One of the most controversial films of 2014 isn’t controversial because of the subject matter. Dying of the Light is controversial because the film was taken away from writer/director Paul Schrader, re-edited without him, and is now coming out in theaters and on VOD on December 5, 2014.
As frustrating as this situation must be for Schrader, the award-winning writer of Taxi Driver and director of American Gigolo, it’s bound to feel somewhat familiar after his prequel to The Exorcist was also re-cut without him, and partially reshot by Cliffhanger filmmaker Renny Harlin. Harlin’s The Exorcist: The Beginning was met with poor reviews, but the controversy did eventually lead to the release of Paul Schrader’s version – Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist – which, sadly, didn’t fare much better with mainstream audiences or the critics who stood in his corner as a matter of principle.
But although Paul Schrader, Nicolas Cage, Anton Yelchin and other members of the production have started a “silent protest” of Dying of the Light (they are contractually forbidden to say anything negative about the changes, but they have photographed themselves wearing t-shirts bearing the ‘non-disparagment’ clause’), the movie is coming out anyway, and it’s bound to be a curiosity for film fanatics who are curious about how the film turned out.
CraveOnline has secured an exclusive clip from Dying of the Light to give you a preview of the film, which stars Nicolas Cage as a forcefully retired CIA agent recruited by his protege (Anton Yelchin) into helping track down his old nemesis, Banir (Alexander Karim). In the above clip, you will see Nicolas Cage forcefully ejected from his office. And wouldn’t you know it? He protests getting kicked out. If anything, the scene seems weirdly apropos.
It’s not enough footage to judge exactly how Dying of the Light turned out, but this may give you a taste. What do you think?
