For Discos Only: Indie Dance Music from Fantasy & Vanguard Records 1976-1981 [LP] - VINYL

Jacob's Ladder was released on DVD by Artisan in 1998 as a "special edition." The anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer still shows some age and the Dolby Digital soundtrack is adequate, but Jacob's Ladder is not about state-of-the-art picture and sound; it is about the story. The commentary focuses on the small touches and changes that Adrian Lyne's involvement brought to the film. It's not bad as director commentaries go, but Artisan unfortunately did not consider including writer Bruce Joel Rubin on the track. Rubin comments plenty during the documentary, which seems like it was made at the time of the film, either for cable or a laserdisc release. The story behind Rubin's script is fascinating, the documentary thankfully focusing less on promoting the film and more on gaining a deeper understanding of it. The three deleted scenes are all valuable extensions of the story that were cut to streamline the narrative. They are presented with the choice of director commentary, but Lyne doesn't really go into specifics on the decision not to include them in the film. A trailer, a television spot, cast lists, and production information round things out. This isn't a flawless presentation of the film, but Artisan's commitment to "special edition" DVD makes the disc worthwhile.