8MM, 1999

8MM, 1999
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Nicholas Cage, James Gandolfini, Joaquim Phoenix


Stage: Home, late Saturday TV selection




8MM in short: A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, Welles relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town private eye.


Preps: None. I have seen this piece a long time ago. Time to see it again.


Reality: this is one of the pioneer ones about Snuff genre. It hasn't been spoken wildly in public about, however it remains one of the so called forbidden genres. The one that doesn't exist, like the drugs don't and certainly, the one that noone has ever heard about, yet all of us know what it is and what the term stands for.
The storyline is basicly simple to absorb, it's the philosophy that stands behind the investigation, that is intriguing. In terms of what kind of a person are you to order such a movie, to film it, where do you get persons to volunteer to act in these kind of movies and overall, is it worth it? Demistification of the husband's secret now becomes an obsession for the investigator. I must confess the role suits Cage like a glove. He feels extremely comfortable inside the scenes and I am thrilled to see him crash after a while because all of this becomes too much even for a tough policeman/investigator. The reasons for doing it, still, remain uncertain and unrevealed. It's not a surprise to see a christian son doing the killing, and a close member to the family Cage is investigating for, to take a greater role in helping the husband do the deed and order the snuff movie. For any person who has ever seen or read some crime stories, this is a normal turnover. In this sense, the movie isn't exciting or goes beyond average. I believe, that the unique sales proposition in this matter is snuff, because this is enough to make up for every other average perticularity of the piece. Not enough said about dark sides of porno movies, drug industry or other "misbehaviour" in our society. I would make this a pioneer piece for the sake of widering the mind of us, observers.
A nice, unusual role, for the young Phoenix, who at that time wasn't quite so famous as he is now, in 2012, where we are quite familiar with his ass in some other notorious pieces. Here in a role of a drug jockey, plays magnificently and surprises me with the elegance and comfort he finds in this role.

The movie itself could be somehow shorter, I believe the agony is prolongued more than it should be, but that might be Schumacher's aim, to make it go deep inside our veins.


My personal rating: 6,5 (a solid piece on a genre we aren't familiar with and most of us really contradict the fact it exists).


8MM on IMDB

Signs, 2002

Signs, 2002
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Mel Gibson, Rory Culkin

Stage: Home theatre, TV selection of a Saturday night


Signs in short:In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a five-hundred-foot crop circle is found on the farm of Graham Hess, the town's reverend. The circles cause a media frenzy and test Hess's faith as he journeys to find out the truth behind the crop circles.

Preps: None in perticular. But I am aware of the content.

Reality: Wooow, another episode of X files. This time in roles with Joaquin and Gibson. The Ceasar from Gladiator and the man who saves the world for xxx times. Joke aside, I truly feel I have stepped into another episode of X files and I am missing Scully and Mulder. Gibson as an ex priest (not really convincing), Phoenix chasing his life and beliefs. The children that believe in god and aliens. The dogs driving crazy all around them with barking and attempts of violence.

Now, the signs have been intriguing the minds of people for decades. And they aren't easy to be explained. Therefore they are usually said to be a work of aliens and there we have a chase after the designers of this perticular sign. In some sense, this movie isn't something new or won't reveal something we haven't seen in some of the other attempts of this genre. But it has an interesting insight into the philosophy of kids and the way they are feeling about the alien presence. The father figures here aren't neither convincing or they are resolving something. So no upgrade whatsoever from the known movies. The figure of the protective father and brother. The figure of an uncle that isn't as smart as the father. The signs that aren't explained after all. And remain to the viewer to be interpreted.

Not really something to die for, I mean the movie. Easily thrown away into the recycle bin. And easy money for both main protagonists. As said, the genre is easily sold to the crowd. But the movie is not for people that demand more. After all, if we didn't get the Stonehenge and similar signs for centuries, why think you can get the ones that are fresh and made in corn fields :)

My personal rate: 2,0 (a bit amusing at the beginning, with the development, loses its pace for sure).

Signs on IMDB

The Gladiator, 2000

Gladiator, 2000
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Russel Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix



Scene: home theatre

Genre: hystorical drama/action/adventure

Short synopsis: When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.


Preps: Finally I get to see it again, this time in home theatre in dolby, how cool is that. One of the greatest ones, in terms of movie technique, also a strong story that keeps your feet burning long after seeing this.


Reality: Scott makes a dramatic hystorical action movie, one of the greatest in the last 15 years that I've seen. As I see it for the fifth or sixth time, I still find a lot to look at, a lot that I haven't seen yet and again, the remarkable strong story inspires me. I love hystorical movies, and if they are packed in such a good photography/scenery/costumes, the better cannot get, I can assure you. The music is also brilliant, it brings out the best from the scenes. If I compare it to Troy, the "true" story about the long fight, in my opinion, this one will be closer to balkan people - from my side of the continent, as it is a struggle for life, justice, war and piece, love and conquer of the kingdom. The politics in its rotten roots. And the act of Phoenix (you have to hate him, but he acts brilliant) and Crowe is inspiring.


My personal favourite quote: What we do in life, echoes in eternity
I even have that on my google account ;)

My personal rating: 9,5 (one I have to see every now and then. Everyone wants to be him at least once in a while).



Gladiator on IMDB
Gladiator official site