14 DAY TRIAL // Actor Nicolas Cage has seen better days, back when he could deliver both commercially and critically successful films. His latest, “Season of the Witch,” which is out in theaters starting today, may just be his worst to date, critics are saying.
As Gawker also points out, “Season of the Witch” is poised to tank almost immediately upon release, judging on the first reviews at least.
Scoring a mere 3 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, lower than any other Nic Cage release ever, which also includes the box office bomb “Wicker Man” and the critically trashed “Ghost Rider,” the film is so flawed that missing it would probably be best, reviewers say.
Not only does it make no sense throughout, but it’s also based on a script that doesn’t even bother to come across as smart, interesting and good. The acting is just as bad, specifically on Cage’s part.
The directing is amateurish at best and deplorable at worst, while the entire feel of the movie is that it’s so dark it’s almost a pain to watch. The plot tries to make an honest effort at the beginning but then gives in to clichés and easy scares, critics believe.
Based strictly on the first reviews, this is a film that Cage only agreed to do because he still owes the IRS a lot of money and he probably doesn’t want to go to jail like fellow actor Wesley Snipes.
A paycheck is a paycheck regardless the work done for it, critics say. In this sense, though, it would be great, though, if Cage also stopped to think about something called career suicide, which is precisely what he seems to be doing with such poor choices.
Still, since the first week of January is historically the worst of the year and given that not many new releases drop this weekend, “Season of the Witch” is expected to make quite a few bucks domestically at least, The Wrap estimates.
“The weekend’s only significant new entrant, Relativity’s ‘Season of the Witch’ should make $11 million in on 2,816 screens. The medieval drama was produced at a cost of $40 million,” the e-zine says.
What will happen the following week depends entirely on Cage’s fans. Check out the trailer for “Season of the Witch” below and see whether you too will be seeing in a theater near you soon.