Jacobs Ladder (1990) Koch 1080p BluRay x265 HEVC EAC3-SARTRE

A tortured man finds himself caught in a middle-ground between hallucination and reality in this supernatural thriller, scripted by Bruce Joel Rubin of Ghost (1990) and My Life (1993). Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a soldier stationed in Vietnam who undergoes a traumatic experience on the battlefield - the nature of which is initially unclear. The film then moves into his post-Vietnam experience in 1970s New York, where he feels consistently traumatized, but can never quite remember exactly what happened to him in Southeast Asia or to free himself from his anxieties over the recent tragic death of his young son (Macaulay Culkin). Though well educated, Jacob works as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and has become romantically involved with one of his co-workers, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena), after divorcing his wife. Soon, Jacob's tenuous hold on reality starts to slip as horrifying events befall him; he is nearly run over by a subway train, pursued by faceless demons in cars, and spots reptilian tails and horns protruding from the bodies of those he encounters. Jacob also suffers severe panic attacks related to the chaos that may be reality, or may exist only in his mind. He seeks counsel from Louis (Danny Aiello), a kindly chiropractor, as his ex-wife Sarah (Patricia Kalember), fellow Vietnam vet Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and enigmatic stranger Michael (Matt Craven) all try to help the tortured soul. Jason Alexander, Ving Rhames and Eriq LaSalle highlight the supporting cast.


So this is a marginally better Blu-ray release from Koch. It's still dingy and muddy but there's a bit more detail and the color is more balanced.

Extras

• Building 'Jacob's Ladder'- A look at the film, dissecting its themes, effects, some individual scenes and characters. It's honestly a guide, more than anything, and may spoil some parts of the film. (SD, 26 min)

• Additional Scenes - Three axed scenes, with audio commentary. Quite possibly the most disturbing deleted scenes you'll ever see can be found here, which is fitting for the film. A must watch for fans. (SD, 13 min)

• Commentary With Adrian Lyne - This solo track has slightly below average coverage, with some very prolonged gaps interspersed throughout the run time. Lyne is an nice, soothing listen, though his comments are hardly all that enlightening. We get some fun anecdotes, like how some improvisation changed the scope of a scene or two, or the exeriences filming particular scenes, but this track feels like an antiquity.

• Trailer & Teaser