8mm appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The transfer showed some mild issues.
For the most part, sharpness was good. However, exceptions occurred, as some aspects of the flick – mostly wider elements – could be a little mushy and ill-defined. Still, the majority of the film demonstrated positive delineation.
I witnessed no jagged edges or shimmering, but I saw light edge haloes at times. In terms of print flaws, I detected a couple small marks but no notable issues.
8mm went with a subdued palette, and the colors lacked much impact. Some of that seemed by design but some of it reflected the less than stellar film stocks in use, so expect hues that appeared decent but unexceptional.
Blacks were dark and tight, and shadows showed good clarity much of the time, though a few interiors could seem a little murky. Much of the film looked fine, but the image felt too erratic for a grade above a “C+“.
Though heavy on ambience, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack appeared more than adequate. The soundfield gave us a decent sense of atmosphere, and it kicked into higher gear when necessary.
Unsurprisingly, those moments occurred mainly during the scenes that conveyed action/thriller elements. Though a lot of the track lacked ambition, the “money shots” kicked to life well enough to balance out the less involving bits.
Audio quality satisfied. Speech seemed natural and concise, and I noticed no edginess or other problems.
Music was bright and dynamic, while effects appeared solid, without obvious distortion or other issues. While not a great mix, the audio seemed acceptable for the material.
When we shift to extras, we start with an audio commentary from director Joel Schumacher. Recorded for the original DVD from 1999, this brings a running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, editing, cinematography, background areas and issues with the MPAA.
Schumacher delivers a pretty solid commentary here. He tells us a fair amount about the production and also gets into issues related to the pornography at the movie’s core, all with verve and appropriate humor. Well, Schumacher’s joke about how James Gandolfini died during the shoot plays less well now than it did in 1999, but this still becomes a strong chat.
A circa 2018 Interview with Director Joel Schumacher runs 21 minutes, eight seconds and provides his thoughts on how he came to 8mm, casting and performances, research and reactions to the film. Some of the content repeats from the commentary, but the perspective of 20 years allows Schumacher to give us a different look at the flick.
From 1999, we get a Vintage Featurette. It goes for five minutes, seven seconds and includes notes from Schumacher and actors Nicolas Cage and Joaquin Phoenix. As expected, this becomes a superficial promo piece.
In addition to the film’s trailer and three TV Spots, we find a Still Gallery. It presents a running montage of 86 images that mixes movie shots, pictures from the set, publicity elements and advertising. It becomes a decent compilation.
A dark thriller in the Se7en vein, 8mm tries desperately to deliver a grim, harrowing tale. However, it never manages to become anything more than mediocre, as the end result lacks real impact. The Blu-ray brings us erratic visuals as well as pretty good audio and a few supplements. 8mm comes with occasional thrills but it usually seems lackluster.