Written by: Ashtyn at 2:05 pm
We’re going to start the 31 Days of Horror Movies on Literary Illusions with the newly released film inspired by a Stephen King short story entitled, 1408.
I admit it. I have been a fan of Stephen King’s for years. I have also been a fan of John Cusack ever since his film appearance in the John Hughes 80s classic, Sixteen Candles. I must admit, I never thought that Stephen King and John Cusack might actually have something in common, but they do. They both worked on the film 1408. From the moment I heard this movie was being made I wanted to see it, but after the last few mediocre films inspired from King’s novels (Dreamcatcher anyone?) I was anxious to find out whether this was going to be the same caliber of films like Carrie, Misery, and Cujo or if it was going to be a disappointment.
1408 is based on the short story written by King by the same title. The story was adapted for screen by Matt Greenberg and Scott Alexander. Despite the adaptation, this movie screams Stephen King. As the King of horror, this is the type of psychologically twisted drama the audience should expect from his work. This movie made an excellent adaption (albeit some minor issues with flow when it came to the main character’s back story and the reality of the film). Nevertheless, you can expect to jump a few times and be surprised at more than one unexpected moment when watching this film.
In 1408, Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is a skeptic who also happens to be a writer. Though it is not clear at the beginning, we find out that a family tragedy, specifically the death of his young daughter, has caused a change in Enslin. While his earlier work was incredibly moving, these days he has set out to prove paranormal activity is false, on his own personal quest of self-destruction and disbelief beyond this plane of existence. It is clear that Enslin has lost faith in life as well as in himself, which has led to the breakup of his marriage and movement from an excellent to a sub par writing career.
Enslin is particularly interested in travelling to supposedly haunted hotels on a quest to debunk the myths that make these hotels popular travel destinations. Then he documents the false claims of haunting in his books. He’s certain nothing terrible has really happened in his hotels, so sure that when he hears about the Dolphin Hotel’s haunted room, 1408, he is willing to have his agent’s lawyer do anything they can to get him into that room.
Enslin must travel back to New York from his home in California. This is a place he tried to escape when his daughter, Katie (Jasmine Jessica Anthony), died. This is the city where his wife, Lily (Mary McCormack), whom he abandoned, still lives. Despite not wanting to make contact with Lily, what happens in 1408 thrusts Lily and Katie back into his life, regardless of the pain he feels at having to relive the memories that tore the family apart.
As you might have guessed, Enslin makes it into room 1408, despite the repeated warnings by hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), who won’t even set foot near the room. For all intents and purposes, from the time Enslin enters the room, he is on his own. All he knows is no one has lasted an hour in 1408 and he is going to set out to prove why he’s about to be the first. Unfortunately, there will be a price he must pay (there always is when it relates to a King story) and just when he thinks the horror is over, he finds out it’s truly just begun.
The acting for the film was amazing. I knew John Cusack could act, but you so rarely see him in this type of film. In 1408, he was believable. He played a vulnerable yet ultimately likeable character that made some really stupid mistakes to mess up his life. You rooted for him throughout the movie and felt sorry for him during the more poignant moments. As supporting actors, young Jasmine Jessica Anthony did quite well and McCormack and Jackson (as always) were well cast, but ultimately Cusack had to carry this film for it to work. Luckily, he did just that and made me respect him much more as an actor. I hope he does more roles like this in the future.
The audio and video quality for 1408 is stunning. The effects, which I assume are CGI or some other digital format, are both superb and believable. The film is available on DVD in the original aspect ratio format of 2.35: 1. The Dolby Digital audio 5.1 is perfect for surround sound, which just adds to the horror aspect of this film. I watched it on our big screen TV, so I must admit I was gripping my boyfriend’s arm at more than a few parts in this film. I love horror flicks and have been a fan since I saw my first horror film at five years old. This film truly gave me a chance to jump and I loved every moment I spent watching 1408.
If you like special features, you will love 1408. This is the two disc collector’s edition and it is chocked full of bonus features to please any horror fan. On Disc 1 you can check out two featurettes. There is a special feature where you learn about John Cusack’s role in this film. It’s called “John Cusack on 1408”. The other featurette is a behind the scenes look at the 1408 set called “Inside Room 1408”. On Disc Two, you can watch the Extended Director’s Cut of 1408. Feel free to turn on audio commentary during this 112-minute version of the film, which is offered by the writers of the film and director, Mikael Hafstrom.
The extended cut provides more thrills, more moments between the various characters, and the possibility for an alternative ending from the theatrical release. This box set is ultimately your chance to have two versions of this film in one DVD package. Disc 2 also contains deleted scenes and more featurettes. On the list of featurettes there is, “The Production Design”, “The Characters”, “The Director” and “The Physical Effects”. With so many bonus features, 1408 is well worth the money you will pay to own this film.
Bottom Line: If you love Stephen King, horror films, or even John Cusack as an actor, then you need to check out 1408. You may be the most surprised by Cusack’s role, but with such an excellent job in the acting department it won’t take long for Cusack to win you over as you root for him to survive the horrors he ensures in 1408.
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Technorati Tags: Halloween, DVD, Scary Movies, 1408, John Cusack, Stephen King, Horror, Hotel, DVD Review
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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