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| Cast and Credits |
| Cast: |
John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub |
| Director: |
Mikael Hafstrom |
| Writer: |
Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski |
| Rating: |
Rated PG-13 for thematic material including disturbing sequences of violence and terror, frightening images and language. |
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Reviewed By: Erin Cullin
Rating: 7/10
Once upon a time, Hollywood decided that it would be fun to scare the pants off of unsuspecting film audiences. The result - the horror film.
Over the years, the horror film has undergone a significant metamorphosis. From the campy, almost comedic (at least by today's standards) classics by Boris Karloff, to the "sleep with one eye open" occult films such as The Exorcist and The Omen, to the modern-day slasher flicks such as Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw, the horror film seems to be deteriorating to the point of being unwatchable. Rather than tease its audience with suspense, the objective of the modern horror film seems to be to disturb its audience with graphic, nihilistic images.
When I saw the initial promotional trailers for 1408, I was optimistic. Billed as a "ghost story", I imagined a modern-day version of The Shining. I was more than happy to trade in the disgusting slasher flicks for an old-fashioned, suspenseful fright night.
Based upon a short story by Stephen King, 1408 tells the story of Mike Enslin, a jaded writer who has made a name for himself by authoring books rating haunted tourist attractions. Ironically, Mike Enslin does not believe in ghosts, or much else for that matter. But when he receives a mysterious postcard warning him to stay away from one haunted hotel, his curiosity is piqued - is it another hoax or is there something lurking behind the door of room 1408?
1408 is directed by Mikael Hafstrom, a European director whose film credits include a long list of foreign films and one poorly received American mainstream film called Derailed. (It was noteworthy only because, while its lead actress was in England filming, back home in America her high-profile marriage was being “derailed” by Angelina Jolie.) With 1408, Hafstrom has managed to steer his American directing career back onto the rails.
1408 is less a horror film than it is a psychological mind bender. Hafstrom has carefully constructed a study of one man’s descent into madness. Or, at least, what appears to be madness. Until the end, the audience is never quite certain whether what they are seeing is real, a drug-induced hallucination, or a product of Mike Enslin’s deteriorating mind.
This film rests principally on the performance of its lead actor, John Cusack, who spends much of his time onscreen alone. Fortunately for Cusack, the character of Mike Enslin does not stray far from the bitter, jaded, sarcastic character that he has played so well in almost every other film that he has made in the last twenty years (and, if you believe the tabloids, that he also plays in real life). This is not an outstanding performance for Cusack, but it is plausible, and he manages to carry the film with little difficulty.
The cameo performance by Samuel Jackson was one of the film’s impressive highlights. After seeing him star in Snakes on a Plane, I feared that poor Sam Jackson’s career was so far in the toilet that it would require a plumber to resurrect it. Then, miraculously, he delivered this fantastic cameo and all seemed right again in the film universe. No plumber required.
1408 is not a film for everyone. It is not a frightening thriller, but rather a suspenseful psychological piece which takes place in the mind and through the eyes of one character. If you prefer your horror films to scare you by beating you over the head, then this is not the film for you. But, if you are looking for something that will crawl into your mind and fester, then try spending an evening in room 1408. I guarantee that you will never look at a hotel room quite the same way again.
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