Posted: 06/25/2007

1408

(2007)

by Lauren Sepanski

“Don’t go in 1408.” A mere postcard from the Dolphin Hotel, New York tells John Cusack (High Fidelity, Being John Malkovich), who plays writer Mike Enslin. A real “Mythbuster,” Enslin’s job is to debunk ghosts, monsters, and other superstitions. In his latest book, he journeys to find the most haunted hotels and, of course, the postcard can’t tell him what to do. Once at the Dolphin, he meets hotel manager Gerald Olin, played by everyone’s favorite, Samuel L. Jackson, (Snakes on a Plane, Star Wars prequels). In Jackson’s only scene in the whole film, he desperately attempts to change Enslin’s mind about the room. “It’s an evil f**king room.” Enslin goes for it, anyway. “Eight dollars for beer nuts? This room is evil.” No sooner does his sarcasm echo through the hotel room that the mayhem begins.

No matter how many Stephen King novels I read or movies made from his books I see, it never ceases to amaze me how King can write the same book over and over and still have audiences at the edge of their seats. I mean, look, he’s a writer who writes about writers, and yet we all keep coming back for more. I did not read “1408”; however, I have read many others by the man, and I have to say, the script to this film sounded like King himself wrote it. The dialogue was spot on, the hotel itself, as well as the room, looked just as creepy as King has described eerie rooms in books before, and the humor was witty and a tad bit dry. Perfect.

Some horror movie rules apply here. Sound effects are insanely important! Every little tap was paid special attention to. Lighting is great! You have no idea how hard it is to do lighting for a film until you try, so trust me: 1408 nailed the creepy ambiance through this twisted journey down the “rabbit hole.” Movie rule number #64 was addressed in this one, too: “If anything is pure white, it’s bound to be splattered in blood.” Things like a hotel bathroom, perhaps? Another thing I loved was how Enslin’s backstory wasn’t just chucked at the audience in one quick and easy montage, which is a nice change from most films today.

Make sure you get a Red Bull or a bucket of Starbucks before you see this one, because it is one of the most intense movies you will see. So don’t blink and don’t talk through it, because the instant Cusack gets into that room, it doesn’t stop; it’s just one thing after another. So, whether you see it because you’re a horror fan, or you like to see John Cusack dress like he did in the ’80s (Hawaiian shirt, tapered jeans, and hats way too small for his head), or because you love Samuel L. Jackson (and if you don’t, you’re not human), this is a great movie to catch on a hot summer day when you’re A/C is out. In a sea of torture films such as Capture and the Saw trilogy, 1408 stands out as entertaining and frightening. It is well worth the time and the 10 bucks.

Lauren Sepanski is a animator and film reviewer living in Los Angeles.

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