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8MM

"You can't prepare for where the truth will take you."

1999-02-26 Thriller 2hr 3m

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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8MM
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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, 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.

  • Released
    1999-02-26
  • Revenue
    $96,618,699
  • Budget
    $40,000,000
  • Runtime
    2hr 3m
  • Genre
    Thriller, Crime, Mystery
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English
  • imdb-logo
    6.6
  • Production
    Global Medien KG, Hofflund/Polone, Columbia Pictures

Crew

Joel Schumacher
Director
Andrew Kevin Walker
Writer
Joel Schumacher
Producer
Keywords:
new york city pornography underground loss of loved one sex shop obsession investigation porn actor snuff sadomasochism child pornography private investigator los angeles, california subculture missing person bdsm snuff film

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Cast

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage
Tom Welles
Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix
Max California
James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini
Eddie Poole
Peter Stormare

Peter Stormare
Dino Velvet
Anthony Heald

Anthony Heald
Daniel Longdale
Chris Bauer

Chris Bauer
George Higgins
Catherine Keener

Catherine Keener
Amy Welles
Myra Carter

Myra Carter
Mrs. Christian
Amy Morton

Amy Morton
Janet Mathews
Norman Reedus

Norman Reedus
Warren Anderson
Jenny Powell

Jenny Powell
Mary Ann Mathews
Anne Gee Byrd

Anne Gee Byrd
Senator
Jack Betts

Jack Betts
Butler
Luis Oropeza

Luis Oropeza
Archive Director
Rachel Singer

Rachel Singer
Neighbor
Don Creech

Don Creech
Mr. Anderson
Fran Bennett

Fran Bennett
Nun
Wilma Bonet

Wilma Bonet
Nun
Luis Saguar

Luis Saguar
Manny
Walter K. Jordan

Walter K. Jordan
Thug
Norm Compton

Norm Compton
Thug
Brian Keith Russell

Brian Keith Russell
Thug
John Robb

John Robb
Porn Dealer
Devan Brown

Devan Brown
Flea Market Woman
Doris Brent

Doris Brent
Machine's Mother
Robert Amico

Robert Amico
Casting Director
Kiva Dawson

Kiva Dawson
Girl in Hall
Rachel Wolfe

Rachel Wolfe
Girl in Hall
Suzy Nakamura

Suzy Nakamura
Computer Wizard
Torsten Voges

Torsten Voges
Stick
Tahitia Dean

Tahitia Dean
Hollywood Prostitute
Texas Terri

Texas Terri
Dino's Redhead
Vernon Guichard II

Vernon Guichard II
Porn Guy
Emily Patrick

Emily Patrick
Porn Girl
Nancy Vee

Nancy Vee
Porno Make-Up Artist
Lisa Vanasco

Lisa Vanasco
Topless Ticket Taker
Bridgett Vera

Bridgett Vera
Ticket Taker
Jennifer Harris

Jennifer Harris
Strip Club Dancer
Burton Richards

Burton Richards
Strip Club Dancer
Jovanna Vitiello

Jovanna Vitiello
Strip Club Dancer
David U. Hodges

David U. Hodges
Surveillance Man
William Lawrence Mack

William Lawrence Mack
Larry
Lorena M. Santos

Lorena M. Santos
Prostitute
Connie Mercurio

Connie Mercurio
Nurse
William Buck

William Buck
Mr. Christian
Kerry Corcoran

Kerry Corcoran
Cheating Son-in-Law
Mario Ernesto Sánchez

Mario Ernesto Sánchez
Taxi Driver
Claudia Aros

Claudia Aros
Miami Girlfriend
Ava Lee Scott

Ava Lee Scott
Girl in Lot (uncredited)
Deborah Smith Ford

Deborah Smith Ford
Dancer (uncredited)
Jacklyn Lick

Jacklyn Lick
Video Girl (uncredited)
Carla Moon

Carla Moon
Girl in Jacuzzi (uncredited)

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for 8MM
reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 7

Written by Wuchak on 2018-04-29

Into the perverse underworld of smut, S&M and snuff films RELEASED IN 1999 and directed by Joel Schumacher, "8MM" chronicles events when ... read more

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 away a few years ago. He often didn’t pay the people he did business with, not to mention his employees who were living paycheck to paycheck. Someone asked him how he could own two Cadillacs and regularly go on globetrotting vacations while treating people like this and he arrogantly responded: “Because I caaAAAN.” The low-lifes in “8MM” have a similar attitude. THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hours 3 minutes and was shot in Miami, Pennsylvania (Wormleysburg/Harrisburg), New York (Hastings-on-Hudson, Elmsford, Yonkers, Queens & Long Island) and S. Cal. (Los Angeles & Long Beach). WRITER: Andrew Kevin Walker. ADDITIONAL CAST: Anthony Heald plays the rich woman’s lawyer while James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare and Chris Bauer appear as smut pervs. GRADE: B

reviewer avatar

A Review by tmdb44006625 5

Written by tmdb44006625 on 2019-03-09

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 ... read more

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.

reviewer avatar

A Review by SoSmooth1982 6

Written by SoSmooth1982 on 2023-03-17

Another one of Nicholas Cage's crazy movies. Like all the rest of his movies, this one was good too.... read more

Another one of Nicholas Cage's crazy movies. Like all the rest of his movies, this one was good too.

reviewer avatar

A Review by GenerationofSwine 1

Written by GenerationofSwine on 2023-09-05

Joel Schumacher does it again. Look into how this film was made, what went into it, the intended directors, the intended stars, the intende... read more

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 Se7en did... ... instead it was junk and a film so forgettable that I had to be reminded that I had seen it, and, after 15 minutes, reminded why I blacked it out.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by Wuchak

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 passe...

reviewer avatar

A Review by Wuchak 7

Written by Wuchak on 2018-04-29

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 we...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by tmdb44006625 5

Written by tmdb44006625 on 2019-03-09

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...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by SoSmooth1982 6

Written by SoSmooth1982 on 2023-03-17

Another one of Nicholas Cage's crazy movies. Like all the rest of his movies, this one was good too....

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by GenerationofSwine 1

Written by GenerationofSwine on 2023-09-05

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" fi...

read more