8MM follows private investigator Tom Welles (Nicolas Cage) as he delves into the world of illegal pornography to learn the truth about a six-year-old crime. Mrs. Christian (Myra Carter) found an 8 mm film that appears to be a snuff film while going through her late husband's belongings. Disturbed by the film, she wants to know if it's authentic or not. Welles is able to track the girl on the film to Hollywood, where she had moved with dreams of becoming a star. Adult video store employee Max California (Joaquin Phoenix) helps Welles contact the players in the illegal pornography trade including talent scout Eddie Poole (James Gandolfini) and director Dino Velvet (Peter Velvet). Velvet's violent films star a masked man known as Machine (Chris Bauer). Welles pretends to be interested in commissioning a bondage film to lure the players to New York. Joel Schumacher directs the 1999 thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker.moreless