Jacob (2011)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I witnessed this thing go from script to screen and I dreaded seeing it, only because half of the cast and all of the crew were from the local Houston film scene and a bunch of drama monkeys. But it took me several years to finally watch this 'bird that couldn't fly' and there was just so much 'junk' in the film that I was a little surprised I made it through to the end; it has it all, bad acting, bad lighting, bad sound, bad editing, bad this and that, and some terrible performances from actors that I know are far more talented than their performances in this awful, awful film. Somewhere it was boasted as almost being a "million dollar production" and I couldn't comprehend it then and certainly not now. I've had some slow Mondays and I am sure that I played it through several of them just to get through it. But if this is 'Houston's best', then Houston dashed it's dream on the wrong director/writer/editor...However, I will give kudos to the music, it was about the only thing that was original and paid for. There's no way they could have screwed that up.

I can't tell you how many times I've watched this movie.. what I can tell you is that it gets better EVERY time I watch it. I am consistently catching something I missed before. Larry Wade Carrell does an amazing job directing and acting in it. He is going to take Hollywood by storm... I've known men like Otis, he nails the personality, and Billy, You'll just want to take him home...Grace Powell is an up and comer not to be reckoned with & Dylan Horne scared the daylights out of me. Don't just watch this movie once! Trust me. it gets better each time! I love horror flicks, I'm a horror flick junkie.. and now I am a Jacob junkie!!

Is it sad of the youngest actors was the star of the show? Grace Powell stole the show by far. I gave the movie a five which I think is good for this type of movie. Worth a red box admission if you like this genre. I wouldn't mind seeing the movie adapted or with a larger budget. The storyline is good enough to warrant it. Keep Grace Powell and start over with the rear of cast. Maybe the old lady and guy from teen wolf. The Dialogue seemed forced at times. They could have showed more versus trying to explain what was about to happen. I consistently made fun of the show but again I think that is why this genre exist. It makes you think about the horror and makes you laugh.

The director, Larry Carrel, showed a rough version of the film to a group of students I was included in. I found the movie to be, yes another slasher, but also something different. He retained his originality throughout the entire process, kept a mystical curiosity endowed in his audience, and manages to incorporate relate-able characters that are not corny/cheesy. The story line is intriguing, and although some killing scenes are a bit questionable in the probability of it being physically possible... they are very realistic looking. The death scenes always made me jump. I was continuously surprised but not so much that i found it unbelievable. I love that he had a legend behind this that he developed on his own but am disappointed it wasn't as incorporated in the movie. Overall, i think Mr. Carrel and all the other actors did a very good job and i can not wait to purchase a copy to keep at home. P.S. I did think one killing scene seemed extremely similar to a Buffy scene in which the victim being killed is split in half.