8MM (1999)

A private investigator is hired to discover if a "snuff film" is authentic or not.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer:

Andrew Kevin Walker

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Tom Welles
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Max California
James Gandolfini	...	Eddie Poole
Peter Stormare	...	Dino Velvet
Anthony Heald	...	Daniel Longdale
Chris Bauer	...	George Higgins / Machine
Catherine Keener	...	Amy Welles
Myra Carter	...	Mrs. Christian
Amy Morton	...	Janet Mathews
Jenny Powell	...	Mary Ann Mathews
Anne Gee Byrd	...	Senator Michaelson
Jack Betts	...	Butler
Luis Oropeza	...	Archive Director
Rachel Singer	...	Neighbor
Don Creech	...	Mr. Anderson

Storyline

Private investigator Tom Welles is hired by the recently widowed Mrs. Christian who has found a startling pornographic film in her late husband's possessions. In the film a teenage girl is apparently killed and Welles is pretty sure it's a genuine snuff film. He takes the case, first going through records of runaways finally identifying the girl and learning that she may have run off to California. There he enters the seedy underworld of pornography with the help of Max California, a porn store clerk. His principal clue is the masked man who killed the girl as he has a unique tattoo on his hand. He soon finds the culprits but there is little satisfaction in resolving the mystery.

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Plot Keywords:

obsession | private eye | snuff film | hollywood | investigation | 

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Taglines:

Be careful when you kill a monster, that you don't become one yourself

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong perverse sexuality and violence, and for strong language

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

8 Millimeter

Filming Locations:

Clevelander Hotel - 1020 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£733,535 (UK) (23 April 1999)

Gross:

£2,391,380 (UK) (21 May 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Hofflund/Polone, Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Company Medien KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nicolas Cage's Oscar award (for Leaving Las Vegas) makes a cameo in the film. Look for it, wrapped up in black string/laces on Eddie Poole's desk when Cage breaks in to tap Poole's phone.

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Goofs

Hollywood has no red-light district.

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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.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 6 March 1999 (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Come To Daddy"
Written by Richard James
Performed by Aphex Twin
Courtesy of Sire Records Group/Warp Records Ltd.
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

A solid thriller!

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!