Unfilmable 44: Jacob's Ladder
Added 2022-10-26 18:16:55 +0000 UTCThings aren't going quite right for Jacob Singer. He's having flashbacks to the Vienam War and seeing demons all around him. Reality seems to be breaking down as he hops around in time. There's a truth he needs to face, and it might just take an angelic chiropractor to help him see it.
Jacob's Ladder is one of the most influential horror films of all time, establishing psychological horror tropes and creating visuals that would be imitated across all media for years to come. Does it hold up to close scrutiny, or is it one where you're better off just going along for the ride?
Comments
lmao
Kyle C.
2022-11-15 21:24:10 +0000 UTCThanks! I suppose the deconstruction of the self while dying could be seen as a rehabilitative process that takes time! What a cool perspective! I never thought about it like that despite the obvious LADDER metaphor.🤦🏻♂️ Maybe a chiro is a good choice for the character. A counsellor or an old philosophy mentor would have been a great character choice too, I would think. But yes, we would have to forego all that sweet cracking action. :)
Rigel Wise
2022-11-10 06:21:01 +0000 UTCalso: wanted to remind you guys of the time Macaulay Culkin died because Elijah Wood dropped him off a fucking cliff
sleepysmiles
2022-11-10 04:37:42 +0000 UTCi love this movie too, and i love this comment, and now that ive rewatched it wanna say: i kinda love that Jacob’s guardian angel (which is 100% how i read the character) is a chiropractor, specifically because of the context you provided. Like you said, trained chiropractors are wonderful at pain relief (I’ve gotten treated before, I can attest to it!), and that’s valuable even if it isn’t a miracle cure. There’s nothing Louie can do to “heal” Jacob, not enough to save his life at least, but he can alleviate his pain and help him move on. and also the scenes with Danny Aiello gently cracking Tim Robbins back are so sweet/funny lol
sleepysmiles
2022-11-10 03:02:55 +0000 UTCIt’s a good anthology, the two Lovecraft adaptations were among the weaker episodes for my money but they weren’t bad. Theres a couple episodes clearly John Carpenter inspired that we’re really great.
Dan Aubrey
2022-10-31 21:47:28 +0000 UTCDefinitely possible! No plans now, but I do really want to see it. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2022-10-30 18:14:07 +0000 UTCDo yous think you'll cover Cabinet of Curiosities down the line? Be interesting to hear your take on it.
Dan Aubrey
2022-10-30 13:03:08 +0000 UTCI love this movie AND I’m a chiropractor! Ironically, I hate the portrayal of chiropractic in this movie. For a bit of context, this movie was released right after the Wilks v. AMA verdict, which determined that the AMA attempted to defame the entire chiropractic profession in particular. Lots of egos were going apeshit at the time this movie was released. Chiropractors are uniquely good at dealing with musculoskeletal pain; much better than medical doctors in many instances. However, Gary correctly identifies where most chiropractors go wrong in bringing in a metaphysical component to what we do. What we do is very effective, but very simple. We help with pain. There’s value in that and I LOVE my profession. Sometimes I wish we would drop the “doctor” title because it doesn’t serve patients fairly. We go to school forever, BUT if I was having a cardiovascular event on an airplane, I wouldn’t want a chiropractor to be in control of my well-being. Conversely, I wouldn’t manage back pain pharmacologically, given the available research. You wouldn’t BELIEVE the hate between the more contemporary evidence-based chiropractors and the old school vitalistic chiropractors. It’s truly beyond belief. I always joke that there wouldn’t be many chiropractors left if dueling was still legal. Thanks as always for the great content. I LOVE THIS MOVIE SO MUCH!
Rigel Wise
2022-10-27 05:51:16 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite movies of all time. So glad to hear it on the show 😌
Sage Beatty
2022-10-26 22:38:55 +0000 UTCThis movie was sucha fever dream for me. I've had dreams similar to the experiences he went through in the movie. Very bothersome
Joe Binson
2022-10-26 20:07:29 +0000 UTCHellllllll yeaaaaaaaahhhhh
Casey Francis Alger
2022-10-26 18:17:42 +0000 UTC
