1408 (2007) DVDRiP Nowme.avi

like a very good feature-length episode of the Twilight Zone: surrealism and 'gotchas' at every corner, 24 June 2007


Author: Filmjack3 from United States

It's a hit or miss thing with Stephen King movies. Sometimes there's an exceptional effort by someone with a really strong vision
(eg Kubrick, De Palma), but then there are also some big blunders (Dreamcatcher comes first to mind). And then there are those that
sort of lie right in the middle, as decent, unpretentious but unremarkable efforts that chill or spill into your living room or movie
theater. 1408 isn't a great thriller, but for King fans it'll likely be one of the most faithful- or at least feel faithful- efforts to
date, and as such it's pretty creepy and a sure-fire "gotcha" machine. The premise is vintage King: a cynical writer (Cusack) who's
books go over the paranormal (with the exception of a personal book about a father and son), and gets sent an anonymous postcard about


It all leads up to a few good twists and turns, but good being the important word here. Unlike the unsuccessful pot-boiler Identity,
which also (regrettably) starred Cusack, this isn't contrived for the sake of it. The sudden images of a man with an ax swinging at
Elson, the images of ghosts jumping out of the windows (one of them, which I found extraordinary, was shown with the same marks that
come with an old movie print), isolation enhanced by a lack of windows to either side, and that bottle of booze. Spiked? Probably
not- this is a thrill-ride predicated on lightning-fast imagery, but too fast (it isn't Saw thank goodness), and Elsin's past,
notably the death of his daughter. It's usually a conceit that the filmmaker puts in to have the central character to have a dark
past loaded with sadness, but here it works effectively in how gradually it all comes out, and how the fear/acceptance of death is
something just as, if not more-so, terrifying than anything else the room has to offer.

As I said, not a great film, as sometimes it has that feel of an all-too well-oiled machine by director Mikael Håfström,
edging on feeling like there's a checklist somewhere of things to happen in the room to Elsin. But, as mentioned, it doesn't
come off as being too unsurprising. On the contrary, there is some originality to how the special effects team- via Cusack, going
through many modes of acting like it's a powerhouse audition- bring out the best of what can be offered with a horror-show amusement
park. It may be in part like a ghost house, but it's a fun and exciting one, and more watchable than any other PG-13 horror film I've
seen in a while. 7.5/10