Best Horror Movie Tournament - Nominations

[fernandito]

Jacob's Ladder is amazing.

[Jean]

yes! have just finished it. Loved every second of it (except the ladder thing right before the ending, I think you know what I mean - very Hollywood). Don't know if it is a horror movie, though.

[divemaster]

Below is a fairly spoiler-free review for Jacob's Ladder I wrote some time ago. I have also written an essay about my interpretation of the events in the movie, full of spoilers. Jean, you mentioned the "ladder thing" at the end; I take issue with a different part of the ending, which to me compromised the "perfect" interpretation. Do you mind if I e-mail you my interpretation? Or should I post it here, in spoiler tags?

Jacob’s Ladder
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, and Danny Aiello
In English
Film: 5 stars (out of 5)

Have you ever had one of those dreams where, after you wake up, the palpable relief is overwhelming that it was only a dream and not that nightmare you were in? Probably. Most of us can relate to that feeling. “Thank God it was only a dream!”

What if you awoke from such a dream, started going about your daily business, and then realized that this was the dream, and the nightmare you thought you woke up from was your real life? How terrifying would that be?

Jacob Singer is living such a life. He’s back home from Vietnam, settled in with a hot girlfriend, and has a mundane job at the post office. He’s a smart fellow (his Army mates gave him the nickname “The Professor” because he earned a doctorate but never did anything with it).

But Jacob has inner demons that cause turmoil in his life. He’s divorced from his wife, but still feels a connection. And he has to deal with the painful memories of one of his young children, who was killed prior to Jacob leaving for Vietnam. And his memory of a particular event in Vietnam that he can’t explain and still haunts him.

But what Jacob has to face now is that these inner demons have shown themselves to be real (at least, to him), and are tormenting him. He goes to see his regular VA counselor, only to be told there is no record of such a doctor and no file for Jacob ever having been there. He sees strange things out of the corner of his eye that he can’t explain. When he realizes that his platoon mates are experiencing a similar nightmarish existence, they go to a lawyer who checks out their story and tells them they were never even in Vietnam. They were all discharged on psycho grounds after going nutso on a training exercise.

Jacob becomes convinced that they were all part of some sort of Army “experiment” that did something to them, but he can’t explain what because the things he is experiencing have no explanation. Were they all part of some Manchurian Candidate group hypnosis experience? Guinea pigs in chemical warfare testing? Is Jacob truly going crazy? Or, is it an example of “I’m not paranoid if they really are coming to get me”?

Jacob’s Ladder is a frightfully effective film of a man who may or may not be losing his sanity. Robbins is perfect as the quiet, introspective, amiable fellow who is at the end of his rope and has nowhere to turn. Director Lyne does a great job keeping the horror in the shadows; playing with your mind’s ability to extrapolate and fill in a scene. The film works much better as a subtle exercise in psychological horror, as evidenced from a few more explicit scenes wisely cut from the film (but available on the DVD extras menu with or without commentary.) Even so, there are images so frightening that you will probably jump a couple of times. And replay them in your head while trying to sleep later. (Good luck.).

The film works best if you go in cold. Allow the film to unfold and reveal its secrets, and then watch it again. This movie deserves NOT to be spoiled, but I see plenty of reviews doing just that. Shame on those people.

Most of the DVD extras are not mentioned anywhere on the DVD case (unless this was corrected in a re-issue). The DVD contains the aforementioned deleted scenes; a trailer and TV spot (both of which contain scenes that were not in the released version); a “making of” type of documentary where the actors, writer, director, etc. give their impressions of the film and discuss some of the filmmaking techniques; and a director’s commentary which I enjoyed.

[Ricky]

Nice review! I've had Jacob's Ladder in my queue for a while now, but might have to give it a bump now.

[Jean]

an excellent review! and yes, I would love to read your interpretation; I think many will be interested, so probably the best way would be to post it here, or better here or in some other standing thread, so it can be retrieved after the tournament threads are archived

I'll try to find the DVD version, because both the review and the imdb comments got me intrigued about those deleted scenes

[Heather19]

I love Jacob's Ladder.

[Jean]

bears have also watched Stir of Echoes. Nothing special.

[divemaster]

an excellent review! and yes, I would love to read your interpretation; I think many will be interested, so probably the best way would be to post it here, or better here or in some other standing thread, so it can be retrieved after the tournament threads are archived

I'll try to find the DVD version, because both the review and the imdb comments got me intrigued about those deleted scenes

I posted my comments in the thread you linked to. Feel free to move the post or suggest another thread if more appropriate. (If you do see the DVD deleted scenes, I'm positive you will agree that the movie is much better without them.)

[Mattrick]

bears have also watched Stir of Echoes. Nothing special.

I liked Stir of Echoes, mostly because I'm a bacon fan and I really like Alison Janney (the psychic, she's a great character actress) and it tells a good story I just think it's one of those movies that would be better if it didn't concern itself so much with trying to be a horror when it's really a drama.

[Jean]

an excellent review! and yes, I would love to read your interpretation; I think many will be interested, so probably the best way would be to post it here, or better here or in some other standing thread, so it can be retrieved after the tournament threads are archived

I'll try to find the DVD version, because both the review and the imdb comments got me intrigued about those deleted scenes

I posted my comments in the thread you linked to. Feel free to move the post or suggest another thread if more appropriate. (If you do see the DVD deleted scenes, I'm positive you will agree that the movie is much better without them.)

I think I won't bother with looking for the deleted scenes then

bears have also watched Stir of Echoes. Nothing special.

I liked Stir of Echoes, mostly because I'm a bacon fan and I really like Alison Janney (the psychic, she's a great character actress) and it tells a good story I just think it's one of those movies that would be better if it didn't concern itself so much with trying to be a horror when it's really a drama.

She is the only part of the film I actually loved

[Mattrick]

I'm going to have to catch up on some of these horrors but I doubt I'll get around to it for a another week or two...hopefully I can get quite a few in before we get into round 2. Think I'll start with The Innocents and House With Laughing Windows.

[Heather19]

I really enjoyed Stir of Echos.

And Matt, let me know what you think of The Innocents after you've seen it. Jean, was this one of the ones you had to watch as well?

[Mattrick]

I was hoping someone would have nominated The Sentinel since I've read it's one of the best horrors ever made that most people, including me, have never heard of. Now I'll have to watch it on top of too many of these nominations.

[needfulthings]

Spoiler:

[Jean]

I really enjoyed Stir of Echos.

And Matt, let me know what you think of The Innocents after you've seen it. Jean, was this one of the ones you had to watch as well?

yes

[frik]

I was hoping someone would have nominated The Sentinel since I've read it's one of the best horrors ever made that most people, including me, have never heard of. Now I'll have to watch it on top of too many of these nominations.

I did not care for The Sentinel. I watched it when it first came out, but was not impressed. Gory, but not scary at all.
You didn't miss much.

sk

[mae]

[Heather19]

I'm not sure I've even heard of The Sentinel.

Also Jean, please make The Innocents your next film.

Edit- I just looked it up on Netflix and there's a few. Are you referring to the one from 77?

[Mattrick]

I think so. Not the one with Keifer in it from a few years ago for sure.

[needfulthings]

[Merlin1958]

You know, that was a pretty scary book as well.

[Heather19]

Is it worth a watch Bruce? I'm surprised that I've never even heard it mentioned before.

[needfulthings]

Like the star said not as good as the book but it does have a good cast & have not seen it in over 15 years.

[Jean]

Like the star said not as good as the book but it does have a good cast & have not seen it in over 15 years.

Bruce's collection never ceases to amaze!!

***

bears are still catching up... now watching Poltergeist. Halfway in. I'll finish it, out of respect for my friends here, but I find it barely watchable. I understand that it must have some sentimental value, but either it hasn't aged well, or one has to be American to appreciate it. Everything seems wrong to me: the tone, the acting, the story, the words they say, the editing, the picture, the sound, every expression of every face, the atmosphere... which is always the case when I'm trying to watch any Spielbert, by the way (I know he is only supposed to have produced it, but I read he did most of the directing himself. I wish he'd stuck to the producing. Maybe I would have seen something more appealing to bears, like Back to the Future)

[needfulthings]

THANKS FOR THEJEAN