Category | Arts & Living

Check into room ‘1408’

Published on October 30, 2007 by The Sentinel

    The film “1408” is based on the Stephen King short story of the
same name. Mike Enslin [John Cusack] is a supernatural author promoting
his recent release “10 Nights in Haunted Hotels.” One day, he receives
a postcard about The Dolphin Hotel in New York City proclaiming, “Don’t
enter 1408.”

   
Enslin views the message as a challenge and begins researching the
room. With his newfound knowledge of the gruesome deaths that have
occurred there, Enslin attempts to stay in room 1408. His goal is to
see if the room is really haunted.

    Several scenes in the film were comedic rather than
scary. For example, when Enslin attacks the mini-bar, it made for great
laughs. Cusack also delivers one-liners that are humorous like, “It
feels good to be back,” after facing a crisis through the vent system.
Then again, Cusack is known much more for his romantic and comedic
films versus the horror genre of “1408.”

    However, Cusack does manage to deliver a great
performance in this film. The ending also seemed to be lacking, as with
most horror film endings. Perhaps the filmmakers are planning a sequel?
Overall, it was a good film and served as a nice departure from the
“disrupted killer-on-the-loose” films that dominate the scary movie
arena.

DVD release: Oct. 2
Grade: B