The movie was directed by Paul Schrader, who wrote Taxi Driver and Raging Bull and directed the Academy-Award-winning Affliction. So you figure he kind of knows his stuff. But after it was supposed to be finished, the studio decided it hated Dying Of The Light and ordered it to be completely reedited and re-scored, without Schrader's input or knowledge.
Now, we will never know if there was ever a non-terrible version of this film, but Schrader, Cage, and the rest of the cast certainly seem to think so. (One change: The studio digitally gave the whole movie a washed-out, gray color scheme, otherwise known as the "Zack Snyder strategy.") Their problem was that the filmmakers and actors had all signed a non-disparagement agreement -- a standard contract these days which ensures that you're not allowed to say anything negative about a film you made, even if it's a figurative dumpster fire behind a store that sells car tires and human hair.
Cinematographer Gabriel Kosuth wrote an article for Variety which outlined his criticisms while carefully distancing himself from the movie, but Schrader, Cage, and others went for an even more subtle tactic. They went on social media, taking selfies of themselves wearing T-shirts printed with text from the non-disparagement agreement:
Paul Schrader
Good luck fitting that onto a Crazy Cage meme.
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