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1408: The Evil F***ing Room
by Kush (movies profile)
Mar 28, 2008
134
of
152 people found this review helpful
Stephen King writes a terrifying story. John Cusack provides a performance to remember. Mikael Hafstrom directs a masterpiece. 1408 will not dissapoint.
Word for the wise: Before you see the movie, schedule a massage appointment directly following the movie. Never before have I left a theatre so sore! I spent the last hour of the movie unintentionaly tensing my muscles to the point of knotting up and breaking a sweat.
1408 is a psycological thriller stuffed with timely jolts, scares, and laughs, leaving one guessing and anticipating throughout. Once Mike Enslin (John Cusack) enters that F***ing Evil Room, 1408 hits you with non-stop rapid fire chills that will have you quivering.
1408 is a motion picture about Mike Enslin, a novelist whom, ever since his daughter passed away, has been traveling to the worlds most "haunted" locations in search of paranormal activity. He writes "top-10" books, rating houses, hotels, and cemetaries on a scale of 1-10 based on their creepiness. Before his visit to The Dolphin's room 1408, Enslin considers giving it all up after concluding that there are no such things as ghosts, spirits, or poltergeists.
After a surfing accident and following a routine trip to the post office, Enslin discovers a postcard from a New York Hotel known as The Dolphin, on the back of which is written "Do not enter room 1408." You can probably guess what happens next.
Once Enslin reaches The Dolphin, the hotel's manager (Samuel L. Jackson) does everything he can to keep Enslin from staying in room 1408, however it only increases Enslin's desire to investigate the room, viewing the manager's pleas as a scheme to simply scare him away. Due to legal reasons, the manager is forced to hand over the key for room 1408 to Enslin, and withought hesitation, Enslin heads up to his room.
Once inside the room, Enslin cracks open an $800 bottle of liquor, an unsuccesful bribe from the Dolphin's manager, and begins to investigate the room. Within a matter of minutes, he finally finds what he's been looking for, and his nightmare begins. NOBODY lasts more than an hour in that room!
More that three quarters of the movie is spent depicting the horror and turmoil room 1408 inflicts upon Mr. Enslin. The scare tactics used in the movie are extremely random , making the movie very unpredictable. The plot is fairly simple, but well thought out. The visuals are believable. The acting is realistic, given the circumstances. The directing is superb, and the movie has great timing.
I entered the theatre with high expectations, and I left genuinely impressed. 1408 is that horror movie I've been waiting for since developing an interest in movies. It ranks among the best horror movies of the last decade, if not of all time. Stephen King once again proves that he is the king of horror, and John Cusak shows why he is considered one of the best young actors in the business. If you like to be scared, this movie is a must see. |
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