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1990
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Synopsis
The most frightening thing about Jacob Singer's nightmare is that he isn't dreaming.
After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.
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- Cast
- Crew
- Details
- Genres
- Releases
Cast
Tim Robbins Elizabeth Peña Danny Aiello Matt Craven Pruitt Taylor Vince Jason Alexander Patricia Kalember Eriq La Salle Ving Rhames Brian Tarantina Anthony Alessandro Brent Hinkley S. Epatha Merkerson Suzanne Shepherd Doug Barron Jan Saint Kisha Skinner Dion Simmons Sam Coppola Patty Rosborough Evan O'Meara Kyle Gass Gloria Irizarry Lewis Black Raymond Anthony Thomas Christopher John Fields Jaime Perry Michael Tomlinson A.M. Marxuach Show All…
DirectorDirector
Adrian Lyne
ProducersProducers
Bruce Joel Rubin Alan Marshall
WriterWriter
Bruce Joel Rubin
CastingCasting
Billy Hopkins Heidi Levitt Risa Bramon Garcia
EditorEditor
Tom Rolf
CinematographyCinematography
Jeffrey L. Kimball
Assistant DirectorsAsst. Directors
Joseph P. Reidy Vebe Borge
Executive ProducersExec. Producers
Andrew G. Vajna Mario Kassar
Production DesignProduction Design
Brian Morris
Art DirectionArt Direction
W. Steven Graham Jeremy Conway
Set DecorationSet Decoration
Kathleen Dolan
StuntsStunts
Peewee Piemonte
ComposerComposer
Maurice Jarre
SongsSongs
Marvin Gaye James Brown Al Jolson LaBelle David Hykes
SoundSound
Richard Burrow Milton C. Burrow Neil Burrow Gordon Davidson Edward L. Sandlin Chester Slomka Scott Burrow Andy Nelson Tod A. Maitland Mike Getlin Steve Pederson Gary Shepherd Greg Orloff Mark Gordon
Costume DesignCostume Design
Ellen Mirojnick
MakeupMakeup
Russell Cate Richard Dean
Studio
Carolco Pictures
Country
USA
Language
English
Alternative Titles
Jacob's mardröm, La escalera de Jacob, Dante's Inferno, Jaakobin painajainen, Xypnima ston efialti, A Escada de Jacob, BZ - Viagem Alucinante, Dzejkobova lestvica, Лестница Иакова, Jacobova ljestvica uzasa, Jacob's Ladder - In der Gewalt des Jenseits, Dehşetin Nefesi, Allucinazione perversa, L'Échelle de Jacob, Jákob lajtorjája, Jakubův žebřík, Drabina Jakubowa, Стълбата на Яков, Trappen til helvede, Ξύπνημα στον Εφιάλτη, Jacobs inferno, חיים בצל הסיוט, 야곱의 사다리, ジェイコブス・ラダー, Scara lui Jacob, Alucinações do Passado, 時空攔截, Alucinaciones del pasado, 异世浮生, Драбина Якова, L'échelle de Jacob, Džeikobo kopėčios, ไม่ตาย ก็เหมือนตาย, L’escala de Jacob
Genres
Horror Mystery Drama
Themes
Horror, the undead and monster classics Intense violence and sexual transgression Humanity and the world around us Terrifying, haunted, and supernatural horror Surreal and thought-provoking visions of life and death Twisted dark psychological thriller Dreamlike, quirky, and surreal storytelling Creepy, chilling, and terrifying horror Show All…
Releases by Date
- Date
- Country
Premiere
24 Oct 1990
- USANew York City, NewYork
29 Oct 1990
- USARHollywood,California
17 Jan 1991
- FranceAvoriaz FilmFestival
22 Nov 2003
- USAInternational Buddhist FilmFestival
Theatrical limited
Theatrical
02 Nov 1990
- USAR
30 Nov 1990
- Spain18
14 Dec 1990
- Spain18
16 Jan 1991
- France12
25 Jan 1991
- PortugalM/16
01 Feb 1991
- Netherlands16
08 Feb 1991
- ItalyT
06 Apr 1991
- Japan
12 Apr 1991
- Hungary16
18 Apr 1991
- Germany16
26 Apr 1991
- Sweden15
23 May 1991
- AustraliaM
28 May 1991
- PhilippinesR-18
31 May 1991
- Turkey18+
07 Jun 1991
- Brazil
- Norway18
27 Sep 1991
- UK18
14 Oct 1991
- Ireland18
31 Jan 1992
- FinlandK-16
13 Mar 1993
- South Korea18
Physical
14 Jul 1998
- Canada
- MexicoC
- SingaporePG
25 Jan 2002
- Greece
19 Feb 2008
- Netherlands16
22 Sep 2008
- United Arab Emirates
Releases by Country
- Date
- Country
Australia
23 May 1991
- TheatricalM
Brazil
07 Jun 1991
- Theatrical
Canada
14 Jul 1998
- PhysicalDVD
Czechia
15 Apr 1994
- Theatrical limitedFilm clubsonly
France
16 Jan 1991
- Theatrical12Visa CNC74741
17 Jan 1991
- PremiereAvoriaz FilmFestival
Germany
18 Apr 1991
- Theatrical16
Greece
25 Jan 2002
- PhysicalDVD
Hungary
12 Apr 1991
- Theatrical16
Ireland
14 Oct 1991
- Theatrical18
Italy
08 Feb 1991
- TheatricalT
Japan
06 Apr 1991
- Theatrical
Mexico
14 Jul 1998
- PhysicalCDVD
Netherlands
01 Feb 1991
- Theatrical16
19 Feb 2008
- Physical16DVD
Norway
07 Jun 1991
- Theatrical18
Philippines
28 May 1991
- TheatricalR-18Davao
Portugal
25 Jan 1991
- TheatricalM/16
Singapore
14 Jul 1998
- PhysicalPGDVD
South Korea
13 Mar 1993
- Theatrical18
Spain
30 Nov 1990
- Theatrical18Barcelona
14 Dec 1990
- Theatrical18
Sweden
26 Apr 1991
- Theatrical15
Turkey
31 May 1991
- Theatrical18+
UK
27 Sep 1991
- Theatrical18
USA
24 Oct 1990
- PremiereNew York City, NewYork
29 Oct 1990
- PremiereRHollywood,California
02 Nov 1990
- TheatricalR
22 Nov 2003
- PremiereInternational Buddhist FilmFestival
United Arab Emirates
22 Sep 2008
- PhysicalDVD
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Popular reviews
More-
Review by 🖤 ★★★★ 6
walking into this I did NOT expect
- learning tim robbins is 6’5”
- potential origin of the mr postman vine
- Macaulay Culkin
- SILENT HILL INSPIRATION
- twin peaks esque score
- and George from Seinfeld -
Review by russman ★★★★ 2
I wouldn't want George Costanza as my lawyer
-
Review by DirkH ★★★★½ 21
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
This is a horror film that manages to grab you both by its mysteriously creepy content and its harrowing visuals.
In essence this film is, to me at least, an oppressive and bleak depiction of purgatory. Through a perfectly paced script, we are slowly drawn into Jacob's increasingly weird world, riddled with disturbing hallucinations and paranoia. We are never told explicitly why the things that happen, happen and I love it all the more for it. Up until the very end that is, where we are handed a possibility, one I interpret to be a religious one. Because we see Jacob dying, everything that we have been shown thus far is thrown into a completely different light.
In the bible…
-
Review by COBRARocky ★★★★ 1
Is it a war movie? A psychological horror? A religious horror story? A drama about PTSD? A legal drama? A conspiracy thriller? What the hell is going on? Is that a demon penis?
It’s like the movie is a fever dream that you’re having, and it manages to operate brilliantly on that sickly dream logic yet it still makes perfect sense when you think about it later.
It's also a masterpiece of restraint when it comes to its scares. The most effectively terrifying moment in the movie is a scene where Jacob hears a voice at his bedside, turns to see the source, and bursts into tears. We never see what it was that spoke to him, and while we…
-
Review by callum.s ★★★★ 7
where the fuck was the ladder
-
Review by Chris Gilman ★★½ 2
The scene where Tim Robbins suddenly holds up a polaroid photo of Macaulay Culkin, who was not in the movie at all prior to that point, and begins hysterically weeping, was my favorite part, out of context.
-
Review by JBird ★★★★ 4
Jacob is stuck on the Ladder,
In a role that keeps getting sadder.
So he'll keep sulkin',
Over kid Culkin,
Slowly getting madder and madder. -
Review by Ian West ★★★★ 1
Jacob’s Laddercreeped me WAYYYY THE F OUT when I was a kid. I had recurring nightmares about this film and some of its imagery throughout the 90’s and I’d wake up screaming in a sweat drenched terror, yet I could never turn it off when I’d come across it on cable.
I love 90’s psychological thrillers that veer into horror territory, and I’m so glad this has remained a cult classic over the years with a growing fan base and rather impressive influence on numerous films, television shows, video games, and music.
Hopefully my suppressed nightmare stays that way.Cool beans, yo.
-
Review by noen ★★★★ 4
of course Adrian Lyne directed this, it's like an insane fever dream and I loved it
-
Review by Sean Fennessey ★★★★ 4
I love when a filmmaker leverages the clout and budget afforded in the aftermath of a surprise Oscar nomination. After Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne cashed out his golden ticket to make a phantasmagoric conspiracy thriller about a Vietnam veteran mailman with PTSD and maybe something worse. Profoundly dark, especially by late ‘80s standards. This is a source code for Se7en and The Devil’s Advocate and a lot of other Hollywood dalliances with Judeo-Christian concepts of demonic evil,with screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin’s overt references to Dante’s Inferno and a taste for an unsarcastic Cronenbergian body horror. War Is Hell, etc.
Rubin’s script was allegedly one of Hollywood’s most admired and unproduceable of its era, and it shows. This is willfully uncommercial,…
-
Review by Symon ★★★★ 1
I’ve never met a chiropractor who didn’t LOVE this movie..... just saying.
-
Review by Nick Mullen ★★★★★ 2
My favorite horror movie. I watch it at least once a year. The last time it didn’t hit for me so I was worried it was ruined but I watched it again but this time with a soundbar and I think I’m just going deaf and that’s why I haven’t liked any of the movies I’ve watched in my bedroom rather than in the living room where the speakers are
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