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My interpretation of the ending and a question to fans of 8mm (SPOILERS)

posted 14 years ago by Lorazepam_Grier
2 replies | jump to latest

I read a few posts where people couldn't figure out the ending and I'm not sure if someone offered this theory up because, well, I didn't care to read every single post but I think that David was planning on going back to Tish. A few posts I read said he wouldn't be but of course he wouldn't sacrifice his career to live off of, what, one million dollars? And then what? He would go off to the Cayman Islands?The way I interpreted was that he wanted something in the bank if they ever did divorce. The guy married to her sister went on about a pre-nup and how the two of them will end up with nothing so it is completely plausible that David just wanted a little insurance of his own.

On a side note: They could've done a better job with the ending. Why would Tish be riding the subway? She's worth millions, has enough money to abandon her car in the middle of the street with the engine running (granted she was pretty frantic at the time, but still). She spends thousands of dollars shopping around, is loaded down with bags, and doesn't call a cab? That is absolutely ridiculous.

And why would the criminals be meeting on a subway? How is that a smart place to meet up? They now have the 5 million dollars...I mean, the idea of that isn't as stupid as Tish riding the subway but I feel it would've been better if maybe they were in a restaurant and David and Tish's eyes meet through the window orrrr....I dunno, talking on the street? Who cares, the subway thing is just dumb.

The movie was predictable, at least to me, I called it within the first half hour or so but it wasn't terrible. Honestly, even though it is in no way connected to 8mm, I enjoyed myself much, much more. I have read posts of people claiming to hate this "fake sequel" and love the first film. Why? What was at all redeeming about 8mm? I'm actually interested in people's ideas/thoughts on the original. I thought it was an embarrassing movie, tied with Joel Schumacher's earlier film Batman & Robin as seriously one of the most painful movie going experiences I have ever had. I am not emoting here, I am completely serious.
So yeah, feedback.

[–] CMRKeyboadist 14 years ago

Hey there, surprised no one has responded to your post yet.

Honestly, I have never seen this film. Only the cover for it when it was released in stores a few years back. I thoroughly enjoyed 8MM for it's pacing, acting, story (although a bit cliched at times...) and, guilty pleasure, for its subject matter.

I really had and have not much interest in seeing this "sequel".

But I do agree with you on one point. Although I thoroughly enjoyed 8MM, a film with its subject matter doesn't have a ton of redeeming qualities. The film is made to shock its audience and show an underworld that a lot of modern filmgoers are not used to seeing (at least in '98). Also, (spoiler) when the masked man is unmasked at the end of the film it is certainly no surprise as to whom the man really is and what his "motives" are.

So yeah, the film has a few cliched characters. But what the film did do (although I am sure inadvertently) was help to create a modern sub-genre for horror films to come and make popular the idea of being the "peeping tom". You know what films I am talking about. The Hostile films, My Little Eye, Kolobos, etc. Yeah, these films are horror films and not a thriller/drama like 8MM but the idea remains.

Sorry for the rant!

[–] Oracle1 14 years ago

Yeah, having never seen the original film and absolutely detesting the very idea of fake sequels, I did really enjoy this film. I literally bought it for $3 and had the expectation that that's all it'd be worth. But it was solidly written. And while I also called the ending early, it was no fault of the film, which did an adequate job of misdirection.

I also agree that there's no way David was just going to disappear with a mere $5 million. The earlier scene where his friend reminds him of how he'd lose everything if they ever divorced seems to clearly establish this as purely a backup plan and nothing more. As for the final meet-up and discovery, sure it's a bit contrived but well within suspension of disbelief standards. I don't have a problem with it. In fact, I actually commend the filmmakers for getting out right then and there instead of adding any kind of melodramatic epilogue to establish what happens next.