Exploring Nicolas Cage's Most Disturbing Film

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ABOUT THE SHOW:
This show celebrates Ryan's love for film, games, art and entertainment through personal retrospective analysis that aims to explore what made them so good.
SOURCES:
Andew Kevin Walker interview w/ Mark Salisbury (The Guardian, 1999): www.theguardian.com/film/1999...
Andrew Kevin Walker via Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_...
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[@RyanHollinger]

*Next time, we're going back to the 80s! ... Comment below and tell me what I should cover next!* Go to expressvpn.com/ryan to take back your Internet privacy TODAY and find out how you can get 3 months free!

[@moriahamerson]

The cemetery Man otherwise titled dellamorte dellamore. 1994, introspective, strange, funny zombie film

[@DDfan91]

The void, ginger snaps trilogy, fear street movies and hellraiser.

[@Hiro_515]

I LOVE YOU RYAN!

[@axelcordova8262]

My obligatory request for Night in the Woods and Pink Floyd's The Wall.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@axelcordova8262 Your ritual recommends, so to speak. You've been mentioning them as long as I have with my own suggestions that I'm rooting for yours as well. 😆🤞

[@aaronsouthan7798]

''Can't get your mind around it, huh? I don't have any answers to give. Nothing I can say will make you sleep easier at night. I wasn't beaten, I wasn't molested. Mommy didn't abuse me. Daddy never raped me. I'm only what I am, and that's all there is to it''- Such a haunting monologue.

[@FrumpyMcDumpster]

Despite it being a Schumacher addition, I find this monologue my favorite bit of the film.

[@skylx0812]

Sociopathic killers begin with animals then work their way up. He could have been FAS (Fetal Alchohol Syndrome). Maybe mommy drank while pregnant thats why he can't remember any of the abuse.

[@angelg8445]

@@skylx0812 LED PAINT? COULD HAVE BEEN DROPPED TOO? MAYBE HEAD INJURY?

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

@@FrumpyMcDumpster it does a great job at grounding the events too. With all the other people involved in the production of the film being absolute freaks it's actually more disturbing that he's not the result of some depraved origin story and is just some guy IMO

[@MumRah357]

I'll be honest and say that I don't like how the movie presented this. I think it would have been much better if Cage just showed up at the guy's house ready to confront him, only to discover that he has like a wife and a baby, a happy family of his own. It would crush and haunt him for the rest of his life even more, to know that a man who can do such a horrifying act, is a man who looks and lives a seemingly normal life, much like his own.

[@youtubeme7195]

I saw it opening night with 4 other Marines. We walked out Silent until one friend said, "That was a great film that I cannot recommend to anyone." Which I think is a fantastic summary of the movie.

[@marcjefferson2500]

Brilliant comment 💯

[@jojo-xh5ik]

this just means you dont know the right people lol

[@michaelax3025]

​@@jojo-xh5ikwait?? What??

[@Travisscottj]

@@DerHalbeEuro well obviously the violence is soft due to the MPAA but its still graphic nonetheless also its dark themes is straight up disturbing as well

[@ameliabedelia7018]

@youtubeme7195 did you hook up with any of those Marines?

[@TheDiabolocraft]

The sad nature of the film really ate me up. Every scene Cage is looking for a reason, some justification as to why. But everytime he digs deeper, he realises there is no reason. There is nothing.

[@joeyeulo1489]

"Because I'm trying to understand!!!!" that line from him, the confusion and rage and sadness in it is just heartbreaking

[@leatapp1255]

I disagree, but don’t. The reason “because he can” speaks volumes.If a society’s most powerful can do anything and choose torturing and destroying girls, what does it say about the society that gave them that power? There is a “why”. Ultimately our white, male protagonist sees every lie that ever allowed him to enjoy his life brought to light. What can he alone do to change it? Nothing. He walked his hero’s journey only to find no catharsis in the end and who does he beg to save him, but a woman even more disempowered in the system he now rightly dreads.

[@hereticsign]

@@leatapp1255 I think nic cage could have understood or would not have tried to understood or go deep if it was an adult who was killed, but a kid is a different matter, particularly when he has a daughter who has to live in this world.I remember when i heard "Because he can" and i felt despair. i would have done the same thing nic did. Hunting them down.

[@satsubatsu347]

@@leatapp1255 I don't think the character being white has anything to do with anything. Particularly juxtaposed to being the child of a mill worker. In a company town with company housing. A piece of America's past people tend to have a blind spot for seems to be how badly business leaders treated ALL Americans. Ever heard of a company store that only accepts company script? Industrialists don't tend to give a singular fuck about your skin color as long as your blood makes them money. Joel Schumacher explicitly states in the commentary that class was a massive component to the story he was telling. This is doubly obvious when Welles is tracking down porn in East LA and he sees the same stuff happening (i.e. the cholos' backyard sale). People "with" doing as they want to people "without." Women disempowered? You should listen to to Le Tigre's 1999 song "Hot Topic." Nearly 4 minutes of name dropping women of power, influence, and notoriety. How did an all female, queer, band find so many names to list if "Women never got to do nothing never"? Jesus Christ, meet a Riot Grrl or something.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Nothing is something and something stronger still.

[@MrFiiiix]

I’d argue that the bleakest part of this story is that it is an isolated act. Nic Cage’s character goes through all this to punish an atrocity but doesn’t prevent it from ever happening to anyone else. There is no industry or grand scheme behind it all, just scum bags who were given the right financial motivation. And the world is in no short supplies of those. Thanks for the video Ryan, it was awesome, as always!

[@hereticsign]

You do realize, he can't prevent it and that is what makes his act of killing them more impactful. Sure it is not the answer nor killing those monsters made the world safer for his girl or any girl around. Nic had to live with the fact that his daughter might not be safe from these monsters.

[@bennygerow]

Very well said

[@fernandoferreira6293]

These would murder no more.

[@markpayne1748]

I think what you have to realize is that you simply can't "bubble-wrap" this world for your children, no matter how much you want to. It doesn't matter. You can't save your child from every single boogeyman. There will ALWAYS be a boogeyman or some kind of threat, right? There HAS to be. If there isn't a villain, by God, we'll make one, right? After all, above all we need the story. And without a villain there's no story. There's no movie. Isn't that why we go to movies? We want to see a hero fight the boogeyman. We NEED the devil, just to make the story work. So we, as humans, if we don't have a boogeyman, by God we'll create one. And why do we do this? To make the innocent suffer? Well damn, I hope not. Jeez. We, as a species, find glory in conflict and conquering. We simply can't "hug it out" with the boogeyman. Only by fighting the boogeyman can we discover within ourselves the reason to survive. When I watch a movie, I want to be entertained, and I want to be inspired by seeing the hero struggle and overcome the boogeyman. I want to identify with my hero as he (or she) struggles against a suffocating and almost unconquerable enemy. Just one more thought... What if God was just another moviegoer who bought a ticket, an overpriced soda and popcorn, and was hoping to see a really great movie? What if all your determination to withstand and overcome an onslaught of suffering and attack was really God just saying, "You're my hero. I'm cheering for you. And it's time to kick this bastard's ass. So let's do this."

[@markpayne1748]

@@hereticsign Oh, I totally agree. His killing of Eddie and "Machine" was cathartic vengeance. The blood on his hands from their deaths was the price it took for him to be redeemed, if only in his own mind. The Talmud says that "He who saves one person saves the entire world." While Tom actually saved no one from immediate death, he arguably saved future victims from Valentine's and Machine's predation. I would argue that walking away from the horror, shrugging your shoulders, and saying, "Oh well, what can I. alone, do?" is a slow death of humanity. In my opinion, apathy and indifference slowly robs us of what makes our entire species worthy of life and enlightenment.

[@nomadrises]

“The World doesn’t stop turning just cause you find the truth!”

[@neverforsakelife]

Much as we would like it to.

[@MajorJakas]

It can sure slow down. Look at all the media censorship these days. Somebody discovered something they shouldn't have, and now we all pay the price in order to keep it from spreading.

[@sebicmiel4221]

Who said that?😳

[@jaimie1938]

That quote reminded me of the ending of BlacKKKlansman, very powerful

[@H4FJ]

@@MajorJakas That's just completely besides the point, though. "Media censorship" doesn't stop these things from happening - if anything it achieves the opposite. Way to shoehorn a political topic into a video about a movie that doesn't touch upon it.

[@ChakasCave]

I turned this on when I was a kid thinking it was 8 mile.... this was not the movie I was expecting.

[@fredbloggs5902]

No worries, I though ‘Debbie does Dallas’ was a travelogue 😳

[@calipurnioelreydelodio7141]

There wasn't any mom's spaghetties on this film.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Ouch, that must've been eye-opening for you. 😅

[@AutumnWind92]

At least this movie is good tho!

[@dubfunk1886]

@@AutumnWind92 Ahhh shit, you beat me to it!

[@Amarianee]

Fun fact: I met Nick Cage at comic con when he was promoting Ghost Rider, and he was one of the nicest celebrities I've ever met. He's as quirky in person as people suspect, but he genuinely loves his fans. He has a, "werewolf ring," and when I complimented it (I love cryptozoology) we started chatting. He ignored the security lady who was pissy with me, telling me to move it along, and we kept talking for another minute. It was one of those raffle things, so it's not like I was holding up a giant line, there were only maybe 10 of us, tops, that were there. Great guy.

[@seandavis9320]

Cage is a nerd, he's great

[@DeathnoteBB]

how do you complete a ring?

[@Amarianee]

@@DeathnoteBB lol, you typo it. I *complimented it 😂 I've edited the post now, but thanks for catching that. Love Death Note, btw

[@DeathnoteBB]

@@Amarianee Ohh okay. I thought it was a puzzle ring or something but couldn’t find it on Google so I was like “wait what” 😭 Thanks for clarifying! And omg yes, Death Note is so good. I’m not as obsessed now as I used to be, but it’s still a good show

[@Amarianee]

@@DeathnoteBB yeah, I'm lazy and use swype on my phone when typing. Try to proofread before submitting posts, but sometimes errors sneak by regardless lol

[@thawedantarctican2171]

"Because he could." Still terrifies me to this day, because it's the truest answer that motivates many people to do horrific, unforgivable things.

[@zachflag6506]

It’s a shame that the average person remembers Joel Schumacher as “the guy who killed Batman movies.” Like, the man had brilliant films under his belt too, he wasn’t just some hack.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Flatliners and Falling Down were as great as 8mm and a case can be made that they are a possible trilogy akin to Carpenter's The Thing, The Prince of Darkness and In the Mountain of Madness.

[@zachflag6506]

@@fernandoferreira6293 Falling Down was the first time I remember feeling guilty for rooting for the protagonist. Masterpiece 10/10

[@Bubba__Sawyer]

@@zachflag6506 That's not how the average movie goer thinks, it's just how today's comic book geek fans who only watch superhero movies think. They never would've even seen movies like Flatliners, Falling Down or 8mm.

[@niallreid7664]

@@fernandoferreira6293 eh, flatliners was a perfect example of wasted potential. Really good up to and including the first resuscitation but then dips sharply.

[@alswearengine4867]

Yeah, every Schumacher film that isn’t related to Batman is awesome!

[@wstine79]

Tom Welles isn't squeamish because he's watching a snuff film. He's uneasy because he's watching a Ryan Hollinger video that has no HOYEVERs in it.

[@kingxxlibra]

😭😭😭

[@antihero8414]

There are multiple in this video, what are you talking about?

[@ProtoYoshi99]

@@antihero8414 Nic obviously watched a different video, c'mon man

[@ItsFicticious]

@@antihero8414 He never said THIS video....

[@JorgeTorres-tl7vo]

The tension with each passing minute 😓

[@Goddessvenom]

Being a Private Investigator myself I can attest to working on cases when you break down and truly want to hurt the monsters you encounter whilst investigating. That scene when he calls Mary Ann’s mum to ask for permission, hits me hard.

[@akumaquik]

Jesus, the atrocities you have seen must haunt you.

[@Justmyhandle]

*+goddessvenom* I have three questions, just curious, you don't have to answer: 1) How do you make yourself walk away, taking yourself out of the picture even when it feels like the things you've seen have already changed you? 2) How do you leave an investigation behind once it's done, even if you still have questions? 3) Do you honestly still believe, even after all you've seen and experienced, that there is more good in the world overall than bad?

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

That scene is incredible, and really shows off Cage's talent..I just feel every word he says.

[@cleobinx]

I can’t even imagine.

[@bernardsoul5186]

@@akumaquik I don't think atrocities fall under PI's job description very often. If it's something really bad it would HAVE to be investigated by law enforcement. This movie shows an exception to the rule

[@SaraBanartist]

"Once the men are dead and it's all over, Tom isn't left any better by it." Those guys are super dead tough. Silver lining there at least.

[@leatapp1255]

Right? Cold comfort is better than no comfort.

[@davidhanson4909]

Some people just need killing. Their only positive contribution to the species is being removed from it.

[@trequor]

@@leatapp1255 Killing isn't supposed to make you feel good. Even putting down monsters should leave you feeling drained. It will still haunt you for the rest of your life.

[@MRJTD99]

@@trequor But someone has to do it. I agree, you can't take pleasure from it though. But monsters like that can't run free.

[@jondoe170]

Dead criminals don't commit crimes

[@iusedtowrite6667]

The addition of hope and normality only helps add depth to the dark and weariness of the film. Instead of making us tired with constant depravity, it makes us sad cause we saw the happy and normal side to juxtapose the horrible things occurring.

[@pacifiedbeaumonte]

Whoooaaa man. That's like deep maaaaannn

[@frankt285]

On point...

[@dramamole]

I once heard someone say that Nick Cage movies are either REALLY bad or REALLY good there isn't much in-between. This definitely looks like a really good one. Thank you as always for introducing me to new movies Ryan.

[@colinesplen2518]

Oh this is definitely a fantastic nick cage movie albeit a bit depressing but hey good films are often lol

[@goonymiami]

It's a good movie but wathcing it after this video kinda ruins the mystery.

[@dangermouse9348]

Yeah I'm not a Cage fan but this and Lord of War are excellent.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

I can never understand watching reviews before the content reviewed but to each its own.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Kinda?

[@Canalus]

Whenever someone says Schumacher is a crap director because of Batman, I always bring up this movie or Falling Down.

[@mattblissett1966]

He's got a camp streak, which when indulged, doesn't serve him well. However, when he's on point, he's great.

[@mattblissett1966]

Tigerland is great as well.

[@Actalzy]

Good choices, but I'd also have to bring along The Lost Boys.

[@manwithnoname3024]

Falling down is decent but this movie is complete shite. All nick cage making funny faces. It’s absolutely horrible. Right up there with Batman.

[@sahilsehdev4235]

Phone booth’s really solid as well imo. Kiefer sutherland’s brilliant in that

[@faust13301]

8mm is a very underrated film and one of Cage’s best performances.

[@mrnobody6447]

Somehow I missed this one.

[@ronfroehlich4697]

The face he makes on the airplane after he kills James Gandolfini is amazing

[@kyle2095]

His characters determination after he found out the truth is what made the film very underrated not an easy film to watch

[@faust13301]

I thought the score was a little melodramatic in some parts but that’s nitpicking.

[@ronfroehlich4697]

@@faust13301 the score is definitely melodramatic. There's also that weird middle eastern sounding music that plays throughout the movie. It's part of this movie's flavor.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Whoa. Joel actually "lightened" the mood? If that is Joel lightening his way, then WB should have unchained him on Batman instead of demanding Happy Meal quality.

[@porassrivastava8242]

Even though I appreciate his quirky humor in the movie. I think he treated it nothing more than a paycheck. While burton, nolan and even snyder cared more about the psychological aspects of the character. Joel treated it like a fun cartoon.

[@nathanl8622]

@@porassrivastava8242 And treating Batman like a fun cartoon is a bad thing? Not every Batman story needs to explore his psychology. He's got a long history of being a silly cartoon character, and I don't think leaning into that is a bad thing on its own. I also don't think the Schumacher movies are very good, mind you, but I don't think the problems have more to do with the execution than the approach.

[@gilded_lady]

There's nothing wrong with taking Batman back to its campy 60s/70s roots...except not making it clear that that was the plan and/or misreading the room about what people wanted from a Batman flick.

[@amelialonelyfart8848]

@@gilded_lady Minor misconception, 1970 is actually when Batman went from being campy to a more serious figure with the advent of the O'Neal run, starting in _Batman_ #224. A lotta people assume Batman was a campy character until Burton stepped in the picture and I feel like that takes away from the achievements of the creators before.

[@matthewwhite3967]

@@amelialonelyfart8848 I heard the 60's tv show/movie with Adam West was really the only campy version of Batman. The early 30's and 40's comics were dark and gritty as well. Batman actually killed bad guys before adopting the no-kill rule.

[@SaraHera88]

I remember when I asked both of my parents what the most disturbing film they ever saw was. My dad said 8mm. Because he remembered the ending scene, even to this day.

[@nicholasbrown7000]

Very creepy how much Chris Bauer looks like Dennis Rader in this movie. Years before BTK was caught.

[@FrumpyMcDumpster]

Oh shit, this got me. Never made that connection. Good eye.

[@lichtheimer]

This movie kinda quickly sums up why "The world is dark and full of terrors" rings so much truer than in fiction.

[@everfreebrumby8385]

Best line: mummy never abused me, daddy never raped me. I’m only what I am & that’s all there is to it. There’s no mystery, things I do I do because I like them, because I want to!’

[@theneedle6785]

Well, obviously there was somthing wrong with him regardless.

[@leviathan_is_me]

...no but they probably neglected him. To the point this is what he found and kinked into. I mean Cmon, look at his room and his taste in music volume. Telling me his ma never went in there to put his fresh laundry on his bed for him while he was away with his friends all those times? There is 100% childhood trauma there somewhere. In my, admittedly, "over analyzing everything" head cannon "Machine" said all that to play on the shock of his appearance on Cage....trying to mentally screw him before making a move....probably not, I dunno.

[@joesmith9216]

which is a LIE, most freaks like ''machine'' are cath-lick school boys, if you know what I mean.

[@cheng9260]

We are sill animals and if YOU are not stronght enough, because of experinece or mental illnes, is nlt going to work well in our moral system, our mission is to help but at extrem levels is dangerous and painfull to witness, nature dont belong to us at the end.

[@AcademicType616]

Fun fact, I saw this movie with my grandmother when I was 12. She was like "I saw this great film, it had Nick Cage in it." An hour later: "well, I forgot there was *that* in it. Are you ok?" "Yes," shivers, im ok." I mean, i turned out fine. Right. Right??

[@theeternalnow6506]

I too saw this movie way too young.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Take off the mask. Wait, not that one!

[@AcademicType616]

@@fernandoferreira6293 NOOOOO!😭😂

[@adamgardiner5869]

If your answer to the question "how many people are buried in your basement?" is more than zero, then no u haven't turned out ok. But of its zero, you're all good!

[@jacksquatt6082]

"Of course you did, sweetie. You turned out just fine... "

[@thismikewill]

I don’t know man Leaving Lost Vegas is a pretty disturbing movie of a man’s prolonged suicide.

[@theblackflame4002]

That movie is the most depressing thing I ever saw, cage drinking himself to death, Shue being gang raped...two fucked up broken people in some type of weird love/despair relationship. I'm a horror fan, but LLV is one of the most disturbing movies I've seen because it's real life shit

[@tylertheguy3160]

Weirdly what disturbed me the most about this movie wasn't the violence but the ending. Our hero just kind of has to live with all the messed up shit he's seen and he's never going to be the same again. That thousand yard stare at the end really sticks with me.

[@pa.encema2821]

Well put. At one point he feels glad the the victim's mom wrote a thank ya letter but then realization kicks in; as saying there's still people's like these out there

[@mojavefry2617]

“The late Joel Schumacher” Didn’t knew he died, man. :(

[@LucyLioness100]

Passed away last year sadly

[@phantomzone2725]

He was battling against cancer for a while

[@geofff.3343]

Well when Ryan says he's going to cover Nicholas Cage's most disturbing film there was going to always be a fifty-fifty chance that it would be 8mm or Vampire's Kiss.

[@geofff.3343]

@Tony Carson The two things are not mutually exclusive...

[@zacfrancis6365]

Leaving Las Vegas is pretty disturbing as well

[@kenanmorg4677]

@Tony Carson I absolutely love "Vampire's Kiss" and you are correct, it's one of Cage's best performances. There is supposed to be a DVD with commentary by the director and Nick Cage....would love to have it. His scenes with his secretary are hilarious. Leaving Las Vegas and Wild at Heart are also great Nick Cage films.

[@guitarmanatee8528]

Vampires kiss is one of the funniest movies I've seen

[@justinsixx90]

@@zacfrancis6365I’m the kin kland king of the ra ra room lol.

[@nunyabusiness752]

This is one of my absolute favorite Nicholas Cage movies.

[@mattblissett1966]

Gandolfini was amazing in this. He managed to project so much menace and corruption in a single look.

[@mattblissett1966]

Chris Bauer as well. My general mark of quality is if someone who's been in the Wire is in something, it's genuinely worthwhile on some level.

[@mrflipperinvader7922]

Its like whenever we see Keifer Sutherland in a hero role after playing such a scumbag villian, lol

[@mattyt1961]

let's be honest... Gandolfini is amazing in everything

[@turdferguson3297]

@@cactusmalone watch the last castle not a very good movie but gandolfini is real good

[@mattblissett1966]

@@mattyt1961 I really liked him in The Last Castle. A very good example of Arendt's banality of evil concept.

[@jordanloux3883]

Joaquin Phoenix talking about dancing with the devil, and now he's The Joker

[@LucyLioness100]

Maybe Schumacher knew something we didn’t 20 years early 😉

[@leviathan_is_me]

Noice

[@davejones9469]

My parents let me watch all kinds of horror movies as a little kid, and when I wanted to watch this one with them I was confused why they were adamantly opposed. I figured, "It's a movie about pictures, it sounds booring! Why can't I watch?" Then I watched it as an adult and I'm glad I had good parents.

[@tylertheguy3160]

This movie is one of the reasons I respect Schumacher so much as a director. The subject matter of 8MM is dark as hell and he just went for it without hesitation.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Listen to his DVD commentary.

[@LucyLioness100]

Schumacher really made some good features in his career. “Flatliners” is one of my favorites by him, of course there’s the fun cheese of “Lost Boys” & also “A Time to Kill”. This and “Phone Booth” also match as good underrated films

[@IknowIamkindagreat]

I adore this film, but I gotta be honest: This movie changed my life, but for the worse. Once the veil got pulled back and realized how truly sick a lot of elite people are, it sort of jaded me. I knew nothing about snuff before this film, and it haunted me afterwards. Also, the girl I saw it with couldn't get intimate for like a month or so after seeing it with me, that is how much it messed HER up. Powerful film, but soul-crushing when you realize what it is really telling us about an aspect of society we wish didn't exist but def. does.

[@billybobtexas]

Like in Eyes Wide Shut, we really don’t even know what the millionares and billionares of the world with questionable proclivities can afford to do. Hiding their world from everyone except their own inner circle. Epstein is just a sliver into that world. We’re all oblivious to it.

[@IknowIamkindagreat]

@@billybobtexas You aren't wrong, friend.

[@user-mb9nm7bq5e]

It’s not just the elite. I know too many poor people who had either fathers or a stepfathers who messed with them.

[@billybobtexas]

@@user-mb9nm7bq5etotally but the distinction here is. A super wealthy person ordering some kind of media like in this film. A poor pedo dad only had those around him he can prey on. Where super wealthy can buy victims, silence, help, blackmail, murder? There is a video called Daisy’s Destruction that if I remember was going for 10k on the black web. Thats real. Can a poor dad buy a video for 10k? Don’t google it.

[@hyperbomb02]

As it goes for date movies, you probably picked the absolute worst of all time.

[@lfcfan1789]

I saw this film last night for the first time. I think the part that struck me the most was when Machine unmasks and puts his glasses on and reveals what a monster looks like and how "normal" he looked and how realistic that actually is because he had an eerie resemblance to an actual monster ..Dennis Rader aka the BTK killer who's identity wasn't revealed till years after this film was made.

[@Locadel2003]

Some of the snuff videos in this movie are actually disturbing, also i forgot Joaquin phoenix was in this movie

[@kirstyfairly4371]

Pino-Yeah they were really disturbing. I haven't seen 8mm in years, but I remember being really unnerved by it when I saw it as a teenager, & I still remember how upsetting the horrible fate of Joaquin Phoenix's character was at the time cause of how likeable he is in the movie.

[@longliverocknroll5]

*spoiler warning for the end of the dim * I think the ending we got actually makes the bleakness of the whole order worse. Did they really “get closure”? The entire snuff film industry still exists and nobody really got justice, sure, one guy is caught, but we KNOW that more exist elsewhere. To me, it went from an “oh crap, one girl was killed in a snuff film” to the realisation that Cage was only “helping” 1 of the many get “justice”.

[@FieryRedmond]

I think of it as, well if one guy got caught that could mean dozens of innocents were spared

[@NachozMan]

This whole first film feels like it could have lead into some M Night Shyamalan series of turning Cage's character into some sorta vigilante justice Red Hood type ngl lol

[@killerx9009]

Well it wasn’t even a ring, it was three scumbags who just did it for the money for some rich sicko, a totally one off thing I think that makes it really bleak, there was no reason or grand conspiracy behind it, just one normal guy getting chewed up in a sick world.

[@IW3527]

One of the reasons I like the the ending to this film was the lack of any clear heroes journey type closure. Realistically it's not very often you get closure or a sense of finality after something traumatic. Trauma like what our protagonist here went through is messy its unreasonable and it fundamentally changes you in some ways and that is relatable.

[@Arvaniz]

That last look from Nicolas Cage, a mix sad, hopeless, broken, relieved... God, he can be such a great actor with the right script and direction. I just came from another channel's essay about "Superman Lives", where all the commenters were laughing, saying it would have been a disaster or an unwittingly funny movie, due to Nic Cage. Such cluelessness. He's an erratic flame, that when properly contained and guided... can really shine.

[@bencarlson4300]

He always adds to any project he’s in. Without him, Vampire’s Kiss and The Wicker Man remake would be unwatchable.

[@chriskater]

The scene where Nicolas tells Mary Ann's mom about her daughter's death broke my heart. I even shed a couple tears as I could feel her deep, helpless and horrible pain. And the worst part of it all is that things like these happen almost every day somewhere in the world

[@aphelionvoid4491]

Finally someone talking about this film. It's one of my favourite thriller/Cage movies. And what a starcast.. Joaquin Phoenix, Peter Stormare and more.. Quality acting all around.

[@comicbookreviewer4856]

what makes 8MM work as a movie with Cage role in the film is a message and a moral that when you enter someone world or the darkerside of life sometimes you might not be ready to enter it fully as it was clear Tom was not ready to enter it fully and was not ready to deal with a realistic facts that not everything is easy as it seems

[@pl1guru]

I remember seeing this movie when it came out back 1999 when I was on a 2 week business trip. After seeing it, I was so bummed out, I purged as much as I could from memory. The fact it was a Joel Schumacher film is even more surprising since his more than comic takes on his two Batman films and his somewhat lighthearted take on vampires in "The Lost Boys." This film is disturbing, though not in the sense the more infamous films due to their graphic or depraved nature, no, "8 MM" messes with the viewer because it makes the viewer use their imagination and it is not a place many want to go. Definitely not a movie I'd want to watch again.

[@Flexible_photon]

Had no idea what I was walking into when I first watched this film. I watched it on a boring day flipping through Netflix and it is hands down one of the darkest movies I've ever seen. It's also so damn good and I recommend it to my friends whenever I can.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

8MM is truly one of the most disturbing movies ever made. It's Blue Velvet of the 90s. Nicolas Cage's acting at 16:18 was really good.

[@LucyLioness100]

I read on IMDB that they purposely based some of the concepts on Lynch’s film

[@porassrivastava8242]

True detective had a similar scene where an old rust shows marty a cult ritual's recording of a little girl we see some ominous people masked and a girl with deer antlers and then we cut to marty screaming and throwing his bottle down. While rust closes his eyes as to not imagine it again. It works really well. Thanks to this movie and joel for one of my favorite scenes in Tv.

[@crozraven]

Yes. True Detective S01 essentially also telling similar story overall. Only then it was in different setting & time, different part of US.

[@akumaquik]

@@crozraven Difference is True Detective didnt haunt me this movie haunted me. Also True Detective Season one was one of the best things to ever be put on TV. Recommended tht show to everyone and no one watches it because they think its just a cop show.

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Season One is the absolute greatest film making in this century to date. The third one had three quarters extraordinarily done also yet sprawled across are choices so terrible that I can't qualify it low enough. This film, The Silence of the Lambs and True Detective season one and partially two originate from the same rare place. Morgan Freeman's character in Seven resonates with that place also. Fantastic character that could've come back in a better film (8mm probably turned up this great because the script was modified, if Seven is to be taken into account. The issue with that one is bleakness is not a true answer to anything and the character must find a light at the end or the defeatist empty fatalism reflected in the nihilism of the villain triumphs. We don't persevere as a species due to emptiness but a certainty of righteousness beneath and underneath, despite of all the relentless display that we're wrong. We'll make it right , we think.

[@bencarlson4300]

@@akumaquik TD season 1 is the greatest single season of TV I’ve ever seen

[@diegominero29]

More horrible part is when Cage's character removes Machine's mask and this man simply puts on his glasses and says "what did you expected? A monster?"

[@LucyLioness100]

Another great grain of truth about the real world. Most killers are just ordinary men and/or women who aren’t monstrous in appearance

[@hoyofan533]

I feel like this is what Disney was trying to do with their twist villains but the audience didnt get enough of their runtime as villains. I'm ok with good looking people turning out to be bad guys as long as its executed well

[@pong86r]

Bro, you and Aaron Mahnke have the best edge-of-your-seat, inducing openings! the rest of the video is good too, but that first couple minutes you got me hooked in to whatever the subject is

[@nerdfatha]

Man, I remember seeing this in the theater as a teen. a buddy of mine came along and he thought it would be a cheesy Nic Cage action movie. I knew it was going to be dark, but I had no idea how dark. movie still blows me away to this day.

[@sammathai761]

I rented the VHS as a kid not knowing what the heck it was about. Left me disturbed for weeks. Forgot about it. Then as an adult find out it’s a thing. Damn…

[@GuitarGangsterArmi]

The movie Vacancy traumatized me for 3 days when I was 17

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

As someone whose first Joel Schumacher film was his 2004 adaptation of ALW's The Phantom of the Opera, it's certainly been interesting to see all the diverse and divisive works he'd previously put out beforehand. 😆🌹

[@bencarlson4300]

He has one of the most diverse and eclectic bodies of work ever, he did this right after Batman and Robin…

[@Brainhorn]

14:53 "Just more peein' and bloodshed" Sounds like me when I go to the bathroom

[@mook_butt8037]

Do you have kidney stones too?

[@maicalk5405]

damn dude are you alright? it sounds like a doctor's appointment to me

[@anunusualironiccircumstanc2246]

The most distressing scene in the movie for me wasn’t the actual murder but the scenes where he’s going into the very underground shopping areas and seeing all the disgusting and horrific sub-genres of porn they were selling. Obviously places like that existed in the 1990’s and 2000’s but it’s even more scary nowadays with the dark web etc. Humans are just messed up.

[@specialk4006]

Remember the line that a million go missing every year... that was in '99. Imagine what it is now.

[@bobgunter9608]

I kind of think though this was one of the few movies that got the FBI’s definition of snuff correct which is someone being killed on film for erotic purposes

[@fernandoferreira6293]

And rmoney.

[@kmaldo16]

I have never paused a spoiler warning until now... I'm gonna be right back...

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Did she survive? Well, one can't save everyone.

[@George-gp2vt]

Did you come back ?

[@julesrules7297]

I had no idea this was a Schumacher joint. Wow. Also, I'm listening to Ryan's video on vacation instead of work so I can crank the volume today! Thanks, Ry! Grateful for your work!

[@MrDN83]

Legitimately surprised you didn’t bring up the George C. Scott film “Hardcore” when talking about this.

[@anunusualironiccircumstanc2246]

When someone says Joel Schumacher wasn’t a good director because of his Batman movies all you got to say is that he made some great ones: The Lost Boys, Falling Down, 8mm, St Elmo Fire, A Time To Kill, Flatliners and Phone Booth. It’s the same with people who think Nicholas Cage can’t act, when he’s made great movies like: 8mm, Rumble Fish, Mandy, Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock, Bringing Out The Dead, Lord Of War, Matchstick Men, Adaptation and Moonstruck.

[@alechachman9599]

This one's extremely underappreciated, it's cool you covering it, I've read and watched a lot of Noir and Hardboiled fiction and this is one of the most disturbing entries in the genre

[@fernandoferreira6293]

Angel Heart, if one replaces fantasy for some hypnosis (technically possible) can fit in that niche perfectly also. One of my all time favorites also.

[@denniswijker7162]

Hey man, I just realised, I've watched a whooooole lotta of your video's, enjoyed every single one of them, found new favourite films to watch with my friends. And have on occasion even begged for you to do one of my personal favourites. BUT I have never actually commented on a more personal note, to say thanks for your amazing work! So here's that personal note ^^ Thanks dude! You make amazing, and fun, insightful video's and I enjoy them immensely! I hope you are doing well, and have survived these last few Covid years with your sanity intact (cuz god knows it's been a ride). To many more! (also please do As Above So Below :P )

[@LorienzoDeGarcia]

10:55 "...only to realize the monsters he was looking for aren't buried downwards, but up." I want to comment to just tell you how freaking brilliantly poignant and poetic that was. This line will haunt me creatively for years probably. I hate you in the best way possible (playful envy-compliment).

[@simonwoodthrillerwriter]

I agree. I think this is Schumacher's best film and a really underrated film...despite Walker's objections. It succeeds on so many levels.

[@CJFS00s]

What about Phone Booth? 😊 👍🏻

[@82seno]

The moment the record starts playing again...

[@cu_ri_o]

the scene where "Machine" is revealed and he has his monologe, truly took something away from my childhood innocence. It was the first time I realized that rapists and murderers can look like ordinary humans and you would never know the truth.

[@DonPandemoniac]

Must have been over 15 years since I've seen this movie, and I still remember most of it. Harrowing yet impressive.

[@tylerrobbins2041]

Hey Ryan, not sure how else to reach you, so I hope you read this. I’ve been faithfully watching your videos for a while, but I think your breakdown of this movie was excellent. Every Sunday I check your channel first to see if my day is going to be any good. I live your videos and I hope you never stop making them!

[@UncleAnaesthesia]

A haunting, harrowing experience. Stormare, Gandolfini and Chris Bauer are a nightmare trio of baddies.

[@IStevenSeagal]

Reminds me of the villains from game Manhunt. Stormare is the director(Starkweather), Gandolfini is the coordinator(Ramirez), and Machine is the snuf kiler(Piggsy).

[@lolaarcana]

I still find his version of the Wicker Man the most disturbing. Although, not in the way intended.

[@MrStefanSociety]

Haven't seen this Cage movie yet, gonna give it a watch tonight and come back for this video post viewing. Thanks for pointing me towards my weekend entertainment Ryan, dependable as always!

[@simuna6921]

I was on a Ryan Hollinger binge and there's a new upload. Huzzah!

[@AveryTalksAboutStuff]

Nicholas Cage is just so over the top and I kind of respect it a lot 😂

[@porassrivastava8242]

Sometimes that works in his credit. Mandy and ghost rider a good examples where his hammy over the top acting is directed well so it doesn't feel out of place.

[@skrackensdal]

@@porassrivastava8242 nicolas cage is a great actor who just does a lot of terrible films

[@95goa]

@@porassrivastava8242 Loved Mandy, and I agree with the comment above, he's a great actor who does a lot of garbage movies to support his spending habits

[@TheNintendo12]

@@skrackensdal thats the cost of wanting an entire scottish castle imported to america brick by brick, gotta break the debt somehow XD

[@lildominator2953]

Hes made quite a few great movies where he isn't over the top. He's just more known for it sadly he's an amazing actor

[@TheMoviesCult]

Why don't we say it out loud, 8MM is the behind the scenes and safe version of A Serbian Film. (well done for the review, I'm glad Schumacher gets some recognition as years go by)

[@aidanwarren3586]

its also the far better film from a writing perspective

[@kainkong274]

A Serbian Film so desperately wished it could be 8mm

[@deirdrejones5974]

Another excellent report, thank you!

[@nyceone43]

Ryan Hollinger, you do great work my man!

[@Gobbostopper]

A really haunting film. I remember very vivdly the scene where Nicholas cage calls the mom to ask her permission to basically murder people and her performance alongside his.

[@jav3134]

Man, I always look to this movie as a great, dark, nihilistic film but to just learn that it was even darker blows my mind 🤯. As always, great job Ryan! This movie deserves more credit.

[@RevDooDatt]

This is one of my favorite " 90s noire " films ! Thank you so much for covering this one Ry !

[@leogeck7350]

This is still one of my absolute favorite films of all time! Thanks for covering this underrated classic!

[@sinnsage]

i haven’t seen this since early 2000’s, this video made me realize how much i need to rewatch it. live me some nic cage and joaquin is my favorite actor

[@wstine79]

I remember watching this in the theater back in the day. I was happy to see Joel Schumacher return to form after Batman and Robin. And Nicolas Cage always turns in an entertaining performance.

[@lloydrobert6182]

Nick, your research, insight and narrative skills are seriously impressive. Timeless, one could say. The films you talk about suddenly open up, bringing fresh slants to what one thought or assumed previously. Thank you for everything.

[@joshuamiller8259]

Hi Ryan, Long time fan. I know you generally do movies but if you ever wanted to do a longer video or two parter I think True Detective season one could be right up your alley.

[@skittstuff]

I love watching you talk about shows I've never seen and pretending I know what's going on. I'm like 'hmm, yes, I think that is very accurate and on-point' but I've never even seen the movie. You're just that good at convincing your point I guess!

[@jwnj9716]

Underrated, very similar to Hardcore but darker. Although it would be great if George C Scott teamed up with Nick Cage. All yelling and insanity.

[@rorrt]

8mm was darker than Hardcore? I too leave Texas Chainsaw Massacre on as a nightlight.

[@mrheisenberg83]

Came here looking for this comment when Ryan talked about all those movies owing a debt to 8mm since 8mm ows that exact debt to Hardcore. Thanks!

[@ericjourdain892]

Hardcore is grittier because of the period look, but seems squimish compared to this one. I love both. You are a man of taste 😉

[@alexroy5854]

Super excited to watch this later! ..now I just gotta wait until I have the time

[@chill_will9816]

8mm and Hostel are two of the most unsettling movies I've seen. They both leave you with the feeling that monsters do truly exist, they just look like people.

[@benjaminwilliams1292]

You should watch Wolf Creek and Wolf Creek 2. Very creepy and unsettling low budget Australian horror films

[@nils3031]

This truly is one of the most depressing movies I've ever watched.

[@_valor]

The more I watch deep-dives into nick cage movies, the more intriguing his film career gets for me

[@Bubba__Sawyer]

The perception of Nicolas Cage changed drastically after around 2005. Before then he was generally well respected as an actor and had a really good and diverse filmography. It's a pity kids these days only know him as the guy from those memes with the crazy expressions.

[@TheMermaid19]

Another Ryan video - whoop! I don’t t know if you’ve seen The Divide (2012) but I would love to know your take on it. Often seems many people don’t know it and although I never plan to see it again, for the sheer horror of it, it’s underrated and truly disturbing and horrifying for sure. Makes a huge impact. Thanks again for your videos. Get me through my week x

[@buckwild8498]

How prophetic, I’ve always said movies have told us what’s going to happen and sold it as Entertainment, literally play books to the game at hand but we’re too stupid to see it and only see it as a movie

[@jetmcgee4218]

Damn I didn't know there were mutant turtles I'm the sewers of New York

[@lozzimusprime]

This film doesn't get enough praise. I stumbled onto this gem back in school when I became obsessed with Joaquinn Phoenix. So happy you looked at this one. It's one of Joel's best, absolutely fantastic.

[@blacknapalm2131]

*Any darker and this film would be a black hole* Excellent performances from everyone in it, the entire cast were killing it.

[@TheNerdySportsGuy]

What a review. Thank you, and great stuff as always, Ryan!

[@arristocrat6414]

I watch your videos on such a regular basis that whenever you upload something on any other time than sunday night, it messes up my entire weekly rythm.

[@denisematthews6215]

This film was brilliant. It stuck with me for weeks after I saw this . It was such an unsettling piece.

[@aligmal5031]

review bringing out the dead it is such an underrated cage movie directed by the great martin scorsese

[@mahmoudgamal8044]

It came out the same year both are very underrated

[@BonnotAR]

Recently rewatched it, still as unsettling as I remember it was. Cold in July is another one that gave me the same feeling, though maybe even more so.

[@habition]

thank god, i've been waiting for this one.

[@MikefromTexas1]

Yes, finally! I saw this movie for the first time last year and immediately looked up whether or not you did a vid on it(was surprised to see not). I loved it, this movie is heavy and sad, which is a rarity in mainstream cinema. I'd love a sequel.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

Btw: There apparently IS a sequel but it's one of those ones that has next-to-nothing to do with the original aside from the title.

[@MikefromTexas1]

@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose That sucks. You're hilarious btw.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@MikefromTexas1 Yeah, sorry about that man. But also, thanks! Are you referring to my videos or something else?

[@MikefromTexas1]

@@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose Why're you apologizing, you didn't make the movie?😂 Yeah, your vids.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@MikefromTexas1 No, I meant sorry I had to break that news to you. 😆 And aw, thanks! Glad you enjoyed them. 😊

[@josefkrenshaw179]

This is one of those great films that I knew I better not recommend to anyone...

[@rociomiranda5684]

I even enjoy the way you read the publicity segment.

[@peterproductions5015]

I KNEW IT! Love your videos, Ryan.