July 02, 2010
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8mm (1999)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, Peter Stormare
MPAA Rating: R
Synopsis: A private investigator is hired by a grieving widow to investigate the authenticity of a suspected snuff film.
Thoughts: When I saw director Joel Schumacher's nasty 1999 shocker 8mm in theaters eleven years ago, I was absolutely floored. Not only had Schumacher delivered a solid, seriously warped motion picture about an extremely controversial subject matter, he presented the material without turning the whole affair into a cheap exploitation flick. Even in this vile and explicitly violent day and age, this strong and emotionally devastating little thriller holds up surprisingly well. The cast -- including Peter Stormare as a pretentious porn director -- is a major reason for the film's success, though Andrew Kevin Walker's whip-smart script also deserves some of the credit. And while many tend to believe that 8mm is the poor man's Seven, labeling it a wannabe only serves to sell it short. Modern mainstream thrillers are rarely this edgy.
Recipe For Success: An Intelligent Take on a Touchy Subject + Joaquin Phoenix + When Tom Wells Calls Mary's Mom, I Cry
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