1408

I'll see this soon

le mystère

1408_360P

source: 1408

After spotting the high rating on IMDb, I decided to go see this movie. Beyond that high rating, I intentionally avoided reading any of the reviews. I wanted to go into the theater with a clean slate, without knowing the plot or having predetermined expectations. Given my rating, you can see that I was disappointed. I enjoyed the development of the main character Mike Enslin. I also enjoyed how the hotel manager attempted to talk him out of entering the hotel room. By the time Enslin entered the room, I was ready for some scary stuff. First chocolates appear on the pillow and the toilet paper is folded. Enslin reacts in a believable manner. He's freaked out. I'm encouraged and think to myself, this is going to be good. The people who made this movie understand that less is more. But it's what happens next that was a big let down. The subtleness is quickly replaced by the predictable shotgun approach... Just blast the audience with every Hollywood scary trick in the book and hope that something works. Let's see, a clock radio that turns on by itself? Good, that's always scary. Objects that move around in the room? Good, you can't complain about that. Blood dripping from the walls and sink? Great. Ghosts that commit suicide? Good. Anything else? How about loud noises, shaking, fire, more shaking, messing up the room, more blood, etc etc. It's all good. And it's all been done before. Overstimulate our Attention Deficit Disordered audience with all kinds of stuff in quick succession, and they won't be able to look away. Well, it didn't work for me. And you know what else? When I go see a horror movie in a theater, it's typical to hear several groups of girls in the audience yelling in fear at scary moments. But this movie had no scary moments. The audience was silent and disinterested. I felt no chill down my spine. Nothing. The Shining was 100x what this movie tries to be. So who are all these people who are saying that it is one of the best horror movies ever? Friends of the director? Sorry, I just don't get it.

John Cusack gets drunk and trashes a hotel room. What could be more fun? Well, how about a hotel room that isn't just haunted, but is actually a place where the universe's physical laws - especially the ones that deal with trivial matters such as space and time - don't really apply, and the room itself is a sentient manifestation of evil. Getting better? Well, what if we give our 'sentient manifestation of evil' a consciousness and the ability to penetrate and read the subconscious minds of anybody who happens to be in the room and then show them their worst fears or deepest pains? Still not satisfied? OK - just for the sheer hell of it (and there is plenty of sheer hell to go around in this film) - why not make Cusack a self-righteous investigative documentarian who is going around debunking hauntings all over the U.S., but is actually in denial about enormous emotional problems centering around his daughter's death and his own childhood. If this sounds like fertile ground for entertainment, and you don't mind getting scared half to death, you should go see 1408 right away. It was long ago, and I was different person when I read the Steve King story upon which this film is based, so I can't really comment on how close to the text 1408 is. What I can say, however, is that this film is a more true representation of the feeling of King's writing and pacing than almost any I can think of. This is also the first film I have seen in many years that actually made my skin crawl (across the floor of a crowded theater). The film wastes relatively little time setting up Mike Enslin's character and situation, but once its all on the table, you find yourself incapable of escaping either. I have seen a couple of reviews which attack 1408 for lack of characterization. These reviewers must have wandered into the wrong theater, because they've not seen the same film I just saw. My advice to these reviewers is - try paying more attention to what your watching instead of your pre-conceptions about the genre. Cusack's character is beautifully set up - from his editor's "he can get kind of morose." to his more-or-less constant drinking, painful flashbacks focusing on his daughter, and inability to communicate with people he cares about. It's all there, for those who have the attention span and sensitivity to look for it. Cusack's performance is a tour-de-force of physical and psychological acting. Having a hard time imagining him in this role? Take what Cusack did in "Being John Malkovich", quadruple the intensity, the fear, and the suspense, add alcoholism and self-denial, and there you have Mike Enslin. I never doubted that Cusack had the raw talent, but was actually surprised to see him pull it off SO well. Although the films are radically different, this could be for him what 'Leaving Las Vegas' was to Nick Cage, or what 'Hollywoodland' should be for Ben Affleck. The rest of the cast all have fairly minor roles, but are fine. Mikael Hafstrom did a very nice job with directing. There is never a pointless scene, nor a dull moment, nor any loose ends. The plot is spelled out in detail, and all the clues are there to unravel the mysteries, but the clues are not so unsubtle as to permit you to guess what's next. As I said before, the feeling and pace of King's work come through very nicely. The special effects are all very convincing (relatively little CGI, and where animation was used, it was very well done),and the camera-work is picture perfect. I was especially impressed by the fact that 1408 cost about $25,000,000 to make - a mere pittance compared to many of the schlock-fests Hollywood horror has tossed up recently. Very highly recommended for people who tend to sleep easily at night. If you are an insomniac, catch a matinée like I did.

It's a hit or miss thing with Stephen King movies. Sometimes there's an exceptional effort by someone with a really strong vision (eg Kubrick, De Palma), but then there are also some big blunders (Dreamcatcher comes first to mind). And then there are those that sort of lie right in the middle, as decent, unpretentious but unremarkable efforts that chill or spill into your living room or movie theater. 1408 isn't a great thriller, but for King fans it'll likely be one of the most faithful- or at least feel faithful- efforts to date, and as such it's pretty creepy and a sure-fire "gotcha" machine. The premise is vintage King: a cynical writer (Cusack) who's books go over the paranormal (with the exception of a personal book about a father and son), and gets sent an anonymous postcard about the Dolphin hotel and room 1408. The manager warns him, fervently, to not stay in the room. But he's insistent to the point where there's no turning back. Slowly, but extremely surely, things start popping up in the room, out of Elsin's own consciousness, perhaps, and as well with the environment changing (fix that heater!), and even a pint-sized version of the hotel manager (who doesn't want to see Jackon ala Indian in the Cupboard?). It all leads up to a few good twists and turns, but good being the important word here. Unlike the unsuccessful pot-boiler Identity, which also (regrettably) starred Cusack, this isn't contrived for the sake of it. The sudden images of a man with an ax swinging at Elson, the images of ghosts jumping out of the windows (one of them, which I found extraordinary, was shown with the same marks that come with an old movie print), isolation enhanced by a lack of windows to either side, and that bottle of booze. Spiked? Probably not- this is a thrill-ride predicated on lightning-fast imagery, but too fast (it isn't Saw thank goodness), and Elsin's past, notably the death of his daughter. It's usually a conceit that the filmmaker puts in to have the central character to have a dark past loaded with sadness, but here it works effectively in how gradually it all comes out, and how the fear/acceptance of death is something just as, if not more-so, terrifying than anything else the room has to offer. As I said, not a great film, as sometimes it has that feel of an all-too well-oiled machine by director Mikael Håfström, edging on feeling like there's a checklist somewhere of things to happen in the room to Elsin. But, as mentioned, it doesn't come off as being too unsurprising. On the contrary, there is some originality to how the special effects team- via Cusack, going through many modes of acting like it's a powerhouse audition- bring out the best of what can be offered with a horror-show amusement park. It may be in part like a ghost house, but it's a fun and exciting one, and more watchable than any other PG-13 horror film I've seen in a while. 7.5/10

If your horror movie tastes run less towards chainsaw-wielding maniacs and more towards things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, then this is the movie for you. Based on a short story by the great Stephen King, "1408" is one of the genuine movie sleepers of summer 2007. John Cusack gives a tour-de-force performance as Mike Enslin, a successful writer who specializes in the investigation of paranormal activity with a particular emphasis on hotel rooms that have the reputation for being haunted. The twist is that Enslin is, essentially, a nonbeliever who spends most of his time and energy debunking the very subject off which he is making his living. The 1408 of the title refers to a room in a swanky, five-star Manhattan hotel in which, we are told, no fewer than fifty-six guests checked in but never checked out, having met their untimely demises there in the decades since the establishment opened. Determined to put an end to the "foolishness," Enslin moves into the room convinced he will ride out the night in utter peace and safety. He has, of course, another think coming. As adapted by Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, "1408" succeeds mainly by keeping it straight and simple and by focusing so intensely on the character of Enslin and his relevant back story. The multi-layered plotting keeps us guessing from first moment to last, so that we never quite know whether what Enslin is experiencing is really happening or whether he is suffering some form of mental breakdown brought on by the death of his young daughter and the subsequent breakup of his marriage a few years back. Along with director Mikael Hafstrom, the master craftsmen responsible for the film's phenomenal art direction and sound recording draw us into the strange world they've created where nothing is quite what it appears to be and where we spend most of our time nervously scanning the edges of the frame to see what surprise is next poised to jump out at us. Cusack, who has long been underrated as a performer, gets the chance to really show us his acting chops in this role. He allows us to clearly see the fear and vulnerability hidden beneath his character's wisecracking, cynical exterior. Samuel L. Jackson and Mary McCormack also excel in the small but crucial roles of the wise hotel manager and Enslin's estranged but faithful wife, respectively. For those who can remember a time when fright films had more on their minds than simple blood and gore, "1408" is like a refreshing, restorative tonic on a hot summer day.

Can you say "All shock, no plot?" There were so many unexplored directions in this movie. There was no history about the room other than the deaths. *WHY* was it evil? What made it that way? Why an "hour" countdown? Then, there were the unexplored things hinted at; for example we *saw* a camera in the air vent, which he mentioned. But when he climbed up said vent, there was no camera. How about the fact that all the ghosts looked "Digital", and things "winked out" before hitting the ground making a static noise? Hmmm... when you put all of *those* things together, it makes room 1408 look like a high-tech spook house. Except that there was no follow up on that. Oh... by the way... electronics don't work in 1408. Well, except for the TV... the cell phone has no signal, but Wireless Internet works fine. How many incontinuities can you possibly add? I'm sorry, but this film was nothing but "shock after shock". It's all been done before. Reflections in the mirror. Things just out of site. Changing paintings. Bleeding walls. The "Oh, it was all just a dream... no it wasn't." And, if the room was "evil", why make our main character come to terms with his daughter's death, if it was going to keep him trapped there forever anyway? It just didn't make sense. Additionally, there was no background information about "The first book" that he wrote. Just some vague information about the "dad was a jerk" and so forth. Speaking of dads, what was with the bit about his father? "You'll be in my place". Overall, a truly HORRIBLE movie. It was 100% adrenalin shock factor, without any new or innovative effects, and certainly no back story, character development, etc. My overall impression is that the entire movie was made on the "Cheap"; pretty much using one set and a couple of location shots, and was nothing but an effects film of recycled, cheesy, "seen-that-before" effects.

Please note that this review refers to the theatrical version, and not the Director's Cut DVD release which features a completely different ending. Mike Enslin is a cynic. He is the author of books that detail and debunk popular ghost stories and haunted hot-spots, and it quickly becomes obvious that he is somewhat disenchanted with the life that he leads. That is, of course, until he receives an invitation to Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel, a room in which lies his and arguably John Cusack's biggest challenge yet. It soon becomes apparent that 1408 is not your standard horror movie, as what follows, after an enjoyably creepy encounter with hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L Jackson), is essentially 90 minutes of John Cusack in a room. On his own. Save for, of course, whatever lurks inside 1408. It is a challenge that Cusack rises to expertly; we all know he's a good actor and a brilliant everyman (I don't remember a film in which I've wanted to see him crash and burn), but 1408 allows him to display his range to great effect as the room confronts him with the physical dangers of the present and the emotional tragedies of his past. While it's relatively light on big scares, 1408 instead creates a powerful sense of unease that combines wonderfully with Cusack's portrayal of a man enduring his own private hell. Each challenge thrown up by the room takes the movie somewhere new and unexpected, ensuring that the movie never really gets tired or repetitive, and as a result each scene in the room is tense, surprising, and very, very creepy. However, that's not to say that it doesn't lose its way occasionally. Some of the CGI usage is quite ineffective, and about two-thirds through the movie it feels like it's about to go the wrong way, but it recovers well for the final act, and its haunting ending ensures that you'll remember it long after you leave the theatre. A brilliantly acted, well developed version of King's short story, 1408 is a different type of horror movie, but in all the right ways. Very good!