Yesterday afternoon, Marcia and I watched “1408″, starring John Cusak, and playing a small role was Samuel L. Jackson. This movie is based on a short story of the same name, written by Stephen King.
I couldn’t find anything on the internet that satisfied me about the description of the movie. So here is my own rendition.
Author Mike Enslin (Cusack) is becoming a popular author of the supernatural, writing books about haunted hotels and lighthouses. He is very skeptical of the existence of the supernatural, and even tells fans of his books that he has yet to experience any ghosts. (It seems unclear whether his book makes up experiences, or if they tell more history.) After a rough day surfing, he checks his post office box for mail, and comes across a postcard from the Dolphin Hotel in New York, and it simply says, “Do Not Enter 1408.” His research finds that many deaths have occurred in the room. He tries to book a room, but eventually needs his publisher’s legal counsel to get it. The hotel’s manager, Mr. Olin (Jackson), tells Enslin of the horrors that have happened there, even bribing his not to stay there. But Enslin won’t give in. Finally, in the room, Enslin starts to discover the horrors of the room, which include the horrors of his past.
Now, as a rule, I am not into horror movies. Only recently have I found a soft spot for them, after watching “Number 23″, since there was more to it, and at times seemed to be dark humor. Also, I am realizing that horror doesn’t mean victims getting hacked and slashed with mindless amounts of gore. This movie proved that fact even more.
Cusack does a very good job. His character gives off an air of confidence and looking down upon many that get into what he writes. But his transformation because of what is happening was good. The room itself almost turns into a character, which was talked about in the bonus features of the DVD, and I didn’t notice, yet agree with, after watching them. There is also some good word play in things that are happening around Enslin as he gets through his ordeal.
The only problem I had with the movie is a section near the end. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but it had Marcia and I scratching our heads of exactly what happened. It didn’t make sense. Though it was nice not to see much explanation of anything. It made it more of a ghost story, instead of a mystery. So even with this unexplained section of the movie, it still worked well, and did resolve a few things for the character.
For those looking to try their hand at a “horror movie”, but not wanting a lot of blood and gore (though one wall oozes a lot of blood), this may be one to try. It gives more of a fantastical thriller feel then actual horror.
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