8MM (1999)

[baumer]

Discuss

[lilmac]

I came in as a skeptic after had watched my first Schumacher movie two years prior.  A horrid movie which shall not be named.  Overall, I thought it was OK.  It kept my attention as I followed Cage's characters' efforts to piece everything together.  The snuff scene was hard to watch though.  

[baumer]

 I can understand why people don't like this film, it is a dark story but it's also a very well made and sinister film that really gets into the under-belly of society.  I had a similar (although more disturbing) reaction to Last House On The Left as I did on this one. It wasn't a film that was made to enjoy, it was made to show the horrors that human beings can inflict on one another. I believe 8MM has walked a similar path.

Perhaps my appreciation of this film is due to to my surroundings and to a very famous case that happened here about 20 years ago. We lived through the Paul Bernardo trials (google it). He was convicted of crimes very similar to the ones perpetrated in the film. And what we got at times were very graphic descriptions of what he did to his victims. He was a sick, twisted fuck that lured unsuspecting girls to his den and then he and his wife would assault, torture, dehumanize, sodomize, rape, hold against their will and then kill them in disgusting manners. This film reminded me of that case. And it also reminded me that killers of this sort are not monsters, in society that is. They are normal and perhaps even attractive people that have charm. And that is how they get their victims. 8MM really showed what it must have been like to be one of the girls that went through this. And it paints a sick twisted picture of humans fetishes. So I guess what I am saying is that 8MM is not Star Wars. It is not even Schumacher's other brilliant look at the decay of society, Falling Down. At least in that film people had a reason to laugh. It wasn't always appropriate to do so, but they were permitted to. 8MM is not funny. It is not a light subject matter and it is not a brightly lit film where everyone lives happily ever after. 8MM is a sick movie but that is what it supposed to be. You can't have a subject matter like this and expect to see Nick and his wife and daughter on their patio having a picnic at the end of the film. It just wouldn't happen. Darkness is a part of everyone's life. We all have our Achilles Heals. We are all intrigued by Pandora's Box and there is a tiny bit of the Dark Side in even the most virtuous people. But most of know what is acceptable behavior in society, sadly some of us can't accept that responsibility and monsters like the ones in this movie do exist.

As I said, I didn't love this movie, but I did like it and I certainly appreciated what it had to say and how it said it. It was horrifying and it was disturbing. Why people criticize it I can understand, it is not for everyone's taste, but don't for one second diss it because it is not disturbing enough. Just the fact that things like this actually happen is enough to make you disturbed. And remember monsters like this are real. They really are.

 

8/10

[Crusader]

I liked this 

 

Cage is the one of the most WTF is he doing actors around but in here he worked 

 

7/10