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Episode #859: City of Angels (1998) (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-21 04:00:05
Imported:
2026-04
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“He’s the best part of this movie” - Chris on Dennis Franz

On this week’s show, Remake-ril heads to Los Angeles as we chat about the sappy Hollywood remake, City of Angels!

A reimagining of Wim Wenders’ 1987 masterpiece, Wings of Desire, this film features Nicholas Cage as the lovelorn angel… Seth? How great, truly, is Dennis Franz in this movie? Why couldn’t they have kept Meg’s character a trapeze artist instead of switching it to a doctor? Should these angels be watching stuff like bath tub shenanigans? How weird is it to hear Sarah McLachlin’s “Angel” when that dog commercials isn’t on your TV? Does Colm Feore’s character give one of the worst movie marriage proposals of all time? And was that Michael Mann as the cigarette-smoking bar extra? PLUS: What a Rolling Rock commercial!

City of Angels stars Meg Ryan, Nicholas Cage, Andre Braugher, Colm Feore, Robin Bartlett, Joanna Merlin, and Dennis Franz as Mr. Messinger; directed by Brad Silberling.

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Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.

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Comments

HRJ & Ro

Holy smokes, I've been "staying tuned" for this one for over ten years! -HRJ

Geoff Gershon

"Uninvited" from Alanis Morissette is a genuine banger, one of THE best soundtrack songs for a weak movie.

Busiris

A movie that deserves only the same amount of stars as the number of Dennis Franz butt cheeks we see in the movie.

David

Part of what makes Wings of Desire an all-timer is the way it reckons with the complicated aftermath Berlin faced after World War II. The story the old man tells about how people stopped talking to each other in the public square after Hitler's ascension to power is heartbreaking. I'm sure it goes without saying that director of Casper Brad Silberling brings the same level of thoughtfulness as complexity in this one...?

Z

What's the over/under on Hollywood doing a glossified remake of Paris, Texas with Glen Powell and Zendaya? (Better than you'd think, I'd say!)

RonnieSoak

I feel like, if "god" was more of a presence in this film, the whole "story" would make more sense. Then the events would read like trying to get rid of the peeping-tom-angel and also removing that idiot surgeon, so she can do no more damage to her patients. Her death is darwin award worthy imo. Are there deleted scenes with Cassiel having meetings with the big boss on how to deal with these morons?

WarOfTheBees

My biggest memory of this movie is when Nic Cage is grief buying an armful of pears at the end, my grandmother remarked "He's gonna be in the bathroom for a week!" Oh, and Dennis Franz's ass.

WarOfTheBees

Recently bought the Paris Texas 4k and HOLY SHIT it's beautiful

Jason

I like the idea of some poor angel getting stuck with the gooner beat. "Ugh, I think my boss hates me. When he assigned me to the gooner watch, he said 'Go get them Cum-lech!' he knows my name is Cadulech."

MarkNM

The title would be Paris*

MarkNM

We used to be a proper angel movie-making country.

TJ Gaines

Before Angel Studios ruined the good name of Angels.

Eren Keskin

Steve would eat an angel 100%.

MarkNM

This guy gets it

Billie Jackson

Angels assigned to gooners? Finally Christopher Lloyd can return for Edging in the Outfield!

Liam Carroll

I believe the Amy Brenneman blink and you miss it cameo is in there because she and Brad Silberling are married?

Aaron Dowler

Can’t think of better proof of Americans being stupid and incurious than the making of this movie

Frank Grimes

My mom watched it once on a free HBO/Cinemax weekend and her take on as “oh this is some cheesy bullshit.”

RonnieSoak

I went with the magnificent crack those two bad boys are molding. (I spent the whole day wrecking my brain to justify giving it only one star, cause that reasoning was just too darn good)

Chris

I watched this movie on a plane which really feels like its intended format

Melissa Benjamin

I saw The Goo Goo Dolls open for Train at SPAC one summer, and when they started playing Iris people lost their minds. Great song!

Lar

Oh man. I watched this on tv one summer in hs and was soooo mad about the ending. TBH I’m still annoyed by it lololol but hey: we got a banger of a goo goo dolls song out of this.

Lar

Man there’s so many movies I never would have willingly watched if I wasn’t stuck on a plane for hours with the same movie being shown to everyone against our will.

Lar

Same at Innings Fest this year, not gonna lie, it was amazing haha.

Russell Snyder

I’ve been lying that I saw this movie for almost 30 years. I told my folks I was taking a girl to see City of Angels, but she pulled a switcheroo and made us go see The Object of My Affection. It didn’t go well, but hearing guys describe this, I’m not sure which one was the bigger boner killer.

Billie Jackson

Oof, this movie. Saw it in theater because Andre Braugher was in it, because after Homicide anything he appeared in was worth seeing. But the rest of the movie, ugh.

Todd B

Calling it now - you guys actually propose that repertory series around women masturbarting, within a week of getting the go ahead, one of you is getting an email from Tom Six with the subject line 'SHOW MY MOVIE!'

Kate

All green apples are better than all red apples.

Sonya Ballantyne

So sad that y'all mentioned Wings of Desire and Nick Cave and there wasn't a Nick Cave impression this episode.

Miguel Sanchez

All praises to Steve for standing up for Uninvited 🔥

Cody Downs

Silberling found love again with Amy Brenneman after the tragic death of his partner -- actress Rebecca Schaeffer -- which loosley inspired the plot of "Moonlight Mile".

Craig

Gotta admit, when it comes to Inherent Vice, I’m with Dennis Franz.

Jamie

First time I heard it, I thought it was a new James Bond title song

Gone

I really liked Moonlight Mile

Dennis Stack

I love how Steve's Nic Cage impression is like a less aggressive version of his ScarJo impression 😂🤣😂

Christopher Oxentine

I actually saw this in theaters thinking it was The Crow sequel, without paying attention to the movie poster or anything.

James C Harris

If anything, your review made me get and watch Wings of Desire. That movie was beautiful!

J. Whiteneck, Esq

I watched every Nic Cage movie made last year and this was #105 of 106 in my personal rankings and I caught nothing but flack about it. People love this pile of trash. It's insane.

Tim O'

What was #106?

J. Whiteneck, Esq

Moonstruck. Cage was mad and entertaining as usual, but that movie, and Cher in particular, grated on my soul every moment of the runtime.