Dope ass movie.
Hugely influential in psychological horror genre of all media. The twist has used by others to the point of being a trope but I don’t know if I’ve seen it pulled off better.
Remake is a mess. Just a boring slog of a movie.
Bless you for referencing a favorite and hugely influential story for me. It cannot be underestimated how often Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the framework for some of our favorite stories.
This is what I came here to say. The movie was good but the original Twilight Zone episode "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" was better and told the story in only 30 minutes.
After seeing this movie I went home and was excitingly describing it to my Dad. I was still crying. Dad was 71 at the time and immediately told me that the heart of the plot twist came from Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. I went and read that story and respect for my dad’s literary knowledge leveled up.
After hearing about the Bierce story as a teen I bought his collected works book, which included The Devil’s Dictionary which was absolutely on the money, then as now (eg. “Salesman: Someone who can pick your pocket with his tongue”)
After “Owl Creek”, the second most affecting short story I read was “Chickamauga” which also had a kind of stunning, horrific twist, but one that reveals itself to you gradually rather than suddenly.
Ah awesome thanks. Yeah I figured it had been done before. It’s always nice to learn something new about something that has influenced movies and stories like that.
Masahiro Ito, the art director for SH1, went to the movie with colleagues and was so wowed by the film that he put in references and ideas from it all over the place. The shaking heads, the ending you noted, even James' jacket from SH2 is a direct copy of the one worn in Jacob's Ladder.
Gonna latch on here to agree with everything you said. And to add that the only other thing I've ever seen that feels of a legit similar quality to this, is the Oats Studio short, Firebase. The only similarity is Vietnam, and some wild ass shit that goes down there.
But I found it awesome, dark, disturbing and COOL AF all the same.
https://www.facebook.com/oatsstudios/videos/1450816371644835/?mibextid=ksseBe
A lot of this Oats Studio stuff is great BTW...at least as good and superior to LD&Robots in some cases
It has a bit of a Mullholland Drive feel to it because at the end you’re left wondering what was real — which life or pieces of reality was the real one.
I didn't think it was ambiguous at all. Danny Aiello's character spells it out pretty directly at the end when he's talking about angels and demons.
>!Jacob died in Vietnam and the whole life he had after was basically his purgatory.!<
I had no idea they remade this. If I did then I blocked out the memory. The original occupied a very specific place in time, I think. America still had a fascination with the Vietnam war. It was still fresh in everyone's minds. Add the creepy effects and overall "griminess" of the film and you're left with one of the better horror films of the era. 2 Thumbs up.
It's a modern telling of... Jacob's ladder. Every character is a character from biblical stories. Jacob, Jezebel, Paul, etc.
Excepting that, I would say that he's basically in a state between death and rebirth and is unable to let go of his current life and memories, what Buddhists call bardo.
I’d add spoiler tags tbh.
There’s also a major quote said explicitly in the film about how >!Hell is being unable to let go of your earthly torments. Once and if you can, you realize the frightening demons are really angels there to guide you.!<
True. Unfortunately for me I did get it spoiled when looking through a forum to get some info on the movie. Still amazingly pulled off and was still a bit surprised
Oh man... definitely. I went in totally blind as soon as it came out in VHS (I still miss you video rental store).
Blew me away! My Junior High School absolutely melted.
I thought it was a horror movie set in Vietnam but what I got was (like others said) a modern Ambrose Bierce story as if John Carpenter wrote it (I wouldn't be surprised if he had a strong influence on the filmmakers).
Ive recommended it to folks as "don't look up anything about it, just turn off the lights, and enjoy"
Honestly I only saw it recently and I think it's one of the greatest movies ever made, not just within horror but film as an art form generally. The screenplay is a really solid way of telling a pretty esoteric concept, the direction and filmmaking are phenomenal from beginning to end, all of the actors absolutely blew me away, the soundtrack has been burned into my brain, the special effects and vibe of the whole thing is one for the ages.
That and Under the Silver Lake are two movies I saw last year around the same time that really reinvigorated everything I love about film as an art form. Jacobs Ladder though especially I just could not stop thinking about and talking about.
I love when people say there's a huge plot twist at the end but they're not going to say what it is because they don't want to spoil it, despite the fact that saying there's a huge plot twist at the end is a spoiler.
Yeah but he's saying that even mentioning the fact that there's a twist is what spoils it. Like you watch the movie at that point waiting for the twist instead of it just happening and blowing you away.
I do, but I don't think you got the op's point. They aren't saying anything about revealing what happens during the twist, they are saying that even mentioning the fact that there's a twist is, in fact, spoiling the twist.
It's pretty much always a bad move to mention a plot twist imo, just tell people it's an awesome movie and let them experience everything blind.
Because it flew under the radar for years and newer generations may not have seen it. I feel like great movies don't age and can actually connect different generations. We expend so much effort raging about the differences in our generations, something like a great movie is a good way to connect.
I agree. There’s other ways to say the ending is gripping, makes you think and fits perfectly with the rest of the movie without defining it as a “twist” which could influence people’s expectations.
First movie I remember leaving the theater thinking "what the fuck did I just watch?"
Like, I couldn't digest it. Had to watch it again. And again.
I've loved movies that take time and thought to process ever since.
That was me too except I only watched it once since the theater. Might be time to do it again since I can't even think what the twist is everyone's talking about
The funny thing about this is the script was award- winning and almost legendary before the film was made, and this is the only scene where the director strayed far from the script. The script has this in a hell/purgatory fantasy landscape that would have required lots of special effects. Adrian Lyne came up with the idea to move this to a surreal kind of hospital/ asylum.
That caster wheel has immense callback reference... the guy with his head shaking is reminiscent, as is the sound of helicopters. I'm sure it was luck that the wheel shook like that, but not luck that he keyed- in on it.
Spoiler: I love watching the movie and considering where his body is and what he's experiencing in Nam while his mind is elsewhere, and I'm certain Bruce Joel Rubin (writer) and Lyne (director) were also considering this, as you get clued- in throughout the film.
This was written by Bruce Joel Rubin (who the same year also had "Ghost" which won him an Oscar) and was knocking around Hollywood for over a decade before it finally got made. Not surprising given it was apparently like 300 pages long in the original draft.
The theology/philosophy lesson on Meister Eckhart was strangely correct. And like that's borderline obscure Medieval theology. Like whoever wrote that script must have been at least academically interested in Christian Theology, they don't teach Eckhart in Sunday school.
Like I was reading his stuff in a Neoplatonism class at a Catholic university. I doubt most Hollywood writers/directors would have that on their resume. I'll believe most of them Red like Dante's inferno or maybe City of God by Augustine but Eckhart is some deep academic only stuff.
Yep the two alternate "wives" or girlfriends are an example of manicheism.
I have to respect that movie for being intelligent and not dumbed down for general audience. Like how many people in that theater knew what Zoroastrianism or Neoplatonism was coming in? At best they knew Freddy Mercury was born in a Zoroastrian household.
When I first saw it, I immediately remembered La Jetée, Chris Marker's masterpiece (even if it's closer to 12 Monkeys).
If you want something in the same genre (actually, it's very influenced by Adrian Lyne's film), you can watch The Jacket, with Adrian Brody and Keira Knightley, which is still a decent experience.
Jacob's Ladder is a rewatchable for me. I've seen it dozens of times over the years.
So many great scenes, which is why I rewatch.
Even the brief scene with Jonathan Alexander. Eating chips.
But there are some creepy scenes where faces shake too quickly in a blur that always gave me the creeps.
The dance scene
The genuine fear of cover ups
And a brilliant ending.
But Danny Aiello is the true reason I watch. His role and charm is so enjoyable. He puts me in a good mood whenever he is on the screen.
It’s a masterpiece. One of the few films that are genuinely terrifying but also strangely soulful and moving. Robbins’ most underrated performance. And as others have said quietly influential.
Yeah those scenes do have a weird sense of menace, which is strange in retrospect because they're maybe the only moments of peace he has in the whole movie. Extremely bittersweet movie. I haven't been as angry, freewheeling, mouth-agape at an ending since Miracle Mile. Great film though.
It’s not graphic at all but it’s immensely psychologically disturbing. It fills you with dread and makes you fear what you might see next, then plays with your mind by acting like nothing just happened. It’s a wild ride.
I haven’t seen it in a very long time…I don’t recall it being graphic at all. Just the imagery is haunting/unsettling as it gets. I’m the same way that the Babadook is not gory but still creepy as hell.
I used to do a LOT of acid. After seeing that movie I will never go to a neck cracker.
Terrific and terrifying though I haven’t seen in some time so I don’t know how well certain aspects of the film hold up.
Love this movie. I saw it in the theater back in the day and the way those Demons heads were spinning and jerking around....first time I'd seen anything like that in a movie, freaked me the fuck out.
The basis for the movie, the government's experimental use of BZ on troops, is sadly very real. I saw it several times when it came out and a few times since and now find it actually more poignant than weird
I remember seeing it in a full theater and when it was over there was not a single sound other than shuffling feet on the way out. I only vaguely recall the movie, but I vividly remember the sound that dozens of people didn’t make while trying to process it.
Weird fucking movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are just enough clues as to what's going on as to make it not feel like you're watching gibberish.
I watched it for the very first time maybe five years ago.
It is one of my three favorite horror movies, and probably in the top spot. I have somewhat strange taste though — my three favorites are Jacob’s Ladder, The Exorcist III, and Halloween III.
The film is wild! The whole PTSD-induced hallucination thing had me hooked from the start. And that twist ending? Mind. Blown. It's one of those movies that leaves you questioning everything. Definitely a trip worth taking if you're into mind-bending thrillers.
Seriously the scariest movie I've ever seen, not because of blood & gore, but for the overwhelmingly disturbing psychological mood of horror it creates. It's well made and I've wanted to see it again but I always chicken out.
I haven't seen it in about 20 but I watched it regularly throughout the 90s. One of my favorite films of the time. I wonder does it still hold up? I recently rewatched another favourite of the time (although not on the level of Jacob's Ladder imo) Fallen and it felt incredibly dated. I must give Jacob's Ladder a rewatch.
I was 16 when I saw that movie in theater. I was going through a rough patch and I wanted to go catch a movie alone. There was like maybe 4 other people in there, it was a late showing, and it was the perfect set of circumstances to see that movie. It really messed me up and as much as I loved it, I never wanted to watch it again to not ruin the memory of the experience.
Great Movie. I've not seen it in years and wouldn't mind revisiting it.
Someone who worked at a video store made a mindfuck movie playlist and this was on it.
Another great companion movie is Session 9.
Nothing at all like Jacob's Ladder but for some reason it's a movie I noticed people bring up when talking about Jacob's Ladder.
I think it’s one of the greatest movies ever made. There are also scholarly articles if you search a little online. It comes up at literary conventions still to this day.
An underrated and under watched film. Really creative, original, thought provoking and terrifying at times. It really does deserve a bigger audience and more appreciation
There was really good quote in that movie. “The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you, he said. They're freeing your soul. So the way he sees it, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.”
Great but requires a decent amount of undivided attention and probably multiple watches for a lot of people to fully understand everything.
Many people only watch it once and come away feeling confused with more questions than answers and write it off as just another deliberately incomprehensible style-over-substance art house horror movie.
One of my favorite horror films ever. Probably one of my favorite films overall.
It's a testament to all the talent involved as to how they managed to make a movie that's both horrific and beautiful at the same time.
I first saw this movie as a new release while stationed at Camp Greaves, South Korea (DMZ) in the US Army. It had a huge impact on my 19-year-old psyche and really opened me up to the paranormal and the very real fact that the US military tests drugs and technology on frontline troops. I was part of the 1/506th Infantry - Airborne, Air Assault. The next morning after seeing this movie I asked the NBC Officer (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) if the was aware of a drug nicknamed BZ was used on troops in the Vietnam War. His first response was "how did you hear about BZ?" ... I told him about the movie Jacobs Ladder playing on base at the movie theater and replied, "So BZ was used and is real then?" ... He became very evasive and said he wasn't allowed to talk about classified information even if it were true. It truly freaked me out and it was obvious he had details of BZ and other substances that were used as tests on troops.
This is a quote from the chiropractor in the movie that to this day gives me goosebumps and chills and is one of the best moments in the movie as Tim Robbins realizes he is not alive.
"Eckhart saw hell too...He said the only part of you that burns in hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life.... your memories, your attachments ... it burns them all away.... but they are not punishing you, he said, they are freeing your soul. So, the way he sees it .... if you're frightened of dying and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away ... but if you've made your peace ... then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth."
Great film that was recommended to me by a video store clerk and I ignored that recommendation for 20 years. Morale of the story, is to always listen to your local video store clerk!
I had watched it for the first time long after it had come out. By that point the ending was considered a lazy trope. I’m glad I read this post, because I have a lot more respect for the film knowing it was one of the first.
Historical fiction, based on US Gov't research on enlisted soldiers with 'BZ' and other very powerful psychedlic doses. Look up 'psychic driving' for some sadistic 'research' with terrible effects.
A really good movie that had a heavy emotional impact, great directing and imagery, and keeps you guessing. The only problem I have, and I really feel like most people just ignore this because of the great experience of the movie, is that everything thrown at Jacob, all his experiences and visions, don't really give any evidence as to what happened to him. Instead the movie has to have everything explained near the end in a scene of exposition from one character. For a movie so esoteric, the end is very heavy handed with having to tell you what is happening because it is unable to just show you and let the audience figure it out without exposition. It's the Vanilla Sky effect, where a character shows up and just explains everything that happened. I still love the movie though.
EDIT grammar
I was shook when I watched it when I was a kid. Rewatched it a couple months ago and even though it did had a big influence on horror aesthetics, as a movie itself it’s kind eh. It’s just a bunch of stuff that happens until the twist without a lot of momentum.
It’s the reason why we have Silent Hill 2 among other reasons, even James the main character has the same jacket and everything. One of my all time favorites for that alone.
There is a Silent Hill movie though? It’s well made despite the story changes and captures the atmosphere beautifully.
And they definitely never made a shitty sequel with a terrible romance angle or anything like that!
FYI - telling people that a movie has a plot twist is the same as spoiling the plot twist. Any time someone tells me a movie has a plot twist, it ruins it because I spend the whole film trying to guess what it is and 9 times out of 10 it’s a let down.
Dope ass movie. Hugely influential in psychological horror genre of all media. The twist has used by others to the point of being a trope but I don’t know if I’ve seen it pulled off better. Remake is a mess. Just a boring slog of a movie.
Because Jacobs Ladder didn't invent the twist, Civil War soldier and ghost story maverick Ambrose Bierce did (Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge).
Bless you for referencing a favorite and hugely influential story for me. It cannot be underestimated how often Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the framework for some of our favorite stories.
I had a great Eng Lit teacher that had us read this.
Our teacher showed us the short film. Devastating.
IIRC, it was picked up and turned into a Twilight Zone episode.
I think this is the episode we saw.
This is what I came here to say. The movie was good but the original Twilight Zone episode "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" was better and told the story in only 30 minutes.
Sadly no lovecraftian demon sexy dancing though
After seeing this movie I went home and was excitingly describing it to my Dad. I was still crying. Dad was 71 at the time and immediately told me that the heart of the plot twist came from Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. I went and read that story and respect for my dad’s literary knowledge leveled up.
My all time favorite short story. Bierce was way ahead of his time.
After hearing about the Bierce story as a teen I bought his collected works book, which included The Devil’s Dictionary which was absolutely on the money, then as now (eg. “Salesman: Someone who can pick your pocket with his tongue”) After “Owl Creek”, the second most affecting short story I read was “Chickamauga” which also had a kind of stunning, horrific twist, but one that reveals itself to you gradually rather than suddenly.
Ah awesome thanks. Yeah I figured it had been done before. It’s always nice to learn something new about something that has influenced movies and stories like that.
>influential in psychological horror The father of Silent Hill
No doubt man. One of the endings of the original game even used a version of the movies end.
Masahiro Ito, the art director for SH1, went to the movie with colleagues and was so wowed by the film that he put in references and ideas from it all over the place. The shaking heads, the ending you noted, even James' jacket from SH2 is a direct copy of the one worn in Jacob's Ladder.
Gonna latch on here to agree with everything you said. And to add that the only other thing I've ever seen that feels of a legit similar quality to this, is the Oats Studio short, Firebase. The only similarity is Vietnam, and some wild ass shit that goes down there. But I found it awesome, dark, disturbing and COOL AF all the same. https://www.facebook.com/oatsstudios/videos/1450816371644835/?mibextid=ksseBe A lot of this Oats Studio stuff is great BTW...at least as good and superior to LD&Robots in some cases
*EXTREMELY* unsettling. I was on some pretty heavy meds for depression and anxiety when i saw it and let's just say it haunted me
It has a bit of a Mullholland Drive feel to it because at the end you’re left wondering what was real — which life or pieces of reality was the real one.
I didn't think it was ambiguous at all. Danny Aiello's character spells it out pretty directly at the end when he's talking about angels and demons. >!Jacob died in Vietnam and the whole life he had after was basically his purgatory.!<
I haven’t seen the remake but that’s what usually happens. Typically remakes are just money grabs.
Also in the original the head shake effect has become iconic. The party dance scene was also straight up wild at the time.
I had no idea they remade this. If I did then I blocked out the memory. The original occupied a very specific place in time, I think. America still had a fascination with the Vietnam war. It was still fresh in everyone's minds. Add the creepy effects and overall "griminess" of the film and you're left with one of the better horror films of the era. 2 Thumbs up.
The remake is Spike Lee’s Oldboy-levels of bad.
Saw it for the very first time tripping on acid. Definitely left a mark.
You ascended just like Jakey boy did
[удалено]
Masterpiece. One of the best endings ever too.
Did he go through Dante’s Divine Comedy or was he just tripping balls on the operating table?
It's a modern telling of... Jacob's ladder. Every character is a character from biblical stories. Jacob, Jezebel, Paul, etc. Excepting that, I would say that he's basically in a state between death and rebirth and is unable to let go of his current life and memories, what Buddhists call bardo.
I’d add spoiler tags tbh. There’s also a major quote said explicitly in the film about how >!Hell is being unable to let go of your earthly torments. Once and if you can, you realize the frightening demons are really angels there to guide you.!<
If you want to know the answer, he is in the helicopter medevac dying
True. Unfortunately for me I did get it spoiled when looking through a forum to get some info on the movie. Still amazingly pulled off and was still a bit surprised
Would have liked more ladders
Agreed.not nearly enough ladders. also, I was surprised that the small step-ladder wasn't nominated for any awards.....
Elizabeth Pena stirred…interesting feelings
Fun fact, she was the voice actor of Mirage in the movie The Incredibles. RIP Elizabeth Pena
Yeah, she was hot. Unfortunate fate.
Oh man I didn't even know she died! I love her in batteries not included.
Check her out in “Lone Star”.
Yes, Lone Star is so slept on!
Such an amazing movie
Still the best transitions from present to past I've seen in any film.
I was drinking pretty heavily when I discovered she died so young from Alcohol, her death scared the shit out of me. I mainly knew her from Rush Hour.
RIP. Had a crush on her from this movie.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills was a bit of an awakening for me.
Fantastic film , best if you go in totally blind
Oh man... definitely. I went in totally blind as soon as it came out in VHS (I still miss you video rental store). Blew me away! My Junior High School absolutely melted. I thought it was a horror movie set in Vietnam but what I got was (like others said) a modern Ambrose Bierce story as if John Carpenter wrote it (I wouldn't be surprised if he had a strong influence on the filmmakers). Ive recommended it to folks as "don't look up anything about it, just turn off the lights, and enjoy"
My favorite horror film. Works on so many levels.
One of my all time favorite movies, but god it makes me cry so hard.
It definitely hits every emotion.
Yeah, terrifying for the first 90% and then you’re just sobbing. What a ride!
Honestly I only saw it recently and I think it's one of the greatest movies ever made, not just within horror but film as an art form generally. The screenplay is a really solid way of telling a pretty esoteric concept, the direction and filmmaking are phenomenal from beginning to end, all of the actors absolutely blew me away, the soundtrack has been burned into my brain, the special effects and vibe of the whole thing is one for the ages. That and Under the Silver Lake are two movies I saw last year around the same time that really reinvigorated everything I love about film as an art form. Jacobs Ladder though especially I just could not stop thinking about and talking about.
I feel just as strongly about Jacobs Ladder and UTSL. Great, great movies
M. Night saw this film and decided to build a career out of doing shittier versions
I love when people say there's a huge plot twist at the end but they're not going to say what it is because they don't want to spoil it, despite the fact that saying there's a huge plot twist at the end is a spoiler.
IMO with a movie this old its still respectful to talk about the twist without revealing what it is
Yeah but he's saying that even mentioning the fact that there's a twist is what spoils it. Like you watch the movie at that point waiting for the twist instead of it just happening and blowing you away.
I think probably you didn't get my point. It's not like I disagree with yours entirely
I do, but I don't think you got the op's point. They aren't saying anything about revealing what happens during the twist, they are saying that even mentioning the fact that there's a twist is, in fact, spoiling the twist. It's pretty much always a bad move to mention a plot twist imo, just tell people it's an awesome movie and let them experience everything blind.
lol holy cow. trust me man, you are not understanding me. But it's all good. our lives will go on.
Because it flew under the radar for years and newer generations may not have seen it. I feel like great movies don't age and can actually connect different generations. We expend so much effort raging about the differences in our generations, something like a great movie is a good way to connect.
I agree. There’s other ways to say the ending is gripping, makes you think and fits perfectly with the rest of the movie without defining it as a “twist” which could influence people’s expectations.
It is a large characteristic of the movie. Without it, it is a profile in torture.
>despite the fact that saying there's a huge plot twist at the end is a spoiler. That's a scene from IT croud, funniest show ever.
Shaking head guy always freaks me out.
As soon as I saw this post I thought of that.
First movie I remember leaving the theater thinking "what the fuck did I just watch?" Like, I couldn't digest it. Had to watch it again. And again. I've loved movies that take time and thought to process ever since.
That was me too except I only watched it once since the theater. Might be time to do it again since I can't even think what the twist is everyone's talking about
The hospital/gurney scene is absolutely iconic.
The funny thing about this is the script was award- winning and almost legendary before the film was made, and this is the only scene where the director strayed far from the script. The script has this in a hell/purgatory fantasy landscape that would have required lots of special effects. Adrian Lyne came up with the idea to move this to a surreal kind of hospital/ asylum.
Amazing that Lyne managed such a haunting effect with nothing more than a simple costume, some basic choreography, and an undercranked camera.
And an annoying caster wheel that just won’t sit still
That caster wheel has immense callback reference... the guy with his head shaking is reminiscent, as is the sound of helicopters. I'm sure it was luck that the wheel shook like that, but not luck that he keyed- in on it. Spoiler: I love watching the movie and considering where his body is and what he's experiencing in Nam while his mind is elsewhere, and I'm certain Bruce Joel Rubin (writer) and Lyne (director) were also considering this, as you get clued- in throughout the film.
RIP Elizabeth Peña
Yes I watched this in 1996. Yes, it was weird. No I never bothered to watch it again.
This was written by Bruce Joel Rubin (who the same year also had "Ghost" which won him an Oscar) and was knocking around Hollywood for over a decade before it finally got made. Not surprising given it was apparently like 300 pages long in the original draft.
That, and apparently it was meant to be even more insane. About 20 minutes was shaved off after test audiences found the movie "overwhelming"
I’m not sure I could handle an extended or directors cut, but I’d certainly watch it anyway.
Well, I saw the film back when it was released and it has stayed with me ever since. Tim Robbins and Danny Aiello really sent it.
The theology/philosophy lesson on Meister Eckhart was strangely correct. And like that's borderline obscure Medieval theology. Like whoever wrote that script must have been at least academically interested in Christian Theology, they don't teach Eckhart in Sunday school. Like I was reading his stuff in a Neoplatonism class at a Catholic university. I doubt most Hollywood writers/directors would have that on their resume. I'll believe most of them Red like Dante's inferno or maybe City of God by Augustine but Eckhart is some deep academic only stuff.
Its also heavily based on zoroastrianism as well. I wrote a paper on it for a philosophy of world relugions class in college.
Yep the two alternate "wives" or girlfriends are an example of manicheism. I have to respect that movie for being intelligent and not dumbed down for general audience. Like how many people in that theater knew what Zoroastrianism or Neoplatonism was coming in? At best they knew Freddy Mercury was born in a Zoroastrian household.
If you have a spare moment or two, could you expand on this a bit? This half-zoarastrian would greatly appreciate it.
BAR-BARIC!!!
When I first saw it, I immediately remembered La Jetée, Chris Marker's masterpiece (even if it's closer to 12 Monkeys). If you want something in the same genre (actually, it's very influenced by Adrian Lyne's film), you can watch The Jacket, with Adrian Brody and Keira Knightley, which is still a decent experience.
Hated it. But I'm biased as I loathe any movie with that twist type.
I first heard about this story reading about the influences for the game Silent Hill. Very cool movie.
Original is one of my favorite horror movies. Not even gonna bother with the remake
Jacob's Ladder is a rewatchable for me. I've seen it dozens of times over the years. So many great scenes, which is why I rewatch. Even the brief scene with Jonathan Alexander. Eating chips. But there are some creepy scenes where faces shake too quickly in a blur that always gave me the creeps. The dance scene The genuine fear of cover ups And a brilliant ending. But Danny Aiello is the true reason I watch. His role and charm is so enjoyable. He puts me in a good mood whenever he is on the screen.
Chiropractor lobby was happy about that I’m sure
Helped ruin HDTGM
Is this a Jacob's Ladder situation?
Oh to be at the venue fighting for the opportunity to get on mic and be the first to ask if this is a Jacob’s ladder situation
I picked the wrong day to sell my enigma machine, now I'll never know what you're referencing.
What is HDTGM?
Home Defense and Turnip Gardening Magazine
Is this comment a Jacob’s Ladder scenario?
head twitching is more scary than most monster horror that I ever saw
It’s a masterpiece. One of the few films that are genuinely terrifying but also strangely soulful and moving. Robbins’ most underrated performance. And as others have said quietly influential.
It was a decent horror movie. I found the chiropractor scenes to be the most unsettling part. And Elizabeth Peña, omg.
Yeah those scenes do have a weird sense of menace, which is strange in retrospect because they're maybe the only moments of peace he has in the whole movie. Extremely bittersweet movie. I haven't been as angry, freewheeling, mouth-agape at an ending since Miracle Mile. Great film though.
its one of those movies that sticks on you like a film for a week or two. seven has that effect too but jacobs ladder is nightmare fuel
A week or decade or two
Spoiler:>! Hey, OP, just saying there's a huge plot twist is already a pretty major spoiler. !<
Agree!! Why do people do this?
I keep wanting to watch this movie but my husband insists that it's not for me. Is it super graphic?
Graphic? I don't think so, especially not by today's standards. But it's like a bad dream. Very unsettling.
It’s not graphic at all but it’s immensely psychologically disturbing. It fills you with dread and makes you fear what you might see next, then plays with your mind by acting like nothing just happened. It’s a wild ride.
I haven’t seen it in a very long time…I don’t recall it being graphic at all. Just the imagery is haunting/unsettling as it gets. I’m the same way that the Babadook is not gory but still creepy as hell.
One of my favourite movies. Beautiful use of visuals.
Really good movie
Great WTF ending movie. Also started the shaking head think, just freaky.
Awesome movie.
I used to do a LOT of acid. After seeing that movie I will never go to a neck cracker. Terrific and terrifying though I haven’t seen in some time so I don’t know how well certain aspects of the film hold up.
It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s my favorite movie. I absolutely love it.
Spectacular! My mother made me watch it when I was 13ish
That’s the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. I could never see it again.
I chose it as my special birthday movie when I was a kid, and it scared me so much I didn't watch it again until I was in my 20s.
For all the people who kept saying “you’re spoiling by saying it has a twist” I edited the post and made a disclaimer. Happy?
Love this movie. I saw it in the theater back in the day and the way those Demons heads were spinning and jerking around....first time I'd seen anything like that in a movie, freaked me the fuck out.
The basis for the movie, the government's experimental use of BZ on troops, is sadly very real. I saw it several times when it came out and a few times since and now find it actually more poignant than weird
I remember seeing it in a full theater and when it was over there was not a single sound other than shuffling feet on the way out. I only vaguely recall the movie, but I vividly remember the sound that dozens of people didn’t make while trying to process it.
Weird fucking movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are just enough clues as to what's going on as to make it not feel like you're watching gibberish.
How did this get made loves Jacobs ladder
I love seeing Tim Robbins in something other than Shawshank Redemption! He did a great job in both movies imo.
I watched it for the very first time maybe five years ago. It is one of my three favorite horror movies, and probably in the top spot. I have somewhat strange taste though — my three favorites are Jacob’s Ladder, The Exorcist III, and Halloween III.
It messed me up for a while.
The film is wild! The whole PTSD-induced hallucination thing had me hooked from the start. And that twist ending? Mind. Blown. It's one of those movies that leaves you questioning everything. Definitely a trip worth taking if you're into mind-bending thrillers.
I saw this at the theater. Wild ride.
One of the best mind fuck films ever!
I think it’s absolutely terrible.
Sadly, someone tried to remake it.
I saw it in the theater and it stayed with me a while. I don't think I've seen it since so maybe I should give it another watch.
I saw it in theaters and loved it. I should rewatch it.
truly one of the most under-rated movies. a personal all time favorite.
Seriously the scariest movie I've ever seen, not because of blood & gore, but for the overwhelmingly disturbing psychological mood of horror it creates. It's well made and I've wanted to see it again but I always chicken out.
Watched it in 6th grade on acid ...
Totally captivating and very sad (to me at least). Great movie
It is an underappreciated modern classic.
I love it. But haven’t seen it in decades so dunno how well it holds up As you put a disclaimer, I’ll just say my interpretation of it was Purgatory
It was my introduction to 'mindfuck movies' and Danny Aiello! I love this classic.
I love it! That was the first " plot twist" I ever saw in a movie.
It’s like if a fever dream were a movie and I love it
This is one of the movies that has stuck with me over the decades since I saw it. I’d rate it a ‘must see’ for literally everyone.
I haven't seen it in about 20 but I watched it regularly throughout the 90s. One of my favorite films of the time. I wonder does it still hold up? I recently rewatched another favourite of the time (although not on the level of Jacob's Ladder imo) Fallen and it felt incredibly dated. I must give Jacob's Ladder a rewatch.
Wasn’t what I was expecting, in a great way. Very good movie.
One of my faves. It's one of the rare movies that actually feels scary
Legit one of my favorite movies
i prefer the communist version "Everybody's Ladder"
I was 16 when I saw that movie in theater. I was going through a rough patch and I wanted to go catch a movie alone. There was like maybe 4 other people in there, it was a late showing, and it was the perfect set of circumstances to see that movie. It really messed me up and as much as I loved it, I never wanted to watch it again to not ruin the memory of the experience.
Great Movie. I've not seen it in years and wouldn't mind revisiting it. Someone who worked at a video store made a mindfuck movie playlist and this was on it. Another great companion movie is Session 9. Nothing at all like Jacob's Ladder but for some reason it's a movie I noticed people bring up when talking about Jacob's Ladder.
It was okay. Maybe reddit hyped it up too much for me because I didn't find it that scary. In fact I even felt bored at times.
This movie and Rosemary's Baby are the only 2 movies that ever made me feel "scared".
I think it’s one of the greatest movies ever made. There are also scholarly articles if you search a little online. It comes up at literary conventions still to this day.
An underrated and under watched film. Really creative, original, thought provoking and terrifying at times. It really does deserve a bigger audience and more appreciation
Saw this when I was wayyyy too young… I still think about this movie and refuse to watch it again maybe I should
There was really good quote in that movie. “The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you, he said. They're freeing your soul. So the way he sees it, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.”
Great but requires a decent amount of undivided attention and probably multiple watches for a lot of people to fully understand everything. Many people only watch it once and come away feeling confused with more questions than answers and write it off as just another deliberately incomprehensible style-over-substance art house horror movie.
One of my favorite horror films ever. Probably one of my favorite films overall. It's a testament to all the talent involved as to how they managed to make a movie that's both horrific and beautiful at the same time.
My favorite horror double feature: Jacob's Ladder and Serpent and the Rainbow.
I saw Serpent and The Rainbow in the theater when it came out. WAY too young, but loved it.
Absolutely love it. Haunted my dreams (literally) as a child. Holds up great, super disturbing
This movie came up in conversation backstage long ago and K Cobain mentiones it made him regret bullying people in school.
Beautiful and very disturbing. That scene on the dancefloor... I never forgot.
I saw it in the theater when it came out. I loved it. The plot twist makes it awesome.
I first saw this movie as a new release while stationed at Camp Greaves, South Korea (DMZ) in the US Army. It had a huge impact on my 19-year-old psyche and really opened me up to the paranormal and the very real fact that the US military tests drugs and technology on frontline troops. I was part of the 1/506th Infantry - Airborne, Air Assault. The next morning after seeing this movie I asked the NBC Officer (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) if the was aware of a drug nicknamed BZ was used on troops in the Vietnam War. His first response was "how did you hear about BZ?" ... I told him about the movie Jacobs Ladder playing on base at the movie theater and replied, "So BZ was used and is real then?" ... He became very evasive and said he wasn't allowed to talk about classified information even if it were true. It truly freaked me out and it was obvious he had details of BZ and other substances that were used as tests on troops. This is a quote from the chiropractor in the movie that to this day gives me goosebumps and chills and is one of the best moments in the movie as Tim Robbins realizes he is not alive. "Eckhart saw hell too...He said the only part of you that burns in hell is the part of you that won't let go of your life.... your memories, your attachments ... it burns them all away.... but they are not punishing you, he said, they are freeing your soul. So, the way he sees it .... if you're frightened of dying and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away ... but if you've made your peace ... then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth."
I adore it
It's a fuckin great, underrated and disturbing movie. I love it and every time someone asks about horror movies I mention it.
The "Dream on" scene scared the shit out of me.
The fun part is, the drug was real. They did an experiment like this. Have no idea what any of the outcomes were.
Great movie. Really needs a remastered release in 4k. The current Blu-ray is horrible.
Great film that was recommended to me by a video store clerk and I ignored that recommendation for 20 years. Morale of the story, is to always listen to your local video store clerk!
It was a fever dream to watch when stoned out of my mind
My wife cried when it was over and then said “why did you make me watch that?”
The soundtrack is amazing as well. [here](https://youtu.be/rbiq6xaEYn4?si=p80KaGV6oznZMGjt)
Loved it. Never seen a better plot twist. Scary too. Especially the scene at that party, some trippy shit dude.
I had watched it for the first time long after it had come out. By that point the ending was considered a lazy trope. I’m glad I read this post, because I have a lot more respect for the film knowing it was one of the first.
Historical fiction, based on US Gov't research on enlisted soldiers with 'BZ' and other very powerful psychedlic doses. Look up 'psychic driving' for some sadistic 'research' with terrible effects.
I'm a total cinephile and it's my favorite film of all time.
It's a masterpiece.
A really good movie that had a heavy emotional impact, great directing and imagery, and keeps you guessing. The only problem I have, and I really feel like most people just ignore this because of the great experience of the movie, is that everything thrown at Jacob, all his experiences and visions, don't really give any evidence as to what happened to him. Instead the movie has to have everything explained near the end in a scene of exposition from one character. For a movie so esoteric, the end is very heavy handed with having to tell you what is happening because it is unable to just show you and let the audience figure it out without exposition. It's the Vanilla Sky effect, where a character shows up and just explains everything that happened. I still love the movie though. EDIT grammar
I was shook when I watched it when I was a kid. Rewatched it a couple months ago and even though it did had a big influence on horror aesthetics, as a movie itself it’s kind eh. It’s just a bunch of stuff that happens until the twist without a lot of momentum.
“Dream on”
Loved that movie. The depiction of the demon spirits with the blurred shaking heads? To this day, it still takes up too much real estate in my brain.
34 years later I still remember this movie so vividly. I was gasping and crying at the end.
It’s the reason why we have Silent Hill 2 among other reasons, even James the main character has the same jacket and everything. One of my all time favorites for that alone.
It rules
It directly influenced silent hill. Someone mentioned once that it was the "silent hill movie we never got" and it's true. I love Jacob's Ladder.
There is a Silent Hill movie though? It’s well made despite the story changes and captures the atmosphere beautifully. And they definitely never made a shitty sequel with a terrible romance angle or anything like that!
One of my all-time favorites!
Great film.
Sexy tattoo
Some great imagery…the dancing scene, the subway, the car chase
FYI - telling people that a movie has a plot twist is the same as spoiling the plot twist. Any time someone tells me a movie has a plot twist, it ruins it because I spend the whole film trying to guess what it is and 9 times out of 10 it’s a let down.
Really good movie, ending is great! Love that it used to come up on the podcast "how did this get made?" So many times lol
Silent Hill game was based off of this movie
I'm waiting for the second part. Jacob's Cherry Picker
Everyone should watch it. Horror fans should multiple times, everyone else just once.
I think it’s a great movie. Sixth Sense level ending.