1408 (2007)

1408

Directed by: Mikael Hafstrom

Written by: Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander
& Larry Karaszewski
Based on the Short Story by: Stephen King

Starring: John Cusack, Mary McCormick, Jasmine Jessica Anthony and Samuel L. Jackson
Released by: Dimension Films

Like many movie goers this past weekend I went and saw the only movie that was remotely interesting out in theaters, that wasn't an Animation or a Foreign Film. I wasn't expecting too much from the Film but at the same time I had high hopes fortunately it didn't let me down... Well some parts did but we'll get to that later. If you can't decipher what the movies about from the trailer let me once again give you the basic plot summary for the millionth time, since apparently Hollywood did not do it's job. John Cusack's character Mike Enslin is a writer of Haunted tourist sites to but it frankly. He stays in these "Haunted" mansions and other interesting places over night to experience why they are spooky and to see if there's a haunting. He gets a post card telling him not to spend the night in room 1408 (1+4+8=13) a nice touch if I do say so myself. So after some research he becomes interested in the room and tries to book it. Eventually he gets the room but not before hearing Sam Jackson (So to be Nick Fury in Iron Man way to go Marvel :P) the Hotel Manager out.

Jackson goes into the long history of Deaths and accidents that have occurred in the room since the Hotel's opening with Cusack mocking him believing it to be the usual selling technique he's become acquainted with in his profession. Jackson's Character is unable to sway him, and is forced to let Cusack stay in the room. From there the room really takes a psychological twist and dives into the mind of Enslin (Cusack), pulling from it his deepest trauma the death of his Daughter. Really there's nothing more to say about the movie plot because the rest you'll need to see and it's not my job to ruin the movie for you, unless of course it's a bad movie in which case I will most definitely ruin it so that you won't be tempted to see it.

I like several things about the Film, everyones acting for one was very good and Cusack carries the movie by himself and does so very well. For practically staying in one room the entire time never did I find myself bored or uninterested in what was happening. It did a great job of keeping the intense feelings and making you uncomfortable watching several of the scenes. I loved the fact that Cusack's Character relied on his voice recorder almost like a crutch. He uses it to talk himself up and to keep his fears in check. I think a lot of Stephen King's works have this element in it and it almost always translates well onto film. Just thinking of one scene in particular where he's talking into the recorder makes me want to slap down another 11 bucks and see it again. So take some time and see it before it's beaten out of theaters by Summer Blockbuster after Blockbuster. And please don't see Transformers send a message to Hollywood and tell them you won't stand for the Murder of a franchise.