Don’t Miss the next installment of NETHERWORLD presents THE HORROR at Studio Movie Grill Holcomb Bridge on Sunday, August 12th at 8:00pm.
2880 Holcomb Bridge Rd. – Alpharetta, GA 30022
Adrian Lyne’s 1990 “Jacob’s Ladder” is quite simply a psychological horror masterpiece. No vampires, no werewolves, no over the top computer animation…it’s a rare breed of horror movie that is so well done and so thought invoking that you almost forget that it’s a horror movie, even while on the edge of your seat…only the great ones can do that.
Starring Tim Robbins (as the titular Jacob Singer – a role originally intended for Tom Hanks) and Danny Aiello, the film bounces back and forth between Jacob’s present life as a Brooklyn postman, his previous marriage and now-dead son, and the horrors of his tour of duty in Nam. His life begins to unravel as he is plagued by bizarre visions and eerie occurrences, leading him to discover an army conspiracy that may or may not be responsible for his current trauma…a mind-altering, aggression-enhancing chemical (nick-named “The Ladder”) which was tested on his squad with disastrous results.
Robbins is in top form, giving a memorable performance as he leaps about through the various stages of his life, overshadowed by guilt from the death of his young son (portrayed by the then unknown Macaulay Culkin) and fighting desperately to make sense of the madness surrounding his everyday life. Strange faces, unusual creatures, and haunting hallucinations begin to hint at something sinister…this, compounded by a visit from a member of his former army unit who reveals he is experiencing much of the same phenomena, leads Jacob to believe that Hell itself has come to claim him.
Set in the early 1970s, Lyne’s presentation of Bruce Joel Rubin’s screenplay effectively portrays Jacob’s growing paranoia, utilizing powerful camera effects and imagery to draw us into his overwhelming dread. Lyne does an amazing job of developing a truly believable paranormal tone, keeping us guessing in goosebumps as we spiral deeper along with Jacob into his nightmare.
Particularly unsettling is an elaborate scene taking place in a psychiatric ward that leaves Jacob – and the viewer – questioning what is real and what is delusion. In the broad arena of horror films, nothing jangles the nerves more than fear and terror that strikes close to reality, and bearing witness to the descent of this endearing character is both uncomfortable and enthralling.
“Jacob’s Ladder” is one of those rare movies that deftly bridges the gap between personal drama and horror, using human uncertainty and confusion to establish anyone and everyone as a potential threat without relying on genre stereotypes and red herrings to keep us on our toes. The most harrowing parts here are not the potential demons or the graphic gore of battle, but the painful details of Jacob’s life – his losses and anguish, and his growing sense of betrayal, both by those he trusts and his own failing sanity.
This is one movie that will certainly leave you thinking (and sufficiently creeped out) long after you leave the theater.
The kind of disturbing visuals and surreal atmosphere seen in Jacob’s Ladder seem almost tangible as you walk through Netherworld Haunted House…and no wonder, when interviewed by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution some years back, Netherworld Haunted House co-owner Billy Messina cited Jacob’s Ladder as one of his favorite horror movies of all time. Hence the latest installment of NETHERWORLD presents THE HORROR!
Movie Tickets are only $1…yep just a buck and Studio Movie Grill has great food and tasty beverages that can be delivered right to your seat in the theater.
Enjoy!
