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Movies / On DVD / Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder

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Jacob's Ladder (1990)

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Reviews Counted:46

Fresh:33

Rotten:13

Average Rating:6.7/10

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Adrian Lyne's JACOB'S LADDER moves in time and space between Vietnam and New York with hallucinatory force. Something bad happened on the Mekong Delta, on October 6, 1971, and it is still affecting... Adrian Lyne's JACOB'S LADDER moves in time and space between Vietnam and New York with hallucinatory force. Something bad happened on the Mekong Delta, on October 6, 1971, and it is still affecting war veteran Jacob (Tim Robbins) in Brooklyn as he attempts to live a normal life with coworker and girlfriend Jezzie (Elizabeth Peņa). Louis (Danny Aiello), an understanding chiropractor, tries to help him cope with his nightmarish visions--some of which occur at night, while others intrude into his daily life. When Jacob gets a call from Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince), who was with him in Vietnam, it seems that Jacob is not alone in his visions. The film offers impressive and compelling performances by Peņa, Aiello (no ordinary chiropractor), and Ving Rhames and Eriq La Salle (the latter of ER) as Jacob's comrades from Vietnam. Macaulay Culkin appears uncredited as Jacob's young son, Gabe. Director Lyne also guides an unerring interpretation of Bruce Joel Rubin's screenplay in Robbins's powerfully restless, searingly searching performance as Jacob; brilliant editing additionally rounds out this engrossing, disturbing film. JACOB'S LADDER is a jolting experience that is not easily forgotten. [More]

Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peņa, Danny Aiello, Bryan Larkin

Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peņa, Danny Aiello, Bryan Larkin, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, Patricia Kalember, Eriq La Salle, Ving Rhames, Brian Tarantina

Director: Adrian Lyne

Director: Adrian Lyne
Composer: Maurice Jarre
Screenwriter: Bruce Joel Rubin
Producer: Alan Marshall

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 21, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Jacob's Ladder

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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Essential viewing for horror fans and philosophers alike.

Full Review Source: Mike Bracken's Horror Films | comment Comment
02/13/01
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken's Horror Films

Admittedly it is sporadic and at times even rambling, but when it succeeds ... the results are positively haunting.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark Dinning
Mark Dinning
Empire Magazine

This movie was not a pleasant experience, but it was exhilarating in the sense that I was able to observe filmmakers working at the edge of their abilities and inspirations.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lyne's giddying, unsettling direction conjures up moments of horrifying hallucinogenic power from the bad-trip hell of his protagonist.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Stephen Garrett
Stephen Garrett
Time Out

Jacob's Ladder is a hammerhead movie, one that bashes the audience to death with its jazzy technique.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Lyne indulges more in misdirection than in direction; he's a magician turning a sleazy trick.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hal Hinson
Hal Hinson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A moving, unsettling, and ultimately unforgettable cinematic experience.

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
02/27/01
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

This is an unpleasant and uncomfortable horror film to sit through, be warned. It improves a great deal on thinking about it afterward.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

A slick, riveting, viscerally scary film about what in other hands would be a decidedly unsalable subject, namely death.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Some of the most disturbing things you've ever seen in a horror film . . . should you have a problem with sleeping too well at night, try watching this movie a few times

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/19/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

Despite all the confusion, it's a simple case of the script being too ambitious. It may emulate a man experiencing flashbacks, but it doesn't help the audience.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
03/27/09
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine

It's a worthwhile journey, expertly crafted. It just didn’t blow me away.

Full Review Source: ToxicUniverse.com | comment Comment
02/13/01
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
ToxicUniverse.com

If you're squeamish, stay away. But risk missing a great film.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

Totally engrossing from start to finish.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ted Prigge
Ted Prigge
rec.arts.movies.reviews

A bold, powerful psychological horror film.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
03/27/09
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is a well-made film with excellent performances by Robbins, Pena and Aiello.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
03/23/03
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Dull, unimaginative and pretentious.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/19/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Falls] ultimately flat on its surrealistic face, the victim of too many fake-art sequences.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An interesting film to stick with and repeatedly reassess what's real and what's just a dream.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Truly frightening and visually unique, this messy, challenging film is anchored by Tim Robbins' remarkable performance.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
03/27/09
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
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Latest News for Jacob's Ladder

August 25, 2005: Keanu & Zeta to Head Lyne's Lana Turner Tale
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Keanu Reeves are in talks to star in Adrian Lyne's as-yet-untitled biopic about the love affair between movie star Lana Turner and mob affiliate Johnny... More...

June 02, 2005: Winkler & Rubin Want to Deliver "A Perfect Divorce"
More...

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