1408
2007 Directed by Mikael Håfström
Synopsis
The only demons in room 1408 are those within you.
The cynical and skeptical writer Mike Enslin writes books evaluating supernatural phenomena in hotels, graveyards and other haunted places, usually debunking the mystery. While writing his last book, he travels from Los Angeles to New York to spend one night in the evil room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel, which is permanently unavailable for guests. The reluctant manager Mr. Gerald Olin objects to his request and offers an upgrade, expensive booze and finally the reports relating the death of more than fifty guests along decades in the cursed room. However, Mike threatens Mr. Oiln, promising to sue the hotel, and finally checks in the room. Along the night, he finds that guests of room 1408 can check out when they like, but they can never leave the room alive.
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I think by now we all have the basic formula for recent Stephen King adaptations memorized by heart.
1. Have an alcoholic and lonely lead. (Author or writer optional)
2. Have a good setup and build mysterious atmosphere
3. Go full retard from thereThere are exceptions to that formula of course, but 1408 is slave to this formula. It tries to break free, bless its heart, but at the end of the day its just an average little thriller with Stephen Kings weird little fingerprints all over it.
With point number 1, we have the alcoholic lead. And it looks like he went with the alcoholic AUTHOR option on top of it all! The lead, Mike Enslin happens to…
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Much like watching air slowly leak from a balloon.
Starts out fine and ends up empty and flaccid.
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I would have rated this higher but on this re-watch I saw the directors cut of the film and the ending is completely different! I liked the way it ended in the theatrical version much better. It gives Cusack's character much more of an arc, in this version he basically has NO arc.
Other than that, this is a very well adapted short story from Stephen King. The visuals and things that happen to Enslin are right out of King's brain and the director does a good job of depicting that.
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1408 is a movie about the horrors of a certain hotel room. Everytime someone stays the night in that room they are brutally killed by some supernatural force. The protagonist of the movie is a ghost hunter who never believes in ghosts, but unfortunately he is in for a big shock. Once he enters, the room is in control.
To basically sum up the movie the famous line from the man outside the Willy Wonka factory came to mind "Nobody ever goes in, nobody ever comes out." Except for the first part, because a lot of people go in.
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For someone who loved horror movies when he was growing up you would think that the last decade would of been a wonderful time for me. Well not so much. The last several years of horror movies for me have not been great for me at all. It seems like every time I watch one I leave it less then impressed. The first Saw was great but I didn't like any of the sequels that I saw and gave up after part 4. Paranormal Activity I disliked right from the get go and most of the remakes from the horror movies of my youth just felt flat to me. When I first threw on 1408 I didn't have any expectations…
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The first half of 1408 is so exquisitely well-done and full of promise that it's a real shame when the second half gets lost under an avalanche of special effects and pyrotechnics. That's what I remembered thinking when I saw it in the theatre five years ago, and I regret to say that's still pretty much what I think now.
John Cusack is perfectly cast as a skeptical, sarcastic author who makes a living debunking supposed hauntings, but meets his match in a legitimately haunted hotel room where, according to hotel manager Samuel L. Jackson, no one has ever lasted more than an hour. To quote Jackson, it is an "evil fucking room."
That's an irresistible premise for fans of…
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Better than a lot of Stephen King horror adaptions but sadly what starts out great descends into a boring predictable generic horror film. The ending is also really disappointing lacking no really weigh or pay off.
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Me encanta. Una pelicula con sentido y sin sentido al mismo tiempo. El golpe que necesita una persona para empezar a superar sus peores pesadillas.
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at its best, its genuinely weird
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The movie has a few issues, but the most important thing about it is that I was honestly scared during most of it, the scares aren't just cheap surprises, they actually build slowly and are really chilling. Changed my perception of Cusack since he actually does well as the lead. Despite it's shortcomings it actually is a very solid movie.
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stop making stephen king adaptations
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Solid until the final act of the film. Go see it if you want an above average haunted house movie!
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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john cusack is my husbando
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I think by now we all have the basic formula for recent Stephen King adaptations memorized by heart.
1. Have an alcoholic and lonely lead. (Author or writer optional)
2. Have a good setup and build mysterious atmosphere
3. Go full retard from thereThere are exceptions to that formula of course, but 1408 is slave to this formula. It tries to break free, bless its heart, but at the end of the day its just an average little thriller with Stephen Kings weird little fingerprints all over it.
With point number 1, we have the alcoholic lead. And it looks like he went with the alcoholic AUTHOR option on top of it all! The lead, Mike Enslin happens to…