You can’t prepare for where the truth will take you|Feb. 26, 1999|Germany | United States|123 Min.|R
Genre: Crime;Mystery;Thriller
Description: Private investigator Tom Welles is hired by Daniel Longdale, the attorney of a wealthy widow named Mrs. Christian. Following her husband’s death, they discover an 8mm film in his safe that seemingly shows the actual murder of a young woman. Mrs. Christian insists on uncovering the truth, and Welles is instructed to keep the investigation confidential and avoid reproducing the film.
Welles identifies the girl in the film as Mary Ann Mathews by reviewing missing persons records. He travels to North Carolina to meet her mother, Janet, who grants him permission to search their home. There, he discovers Mary Ann’s diary, revealing her aspirations to become a film star in Hollywood. Janet insists on knowing the truth about her daughter’s fate, no matter how disturbing.
In Hollywood, Welles teams up with Max California, an employee at an adult video store, to explore the dark world of underground fetish pornography. He investigates whether snuff films are real and seeks connections to the film in question. Their investigation leads them to Eddie Poole, a shady talent scout, and ultimately to Dino Velvet, a director known for violent pornographic films featuring a masked man called “Machine,” who brutalizes women.
To gather evidence, Welles poses as a client interested in commissioning a BDSM film directed by Velvet and starring Machine. Velvet agrees and arranges a meeting in New York City. However, the meeting turns into a trap. Longdale and Poole ambush Welles at gunpoint, revealing the horrifying truth: Mr. Christian had commissioned Velvet and Poole to create the snuff film after failing to find an authentic one. Velvet and Machine then present a kidnapped and beaten Max California, demanding Welles hand over the only copy of the film.
Cast director: Joel Schumacher
Cast actor: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Anthony Heald, Chris Bauer, Catherine Keener, Myra Carter, Amy Morton, Jenny Powell
Original name: 8MM