To give you guys a quick lesson in the life and times of Mike Sprague, the first R-rated movie I ever saw on the big screen was producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Simon West's rock 'em sock 'em action flick CON AIR with Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, and Steve Buscemi.
Needless to say, the movie holds a very special place in my heart. And today it looks like STRANGER THINGS and HELLBOY star David Harbour is hoping to bring the action film back to the screen in a recent post over on Instagram where the actor writes:
One day, Sensei, ONE DAY when the stubble returns and I FINALLY learn to wink, I will buy the ribbed white tank and stand amidst the ruins of a downed convict plane in some desert…I just know I will, I just knoooooow it. #longhairdontcare #highpony #longhair #dontcare
Now, most likely the man is kidding. But maybe he's not. After all, while CON AIR is by no means the best movie ever made, it is a whole hell of a lot of fun and I for one would be up for more snakes – er, I mean, cons on a plane. Bring it on, I say!
The original film centered on:
Just-paroled army ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is headed back to his wife (Monica Potter), but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" with some of the worst criminals living. Along with Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) and Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) unleashes a violent escape plot in mid-flight. Secretly working with U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack), Poe tries to foil Grissom's plan.
Directed by Simon West CON AIR was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer from a screenplay written by Scott Rosenberg. It starred Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Mykelti Williamson, Rachel Ticotin, and Danny Trejo. Touchstone Pictures unleashed the action flick into a theater near my pre-teen ass back on June 6, 1997. Do yourself a favor and buy it on Blu-ray RIGHT HERE.