8mm: Ocho milímetros

When I watched 8 MM, I didn't know what to expect, but I noticed that Joel Schumacher directed it and I am a fan of his. Also it stars two other terrific actors like Nicholas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix, so usually that equals a great film. 8 MM turned out to be a terrific dark drama that I'm not so sure that I understand it's low rating. I was actually expecting it to be in the 7.0 range when I went to check it out on IMDb, but it's in the low 6.0's. I understand that it's an extremely dark movie that not too many people would wanna take a look at, but for what it was, I thought it was great. It took us into the deep dark world of porn and what some sick people get off on. It's not just about that, but also it takes us into a detective type of drama that makes it into a scary type of thriller.

Tom Welles is a detective that is given a strange short movie called a "snuff film", where a beautiful young girl is being brutally raped and then murdered on film. While it's supposed to be fake, it looks incredibly real and terrifying. Her relative asks him to find out wither it is fake or real and if she's still alive. This means he has to go deep into a world of brutal porn that is out of his league. With the help of a porn salesman, Max, they go to find out if this girl is really alive or not, but end up getting into some serious trouble when the directors and "actors" find out about them.

8 MM is in no way for the faint of heart, there are some extremely disturbing images that I really wouldn't like to see again, I'm sure most wouldn't either, but this is a great dark drama that I would recommend for a watch. Nicholas did a great job, but Joaquin really takes the show here. He made his character incredibly believable and almost sympathetic. Joel really made me believe the story, he shot it wonderfully and didn't over do anything. I would recommend this film for a watch, it's a great thriller that is impressive as well as scary.

8/10

Every time I think of Joel Schumacher I cringe. Is Batman & Robin really so bad that it makes me want to disregard the rest of his films? He's not a bad director, hell I enjoy some of his work, yet I still cringe when I hear his name. Let's take a look at 8MM, something that is the polar opposite of B&R.

It stars Nic Cage as a private investigator, hired to find out if the content on an 8MM tape found in a safe of a recently deceased millionaire is real. The tape is referred to as a snuff film, which is a pornographic film that ends with the murder of the female. So, already we have ourselves a pretty dark and disturbing film here. Yet, as I watched it I felt that is played it a little too safe.

Upon research you will find out the writer and the director had a falling out over the film. The studio wanted it to be a bit lighter, and the director agreed. While the writer, who also wrote Se7en, wanted to keep the gritty disturbing feel he had originally wrote. The final product is a film that tries to be more hardcore then it actually is.

Nic Cage really seemed to be playing by the numbers here. He is more monotone then usual I thought and didn't really seem invested in his character. Joaquin Phoenix on the other hand immerses himself into this world. Playing the sidekick who is smarter then he looks. The supporting cast also includes James Gandolfini, doing what he does best and Peter Stormare. Both stretch out beyond the page and embody their characters. With Gandolfini, we've seen him do this character before. But with every performance there is just one little thing that makes them all seem different every time.

I was really underwhelmed with this flick. It was a bit longer then it needed to be, just over 2 hours. You go along for the investigative ride and are interested with the story, but at the end you just feel empty. Never connecting with the relationship between the main character and his wife he neglects. Some scenes that were meant to be powerful came off as comedic to me, specifically the "Give me permission to hurt them" bit near the end.

I did enjoy the film, but wanted more. The ingredients were there to make a really good film, but the final product falls a bit flat. It's a rental, or if you are really a big fan of anyone involved . I will say this though, I wouldn't mind if Cage went back to making movies like this instead of the filler he's been cranking out the last few years.

I walked into the movie theater last Friday not expecting at all what I was about to see. I'd heard about it, thought "Oh, another Seven". Same screenwriter, but I was way off track. I can stomach a lot, having no problem stuffing down popcorn during very graphic scenes. In 8MM, my coke had trouble going down. 8MM did not have consistent gory/violent scenes, but the way the movie was made made you fill in the blanks of what the makers of the movie could not screen. And if you pay attention and immerse yourself, you fill in more blanks than you really think you could, or want. As Max put it: "the devil changes you." The perversity and deep rottenness of the human minds displayed in 8MM is what disturbs you. Then you realize, that "snuff"-movies are real, that there are individuals twisted enough to endorse/enjoy/take part in it. And worst of all, that these individuals don't look like monsters, they're perhaps just overweight nearsighted men who look like your dad, your son, your brother, even yourself. And if you don't look out,(no matter how secluded you think you are in your suburban home, with a wife, a daughter, and a dog named Shep) you dive into the pit of perversion and rottenness as well, finding no way out. In conclusion: excellent music, acting very sufficient, the plot: a must see. Just don't bring popcorn, and prepare to walk out of the movie theatre disturbed, asking questions, and a little bit more suspicious of those walking around you, and yourself.

Firstly, this film is hugely under-rated. For those reviewers who call this film a "waste of time" or place it in the "hall of shame", maybe they should go back to watching more obvious and simple films.

8mm focuses on "snuff" movies and follows Nicholas Cage as he ventures into the dark underworld of the pornographic industry. I'm not a great fan of Nicholas Cage (I still wonder how he ever made it as a movie star), but in 8mm felt he redeemed himself from past performances. Other actors in the film put on great performances, notably Joaquin Pheonix, and James Gandolfini (of Sopranos).

What makes the film worth watching though is the emotion, dark imagery and tense moments throughout the film. The storyline too is very well thought out although does have a few holes and untouched areas that may have helped develop the film further. There is no Hollywood ending, forced propaganda, or marketing. What you do get is graphic scenes, moderate violence, and an insight into "snuff" movies (which really is quite disturbing).

Having said that this movie is not for the faint hearted, so if you're a "puppy-dogs and ice-cream" kind of person I'd suggest watching something else. If however, you feel you will be able to stomach such a film then prepare yourself for a moving film, which will leave you feeling that little bit darker at the end.

I highly recommend this film. 8/10

Some sensitive-minded people may surely be disturbed by the dark revenge and self-justice in this film, but "Se7en"-author Andrew Kevin Walker has done another fine work with his script! Although the storyline is obviously taken from Paul Schrader´s "Hardcore" (1974,?) the film is suspense-packed, violent and endowed with good performances of its actors, especially Peter Stormare did a brilliant job with playing the weird bondage-porn director Dino Velvet! I also was truly surprised how good director Joel Schumacher had created a morbid atmosphere, just in unhappy memory of his disastrous "Batman & Robin"-flick..! Another pleasant fact is, that "8MM" doesn´t deal with the Hollywood-typical stereotypes and clichés, so finally we´ve got something we could really call a dirty mainstream production - or at least a nice try of it!