Movies…with a little bit of obscure culture and sports mixed in
If you are brave enough to turn on 8MM, do not do so publicly. Turn on Hulu at home and wonder why you’ve voluntarily channeled this dark energy. It is a great one-time watch, and if you watch it twice, know you’ve got a screw loose.
“A private investigator is hired to discover if a “snuff film” is authentic or not.”
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Anthony Heald, Chris Bauer
Release Date: February 26, 1999
IMDB
I have a question for Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan and Van Lathan. How in the hell does 8MM (1999) get the “rewatchable” label? I’m not saying that 8MM is a bad movie by any means, but the idea of watching it again seems like more of a chore than emptying 500 litter boxes in a row.
Nicolas Cage plays Tom Welles, a private investigator known for his discreet abilities. He is hired by a wealthy old widow, via her lawyer, who found a disturbing film reel amongst her dead husband’s belongings. The film shows the brutal killing of a young girl shaded under the guise of extreme pornography.
Welles agrees to look into the validity of the film, which leads him to the dark underground streets of Hollywood. Max California, played by Joaquin Phoenix, escorts the out-of-towner and aids in his search for the truth. Together, they unspool the disturbing characters behind the snuff film, and Welles finds himself in both physical and mental harm. He has to survive the case and try to keep his mind sane as his naive eyes are opened to the depravities of humankind.
While many involved with making 8MM deserve a psyche evaluation, screenplay writer Andrew Kevin Walker is at the top of that list. Walker’s second movie script follows up his equally fucked up and disturbing debut, Se7en (1995). In four years, Walker has two stories sent out to the masses; one is about a truly fucked up serial killer, and the second revolves around the murder of a young teenager in the world of depraved pornography.
Wellness check on aisle seven, please!
Se7en is a remarkably well-regarded film, and director David Fincher reunited with the talented demented man for The Killer (2023) last year. Michael Fassbender’s outlook on society is not favorable in the Netflix original. Still, thankfully, it does appear that adapting a piece of work lends a bit more comedy to Walker’s writing, even if the outline is still dark.
It should also be no surprise that David Fincher was the first choice to direct 8MM. The studio went in a different direction with Joel Schumacher. That choice had a massive effect on the movie and its vibe. Can you imagine an even darker version of 8MM? Because that is what it was meant to be. The studio asked Walker to lighten up the script, but he denied doing so. It was Schumacher, who agreed with the studio, who went over the writer’s head and began making adjustments while on the set. This outraged Walker and eventually led to a disownment of his own treatment.
As of 2021, Walker has never seen 8MM out of principle. In an interview with The Talks, Walker illustrates how his story had deeper levels of insanity with the quote: “My version ended with the character being so changed by the experience that he basically just drove his car into a bridge abutment and killed himself.”
If you have seen 8MM, you know just how Walker’s original ending differs from the film’s final frames.
One last note on Schumacher directing 8MM. He made this dark tale two years after the box office bomb Batman & Robin (1997). While the reviews for 8MM were positive at the time, it was still a ballsy choice by Schumacher to take on such a divisive story after he unified a nation into hating nipples on bat suits.
Nic Cage was not the first choice for 8MM. Russell Crowe was all-in when the project was lower scale and budget. When Schumacher wanted more money, they leaned towards Cage. All things being said, Cage being the fish out of water is perfect for the eerie vibe of 8MM. As mean as this is to say, Cage’s unique look kind of fits in the shady pornography-filled dark rooms. His thin face and sharp features evoke “stay away from me” feelings. There is craziness behind the facade, and we know that is true with Cage. He gets to unleash at times in 8MM.
There are two absolutely perfect castings.
Peter Stormare is perfect as the crossbow-wielding Dino Velvet. The man never plays the hero, and his iconic accent fits perfectly. For those who don’t know Stormare, think car shop owner at the start of John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), Gaear Grimsrud from Fargo (1996), or the white-clad Satan in Constantine (2005).
The second *chef’s kiss* casting is Anthony Heald as Longdale, the lawyer for the wealthy widow. The name is not head racing, but what if I offer you a hint? What if I told you that Heald plays a character that gets eaten as an old friend for dinner? Heald played Dr. Fredrick Chilton in Silence Of The Lambs (1991), and he brings so much of the same slimeball, over-his-head energy to this part—a man you love to hate. Heald opened and closed the 1990s perfectly.
If you are brave enough to turn on 8MM, do not do so publicly. Turn on Hulu at home and wonder why you’ve voluntarily channeled this dark energy. It is a great one-time watch, and if you watch it twice, know you’ve got a screw loose.
STANKO RATING: B
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