Quick show of hands: who here has seen Jacob’s Ladder, the 1980 film starring Tim Robbins? It’s a freaky little tale about a Vietnam vet experiencing some major hallucinations, as a result not only of his pre-wartime experiences but his times in battle (and inferred exposure to Agent Orange) as well. Jacob’s Ladder opened at the top of the box office upon its release, but was not a huge hit from an overall standpoint (it opened domestically at about $7.5M USD and finished its U.S. run at a little over $26M). However, the movie attained cult status and is eagerly sought out by most horror aficionados for it’s captivating imagery, overall structure and impactful ending.

See below and to the right for a sample of the types of scenes one can expect while watching this highly recommended piece of art.

Jacob's Ladder Remake

Pretty kooky, right? All kidding aside, Jacob’s Ladder is a great piece of work. Unfortunately it’s not streaming on Netflix right now, but if you are at all interested do yourself a favor and seek it out; it’s well worth a watch (or two).

Word comes to us courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter that LD Entertainment, the indie studio behind movies like The Collector, The Grey, Killer Joe and Silent House (and, oddly enough, I Love You Philip Morris; I’m about to start singing “One of these things is not like the other…”) is planning to remake Jacob’s Ladder. Folks at the studio say it won’t be a straight-up remake, but rather an homage to the original with contemporary themes. Jeff Buhler, the writer of the adaptation of Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat Train (haven’t managed to see that one yet; hit me up with some recommendations) is penning the script while a director is being sought.

This Renegade Reporter has always held the opinion that remakes don’t really matter and that childhoods don’t get ruined because of them, as the original always exists in our hearts (and, in most cases, on our DVD/Blu-Ray shelves). I look at an effort like this with curiosity more than anything else; after you watch the original you may agree that redoing the “twist” that successfully completed the overarching theme presented within would be rather difficult to pull off in an effective manner. Sure, LD Entertainment and its writers and directors can try to say something timely and applicable by shifting the focus to an Iraq or Afghanistan war veteran, and get more freaky with the imagery, but it’s a slippery slope with the very real possibility of cheapening the original’s message.

Wow, given all that, maybe I do care more about remakes than originally posited. Still, a positive outlook is always best. More to come on the Jacob’s Ladder remake/reboot/homage as it becomes available.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter