Friday, Feb. 26, 1999 | 12:24 p.m.
Synopsis: Tom Welles (Nicolas Cage) is a surveillance specialist -- formerly known as a "private eye" -- but his version of the profession is hardly the stuff of which legends are made. Welles spends most of his time on routine cases involving unfaithful spouses and the like. "8MM" follows Welles as he relentlessly pursues a bizarre trail of graphic and disturbing evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger -- a 16-year-old girl who ran away from home more than seven years earlier. His only lead is small: an innocuous-looking plastic reel of 8MM film.
Jeff: When the credits roll at the end of a film, you can usually see me heading for the door. But this time, I was so disturbed by the content of "8MM," all I could do was just sit there in astonishment.
I consider myself a man of the world -- by that I mean nothing shocks or offends me. I've seen everything -- or so I thought. Director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker have produced a tale that takes you into the hidden world of underground pornography, where you'll find anything and everything if you have the cash.
The film begins with a rich socialite discovering an 8MM film in her late husband's vault. Private eye Welles is called in to view the film to verify its authenticity. The film is a supposed snuff film -- where the victim is raped and then brutally murdered on film for the purpose of entertainment. In this case, the victim is a 16-year-old girl.
Snuff films are thought to be an urban legend, but some say they do exist in parts of Asia and the South Pacific. That is Welles' mission: To find out if the film is authentic and to make sure the girl is alive and well. When Welles watches the film for the first time, trying to determine if it is real, it's so disturbing that I had to turn away. It looked real.
Dave: Incredibly disturbing, indeed. Schumacher has tackled a variety of successful Hollywood films that seem to include either John Grisham ("The Client," "A Time To Kill"), teen idols ("St. Elmo's Fire," "The Lost Boys"), or the Caped Crusader (the last two installments of the "Batman" franchise). However, the talented filmmaker has now shown his ability to craft an engaging thriller that will certainly test the limits of its mainstream audience.
Plus, we have one of the most vulnerable and daring actors today in Cage to walk us through this terrifying reality known as the pornographic underworld. And his character, Welles, is just as scared as the rest of us.
Jeff: Whoever you are, you are not prepared for the evil journey that Schumacher (our travel agent into hell) unveils for you. It's a world where teenagers run away to Los Angeles with hopes of becoming stars in films or television, only to succumb to the predators of pornography.
Welles is our tour guide into hell. Our stops are sex clubs, porn shops, run-down hotel rooms, bondage, torture, underground porno flea markets, topless bars, strip joints, massage parlors and adult video arcades. Welles is sickened by this perverted society and, along with the audience, is horrified at its widespread use and the victims left in its wake.
Not since George C. Scott in "Hardcore" (in which a father searches for his runaway daughter in L.A.'s sex underworld) has a film dealt with such disgusting and depraved themes. Welles attempts to keep his morality and sanity during his journey while becoming obsessed with finding the girl from the snuff film. It begins to take its toll on his mind and his family.
Dave: On the tour, Welles recruits a streetwise adult bookstore clerk named Max (rising star Joaquin Phoenix). "When you dance with the devil, you don't change the devil, the devil changes you," Max advises as Welles makes headway into what began as his big financial break of a case, before turning into a sordid dark mystery.
Credit goes to scribe Walker, responsible for the equally distressing 1995 thriller "Seven." The surprise plot twists and shrewd dialogue allow Schumacher to expose a seedy style of life. Scenes that are arguably controversial go only so far in showing the actual acts of violence and sexual fetishes. One never actually sees the act, but the suggestive manner creates the brutal image challenging the audience's imagination -- that is, if one dares to entertain the graphic nature of the material.
Jeff: "8MM" is not for everyone, but for those who dare to journey into the grotesque and face mankind's darkest passions and obsessions. It's about coming face to face with evil and "dancing with the devil." Check your morality at the door.
VIEWPOINT
We couldn't believe our ears. The death of film critic Gene Siskel was the last thing we expected to hear early last Saturday morning. What went wrong?
Gene had undergone surgery to remove a brain tumor nine months earlier and quickly returned to his successful show, "Siskel & Ebert," just weeks after surgery. From the start, we could see a tremendous difference in his performance.
Gene was slow, his introductions were muddled and at times he seemed lost during his reviews with Roger. "What is he doing? Why doesn't he take time off?" we wondered. The confrontations Siskel and Ebert were famous for were all but gone, and Roger would have a smile plastered across his face as if to agree with everything Siskel and not upset him in his delicate condition. It was a heartfelt gesture.
We knew Gene should have taken more time off to recuperate, but when he finally got around to it earlier this month (per doctor's orders), it was too little too late. People and fans have approached us over the past few days, wanting to know our reaction to Gene's death, and it's simply that we are stunned and saddened.
Since our beginnings in our college years at UNLV three years ago, we have been compared to the forefathers of film criticism, and at one time were dubbed "The College Siskel & Ebert" -- a comparison that we were flattered by. They are our mentors, our motivation and our inspiration. We can remember a time when we had talked to the producers of "Siskel & Ebert" about a possible promotion with Gene and Roger, but their schedules were too hectic. We were in constant contact with them over those years, with letters and phone calls -- just to meet them -- but we never got a response. As fellow film critics and fans, we even sent a get-well card to Gene early last year. It was the least we could do.
Although we have agreed with Roger far more times than with Gene, we understood Siskel's passion and commitment to cinema, and how he never feared to express his opinion about a film and its creators. What will the future hold for Roger Ebert? We think he should continue with the show. Why? We're sure Gene would have have wanted it that way. It was always our dream to spend a day with Siskel and Ebert, catching a few movies, talking about films and maybe coercing some advice from the duo that started it all, but now, that can never happen. The balcony will never be the same.
NAME THAT FLICK
"I'm a superstitious man. And if some unlucky accident should befall my son, if my son is struck by a bolt of lighting, I will blame some of the people here." Our congratulations goes to George Fuller, who was the first to call and answer that it was spoken by Marlon Brando in "The Godfather." Way to go, George! Now, let us get back to the wedding of Vito's daughter.
Continuing with our countdown to the 71st Academy Awards, tell us what Academy Award-winning actor said this and in what film: "I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner." Does it sound familiar? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Be sure to spell your name and leave your daytime phone number, and if you're the first correct caller/e-mailer, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read.
Don't forget to pick up this week's edition of the Las Vegas Weekly to check out our exclusive interview with actor/director Dan Aykroyd about wrapping production on his new film "Diamonds." We'll also discuss his appearance as Elwood Blues at the opening of the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. See you next week!
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