1408 (2007)
a review by Evan Landon
I remember seeing advertisements for this movie when it came out in 2007 on WWE television and was wondering how this could possibly be an interesting movie. 104 minutes of John Cusack in a fucking hotel room? There is no way that could be entertaining. . Unless, yknow, it was that kind of movie, but even then, that is about 100 minutes too long (giggity). Holy shit, was I ever wrong! It happens more than you think.
The plot of 1408 is a relatively simple one: a once promising writer becomes a sensationalist writer, hoping to see past the veil of death by compiling “Top 10” supernatural lists of grisly deaths after the death of his daughter, which in turn had spurned the demise of his marriage. After receiving an enigmatic postcard from an unknown party from the extravagant Dolphin Hotel in New York saying “Don't enter 1408”, author Michael Enslin is compelled to go back into the city he has avoided to find the one story that could revitalize his career, or help him find some sort of solace. The issue is that 56 people have died in that room over the course of the hotel's existence, leading the manager to forbid anyone from ever staying in it.
My brother was eaten by wolves on the Connecticut Turnpike. .
Any issues 1408 has is nothing to do with the production or story itself. The acting is even exemplary. In fact, 1408 is very close to being a perfect movie, but you don't want to hear me gush about how much I have adored this movie over the years since its release. But I digress. .
Let's get into the acting first: John Cusack. That really is all you need, although he is accompanied by some very good actors, but they are barely in the film. Samuel L. Jackson co-stars as the manager of the Dolphin Hotel, Tony Shalhoub as his editor who gets him the room after being denied, and even the late Isiah Whitlock Jr in a blink and you will miss it role as the handyman sent to help our hero fix the thermostat.
Swedish director Mikael Håfström definitely had a vision when creating the adaptation that no one saw being such a success by granting him $25 million to complete the film. A lot of credit goes to the cast, but let us think about the ones behind the lens which leads me directly to the set designer, Andrew Laws, who is the true hero of this tale. How a person can make such a loose, yet concise script palatable, this man did it in spades.
I would be remiss to not mention the alternate endings, to which there are four, but let's just get to the bestest:
The Theatrical Release – No Spoilers. Just watch this one.
The Director's Cut – NOPE
The Alt Manuscript – Whatevs.
The Alt Alt Script – Fuck Off. Cannot even find it.
The story of 1408 has surpassed anything Stephen King could have imagined by taking a short story the writer conjured while in a strange hotel room himself. If you are wondering how the story compares to the movie, there are very subtle changes, but it is allowed to expand upon its universe, unabashedly. To me, as a writer with his own regrets and vices, the ultimate conclusion of life and death is very much amplified and observed, which is an exploration of self-discovery, faith, abandonment, and redemption. With references to Kafka and Lovecraft, it is for sure a movie almost specifically written for writers of the abstract and horror genres. That being said, I don't think there are many more ways I can fully recommend this film, except for my rating. The same as our dear reformed protagonist author, Michael Enslin's. .
10 Out Of 10 Skulls