Editing Nicolas Cage (section)

===1989–1994: Career slump===
In 1989, Cage starred in the black comedy ''[[Vampire's Kiss]]'' as a man who falls in love with a [[vampire]] and soon begins to believe himself as a vampire. The film was a major box office flop but has developed a cult following largely due to Cage's surrealistic and over-the-top performance appearing in [[Meme|internet memes]]. Critic [[Vincent Canby]] felt the film was "dominated and destroyed by Mr. Cage's chaotic, self-indulgent performance."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/02/movies/review-film-the-woman-he-adores-it-turns-out-is-a-vampire.html|url-access=limited|title=Review/Film; The Woman He Adores, It Turns Out, Is a Vampire|date=June 2, 1989|first=Caryn|last=James|author-link=Caryn James|website=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624191754/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/02/movies/review-film-the-woman-he-adores-it-turns-out-is-a-vampire.html|archive-date=June 24, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref> After filming the Italian drama ''[[Time to Kill (1989 film)|Time to Kill]]'' (1989) in [[Zimbabwe]], he starred in [[David Lynch]]'s romantic crime film ''[[Wild at Heart (film)|Wild at Heart]]'' (1990) with [[Laura Dern]]. Cage was drawn to the project because he was "always attracted to those passionate, almost unbridled romantic characters" and it allowed him to impersonate one of his heroes, [[Elvis Presley]], in scenes in which he sung.<ref name="bio" /><ref name="Elvis">{{cite web |last1=Whipp |first1=Glenn |title=Nicolas Cage meditates on movies, music and what makes him happy |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-01-26/nicolas-cage-on-pig-elvis-dracula-and-his-career |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413211940/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-01-26/nicolas-cage-on-pig-elvis-dracula-and-his-career |archive-date=April 13, 2022 |date=January 26, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Wild at Heart'' received mixed reviews upon release, despite controversially winning the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[1990 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web | title=Festival de Cannes: Wild at Heart | url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/164/year/1990.html | access-date=August 7, 2009 | work=festival-cannes.com | archive-date=January 19, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119153548/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/164/year/1990.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> Cage would reunite with Lynch and Dern for the [[avant-garde]] concert performance ''[[Industrial Symphony No. 1]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/industrial-symphony-no-1/Film?oid=26323693|title=Industrial Symphony No. 1|website=[[Chicago Reader]]|date=April 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621231737/https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/industrial-symphony-no-1/Film?oid=26323693|archive-date=June 21, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref>

Also in 1990, he starred as a helicopter pilot in the action film ''[[Fire Birds]]'', which was panned by critics and negatively compared to ''[[Top Gun]]'' (1986).<ref name="FireBirds">{{cite web |last1=Wilmington |first1=Michael |title=MOVIE REVIEW : 'Fire Birds' Aiming to Be 'Top Gun' With Helicopters |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-25-ca-131-story.html |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928124656/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-25-ca-131-story.html |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |date=May 25, 1990 |url-status=live}}</ref> Cage's next film, the erotic thriller ''[[Zandalee]]'' (1991), was released [[direct-to-video]] in the United States, where it did not receive a theatrical release.<ref name="Zandalee">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/nicolas-cagetastic-case-file-143-zandalee-1798217277|title=Nicolas Cagetastic Case File #143: ''Zandalee''|date=August 5, 2019|first=Nathan|last=Rabin|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621224732/https://www.avclub.com/nicolas-cagetastic-case-file-143-zandalee-1798217277|archive-date=June 21, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref> His "goofy '[[everyman]]'" performance in the romantic comedy ''[[Honeymoon in Vegas]]'' (1992) garnered some positive critical notices,<ref name="HoneymoonVariety">{{cite web |last1=McBride |first1=Joseph |title=Honeymoon in Vegas |url=https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/honeymoon-in-vegas-2-1200430502/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216193114/https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/honeymoon-in-vegas-2-1200430502/ |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |date=August 20, 1992 |url-status=live}}</ref> including from Roger Ebert, who defended Cage amidst some critics finding his acting "excessive" and earned Cage his second Golden Globe nomination.<ref name="Honeymoon">{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=Honeymoon in Vegas |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/honeymoon-in-vegas-1992 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329175351/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/honeymoon-in-vegas-1992 |archive-date=March 29, 2022 |date=August 28, 1992 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Golden Globes" /> He hosted an episode of the variety show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' to promote the film, his only time hosting the show.<ref name="SNL">{{cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/saturday-night-live-nicolas-cage-fans-draft-petition-for-him-to-host/|title=Fans Petition for Nicolas Cage to Host ''Saturday Night Live''|date=February 17, 2015|first=Sheila Cosgrove|last=Baylis|website=[[People (magazine)|People]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621231846/https://people.com/tv/saturday-night-live-nicolas-cage-fans-draft-petition-for-him-to-host/|archive-date=June 21, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2021}}</ref>

None of Cage's three films in 1993—''[[Deadfall (1993 film)|Deadfall]]'' (directed by his brother [[Christopher Coppola|Christopher]]), ''[[Amos & Andrew]]'' and ''[[Red Rock West]]''—performed well at the box office.<ref name="RRW">{{cite web |title=Red Rock West |date=June 16, 1993 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_rock_west |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129193729/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_rock_west |url-status=live }}</ref> The comedy ''[[Guarding Tess]]'' (1994) paired Cage with [[Shirley MacLaine]] as a [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] agent protecting a former [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]]; however, it was dismissed as being derivative by some critics.<ref name="GuardingTess">{{cite news |last1=Howe |first1=Desson |title='Guarding Tess' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/guardingtesspg13howe_a0b038.htm |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924172842/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/guardingtesspg13howe_a0b038.htm |archive-date=September 24, 2020 |date=March 11, 1994 |url-status=live}}</ref> He next starred alongside [[Bridget Fonda]] in the romantic comedy ''[[It Could Happen to You (1994 film)|It Could Happen to You]]'' as a cash-strapped police officer who offers to share his lottery winnings with a waitress and then the much-criticized box office flop Christmas comedy ''[[Trapped in Paradise]]'' with the ''Saturday Night Live'' actors [[Jon Lovitz]] and [[Dana Carvey]].<ref name="TrueStory">{{cite magazine |last1=Mark |first1=Lois Alter |title=Based on a True Story |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/07/29/based-true-story-2/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123035313/http://www.ew.com/article/1994/07/29/based-true-story |archive-date=November 23, 2015 |date=July 29, 1994 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="TIP">{{cite web |last1=Hicks |first1=Chris |title=Film review: Trapped in Paradise |url=https://www.deseret.com/1994/12/6/20088841/film-review-trapped-in-paradise |website=[[Deseret News]] |access-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010094612/https://www.deseret.com/1994/12/6/20088841/film-review-trapped-in-paradise |archive-date=October 10, 2020 |date=December 6, 1994 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to Lovitz, Cage directed portions of the film because its director, [[George Gallo]], offered little direction.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rabin |first1=Nathan |author1-link=Nathan Rabin |title=My World of Flops Christmas Catastrophe Case File #169/The Travolta/Cage Project #42 Trapped in Paradise (1994) |url=https://www.nathanrabin.com/happy-place/2020/10/12/my-world-of-flops-christmas-catastrophe-case-file-169the-travoltacage-project-42-trapped-in-paradise-1994 |website=NathanRabin.com |access-date=April 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226163659/https://www.nathanrabin.com/happy-place/2020/10/12/my-world-of-flops-christmas-catastrophe-case-file-169the-travoltacage-project-42-trapped-in-paradise-1994 |archive-date=December 26, 2020 |date=October 12, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>