8MM Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 163 out of 185 people found the following review useful: A dark, graphic view into the underworld of pornography from London 29 October 2004 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 Was the above review useful to you? 172 out of 207 people found the following review useful: Well made, but disturbing. Watch with care. from Helsinki 27 February 1999 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. Was the above review useful to you? 104 out of 141 people found the following review useful: A Haunting and disturbing Brilliant Realistic Masterpiece!! from Massachusetts, USA 26 February 1999 The intensely intriguing storyline of 8MM follows the haunting search by a private investigator (played superbly by Nicolas Cage) for the makers of a grotesque and disturbing snuff film in which a young woman is murdered. Starting by looking through endless missing persons files (in an attempt to identify the victim), Cage ultimately follows leads to the world of underground seaze films and the people who are involved in making them. Throughout his creepy investigation, Cage becomes more and more disturbed by the Snuff film and stops at nothing in an attempt to track down answers to what really happened. This film is So intriguing and suspenseful, there are scenes that will leave your heart pounding in anticipation of what's to come. I don't know if I have ever seen such an intriguing and suspenseful Drama/Thriller ever before!

This film is so realistic, there are times when you feel as if what is going on is real, and you begin to feel more for the characters than you usually do in a film. The last 20 minutes of the film are heart pounding and breathtaking! Director Joel Schumacher delivers one of the most mind haunting dramas you will ever see and gives us a story that won't be easy to forget. It's dark, moody, creepy, brilliant, and disturbing! And when all the pieces finally come together, you'll be glad you went along for the ride. Wow, It's a sick world we live in!! I give this movie 4 out of 4 stars! Was the above review useful to you? 71 out of 87 people found the following review useful: Beware Of Brutal Topic from United States 3 May 2006 Wow, this is a tough subject but not as sordid a film as I figured it would be, although be warned the last 30 minutes are really rough in spots. Speaking of spots, this is a bloody movie in spots, too and very profane after the first 40 minutes.

Yet, despite the unpleasant nature of the story (making a "snuff film" - filming the killing of people) it's a riveting one, well-acted and doesn't overdo the violence. The characters in here are some of the most despicable you could find - killer and porn kings. Even our hero here, played by Nicholas Cage, starts off as a clean-cut fairly straight dude, and changes for the worst, too. Joaquin Phoenix has a good line in here, with the prophetic statement, "The devil doesn't change; he changes you." James Gandolfini and Peter Stormare play characters about as bad you'll ever find in a movie. This film is not, as they say, for all tastes. It will turn off a lot of people but it is interesting and good revenge story, if you like that sort of thing and know what you're in for before watching this. Was the above review useful to you? 63 out of 83 people found the following review useful: Fantastic!! from Hayes, Middlesex, England 30 October 2002 8MM was a very dark and powerful film featuring the seedy underground world of pornography and snuff movies.

It was, to be frank, fantastic. Nic Cage, rapidly becoming one of my favourite actors, walks through with a disgusted air and even Joaquin Phoenix, who I've never been that impressed with, hit the nail as a porn shop manager Deeply disturbing, yes. Highly compelling, yes. A good buy... you bet! Was the above review useful to you? 53 out of 74 people found the following review useful: Disturbing from Brooklyn, NY 25 August 1999 Admittedly, I haven't seen a lot, if any, of the movies or read the books other people have said have covered this territory already, but I found myself caught up in the story and not bored or thinking, "Ho-hum." I haven't liked Joel Schumacher lately(his two BATMAN movies were a joke, and A TIME TO KILL was exploitation at its worst), but this one was pretty good. Admittedly, like in A TIME TO KILL, this sometimes comes close to an exploitation movie(particularly through the performances of James Gandolfini and Peter Stormare), but that's only part of the time.

Most of the time you feel sadness and outrage, and like in Schumacher's very good FALLING DOWN, you aren't asked to condone Cage's actions near the end, you're just asked to understand them. This might not be the type of part Cage is known for, but I found him compelling in the role(and if something upsets the man who ate a cockroach on film, you KNOW it's heavy-duty stuff). I do admit the film would have been a little unrelenting without the presence of Joaquin Phoenix, though; he was like a breath of fresh air, and I liked how matter-of-fact he was. I can't say I enjoyed this movie, but I'm not sorry I saw it. Was the above review useful to you? 37 out of 45 people found the following review useful: Very gritty and dark from Chicago, Illinois 1 November 2007 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 Author: Le Froque 3 February 2002 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! Was the above review useful to you? 49 out of 71 people found the following review useful: Disquieting but effective for mature audiences. *** out of ****. 9 March 2000 8MM / (1999) *** Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Catherine Keener, and Amy Morton Directed by Joel Schumacher. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker. Running time: 123 minutes.

Rated R (for strong sexual content, nudity, violence, and for strong language). By Blake French: Joel Schumacher's new disquieting thriller, "8MM," is the kind of movie that starts out hesitantly calm, but contains an atmosphere where potentially detestable material may become apparent, as if the film is preparing us for something much more bellicose. Sure enough, a half hour into the picture, we take possession of plot points regarding subjects beyond human imagination. Our very effective condition propels us into a sleazy world of hard core adult contents. "8MM" is a tense, dramatic production with tantalizing dialogue and a driving theme of action. There is a scene in the film in which a character explains a relative, although somewhat overlooked, concept. "When you dance with the devil, you don't change the devil--the devil changes you," he declares as he walks down a long, dark ally with another character. Nicolas Cage stars as Tom Welles, a highly acclaimed private detective living with his wife Amy (Catherine Keener), and their newborn son in a homey, relaxed country house. As the film opens, he is called upon by the widow of an important political man, Mrs.

Mathews (Amy Morton). This elderly woman has discovered the contents of her late husband's secret safe and his extremely concerned about some of them. Most of the objects found in the safe are normal. One in particular, however, a film strip, is not what you would call ordinary, but suspicious and concealed. Mrs. Mathews explains to Tom what he will see on this tape is something of unimaginable terror. Tom views the 8mm tape, watching in horror as a young girl is raped and brutally beaten to death in front of a camera operator, a silent viewer, and a muscular man wearing all sorts of S&M clothing. The well-developed conflict brought to our attention at this point: Mrs. Matthews is requiring Tom to find out if the tragic events that occur on tape are real or not, and if her husband had anything to do with this atrocity. Welles opens a missing person's case and reports to his wife that he will be away for a few weeks on duty. He first searches through countless files containing young kidnapping victims. The results: a fifteen year old girl named Marianne who ran away from home six years ago with the company of her boyfriend as they were heading towards Hollywood, California.

Next, he converses with several key characters including her depressed mother, a scruffy acquaintance, and her so called boyfriend who is now serving time in prison. He claims Marianne ran off to work at a strip club. These characters point Tom in the direction of an underworld of "snuff" movies, where he meets an adult book store clerk named Max California (Joaquin Phoenix). He and Max become friends. After some negotiating, our fellow porn genius agrees to share his knowledge with Tom and lead him to the makers of the 8mm snuff film. There we meet Eddie Poole, a perverted photographer, (James Gandolfini), Dino Velvet (Peter Stormare), a disquieted man who believes smut to be a form of art, and The Machine, the man in the S&M mask who murdered Marianne in the video Mrs. Mathews found. "8MM" has an excellently developed setup. A setup that indicates us on the snuff film, as well as the setting, character motives, personalities, dramatic premise, and plot points. The only component that is missing is the history and or in depth elaboration on Tom Welles.

With such an important character, one who drives the entire narrative through line, we need to feel a lot of empathy so that we may root for him. Unfortunately, the filmmakers present the audience with only the minimum introduction. The side characters are also descriptive. In their own presence, contribute to both the story and atmosphere. Director Joel Schumacher's work has always been some of my favorite. With movies like "Falling Down," "Flawless," and "Batman & Robin," I was never expecting him to construct a dark, grim, film such as "8MM." This feature is tasteless and nasty, repulsive and unsettling--while all these bases are relentless within the context of the plot. No doubt many audiences will be offended throughout, perhaps even to the point of where they walk out of the theater. This is a production on the verge of an NC-17 rating and is adult in every atom of its being. The perverse and gritty character motives and mature subject matters all fitted appropriately here, but the film still goes over the top in many areas. Some of the movie's characters are a bit too obvious. The villain, for instance, I could predict from the first five minutes he is on screen.

Whenever there is a character who seems to have no cause or purpose in the plot, he is normally the bad guy. Here, although the character twists are effective and the casting is brilliant, we receive several clinches that many views will be able to detect immediately. Nicolas Cage is obviously the right choice for Tom Welles, a man who is more submissive than brutal, but is placed in a situation where deep down he desires bloodshed, but knows his morals challenge him otherwise. "8MM" is a movie that frolics with this character's emotions and values, and at the same time lives up to a premise that is way out of his league. Brought to you by Columbia Pictures. Was the above review useful to you? 34 out of 47 people found the following review useful: Festering from Sydney, Australia 21 February 2002 "8mm" sucks you in from the moment you watch the snuff film with Nicholas Cage, not letting you go until the very end, where it spits you out encased in a cocoon of bloody phlegm. The director successfully creates a gritty atmosphere that remains constant right up until the end, but the plot isn't so lucky.

As others have pointed out, things get ridiculous towards the films finale, which if crafted with more tact could have made "8mm" a great film rather than simply an entertaining one. Cage gives a good, rather sombre performance as the private investigator hired to determine the authenticity of a snuff film found in the late husband of a senator's safe. From there on he's plopped into the festering world of deviant pornography, forced to explore the seedy bowels of stomach-churningly filthy underground sexual practices. Amy Morton's performance as Mary Ann's mother is perfect, conveying the emotions of a distraught, depressed mother beautifully. Joaquin Pheonix steals the show as the charismatic owner of a sex-shop. Full of suspense, this film should at least entertain you as you watch with disgust and repulsion some of the dirtiest human habits imaginable. 7 out of 10. Super Reviewer ½ First things first. This film has nothing to do with the first 8mm starring Nicholas Cage and I knew that before I watched this, so I wasn't expecting much. In fact, the only thing that resembles 8mm in this film is the plot deals with corruption and black mail within the porn industry.

I also remember reading that the "8mm 2" wasn't even the original title. It was changed at the last second, probably to draw attention to more viewers. With that said, lets move on. The story is really weak and the first half of the movie really drags. Drags a lot. I really felt like not finishing it. It isn't till the second half that the story starts to take off and get a little more interesting. It is still a bore fest though. I only say interesting because this is when all the nudity starts to show up. Yet, all the nudity still isn't enough to grab the viewers interest. The only decent thing about this story is the ending, which throws a pretty nice twist at you. The acting is lame as well. There were many times when it felt like they were just reading straight off the script. The actors really didn't have much to work with though. I don't blame them.

Many viewers, like myself, may have only been interested to see the sexy Zita Gorog and if anybody wants to watch this movie for her just watch the first twenty minutes to see her nude and sex scenes and then turn it off because she is pretty much done until the ending where she gets maybe a few more seconds of airtime. Take it from me and leave this at the store and out of your DVD players. If you're lucky just borrow it from a friend, watch Zita go to work, and then give it back. This movie was on the borderline of being a soft core porn or an erotic thriller, but yet it doesn't quite make it to any of those. There are many other movies that are well worth your time, maybe even some soft core porn as well. JY Skacto Audience Reviews for 8MM ½ While I think the critics' reception was quite harsh, '8mm' does indeed miss the mark of being a good film. There are moments of tension, but these moments are brief and sparse. So much of it feels rehashed, the film borrows too many elements from films such as 'Seven' and 'The Silence of the Lambs', it's a kitsch piece of cinema.

Cage gives a good performance, as does the whole cast. The problem lies in the narrative. It begins moderately well, however it starts to plod along as Cage's character begins to hone in on the shady suspects. Towards the final stages of the film, there are violent altercations between the characters which often become drawn out through repeated reversals of fortune, it sucks all the energy out of the film; it's all quite run-of-the-mill and unconvincing. It's not as terrible as some have said, it has some good moments, but it is a generic and forgettable film that's spoilt by a hackneyed ending. It's good for killing time, no more than that. Jack Hawkins Super Reviewer You are never prepared for the truth. Good movie. This film is very strong,gritty,edgy and dark. Nicolas Cage did a very good job acting on this one. The thing is this film is very real and there's actually people so sick like this in the world we live in, it's disturbing to know this and those who do those kinds of things shall receive no forgiveness. Tom Welles, private eye, is hired by a wealthy widow, whose well-known husband passed away recently.

She has found a reel of S8-film in a safe. On the film is a cruel slaughtering of a young girl, who obviously does not pretend or act: A snuff-movie. Welles takes up investigation, which leads him to the girl's mother and from there to Hollywood, into the office of a porn flick producer. Welles' rising obsession to solve the case also carries him away from his wife and new-born daughter. But when finally names are at hand, Welles suddenly finds himself on ice much thinner than he planned. Manu Gino 8mm Movie Review & Film Summary (1999) | Roger Ebert Tweet Joel Schumacher 's "8mm'' is a dark, dank journey into the underworld of snuff films, undertaken by a private investigator who is appalled and changed by what he finds. It deals with the materials of violent exploitation films, but in a non-pornographic way; it would rather horrify than thrill.

The writer is Andrew Kevin Walker , who wrote "Seven,'' and once again creates a character who looks at evil and asks (indeed, screams), "why?'' The answer comes almost at the end of the film, from its most vicious character: "The things I do--I do them because I like them. Because I want to.'' There is no comfort there, and the final shots, of an exchange of smiles, are ironic; Walker accepts that pure evil can exist, and that there are people who are simply bad; one of his killers even taunts the hero, "I wasn't beaten as a child. I didn't hate my parents.'' The movie stars Nicolas Cage as an enigmatic family man named Tom Welles, who works as a private investigator and comes home to a good marriage with his wife ( Catherine Keener ) and baby. He specializes in top-level clients and total discretion.

He's hired by the lawyer for a rich widow who has found what appears to be a snuff film in the safe of her late husband; she wants reassurance that the girl in the film didn't really die, and Welles tells her snuff films are "basically an urban legend--makeup, special effects, you know.'' The film follows Welles as he identifies the young woman in the film, meets her mother, follows her movements, and eventually descends into the world of vicious pornographers for hire, who create films to order for a twisted clientele. Joel Schumacher has an affinity for dark atmosphere (he made "The Lost Boys,'' "Flatliners'' and the two of the Batman pictures). Here, with Mychael Danna's mournful music and Robert Elswit's squinting camera, he creates a sense of foreboding even in an opening shot of passengers walking through an airport. Advertisement The purpose of the film is to take a fairly ordinary character and bring him into such a disturbing confrontation with evil that he is driven to kill someone.

Tom Welles, we learn, went to a good school on an academic scholarship, but although his peers "went into law and finance,'' the rich widow's attorney muses, "You chose surveillance.'' Yes, says Welles: "I thought it was the future.'' Mostly his work consists of tailing adulterers, but this case is different. He meets and talks with the mother of the girl in the film, traces her movements to Hollywood, and then enlists a guide to help him explore the hidden world of the sex business. This is Max California ( Joaquin Phoenix ), who once aimed high but now works in porno retail; the film suggests that the Los Angeles economy takes hopeful young job-seekers and channels them directly into the sex trades. Through Max, Welles meets Eddie Poole ( James Gandolfini ), the kind of guy who means it when he says he can get you whatever you're looking for. And through Eddie, they meet Dino Velvet, a vicious porn director played by Peter Stormare--who was the killer who said almost nothing in "Fargo,'' and here creates a frightening set of weirdo verbal affectations.

The star of some of his films is Machine ( Chris Bauer ), who doesn't like to remove his mask. We expect Welles to get into danger with these men, and he does, but "8mm'' doesn't treat the trouble simply as an occasion for action scenes. There is a moment here when Welles has the opportunity to get revenge, but lacks the will (he is not a killer), and he actually telephones a victim and asks to be talked into it. I haven't seen that before in a movie, and it raises moral questions that the audience has to deal with, one way or another. Advertisement I know some audience members will be appalled by this film, as many were by "Seven.'' It is a very hard "R'' that would doubtless have been NC-17 if it had come from an indie instead of a big studio with clout. But it is a real film. Not a slick exploitation exercise with all the trappings of depravity but none of the consequences. Not a film where moral issues are forgotten in the excitement of an action climax. Yes, the hero is an ordinary man who finds himself able to handle violent situations, but that's not the movie's point.

The last two words of the screenplay are "save me,'' and by the time they're said, we know what they mean. Popular Blog Posts '8MM' Save money with NextCard Visa In the uncertain zone between dumb and truly twisted lies "8MM," a movie that will baffle and disgust you in one disconcerting experience. Director Joel Schumacher's thriller about snuff pornography feels like a misplaced excuse to make a dark trip to a scuzzy underworld and express moral outrage at the potbellied pigs who create and support such an industry. And if, in passing, he has to show you flashes of women being beaten, degraded and possibly killed, that's par for the course. That Nicolas Cage agreed to star in this project is one of the movie's more unintended mysteries. Perhaps he thought screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker's "8" would be as good as his "Seven." Cage's presence is workmanlike and watchable enough to make you sit through most of the movie. But as the movie's gratuitous agenda begins to smell too obvious, and it becomes clear this thing's a disaster, Cage's credibility goes to seed.

You're almost tempted to wait outside his front door with a camera crew, harsh lights and the inevitable question: "Why, Nicolas? Why?" As surveillance expert Tom Welles, he's hired by the elderly widow of a deceased millionaire to make sense of a disturbing Super-8mm movie found among the dead man's personal effects. The "snuff movie" shows a young lady apparently being raped and killed by a large man wearing a leather face mask, whose name we learn later is Machine. Mrs. Christian, the old lady, wants Tom to find out who made this movie and whether the girl is truly dead. "Please find her alive," says Mrs. Christian. Tom kisses his wife, Amy (Catherine Keener), and baby daughter goodbye and goes in search of scuzz and filth. He finds it in Hollywood's underworld of pornography. He meets  and here's the best part of the movie  an interesting character called Max California (Joaquin Phoenix), a rock star aspirant who earns money clerking in a porno store.

As Tom closes in on his target, which includes finding a snuffmeister dubiously known as "The Jim Jarmusch of S&M," Max brings much-needed comic relief to this dark little thriller. When Tom and Max notice a porno actress appearing in one snuff film after apparently dying in a previous one, Max retorts: "Oh that's great, 'Snuff 2: The Resurrection'!" But Walker's script also insists on making Max prattle on about the contagious influence of pornography. "Before you know it," he warns Tom, "you're dancing with the devil." And then, who knows, Tom? You'll probably start watching professional wrestling! In the past, director Schumacher's darkest moments have been couched in campy quotation marks, as evidenced in two Batman movies and the music-video-flavored "Flatliners." But this time, he goes for broke with ultra violence, gross sexual acts and an eastern-flavored music score presumably intended to underscore this disorienting atmosphere. Without giving things away, let's just say that things get increasingly ugly and diabolical.

And Tom, getting predictably soiled by the world he's infiltrating, becomes increasingly vigilante in spirit as he faces off with the worst the underground porno empire has to offer. One feels pity for the poor souls who appear in these porn flicks, of course. But the real female victim in "8MM" is actress Keener in the thankless role of Tom's wife. There's one unintentionally hilarious moment when Tom  covered in blood, facing the end and fearful his family might be in danger  calls his wife and tells her to get the hell out of the house with the kid and hide out until he sends for her. At this point, she dithers with a whine. "What are you saying, Tom? You're really starting to scare me." Or words to that effect. At this point, the movie breaks down completely. But the story still has a long way to go.

Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker Keen On 8MM Remake Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker Keen On 8MM Remake 0 Two decades ago, screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker was riding a wave of success following his work on David Fincher’s indelible thriller Se7en, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after scribes in Hollywood. His follow-up, 8MM, left much to be desired. Picked up and directed by Tigerland helmer Joel Schumacher, Walker’s treatment was transformed into a thriller that didn’t hold a candle to the intensity of Fincher’s breakout noir hit. But that hasn’t dampened the writer’s interest in the 1999 crime drama. Original starring Nicholas Cage as a private eye on the case of a most mysterious snuff film, Schumacher’s low-key picture also featured Joaquin Phoenix in one of his earlier forays into cinema. In hindsight, 8MM is a startlingly dark thriller, dipping its toe into the underbelly of illegal pornography without batting an eyelid – particularly for a studio movie.

Now, more than 15 years later, Walker harbors some interest in revisiting the tale of Cage’s Tom Welles via a bona fide remake. In an interview with The Guardian, the scribe revealed that despite the poor execution of the ’99 original, there are still plenty of promising elements within 8MM that could be extracted with the retelling. It was such an inherently depressing experience that the very least I can do is protect myself from the miserable experience of actually watching it. Here’s this movie with my name on it and, just from the trailers I’ve seen, there are lines I don’t want to take credit for. ‘You dance with the devil, the devil don’t change, the devil changes you.’ That wasn’t my favorite thing. One of the things I’m realizing is how inherently unsatisfying the career of screenwriter can be. At the time, both Cage and Phoenix played off one another remarkably well, and it would be a tough question of finding two similar actors that could channel a similar chemistry.

Finally, Walker also took time to talk to Voxx about the possible remake, and how it’s almost inevitable that Se7en will be rebooted in some shape or form, claiming that “half-jokingly my reaction would be, why don’t we leave Seven alone and I think it’s time to go re-make 8MM, which I would love to do.” 8MM (1999) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A private investigator is hired to discover if a "snuff film" is authentic or not.

Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC 15 October 2002 4:34 AM, -08:00 | WENN Around The Web a list of 47 titles created 30 Sep 2011 a list of 46 titles created 27 Feb 2012 a list of 30 titles created 25 Mar 2013 a list of 48 titles created 14 Jul 2014 a list of 21 titles created 4 months ago Search for " 8MM " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards » Videos A shady police detective finds himself in the middle of a murder conspiracy at an important boxing match in an Atlantic City casino. Director: Brian De Palma Inspired by the modern classic, Wings of Desire, City involves an angel (Cage) who is spotted by a doctor in an operating room. Franz plays Cage's buddy who somehow knows a lot about angels.

Director: Brad Silberling Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera. Director: Mike Figgis In order to foil an extortion plot, an FBI agent undergoes a face-transplant surgery and assumes the identity and physical appearance of a ruthless terrorist, but the plan turns from bad to worse when the same criminal impersonates the cop. Director: John Woo Newly paroled ex-con and former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe finds himself trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control. Director: Simon West A Chicago weather man, separated from his wife and children, debates whether professional and personal success are mutually exclusive. Director: Gore Verbinski A retired master car thief must come back to the industry and steal 50 cars with his crew in one night to save his brother's life. Director: Dominic Sena An arms dealer confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an Interpol agent.

Director: Andrew Niccol A phobic con artist and his protégé are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the former's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly. Director: Ridley Scott Haunted by the patients he failed to save, an extremely burned-out Manhattan ambulance paramedic fights to maintain his sanity over three fraught and turbulent nights. Director: Martin Scorsese A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip. Director: Andrew Bergman Edit Storyline A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, Welles relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town private eye.

Written by Columbia Pictures Be careful when you kill a monster, that you don't become one yourself See more » Genres: Rated R for strong perverse sexuality and violence, and for strong language | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 26 February 1999 (USA) See more » Also Known As: $14,252,888 (USA) (26 February 1999) Gross: The film's original title was "Sexy World". See more » Goofs When Tom Welles is giving cash and a plane ticket to Max California in the bar, Max mistakenly calls Tom "Mike". See more » Quotes [first lines] Airport Announcer: Welcome to Miami. While in the airport, please observe Florida and local laws which prohibit any smoking in the terminal. Thank you for not smoking. Written by Tairrie Beth, Marcelo Palomino, Rico Villasenor & Brian Harrah Performed by Tura Satana (Chicago, Illinois) – See all my reviews 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 37 of 45 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker Wants A '8MM' Remake Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker Wants A ‘8MM’ Remake Posted on Wednesday, October 7th, 2015 by Jack Giroux This year marks the 20th anniversary of director David Fincher‘s (The Social Network) breakout film, Se7en. The thriller not only launched Fincher’s feature filmmaking career, but it also made Andrew Kevin Walker an in-demand writer. Walker’s followup, 8MM, made less of a cultural, critical, and box-office impact. Director Joel Schumacher (Tigerland) turned his hot spec script into a so-so thriller. Walker, personally, wouldn’t mind seeing a 8mm remake. Learn why after the jump. Nicolas Cage played Tom Welles, a private investigator hired to find out if a “snuff film” is legit. For a studio movie, 8MM is unexpectedly bleak at times, but it never fully commits to its darkness or its implied themes. Walker has never had kind words to say about the finished film, especially in this interview with The Guardian .

It was such an inherently depressing experience that the very least I can do is protect myself from the miserable experience of actually watching it. Here’s this movie with my name on it and, just from the trailers I’ve seen, there are lines I don’t want to take credit for. ‘You dance with the devil, the devil don’t change, the devil changes you.’ That wasn’t my favorite thing. One of the things I’m realizing is how inherently unsatisfying the career of screenwriter can be. There’s a handful of excellent scenes in 8MM, like when Joaquin Phoenix‘s character offers the investigator a battery-operated vagina. Phoenix and Cage are a fine pairing, but Cage is left adrift. On multiple occasions, Max California (Phoenix) suggests to Welles he’s in too deep, and yet you never get a sense of that, despite Welles’ cheesy black leather jackets and dark t-shirts. The character’s arc is murky, and so is the rest of the film. California frequently mentions the devil, as if he’s making important thematic statements, but the movie never really has anything to say about evil.

In a new interview with Uproxx , Walker is asked about his thoughts on the inevitable Se7en remake; it’ll happen one day, let’s be honest. The screenwriter is not particularly fond of that proposal, but he’s open to an 8MM remake. Half-jokingly my reaction would be, why don’t we leave Seven alone and I think it’s time to go re-make 8MM, which I would love to do. But if they want to make Seven into a TV show, if they want to make Seven into a cartoon — there was a comic book exploring John Doe’s character, which I think is not an interesting exploration — you don’t have any control over it. You just have to go with the flow. But it’s been nice that it’s been this movie that has not be remade or sequelized or prequelized. That’s been terrific. 8MM is a fine, occasionally above-average film, but with its concept, it could’ve been so much more than “fine.” Schumacher doesn’t even come close to capturing the tension and emotion of Fincher’s thriller. On top of that, the ending isn’t half as powerful as Se7en‘s.

Nobody wants a remake of the classic 1995 picture, but a redo of 8mm isn’t a bad idea, especially if it’s more faithful to Walker’s script. Over the past few years Fincher and the screenwriter have attempted to make a handful of projects together , like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and and The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. The screenwriter has done uncredited rewrites on some of Fincher’s films, but we haven’t seen a movie with his name on it since 2010’s The Wolfman. The last great project we saw from Walker was the BMW short film, The Follow, directed by Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love), a 10-minute commercial I often revisit. Cool Posts From Around the Web:

Question: Who was the star of the dark thriller 8mm?
Answer: Nicolas Cage