Nicolas Cage Opens Up on His Relationship With 'Cage Rage' Internet Memes

In an interview with the film review and news site Indiewire, Oscar-winning American actor Nicolas Cage argued that online homages to his work known as "Cage Rage" memes harm him and the directors he works with.

"I'm sure it's frustrating for Panos, who has made what I consider a very lyrical, internal, and poetic work of art, to have this ‘Cage Rage' thing slammed all over his movie," he said, referring to Panos Cosmatos, the director of "Mandy," a dazzling revenge thriller starring Nicolas Cage that came out last Friday.

"It's one thing for me, because I'd like to think I could continue to work with Panos, but the internet has kind of done the movie a disservice," he insisted, adding that his famous over-the-top theatrical expressions have been inspired by the German Expressionistic style of acting, or the Western kabuki.

The 54-year-old actor, director and producer, best known for his edgy roles in "Vampire's Kiss," "Wild at Heart," and "Leaving Las Vegas," bemoaned that internet memes with somewhat creepy shots of his face are taken out of context.

Cage went on to claim that he had put up with the idea of video-on-demand. While admitting that he wanted to fulfill his acting ambitions on the big screen, he stressed that the VOD format has been "very successful" for him and that he has embraced it.

According to him, video-on-demand media services have enabled him to make movies that would normally not get made. "Studios are primarily concerned with sequels and comic books, which is fine, but they're not going to be making a movie like ‘Mandy.' Video-on-demand has provided filmmakers the chance to get edgy and challenging scripts made."