In an era overgrown with remakes, The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans is a treasure.  Werner Herzog, now best known for Grizzly Man, directed the film, based on Abel Ferrara’s 1992 original, starring Harvey Kietel.  The location has changed to the bayou and the lieutenant’s badge is now on Nicolas Cage, but the general story is the same—drugged out, gambling addict scumbag is put in charge of solving a pious murder case.  Whereas Catholic guilt and redemption were themes of the original, Herzog is more concerned with personal redemption, often at the risk of others.  It’s nonsensical, full of hallucinations and dead-end scenes.  Even a couple of happy endings..  A b-movie to its marrow, right down to the Zalman King-like title,it’s seedy and psychotic, hilarious yet brutal, a scuzzy blast

The cast is a dream team of scene chompers and low budget character actor gods—Brad Dourif, Vondie Curtis Hall, Jennifer Coolidge, Irma P. Hall, Val Kilmer—none paid to underplay.  Michael Shannon and Cage practically have a twitch-off in one scene and even Herzog himself—never one to turn down the volume–gets to ham it up on an voice mail message.  Supporting cast honors may go to Shea Whigham (Fast and Furious, tons of TV credits) for his role as prostitute Eva Mendes’ client, a connected sleaze who speaks mostly in “oohs”. The last laugh of course belongs to Cage.  Literally.  He laughs maniacally and frequently, right down to the final shot.  As the addictive bastard who routinely hangs outside of nightclub to bust kids whose drugs he can swipe, he takes the role wonderfully beyond the edge of sanity.  Cage’s outrageousness recalls his work in Vampire’s Kiss.  And just as Cage devoured a cockroach in that film to channel a deeper reality (?),seeing the credit “Alligator and iguana footage shot by Werner Herzog” is somehow supposed to certify the ballsy depths he is willing to go.  Like the film, the gator close-ups are extreme.

–Pops Corn