8MM 2: Perversions fatales

After seeing the movie in a class of mine and having a talk with the filmmaker, I found out exactly why the film bombed the way it did. The creators of the movie had no intention to call the film "8MM 2." Originally, the film was called "The Velvet Side of Hell" but was changed at the last minute by Sony Pictures to 8MM 2 without letting the filmmakers have any say in the matter. By doing that, it screwed them out of theatrical releases and doomed it to a straight to video release with minimal advertising.

Again, this is from the filmmaker's mouths, not mine, so I really can't say what is truth, and what is hype.

If you look at the film as "Velvet Side of Hell," it isn't THAT bad. It isn't great, but it is not god awful. It would basically just be a B-movie that likes to show boobs. But as a sequel to "8MM," the film fails terribly.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

David (Johnathon Schaech) and Tish (Lori Heuring) are a couple in Budapest, on business commitments and staying at a luxury hotel. One night, they meet an attractive woman at a nightclub and invite her back to their place, where they end up in a threesome. All is well, until David receives some negatives in the mail and he and Tish end up being blackmailed. But when some people involved in the deception are found murdered, things get messy and they are forced to enter the seedy underground world of pornography and hardcore bondage to track down the woman who may hold the key to everything.

Whereas the original film dealt with the concept of snuff films, this straight to DVD sequel deals with the more wholesome (!!!) theme of threesomes and sleazy sex. It plays like a porn film, a cheap piece of titillation with plenty of hot T/A action going on. If this sounds like your idea of a good film, you'll probably like it, but you'd probably be more at home in a porn shop than a video store.

This tries to copy the original film's dark and voyeuristic feel, but while it does a pretty good job of this, it still can't hold up to that of the original's. It has an apathetic story, with a dodgy narrative flow. And compared to Cage, Schaech comes across as interminably wooden.

Better than I thought it'd be, I suppose, and better than your average one of these DVD direct sequels that seem to be coming out a lot these days, but really, haven't we seen enough? **

This is not at all a bad movie, if you drop the following expectations:

• 8mm sequel?? It has nothing to do with 8mm, the movie with Nicolas Cage.

• Story? The plot is not hugely elaborate, it's a blackmailing story which takes a slight twist at the end.

• Actors? Acting should have been with more heart and more convincing.

Other than that, it's a highly enjoyable movie. It's full of masterfully photographed erotic, film-noir atmosphere, very nice on-location footage from Hungary and an excellent soundtrack.

Although the story has its deficits, it serves well for generating a big deal of suspense. Much of the suspense originates from the psychological interplay between the different "opponents" in the movie. It's not about dull action scenes or car hunts.

Altogether, still worth a 7. Good time watching.

The movie on a whole wasn't bad, it was actually all right, but it has nothing to do with the movie 8mm. There is no reference to it, the plots are not even remote similar. It just seemed like a publicity act to title it that, so that didn't sit well with me. Other than the trick to get you to rent it, its not a waist. The acting in this movie is solid, the characters are believable. The story line is a little sketchy and jumps without really understanding the point. Be prepared for a lot of random nudity. Over all its not so bad. I would recommend it as a date movie for a younger couple. Its a sexy thriller/who did it type story similar to Basic Instinct

I adored 8MM (1999) it's one of those few movies I've ever given a 10/10, incredible stuff. That's one of the reasons I held off watching this, I mean seriously how could that film have a sequel?

Well it for the most part doesn't. This is one of those mindless cashgrabs like the two Cruel Intentions sequels or the three Wild Things sequels. All of those however had some form of connection to the original movie (If only by theme), this doesn't.

It tells the story of a wealthy couple who find themselves blackmailed over a sex tape. A bit of a cat and mouse who-dunnit begins and it's about as exciting as an underwhelming fart.

Why did someone think it was a good idea to call this 8MM 2? It has nothing to do with the first movie, they don't even follow the same themes. This is just a braindead lifeless uninspired thriller that quite frankly bored me.

The only similarity is the seedy underground angle, 8MM did it subtly whereas this mind numbing "Sequel" shoves boobs in your face and calls itself art.

The film does have a few notable cast members, but if you're here to see Julie "Darla" Benz, Zita "Underworld" Görög or film and television veteran Bruce Davison then simply don't bother as they're barely on screen.

This movie simply shouldn't exist, it's offensive to the original and contributes nothing to it's legacy or cinema as a whole.

The Good:

No, nope, nopers

The Bad:

Shouldn't exist

Has nothing to do with the first movie or even 8mm film

Wasted cast

An all round mess