You can't prepare for where the truth will take you.
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, he 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 PI.
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Character
Grave, classical in form, contemporary and unpretentious.
- gravecomic
- classical in formformally daring
- contemporarynostalgic
- unpretentiousprestige
- earnestironic
Who loves it, who doesn't
18 profiled raters. Loved most by The Formalists; disliked most by The Prestige Hunters.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is Nicolas Cage the best thing in 8MM?”
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“Are the characters only there to move the plot?”
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“Is this Joel Schumacher's best work?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- GenerationofSwineon TMDB · Sep 20231/10
Joel Schumacher does it again. Look into how this film was made, what went into it, the intended directors, the intended stars, the intended budget. It started as a low budget "Dark and Gritty" film that was going to be "hand held" and star Russel Crowe and be directed by David Fincher... that would probably have worked. Look at the release date, 1999, when audiences welcomed low budget movies done well. Back in the 90s audiences accepted low budgets and dark and gritty films. It could have been the sleeper success that Se7en was. Instead you got Schumacher that lightened it up, and Cage that brought in more of a budget that in turn brought in more studio interference that wanted it lightened even more... with a director that agreed. And what could have been a great movie turned to be throwaway junk... that Joel was "Still proud of" decades later, but saw the writer throw up his hands, walk away, and disown the mess. And this was written by Andrew Kevin Walker, he tells a good story, especially if you keep things on the darker side. This COULD have been a moody, dark, thriller with a tone so ominous that it stays with you decades later. A film that took off out of nowhere like Se7e
Read the whole review on TMDB - Wuchakon TMDB · Apr 20187/10
Into the perverse underworld of smut, S&M and snuff films RELEASED IN 1999 and directed by Joel Schumacher, "8MM" chronicles events when a private investigator (Nicolas Cage) is hired by an aged wealthy woman whose husband recently passed away. A snuff film was found in his safe and she wants to see if the girl in the movie (Jenny Powell) really died or not. Amy Morton appears as the girl’s mother while Joaquin Phoenix plays a wannabe rock musician in Los Angeles who works in the porn trade. Catherine Keener is on hand as the P.I.’s wife. The movie combines the basic plot of “Hardcore” (1979) with the style of late 90’s crime thrillers, like “Kiss the Girls” (1997). The first half involves the P.I.’s tracking down the makers of the snuff film. While it’s tedious work (which I wouldn’t want to do) this part of the movie is gritty and compelling. The second half of the movie goes into material that’s difficult to pull off with a straight face, like the smut-obsessed underbelly of Los Angeles & New York. The main villains come off cartoonish somehow rather than gritty realistic, but it’s a fine line. Still, I like the message of the movie. My wife & I knew a wealthy man who passed awa
Read the whole review on TMDB - tmdb44006625on TMDB · Mar 20195/10
8MM probably only got greenlit due to the success of Se7en. Like Se7en, 8MM explores the existence of people who are simply pure evil while the main character wants to know why they are like this. 8MM doesn't provide many answers but it also isn't thematically complex. It follows a standard whodunit plot. While Nicolas Cage gives a solid performance, there are times where he takes us out of the story with his signature freak outs. Joel Schumacher manages to create a gritty tone but he has a rather bland style. Regardless of its flaws, 8MM is still a decent movie. It prefers plot over exploitation and story over violence. For those reasons, I recommend it.
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Cast
- Nicolas CageTom Welles
- Joaquin PhoenixMax California
- James GandolfiniEddie Poole
- Peter StormareDino Velvet
- Anthony HealdLongdale
- Chris BauerMachine
- Catherine KeenerAmy Welles
- Myra CarterMrs. Christian
- Amy MortonMrs. Mathews
- Norman ReedusWarren Anderson
Crew
- Joel SchumacherDirector
- Andrew Kevin WalkerWriter
- Robert ElswitDirector of Photography
- Mychael DannaOriginal Music Composer
- Mark StevensEditor
- Gavin PoloneProducer
- Joel SchumacherProducer
- Judy HofflundProducer
Where to watch
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
The General's Daughter 199981% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
The Believers 198780% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, earnest.
Muse 201778% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, bleak.
Museum 201678% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
High Crimes 200278% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, earnest.
Lord of Illusions 199577% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
Death Note: L Change the WorLd 200877% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
Both grave, contemporary, classical in form.
Swamp Thing 201985% alikeTelevision · Both grave, classical in form, unpretentious.
Escape Dead Island 201484% alikeGame · Both grave, classical in form, contemporary.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Tastebuds
