815. Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder
1990
Directed by Adrian Lyne

Oh look, a Vietnam War movie.  We really don't get enough of those.  I kid of course.  At least this one did something different with the topic.

Jacob Singer is injured in Vietnam and haunted by the memories of what he witnessed there.  He also lost his son before the war, so overall, he is quite a cheerful person.  He lives in New York City with his girlfriend Jezzie and works as a postal clerk.  As his hallucinations and flashbacks get worse, Jacob begins to suspect that his problem isn't simply PTSD.

So this is an interesting concept.   If the Vietnam War doesn't provide the ingredients for a horror movie, I don't know what does.  Still, there was something decidedly cheesy about this.  Maybe it was all the special effects.  Impressive for 1990, not so much now.

The ending is what really made this film for me; it certainly wasn't the usual message you get at the end of a war movie.  It's not flawless, but it is still worth checking out.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Lyne turned down the opportunity to The Bonfire of the Vanities to work on this film.

773. Fatal Attraction

Fatal Attraction
1987
Directed by Adrian Lyne

I saw the play adaptation of this in London with Kristin Davis and it was so painfully bad that my sister and I couldn't stop laughing during the performance.  We weren't the only ones (I think I heard someone else use the term "Fatal Production") but I still feel bad.  It did feel good to laugh that hard.

Dan Gallagher, a successful New York attorney, meets and is instantly attracted to Alex Forrest.  He's married, but since his wife and child are out of town, he takes the opportunity to have an affair with Alex.  He tries to pretend the whole thing never happened but Alex becomes increasingly obsessive.

I'm not quite sure what this says about me, but as I get older, I sympathize more and more with Alex.  I mean, he pursued her; she was just minding her own business!  And then when it is convenient for Dan, he just wants to pretend she doesn't exist!  This would be heartbreaking even if she wasn't pregnant (or allegedly pregnant).  Yes, she is a bit loony, but I do feel sorry for her, which I think makes this a very special kind of horror movie.

This definitely isn't the most empowering film I have ever seen.  Alex is a career woman, so the fact that she is hellbent on having a husband and child doesn't exactly make women look great.  But I just had a ton of fun with this one.  Glenn Close is absolutely phenomenal.  The fact that she lost the Best Actress Oscar to Cher...well, I can't even talk about it.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Glenn Close was pregnant when she filmed the reshoot.