1408: - Take Advantage of the Express Checkout System
Written: Aug 18 '08 (Updated Aug 27 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quite a Few Terrifying Moments, Interesting Story Overall, Good Effects
Cons: Second Half of the Film is Less Thrilling Than the First
The Bottom Line: 1408 is one of the Best Adaptations of a Stephen King Story In Years.
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| jeremy1456's Full Review: 1408 |
There are many things that I'm weary of when it comes to movies, and near the top of the list is modern Stephen King book movie adaptations. Recently directors have failed time and time again to capture the essence of what makes the rather prolific writer's stories so intriguing, and dare I say, terrifying. This is why I went into 1408, a film based off one of Stephen King's short stories, more than a little skeptical. Despite the fact that I've never read the source material I was pretty sure that 1408 would be another afflicted by the curse. I was wrong.
The film begins with an infamous cheap thrills writer, Michael Enslin (John Cusack), looking for the best way to finish his book on haunted hotels. Enslin is mildly famous as a paperback novelist, but deep down inside he seems a bit insecure about the material he puts out. Enslin receives a postcard in the mail one day which directs his attention to another supposedly haunted room in the prestigious Dolphin Hotel in New York City.
To no avail the manager of said establishment, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) tries everything in his power to stop Mr. Enslin from checking in to that particular room. He makes it clear that the room doesn't have ghosts, specters, poltergeists or any of that - it's simply an "evil #&%*ing room." Undeterred by the tales of death and torture of the past residents of room 1408, Mike Enslin is sure that the manager is simply selling him a grandiose spoonful of fiction and exaggeration. It doesn't take him long to figure out that he was only fooling himself.
At first a few simple things are out of order - the clock radio continually turns on by itself and blares the beginning verses of "We've Only Just Begun", the thermostat goes on the fritz, windows close by themselves, but the film eventually comes to lend itself as more of a reflection piece on the main character. This leads to various interesting interactions with the main character and the macabre force. This entity (the room) feeds on Enslin's character flaws, regrets, and even fears. This element consumes the second half of the film, and leads to a vastly different focus in the latter section of the movie, along with a less chilling finale than you would expect.
Few things actually still scare me in cinema. The thought of zombies is one of them, along with being trapped. Even moreso than those two is the idea of the unknown. 1408 is the tale of a haunted room, but unlike other such films (The Shining, for example) it is never explained exactly why it's haunted, or what is behind it. It's simply never resolved, and while this attribute would bring down any lesser film, it's actually a very strong aspect of 1408.
The horror aspects lend mostly to the classic 'boo!' cheap scare tactics that we've all grown to love. The radio turns on by itself, thermostat won't move, the window closes on it's own, etc. What makes 1408 work better than your average horror film is it's sense of impending doom. According to the Dolphin Hotel's manager nobody has ever lasted more than an hour in 1408, and to remind us of this is the countdown timer on the nightstand. Will Mike Enslin last the entire hour? What will happen if he does? These questions were enough to keep me attentive to the story all the way through.
The performances are top notch. John Cusack has always been one of my favorite actors due to his natural qualities of sarcasm. Admittedly I didn't expect that he would work out so well with this film at first, but honestly now I can't imagine anyone else playing Mike Enslin. Another strong, though lesser role is that of the Hotel's general manager Gerald Olin. Samuel L. Jackson is an actor we mostly see as a tough guy, and to see him appear in 1408 as a frightened and desperate hotel manager is quite unusual and dare I say, interesting.
Most of the time haunted room/house films feature either very few, or badly done special effects. This is simply because realistic looking ghosts, and other similar feats are difficult to pull off. 1408 features some great looking effects - the entire room seems to be a living breathing, and ever changing entity with their help. At the risk of spoiling the story I'll just say this - the entire room is constantly evolving as the film plays.
Final Recommendation
1408 is by far one of the most terrifying movies I have seen in years. Few times in recent memory has every bump in the night kept me awake into the wee hours of the morning. If you're a fan of Stephen King, or just of very effective horror films, then 1408 is the number to remember. It's the perfect example of a haunted room/house done right, even if it does fall just short of Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining.
Recommended:
Yes
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jeremy1456
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Catching Up On Retro Game Reviews In the Near Future.
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