1408

(2007)
Directed by:
Cast:

Samuel Jackson – Geral Olin
John Cusack – Mike Enslin
Mary McCormack - Lily Enslin

Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is a skeptical writer of books on haunted houses and hotels. But after all who could blame him - he’s never seen a ghost let alone heard one unexplained “bump” in the night. He writes off all the stories as just that - stories to help promote business at hotels. One hotel that doesn’t need the publicity but has just such a rap is the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. No one is allowed to check in to it and supposedly more dead people come out of it than a morgue. Samuel Jackson plays the ill-suited role of the hotel manager who tries to bribe Mike not to stay in the room for his own sake. As he says: “no one has lasted more than an hour.” In the end Mike is firm in his standing. There are “no such things as ghosts” he tells him.
The suspense that is built up when Mike opens the door is quite a bit. Hitchcock would have been proud. We expect to see ghosts around every corner and skeletons hanging in the closets. But the room itself is ordinary enough on first appearance; nothing more than a quaint upscale New-England style decor. The only thing wrong with it seems to be a broken thermostat. When Mike has his back turned the toilet paper is replaced and chocolates appear on his bed. Not so bad - just a friendly house-maid ghost we think. Things take a turn for the sinister however when his hand is cut by a closing window. When he tries to wash it the faucet gushes a torrent of scalding water. Mike was unsettled by the chocolates and toilet paper enough - now he is near hysterical and wants out. Yes, unfortunately this character has the backbone of a snail. Things only get worse as a crazed women pops out of the corners to slash Mike to death. This I thought was the scariest “apparition” the others, which are displayed in glorious Technicolor and flicker are almost laughable.
This is no unorganized conglomeration of ghosts however, as it seems to goal of this rooms evil presence is to drive Mike mad. It tortures him with scenes of his father, near the end of his life and his young daughter who has, conveniently enough, some incurable fatal illness. The room itself turns inside out - it floods, it snows, it is charred beyond recognition. But it is all inside his head. Mr. Enslin by this time is a nervous wreck and tries getting in touch with his divorced wife to get help. This is not the first person I’d call if I were in this situation if you get my drift, but after all he has lost his mind at this point and we can forgive him. After seeing The Shining I can not help but note the similarities. They are by the same author of course but I think he is reusing his material a little too much. This movie seems to be just a condensed version of that classic - condensed in every way; from a hotel to a room, from a period of several weeks to one hour. There is also the familiar triad of father, mother, child & a limited number of characters. To its advantage it takes some interesting turns & the set designers really have done an excellent job bringing the story to screen.
2 1/2stars