"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" (1408 (DVD))

Member Name: stevek181

Product:	1408 (DVD)
Date:	12/11/09 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classic ghost story, excellent performance by Cusack

Disadvantages: Short on genuine shocks, cliched

"Hotel rooms are just naturally creepy places, don't you think? I mean how many people have slept in that bed before you? How many of them were sick? How many were losing their minds?"

Adaptations of Stephen King's books have always been pretty hit and miss, ranging from all time classics like the Shawshank Redemption and The Shining to the at-best forgettable The Stand and Lawnmower Man

Based on the short story of the same name, from the book "Everything's Eventual", 1408 does an excellent job of bringing the writer's disturbing and disturbed imagination to life and, whilst not in the same league as some of his other adaptations, is a pretty good horror movie in it's own right.

Take one troubled author, throw in a haunted hotel, a failed or failing relationship and a dash of blood and gore and you have the perfect King recipe. Throw in a top cast (Samuel L Jackson, John Cusack), some decent special effects and a talented production team and you get a satisfying, if slightly clichéd, horror movie

Mike Enslin (Cusack) is a skeptical writer who makes a living by traveling to various "haunted" locations and writing about his experiences, without ever believing in or actually experiencing anything supernatural or paranormal. That is until he receives a postcard warning him not to visit room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel. Like the moth to the flame, Enslin can't resist...

Upon arrival at the hotel, Enslin encounters manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L Jackson), who informs him about the sinister past of the hotel room (scene of a multitude of murders, suicides and gruesome accidents), and pulls out all the stops to dissuade him from entering the room, telling him "it's an EVIL f***ing room" and finally confessing the real reason he doesn't want him in there:
"Look, I'm not telling you not to stay in that room for your own good or for the profit of the hotel. Frankly, selfishly, I just don't want to clean up the mess."

Of course, the cynical Enslin, believing it's all a gimmick to drum up trade for the hotel, ignores the advice and enters room 1408. We all know it won't turn out to be the smartest thing he's ever done, but then where would the horror genre be without the teenager who goes stumbling around in the night onto the psycho's blade or the victim who chooses the dark, menacing forest as a hiding place over the getaway car or the friendly neighbour's house.

At first all seems quiet and the unimpressed writer comments on just how unremarkable the room actually is. When he phones reception to ask if he can have someone come up and fix the thermostat, immediately he's asked "are you ready to check out?". It's not the only time he is made that offer, but later it will have far more sinister connotations as Enslin embarks on a journey into hell, fighting the demons of his past in addition to the phantoms of room 1408.

Everything about 1408 is fairly predictable, from the hotel setting, to the plot "twists", to the contrived dialogue, to the clichéd horror book ending. Obviously it is not the first Stephen King haunted hotel adaptation, and compared to The Shining, one of the best horror films of all time, it looks fairly flimsy and light-weight.

Taken in it's own right, however, it is actually a lot better than many of the so-called horrors that have been invading our screens in the past decade. In many ways, it is a classic horror film, full of menace, clever touches and some genuinely eerie moments. It is an essence, a genuine, old-fashioned ghost story, which comes as a breath of fresh air.

This is mainly due to the impressive acting of Cusack, which lends the film a weight that may otherwise have been lacking. The film is pretty much a one-man show revolving almost entirely around him, and his ramblings into the Dictaphone provide a kind of narration for the story. He remains convincing and believable throughout, going through the full range of emotions, and providing us with a real hero to root for.

Essentially, there are two characters in the film; the troubled writer and the room itself. Like the hotel in The Shining, the room takes on a sinister life of it's own and develops a kind of malevolent energy and evil, intimidating personna. The decline in the state of the hotel room mirrors Enslin's own descent and it really does fill like a classic battle of wills - a fight between good and evil. The room seems to play mind games with Enslin, twisting his world and distorting and warping his view of it.

When Enslin first enters the hotel room, the scene is set superbly and expertly. It is genuinely frightening, which is a rare trait in modern horror. There is some disappointment that the early tension does seem to dissipate somewhat as events become more out of control. As always, it is the not knowing what is going to happen that provides the real chills. The film scares on a psychological level than jump-out-of-your-seat frights.

1408 deserves a special mention for achieving the impossible. At various points in the movie the radio bursts into life with the same song, the Carpenters "We've Only Just Begun" blaring out. If nothing else, the film deserves an award for making The Carpenters sound even more terrifying than they actually were!

Samuel L Jackson, as the hotel manager, is only in the film for a few minutes, but comes across as an enigmatic and sinister character. It would have been good to see more of his, but that would have perhaps have detracted from the sense of the film being about Enslin's own personal battles.

1408 seems to fly by at frenetic pace. Although there are plenty of gear changes, the action never lets up. There is never a scene that seems pointless or out of place. All in all, it's an entertaining watch and probably one of the better horror movies of recent years. It never tries to be deep and meaningful; never really explaining why 1408 is the way it is.
The special effects, like the film itself, are decent without being spectacular and really it is Cusack's performance that saves it from mediocrity and makes it watchable and enjoyable.

Age Suitability

1408 seems to operate on the "less is more" principle, and therefore the spooks are more psychological than bloodthirsty or gory. There are also some strong profanities. Not suitable for children, but probably ok for older teenagers.

Film Facts

1408 was originally created by Stephen King for his non-fiction book "On Writing" as an example of how to revise a first draft. It was never actually intended to be a complete short story

There are many references to the number 13 in the film:
1+4+0+8 = 13
The room is on the 13th floor (actually the 14th, but the hotel doesn't have a 13th)
The room's key lock has 6214 etched onto it. 6+2+1+4=13
The first death was in 1912. 1+9+1+2=13
The release date in America was June 22, 2007. 2+2+2+0+0+7=13
The standard edition DVD runs for exactly 104 mins and 8 secs. 1+4+8=13
Mike opens the bible to Chapter 11 of book Samuel 2
The 13th verse of the same chapter is bears a resemblance to Mike's dealings with Mr Olin

Grady, one of the first victims in the room, was also character in "The Shining".

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!!!

The axe the fireman uses to break down in the door is the same one used by Jack Nicholson in The Shining

The bottle that Gerald Olin offers Mike Enslin is named "Les Cinquant Sept Décès", which means "The fifty seven deaths". Prior to Enslin, there had been 56 deaths in room 1408...

END OF SPOILERS!!! END OF SPOILERS!!!

The DVD

Widely available at knockdown prices - £4.58 from Amazon. Having said that, renting it would probably be enough for most people because it's not the type of film you'll want to keep going back to.

Extras

Secrets Of 1408: The Characters" featurette, "Secrets Of 1408: The Director" featurette, "Secrets Of 1408: The Physical Effects" featurette, "Secrets Of 1408: The Production Design" featurette, "Secrets Of 1408: Deleted Scenes".

Conclusion

1408 is a well made, stylish thriller/horror rescued from mediocrity by an excellent performance from John Cusack. There are some creepy moments, but few shocks or frights after the first half hour. It's a shame that the terrific beginning meanders away somewhat as events start to unfold.

In these days of "Saw" and "Hostel", however, we should welcome back this classically chilling ghost story as an old friend. It is old-fashioned without ever seeming stale, and offers just about enough originality to pump some new blood into the genre.

Summary: Even if you leave this room, you can never leave this room!