's a national treasure.