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part of a continuing series of pseudo-comparative movie reviews that don't really make any sense....

Catch-22 is a dense dense book turned into a pretty dense movie. Characters up the wazoo, here, folks. Hard to keep up with who's who in this ass-kickin' cast. Here are some easy cliffnotes: Alan Arkin plays Yossarian. He's the main character, so he's in it alot. Bob Newhart plays Major Major. Major Major doesn't like people looking at him, so he's not in the movie much. His dentist is also in the film, as McWatt the Crime Dog. The landlord from Three's Company and The Graduate does a lovely job here, really stretching his thespianic skills. Instead of being in charge of an apartment building, he's just in charge of one room. (Philosophical question: If Norman Fell in the forest and no one heard him, would he make a sound? Does Bea Arthur shit in the woods?) Martin Sheen portrays a would-be killer/soldier slowly spiraling into the heart of his, uh, ....well, darkness. Buck Henry likes to stick himself into his screenplays. The music teacher dude from Waiting For Guffman plays Orr. He can be a weird dude. Orsen Welles plays the general. Anyone ever notice how hard Kelsey Grammar tries to sound like Welles? It ain't a coincidence, I tell you. Aarfy is played by Charles Grodin. Chief Halfoat is played by nobody. A sticky black substance was found on the film's shooting location. Word spread it was oil, and Chief Halfoat was kicked off the script.

Jacob's Ladder has quite a small cast. Tim Robbins, Elizaboobs Pena (whoops - spellcheque!), an' lil' cute candy-lipped McClockly McCluckland. Well, Ving Rhames is in it, and so is that dude from ER. Well, okay. I mean, there's a bunch of other people in the movie, too. Danny Aiello. Danny Aiello is in it. His last name has alot of vowels in it considering how short it is.

Catch-22 begins and ends with the stabbing of Yossarian. Through occasionally disorienting leaps in time ( it helps if you've read the book), you come to know Yossarian's struggle with the war and dying. The transitions are held together by clever dialogue cuts, making the whole film practically one big conversation. There's a recurring flashback to Snowden, slowly revealing the events of a flight. In the end, Yossarian learns to run like hell.

Jacob's Ladder begins and ends with the stabbing of Jacob Singer. Through occasionally disorienting leaps in time (it helps if you watch the movie three or four times and not try to understand everything), you come to know Jacob's struggle with life after the war and dying. The transitions are a tried-and-true formula: everytime you think jacob's gonna be A-OK, the poor bastard wakes up in an even shittier situation, making the whole film practically one big nightmare. There's a recurring flashback to Vietnam, slowly revealing the events of a VietCong attack. In the end, the Hudsucker dude holds hands with the Home Alone kid.

Catch-22 is a dream; a jumbled recollection of memories after a serious wound sends the main character to the hospital. Jacob's Ladder is a dream; a jumbled recollection of memories and fantasies after a serious wound sends the main character to the hospital. Which happens to be hell. Catch-22 is dark and depressing and black and empty and funny. Jacob's Ladder is fucking creepy. Both films strive for realism. Both films can be a wee bit confusing. Here are a few important lessons of wisdom these movies can impart to you:

Catch-22 teaches you that you can be afraid of death and life sucks.

Jacob's Ladder teaches you that you can't be afraid of death and dying sucks.

- tom Aug 8, 2002

CATCH-22

THINGS TO LOOK FOR: The portrait hanging in Major Major's office.

BEST LINE: "It's chocolate-covered cotton."

DVD EXTRAS:Director's commentary is pretty cool. Dunno why Soderbergh is really on it. He's like a Catch-22 trivia geek. It's like letting Shawn do the commentary track on Tron or something.

IF IT WAS A MAD MAGAZINE SATIRE: Ecch-22

IF IT WAS REMADE AS A PORN FILM: Catch-69

SEE ALSO: 12 Monkeys, Mother Night, Freebie and the Bean

JACOB'S LADDER

THINGS TO LOOK FOR: Kyle Gass of Tenacious D as one of Jacob Singer's neighbors and the mom from Freaks and Geeks as a nurse.

BEST LINE: "IS ANYBODY IN THERE?"

DVD EXTRAS: Bonus footage is excellent, fully produced scenes. Another bit of false hope for Jacob, as well as an Empire-Strikes-Back-Lesson-at-the-Tree alternate ending.

IF IT WAS A MAD MAGAZINE SATIRE: Ecchob's Bladder

IF IT WAS REMADE AS A PORN FILM: Jacob's Had 'er

SEE ALSO: 12 Monkeys, Mother Night, Freebie and the Bean

hey there buddy. I actually wrote a paper on Jacob's Ladder in college (hey, I was a freshman - and it was a film class). He was in Vietnam, Dying - the entire time. The whole film, the whole bit as a freaky mailman with Elizaboobs Pena - it was all a symbolic PURGATORY. That's why he dies in the end in Vietnam. Just a massive rationalization for the "Crossing Over."
I also wrote a paper on A Clockwork Orange in college. I don't have many excuses for that - except, well, it was a state school. I got an A-minus.

- Ian, Sept 23, 02

Dude, I so knew that.

- Tom, No-Shadow Kick Oct 18, 02

Jaccob's Ladder was a Judea-Christian movie that looked at the philosphical act of dying. "Symbolic Purgatory" (as another reader mentioned it) would be the most accurate sum up of the movie, the final moments of bio-chemical energy flowing through the brain prior to death. Your calling it "a dream" would be inaccurate in this case, but it would be the best way for a casual viewer to grasp the movie.

On another note, one might view this movie as an explanation (or a guide) for how someone might escape Hell if ever it does exist and if ever they end up there. Danny Aiello's line was the best in the movie: "If you're holding on and afraid of dying, you'll see demons tearing your life apart. If you've made your peace, then the demons are really angels freeing you from the world." In the most basic view of Judean-Christian theology, angels and demons are actually the same creature. Makes you think, doesn't it?

- Adam MacKenzie, Dec 22, 03

I think I like Catch-22 better because it reminds me of the time when I was scratching my ear and it started bleeding, whereas when I first saw Jacob's Ladder, I had been given too much Oxy-Codin and I was nauseated and thought my jelly beans were spying on my nosehairs. Also, Catch-22 is my favorite book and Jacob's Ladder is not. I'm not even sure it's a book. I don't read much since I lost all my nosehair.

- Iwona Jurczuk July 17, 2003

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