Day 352: Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder

"Uh, Mr. Robbins. Could you not be so blurry for just a second?"

War is Hell. Everything about war is Hell. The build up, the politics, the violence, the stress, the heartbreak, and the aftermath are all terrible and scarring. I've reviewed a few war-based horror movies, but the subgenre isn't particularly popular. There are plenty of war movies, some of the best ever made. Same with horror. But for whatever reason, the two rarely meet and when they do it's rather disappointing. Maybe horror movies don't have the proper budget to make a full-blown war movie. Maybe by injecting things like supernatural elements into the story take away from the horrors of war. Either way, most war-based horror movies leave a lot to be desired. Most, but not this one.

Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 psychological horror movie starring Tim Robbins as Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer. Jacob suffers a flashback from the war after falling asleep on the subway. When he gets off at his stop, he realizes he is on the wrong side of the platform and has to cross over the tracks. He is almost hit by a subway and when he looks into the last car, a faceless monster is looking back at him. He tries to ignore the incident and go about his life as a mailman, living in a small apartment in Brooklyn with his girlfriend Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena, batteries not included, Rush Hour). Jacob's ex-wife Sarah sent over a bunch of his old pictures, including one of his son Gabe (Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone, My Girl), who died in an accident. His chiropractor Louie (Danny Aiello, Do The Right Thing, The Godfather Part II) gives him some advice about death and acceptance. He says that “if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.” As the days go by, Jacob's hallucinations begin to intensify as hideous monsters begin to appear. During a party, he sees Jezzie dancing and appears to turn into a monster herself. He contracts a fever and has hallucinations of his ex wife and kids. As the halluciations become more bizarre and terrifying, Jacob's old army buddy Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince, Identity, Constantine) asks to meet with him. Paul has also been suffering from hallucinations and is convinced that he is being followed. When they part ways, Paul's car blows up. Jacob is saved by a man in glasses whom he has repeatedly seen in recent days. At Paul's funeral, Jacob meets with the rest of his Army friends (Ving Rhames, Eriq La Salle, Anthony Alessandro) who confirm his suspicions: they all suffer from hallucinations and the army may be the cause of them. The reach out to a lawyer named Geary (Jason Alexander, Seinfeld, Pretty Woman) to see if they have a case, but the rest of the soldiers are threatened into backing out. Jacob is grabbed by men in a car and threatened to stay quite, but he manages to escape. After more hallucinations, he meets with the man with glasses, a former army chemist named Michael Newman (Matt Craven, Crimson Tide, Disturbia). Newman tells Jacob that he developed a chemical called “The Ladder” that would increase aggression in soldiers. Jacob and his group were administered the drug, turning them into vicious killers, but also leaving them with horrible side effects. With the hallucinations becoming unbearable, will Jacob be able to find stop The Ladder from destroying his mind?

"Aw, jeez. Did I drink Peppermint Schnapps again?"

I can't remember the last time I saw a good reality-warping horror movie like Jacob's Ladder. Like most movies that blur the lines of reality, Jacob's Ladder constantly makes you question what you are seeing. Did that person not have a face? Is that a giant tail? Did what just happen really happen or is what's happening now really happening. This happens quite frequently throughout the movie and it's a lot to wrap your head around. Why there is an element of confusion and deflection, this all adds to the overall sense of horror and terror which grows as the movie progresses. The hallucinations start off relatively small and build thanks to some truly scary looking monsters. In fact, they're are so scary, they were actually the inspiration for the monsters in the Silent Hill video game series. I felt that the various featureless monsters were the scariest. There was something primal and unnatural to them that just makes the audience feel uncomfortable.

There is a strong sense of mystery and suspense in the movie, which compels the audience to push onward, much like Jacob in search of the truth. We never quite not what is real or not, and even when the answers are finally revealed, the audience still not 100% convinced. Director Adrian Layne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal) manages to impress, especially since Jacob's Ladder is so different from everything else he worked on. Tim Robbins is very good as Jacob, serving as a good avatar for the audience. We are just as lost as he is and are searching for the truth. The movie has an impressive supporting cast featuring many well known actors. The list includes Danny Aiello, Ving Rhames, Jason Alexander, Eriq La Salle, a young Macaulay Culkin, and even a young Lewis Black in a “blink and you'll miss it” moment. There is a good amount of action and violence throughout the movie, keeping people interested when the hallucinations get to be too confusing. There is a good balance between quite scenes and harsh ones. The scenes during the Vietnam War look good, almost worthy of being in a movie like Hamburger Hill or even Platoon.

Your eyes are a beautiful shade of...uh...flesh

Jacob's Ladder is an intensive thrill ride that has plenty of action and even more scares. The monsters are quite unsettling while never being too “in your face” about scaring you. We are never sure what is real and what is not, making the movie that much more suspenseful. There is a good mystery throughout which keeps the audience interested. Both Tim Robbins and Elizabeth Pena are very good and it's fun to see who pops up in the supporting cast. There is some social commentary in the movie, questioning the government and dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, but there are no massive revelations. Jacob's Ladder is a good movie if you're in need of a strange mystery and a seriously good freakout.

8.5/10

Day 104: House

House

Our house, in the middle of our street

Don't worry, this isn't a review of that TV show with the jerk doctor. This is the horror-comedy movie from the 80's. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I chose this movie. I mean, it's called House. It's got to be a typical movie about an evil house that has bleeding walls and stuff, right? Well, this was the 80's and it was far from typical.

House, directed by Steve Miner (Friday the 13^th, Dawn of the Dead remake), stars William Katt (The Greatest American Hero, Carrie) as horror novelist Roger Cobb. Roger recently separated from his actress wife Sandy after their son disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Roger is having serious writer's block for his new novel, which is going to be about his experiences serving in Vietnam. His Aunt has recently committed suicide, and rather than selling her old house, Roger decides to move in for a while in order to help his writing process. Roger begins to have intense, graphic nightmares involving monsters attacking him and memories of his time in Vietnam come out, particularly about a soldier named Big Ben. Roger investigates the house after hearing strange noises and is physically attacked by a disfigured monster. He tries to convince his neighbor, Harold, (George Wendt, Cheers, Masters of Horror: Family) that the house is haunted, but Harold doesn't believe him. Harold actually calls Sandy and tells her that he is worried for Roger's safety. The monsters and attacks keep coming and Harold sees one of the monsters firsthand. Roger discovers another world within the evil house and ventures inside. What does this have to do with his intense memories of Big Ben and his lost son?

Sgt. Fury And His Howling Corpsemandos

I can definitely say that this was not the type of movie I expected when I began to watch it. That's not a bad thing, it's just unexpected. The story is pretty weird and the people involved may or may not have been on illegal substances. It bounces around a bit too much for my liking, particularly with the Vietnam flashbacks that look like they were filmed in someone's backyard. Those flashbacks turn out to be fairly important at the end, but, in the moment, it just felt like they were wasting time. There are a few plotholes and if you think too much about it, blood might come pouring out of your ears. Luckily, the movie is entertaining enough where you can ignore some of the flaws.

The monsters in House look great with a lot of attention to detail. Modern movies could learn a thing or two in how to make monsters. No need for CGI, just good old-fashioned makeup, latex, and creativity. The acting is pretty good throughout and William Katt puts on a good performance. George Wendt is lovable, as always. The humor is not exactly a knee-slapper, but you'll crack a few smiles. The problem with adding a lot of humor is that it takes away the fear and House had some jump-out-of-your seat scary moments. I think the movie would have been better if they had focused more on the horror and a little less on the humor. Have some humor, but don't overshadow the horror part of the story. 

Newt Gingrich looks terrible!

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to House. I give the writers credit for thinking outside the horror box and including some different elements to their movie. The story itself is a bit convoluted and has a few holes, but it's still entertaining. The acting is good and the monsters look great. I think if House was remade today with a stronger focus on horror, it could actually be very good. House is worth your time just to see George Wendt being George Wendt and to see some great monsters.

6.5/10