AThe book is The Stranger by Albert Camus. This novel was obviously specifically chosen by the filmmakers insofar as it is thematically related to the film. The basic narrative of The Stranger involves a man waiting to be executed for murder and reflecting upon his life (which is also an important part of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge").
AYes it is. Both the US edition, released by Lion's Gate in 2010, and the UK edition, released by StudioCanal in 2010, are identical to their DVD counterparts (ie, the only special feature on the UK edition is the theatrical trailer). Both Blu-rays are region locked - the US edition is Region A only; the UK edition Region B only.
AThe Special Edition DVD released in 1998 contains 3 deleted scenes:1. 'The Antidote': After meeting Michael (Matt Craven), Jacob (Tim Robbins) accompanies him to his apartment after Michael explains he has developed a cure for The Ladder. Jacob sits down on the bed and Michael says he has never tried the antidote out. Jacob is reluctant to take it, but Michael convinces him. He takes the medicine and lies down on the bed. After a moment, the room begins to shake, and the ceiling begins to crumble. Michael urges Jacob to calm down, saying it is all in his mind, but Jacob becomes more and more panicked. Then blood begins to pour through the ceiling, and a huge demon punches its way through before looking at Jacob and roaring. We then cut to a shot of the apartment, peaceful and undamaged. Jacob is asleep on the bed, Michael sitting in a chair by the side of the bed. After a moment, Jacob wakes up, and Michael tells him it's all over.2. 'The Trainstation': Immediately after the above scene, there is a scene in Grand Central Station where a clearly elated Jacob purchases a ticket for Chicago. As he does so, he notices two policemen looking at him, and then sees three men in long black coats also watching him. He gets his ticket and goes into the toilets, passing a homeless man washing his feet in the sink. Jacob goes into a cubicle and sits with his feet up on the rim. After a moment, a bit of toilet paper is pushed through a hole in the wall from the cubicle next door, and as Jacob reaches for it, he hears the demonic voice say 'Dream on.' He runs from the cubicle and sees that the sink the homeless man was using is now full of blood.3. 'Jezzie's Transformation': After returning to his house, Jacob is sitting in the living room when Jezzie (Elizabeth Peña) enters. She tells him that it is over and then she begins to transform into something else. Jacob watches for a moment, and then walks over to her, removing a hood from her head. He then sees his own face, smiling back at him.Additionally, three further scenes which were deleted from the film but are not included on the DVD as deleted scenes, can be seen in various places:1. As he sits in his mail van eating a sandwich, Jacob notices a sack in the back of the van writhing and squirming. A piece of this scene can be found in the theatrical trailer.2. After nearly being run over by the subway train, Jacob tries to enter the men's room. However, as soon as he opens the door, he is threatened by a man with a knife. In the background, we can see a man tied to the ceiling being raped by another man. A piece of this scene is available in the 'Making-Of' featurette 'Building 'Jacob's Ladder''.3. After the deleted scene in Grand Central Station, there was a scene where Jacob returns to Michael's apartment. Michael isn't at home, so Jacob goes down into the basement and finds Michael's lab. He looks around for a while, before finding Michael's decapitated head in a filing cabinet. A brief moment of this scene can also be found in the 'Making-Of' featurette 'Building 'Jacob's Ladder''.
