Customer Reviews

1408 (Full Screen Edition)

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(67)
3 star:		(42)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

1408 is one of the best film adaptations of a Stephen King story, and is highly atmospheric. I too am growing weary of movies masquerading themselves as horror films these days, when all they offer are ludicruous plot lines and excess gore, violence and gratuituous sex.

By comparison, 1408 exceeds all expectations when taken for what it is - an intelligent horror movie that despite being rated a tame PG-13 delivers chills, thrills, and a strong performance by its lead actor, John Cusack, as well as a good supporting role by Samuel L Jackson. The story centers around a jaded author, Mike Enslin [John Cusack] who pens 'true horror' books but is actually a skeptic who doesn't believe in the afterworld or entities associated with it. He receives a cryptic postcard one day that tells him 'Do Not Enter 1408' -being a room in the Dolphin Hotel in NY, where Enslin has left behind a painful past.

The rest of the movie picks up pace very quickly and viewers are in for a thrill ride as Enslin manages to overcome the protestations of the hotel manager [Samuel Jackson] and spends the night in 1408, which has one of the grisliest & bloody reputations in the annals of hotel history. Enslin finds his skepticism melting in the face of the unbelievable horrors he faces in 1408, and struggles to keep his wits about him to survive.

The horror in this movie is very palpable - there is no gore or excess violence, but there's a pervasive sense of menace and evil that sends chills down one's spine, and a couple of jump-out-your-seat moments[not to mention a couple of plot twists]. But what truly lifts this movie is the strong & riveting performance by John Cusack. The whole movie basically revolves around him and it is amazing to watch an actor bring so much depth to his role as well as portray a feeling of alienation, isolation and paranoia as Enslin tries to face his fears in 1408.

I am a fan of atmospheric horror movies, and 1408 ranks as one of my favorite horror movies [ The Haunting, Changeling, Rosemary's Baby, The Shining being some of my other favs]. If you're a fan of the horror genre, or simply a fan of psychological drama & thrillers, then 1408 should please you.

My wife and I went to see 1408 the other night. It was a birthday gift--otherwise she'd never have gone. She hates horror movies.

Interestingly, we both ended up enjoying the movie.

I read (or should I say listened to?) the short story prior to seeing the movie. Much like I prefer the movie version of the Shawshank Redemption, I prefer the movie version of 1408.

John Cusak is great. He usually is. Samuel Jackson gives a wonderful performance. Whoever the little girl actress is--she also did a remarkable job.

The ending rocks (I promise I won't spoil anything).

What makes this movie a little stronger than most horror fare is this:

1. The pacing is great. Things never go over the top by being too intense for too long. This has been a big issue in horror films lately. They lose their suspension of disbelief from too much emotional weight. I don't know about you, but I find myself mentally withdrawing from such stories to come up for air. When I re-engage, much is lost.

2. Speaking of suspension of disbelief wreckers...there is very little gore here. In this movie, when gore does come, it usually comes in the old photos. I feel this lack of abundant gore strengthens the pyschological impact of the movie as a whole. It also prevents the movie from turning plain old silly like recent gore-fests along the lines of The Hills Have Eyes.

While this is not my favorite Stephen King adaptation--Shawshank still reigns there--1408 is a solid, intelligent and emotionally resonant movie. You will not be wasting your money if you go to see this over the 4th of July holiday.

I give 1408 a strong recommendation.

PS- This also gets the award for best use of a Carpenters song in a horror film since In the Mouth of Madness.

First things first. This is one of the best horror movies I've seen in years. I'm happy that three of my favorite, recent horror films (1408, EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE and THE RING) have been PG-13. They rely more on great writing than gore. The two-disc DVD of 1408 had a second disc with the director's original ending, which was a bit of a downer. I understood why it was reshot, as the ending shown in theaters framed the action with a bit more meaning and a bit less nihilism. Anyway, I bought the blu-ray version for the better picture quality and the slimmer, space-saving package. In checking the packaging, it looked like the blu-ray was pretty much the same as the two-disc DVD. WRONG! THE BLU-RAY HAS THE DIRECTOR'S CUT ENDING! Nowhere on the package is this indicated. Granted, the ending seen in theaters is available in the special features as an isolated scene... but I don't want that. I want what the package implies: the theatrical cut in the blu-ray format. So, buyer beware. Doesn't make this a bad film, but I'm not going to be able to get rid of my DVD.

Although I've enjoyed Stephen King's books for many years, the film adaptations have been pretty much hit-or-miss affairs. This film is one of the better ones. It is an adaptation of one of his short stories, a pretty straightforward tale about an "evil" hotel room and a skeptical horror writer's brief stay in it.

There is no gore, little blood, and little in the way of shocks. If those are your requirements for a horror film, you had best stay away. It is closer to a psychological thriller than a typical horror movie. It is essentially a one-man show and John Cusack as the writer acquits himself admirably. He is the quintessential everyman that we find in all of Stephen King's books. Actually the character could almost be King himself. The scene in the bookshop where he goes to promote his new book is pretty funny and reminiscent of something that King himself experienced in Australia when he was chased out of a local bookstore by clueless store-clerks who thought he was a vandal defacing their merchandise. The film is a fine mix of comedy and horror. Witness Cusack's cynical and deadpan "That's it?" when he first enters the much-hyped room 1408, followed by the room's welcoming ditty "We've Only Just Begun" sung by the golden-voiced Karen Carpenter.

The version to get is the 2-disc Collector's Edition. This is the only way you'll get to see the "Director's Cut" which is found on Disc 2. It also includes an engaging commentary from Swedish director Mikael Håfström and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. The Director's Cut is about 8 minutes longer and contains several new and extended scenes as well as a very different ending. Neither version is similar to the original short story. Håfström explains why the ending was changed - test audiences didn't like the original ending. Håfström claims that he eventually grew to prefer the ending of the theatrical cut but after watching both, my preference is for the darker ending of the original. In either case, there is no happy-ever-after. I found the original darker ending to be more in keeping with the logic of the film but from test screenings it would seem that most viewers would prefer something lighter. You can compare for yourself on this double-disc set. There are also 11-minutes worth of deleted scenes with Håfström explaining why they were removed and about a half-hour's worth of production featurettes. At just $3 more than the single-disc standard edition, the Collector's set is the one to go for.

This film starts off a bit slow, and could have given a bit more of a back story to make the viewer understand about the tragic loss that the main character went through. The main character has become disillusioned with life and no longer thinks that there is any mystery in life. The mind bending qualities of 1408 really creeped me out, in about the same way that "Jacob's Ladder" creeped me out. I think on the undercurrent all people must be horrified of the same thing, the loss of family, your mind, reality itself. There are something's that are worse than death. I think that's what 1408 was about the horror that everyone has in them that people would rather die than face. On my creep meter I give 1408 ten skulls.

Stephen King is a good writer, not a great one if I'm truthful with my opinion, and I really enjoyed this latest adaptations of one of his works (a short story this one).

Althogh it lacked excess gore, violence and gratuituous sex, I thorougly enjoyed seeing John Cusack decent into madness, and have to admit was quite touched by his dilemma at times.

Great effect, a few shocks and a good story, all in all an above-average horror and will be excellent at home with the surround sound pumping.

1408's theatrical cut is just below mediocre but the director's cut is a solid four stars out of five and one of the most effective horror films in the last five to ten years. So I went with three stars to balance things. It is amazing that such little changes can have such a dramatic effect on one viewer's perception. It's a shame that the Weinstein's decided to flub 1408 and give it a sappy and cliché Hollywood ending rather than the dark and gutsy horror ending that Mikael Håfström decided to create. This is the version that you folks in Europe and South American got to see in the theaters. The director's cut certainly seems to be the real cut, as 1408 seems to move along at its own pace within that version. It is simply a film about a man who checks into a hotel and we enjoy the suspense build up as the film's main protagonist soldiers forth. Håfström clearly knows what he's doing and he is influenced by a bevy of horror's most keenly detailed films, and that is why it is such a shame that his punches are pulled by Dimension Films for the US audience. His razors are dulled, his poison is given an antidote, and his biggest attack of all is completely de-clawed. Shame on the Weinsteins and shame on the US audience that always has a hankering for these sappy moments of comforting resolve. Other than that I have no strong feelings on the matter.

The Weinsteins did do one good thing and that is to suggest the casting of the Dolphin Hotel's manager, Mr. Gerald Olin. He probably should've been played by some little old white guy with a fancy accent, but instead we get the absolutely iconic Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is surely one of my favorite actors and it is simply because I enjoy watching him in anything he is in, and 1408 is no exception. Jackson is like Jack Nicholson, he can play anything but it seems that creeping perpetually underneath every character he plays is a little bit of Sam winking at the audience as if to say "it's me again". Olin is the formulaic old man who warns the kids not to go into that house or stay at that camp, and no one listens. The problem is Jackson, as an icon, is traditionally such a great intimadator, but here he is the intimidated and yet he carries the same confidence in 1408 that he carries anywhere else. He warns ghost skeptic and author Mike Enslin, played by the equally enjoyable John Cusack (if you don't believe me I recommend seeing Grace Is Gone) that his quest to find physical or visual validation of the supernatural will end in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel, but it will very likely mean the end of Enslin's life as well. 1408 is an extremely evil room. It would have to be if not even Jackson will go inside.

The screenplay is great and it is based on a Stephen King short story I'm only familiar with by name. The music in this film is outstanding and works the suspense triggers with the pace perfectly. Enslin is a loner, who the audience will either like or dislike, but his character is very strong and Cusack plays him as if the audience could take him or leave him as a viable hero. The scenes with Cusack and Jackson together are very enjoyable to watch as the two are such dramatically different actors and their characters are so fundamentally strong and so fundamentally in opposition of each other within the context of this story. These scenes work to further heighten your curiosity. What the hell is going on inside room 1408 anyway!? Don't you worry, the Weinsteins will protect you.

Mike Enslin (John Cusack) writes books about haunted places. He doesn't really believe in the whole idea, but it helps pay the bills and allows him to live in Hermosa Beach and catch an occasional wave on his surfboard. His books sell well, but his celebrity is dwindling, so as he looks for a subject to end his current book, he receives a postcard from the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. "Do Not Enter Room 1408" the postcard reads. Mike's research reveals a number of deaths have occurred throughout the years in this room, room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel. He calls to make a reservation and the room seems to be permanently booked. All of this naturally piques the interest of the disbeliever. He talks to his publisher (Tony Shalhoub) and the publisher's lawyer agrees to help. When Mike arrives, the manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to bribe, plead, threaten, scare and entice Mike to cancel his planned stay in room 1408. "That room is evil" he tells the writer. "No one has stayed in there for more than an hour." Mike won't have any of it and heads upstairs. As soon as he is in the room, Mike starts dictating his thoughts and notes for the book. Then, some strange things start to happen.

"1408" is based on a Stephen King short story and it does something that few `horror' films do today. It is actually scary. The current trend in horror films, thrillers, what ever word you want to use to classify them, is to make them as gory and bloody as possible. "1408" builds a fair amount of psychological horror, scares that occur in Mike's mind, allowing our thoughts to fill in the details. This type of horror is always more scary than simply watching a bunch of knives, some blood, gory murders, the like.

Director Mikael Hafstrom, whose last film was my least favorite film of 2005, "Derailed", does a really good job of establishing Mike's character, his background, his current animosity towards his line of work, everything that would make him a skeptic. So when Mike enters room 1408, we almost believe what he believes, that he won't see anything, nothing will happen.

But then, there would be no need to pay $11 to see a movie called "1408" if that were the case, right?

The screenwriters, Mike Greenberg and Scott Alexander (Alexander worked on the screenplays for "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" and "Man on the Moon" among others) deserve credit for adapting the short story by Stephen King into a fairly well rounded feature length film. They add a lot of back story for Mike, help establish his skepticism by showing us a visit he makes to another haunted inn, and much more. They have filled in a lot of the details King only hinted at in the original story.

This is basically John Cusack's film. There are brief moments with Samuel L. Jackson, Tony Shalhoub, Mary McCormack and others, but once Cusack's Mike enters that room, everything is about what happens to his character and what his character does in response.

So it is important for the details of Mike's character to be established ahead of time. Hafstrom and the screenwriters have done a lot of this work, but without Cusack's performance, the film would fail.

Let's talk about John Cusack for a moment. Cusack is a remarkably underrated actor. Not an A-lister, he is, nonetheless, remarkably good. Sure, he has his share of missteps ("Must Love Dogs", "The Ice Harvest" anyone?) but when he is in a film, I can almost always count on at least an interesting film which has been elevated by his performance. Yet in most of his films, Cusack's performance adds significantly to the overall quality of the film, delivering some quirky, excellent, memorable films. "Grosse Point Blank", "High Fidelity", "Say Anything", "Being John Malkovich" all contain a unique, quirky performance from Cusack that helps to elevate the film.

In "1408", Cusack plays Mike Enslin, a writer of books about haunted places. Throughout the film, we get further hints about Mike's past, his dreams, his failures, and these all help to contribute to his character. These moments aren't superfluous; they all mean something and add to the horror he later experiences. For instance, Mike doesn't really believe in haunted places, but the books he writes pay the bills, so he feigns interest and belief. Also, he once had dreams of being a great writer, and is surprised when a woman comes to a book signing with his lone fiction title, a much dog eared paperback that she wants him to autograph. The book's appearance is like a knife in his heart.

But the most important part of his past lies in his relationship with his ex-wife and daughter. Naturally, when an evil spirit is trying to drive someone mad, they will use the most precious memories that person holds dear to aid in the process. And evil, evil room 1408 is no exception. It knows all about Mike's past and uses this information to drive the skeptic over the edge.

Samuel L. Jackson is very good as Gerald Olin. He seems to genuinely care about Mike's welfare and doesn't want him to stay in the room. But the role is very small and the filmmakers do themselves an injustice by listing Jackson as one of the stars of the film. His role is really a cameo and if it had been billed as such, his appearance would help provide a nice little boost to the film.

If you are familiar with Stephen King's writing, he has written many short stories about things becoming possessed by evil spirits and haunting `reg'lar' folks. Dogs, classic cars, cats, toys, the like. Many of these stretch the credibility factor, but still remain very watch able. In "1408", a hotel room is possessed by evil spirits. And you know, it works. Because the film takes some time to set up Mike's skepticism towards haunted places, he enters the room a disbeliever. Since we are living this story through Mike, we also enter the room a disbeliever. Once he begins to experience the various freakish things, we feel the freakish things.

Virtually all of the horror in "1408" is derived from events or circumstances in Mike's life. And this makes the film all the creepier because it is slightly more believable. I can't really believe I am using this word when discussing a film about an evil hotel room, but there you have it. The film is believable for long stretches of time because we believe in Mike, and John Cusack's portrayal of the character. In fact, the film has very little blood or gore; there are a couple of shots of some of the other people who have died in the room but most of these are in black and white. And this is such a welcome change of pace from the current `norm'.

"1408" was a big surprise.

Stephen King's a decent writer. His record speaks for itself. Sometimes he can be brilliant. Other times (and this is more often the case), he starts off with a captivating idea, but never seems able to wrap things up with equal captivation. And then there are the moments where he's way off the map in all directions. It's no biggy, considering how prolific his career has been.

"1408" was a short story of his that was meant to be more of a creative exercise than anything else. I've never thought King was much of a short story writer -- his imagination needs room to stretch; "1408" the story isn't so bad, but I remember wondering how on earth they planned to stretch it out to movie-length. The writer in King's tale isn't in the deadly room for ten minutes before the story comes to a close.

It's hard to tell how long Cusak's Mike Enslin ends up in the room. An hour at least. The hotel room's powers make it hard to trust one's perceptions. In fact, the whole of its horror is all about twisted perceptions, and therein lies the flaws of "1408."

Enslin is a hack writer (once talented and profound) who makes a living by exploiting areas that are supposedly haunted. Due to a personal tragedy, Enslin is dead-set against belief in any kind of spirit world, making him both a hack and a hypocrite. It isn't long after he's shut the door of "1408" behind him that his beliefs are tested by the room's weird, ambient horror.

Well, it's not exactly horrific. King comes up with scary images, but without any supporting substance, they're really nothing more than images. Bleeding walls. Paintings with changing pictures. Menacing spirits that appear and disappear. Sure, it's creepy, but what's there to it? As far as "1408" is concerned, there's only one goal: to drive Mr. Enslin mad enough to end his own life.

Cusak bears the lion's share of what makes the movie worth watching at all (Samuel Jackson is the other name of note, but all he does as far as this film is concerned is chew on both cigars and scenery). Enslin's history with his wife and daughter, added for the film, make his experiences noteworthy, although not terribly frightening. You want him to get out of the hotel, but the room's machinations are just a series of mental tricks. Psychological horror is what it wants to be; random oddities is what it turns into.

King's stories, as far as their successes and failures go, are less about execution and mostly about the concepts that drive them. "1408" struggles with both. Cusak keeps things fresh and interesting, but I can't say the same for the hotel room in which he struggles to survive.

This film won't leave you ready to write the deepest psychological profile on the main character, but it sure leaves you scared watching from the 'safety' of your seat. Isn't that what it should be about? Much of the suspense is created by camera angles and the mere hopelessness of the situation. You wonder what you would try in his shoes. Jon Cusack's cynical main character is a pleasant alternative to ditsy dorks who usually accompany big-screen horror stories. He walks into the same danger, not out of naivitee, rather because of his lack of faith in anything but himself. It is what defines his role and makes the film interesting and entertaining on many levels.
If you want a good scare, watch this film. Don't go comparing it to the short story, don't overinterpret into the character's background. If you can suspend your disbelief to accept the supernatural for a short while, you have enough imagination to fill in what blanks are left in the characters' histories. Only the pace of the film won't leave you much time to do that - yet another plus in this fun horror flick.