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Ghost Rider: So Bad it's Enjoyably Funny
This film is best viewed when stoned. No joke here. About twenty minutes into the movie it dawned on me -- this movie is purposefully making fun of itself. Ghost Rider is a serious movie about a hero who doesn’t take himself seriously at all. Neither does Nicolas Cage for that matter. There is one scene in particular that spells this out, where Cage laughs uncontrollably for several minutes at an orangutan karate-chopping some dude on television, all the while Cage sips jelly beans from a martini glass, pausing at moments to stir them around.
Spoilers and more after the jump.
There are times during the movie that are so absurd you can't help but laugh uncontrollably -- such as when Ghost Rider is faced with an adversary who can shape-shift into the wind. He attempts to bat him out of the air with a chain, to which the villain responds "Haven't you figured it out yet? You cannot defeat the wind!" Ghost Rider then cleverly starts whooshing his chain around in the air until the wind sorcerer dissipates into the air whilst he screams in agony -- fucking awesome.
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That scene is followed by the Ghost Rider being chased across the city on his motorcycle by police only to be cornered atop a suspension bridge with limited options left. As he jumps off the bridge -- head aflame of course -- he flips the bird to all of the on-looking cops, at which point everyone in the theater burst into laughter.
When Blaze's best friend, Mack, finally dies during the emotional pinnacle of the movie, Cage quickly pauses over his body and blurts out "Mack!" then quickly moves on. This, my friends, is golden cinema. The climactic battle scene that follows boils down to the Ghost Rider throwing a rock at the villain's back while he is looking the other way, then following that up by throwing more rocks in his face when he subsequently turns around to face him. I don't want to spoil anymore of the laughs for you, but trust me there are plenty more.
Although this movie was predictable and wholly laughable, I am quite positive that the writers, as well as Cage and the director set out to make a black comedy and pander it off as mainstream comic movie junk. This flick is worth checking out for these reasons alone -- so may I suggest getting together with friends, smoking a bowl behind the local multiplex, then strolling into Ghost Rider and thoroughly laughing your ass off.
Ghost Rider (in wide release this weekend) stars Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes (hotness). It is directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the man behind such bombs as Daredevil, Jack Frost and Elektra.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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