Movie Review of 1408

Mike Enslin's (John Cusack) ritual with his cigarette is an obvious detail within the movie, something like a cue towards a climax of the 14o8 movie. On his first assignment in the 14o8 movie, he visits a claimed haunted hotel room but failed to find any paranormal activities. Some scenes during his book signing were mixed with the scenes of him doing his research in the previously visited hotel room to strengthen his claim of the non existence of ghosts. Well, very wrong is he soon to be in the 14o8 movie.

Additionally, the mixing of scenes makes the 14o8 movie interesting by capturing the viewer's imagination. Variety is created like in the scene where he was surfing which at first seemed like a breakaway from the storyline of ghost haunting. One would not expect the surfing scene to play a significant role in the 14o8 movie but as we all know, scenes usually have a way to relate to each other in good movies.

Soon after, Mr.Enslin receives a mysterious postcard about the haunted 14o8 room in Dolphin Hotel, New York. The sum of all numbers in 14o8 added together equals the number 13 which adds to the ghostly cliché. Upon arriving to the hotel, the hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) even tries to offer him a penthouse suite rather than have him stay overnight in the 14o8 room. It is the only most significant presence of Samuel L. Jackson in the 14o8 movie. Nonetheless, his brief presence brings the 1408 movie up to another level.

Since his book publisher had a lawyer who was compelled to exercise the rights of being able to stay in the room, Mr.Enslin was more compelled to stay in the accursed 14o8 room. Believing that the manager was selling him the mystique, Mr.Enslin takes his assignment just like any other up to a point. The "evil room" as described by the manager starts to act up after a few minutes of Mr.Enslin being in the room. "Surprise, surprise, Mr.Enslin", said the evil room.
Every logical reason he can muster is voided with more paranormal occurrences. Hallucinations & vivid nightmares bombard him; Mr. Enslin begins to lose the distinction between his nightmare & reality. The situation transforms into a losing battle for him against the evil room, 14o8.

Clock radio starts by itself & the toilet paper folds anew. The 14o8 room heats up as he describes his experience. As he begins his paranormal research with his tools, the flashing images of previous victims correspond into view as though reminding him of past horrors. The radio clock suddenly starts a one hour timer & his nightmarish experience becomes more profound in the 14o8 movie. The writer decides to give up his quest & skepticism when he injures his left hand at the sash window.

However, it is too late as the evil room tasted his blood & wants to keep him in the room longer or presumably, at least until he commits suicide as like other previous victims in the room. The Plot Thickens in the 14o8 movie. The ghost book writer tries to reason the strange phenomenon but to no avail.

More like the room is trying to re-instill or rebuild whatever belief of the afterlife that remained in Mr. Enslin since his daughter's death. Suiting intent indeed since Mr. Enslin is a hardcore skeptic regarding anything related to the afterlife. It also seems that the evil 14o8 room also has the skill of architectural manipulation & places the room in the middle of enclosed walls of the hotel.

Additionally the room has the ability to change into a holographic & weather simulation platform. Among others, the evil room creates sub-zero temperatures & snow in the room. Most profound is how the memories of his deceased daughter in his home become infused into the 14o8 room. What a versatile evil room in the 14o8 movie.

Thereafter, the story of the 14o8 movie just starts becoming ridiculous. It is up to the producer's creativity to make many horror scenes in a single room & which he did even though the horror scenes can be described as subdued. Well, at least watching the 14o8 movie won't scare the children until they can't sleep at night.

The climate in the evil room changes into freezing winter, an earthquake rocks the room, & a sea storm comes out of the painting on the wall. Seems like a theme park ride, yes? Perhaps only Disney's Haunted Mansion in Orlando, Florida can provide such a vivid & abrupt change in a controlled environment. A bizarre twist ensues in the 14o8 movie as Mr.Enslin finds himself back at the surfboard in Los Angeles with his estranged wife, Lily Enslin (Mary McCormack). He suspects something amiss as the waitress in the restaurant looks similar to one of the victims of room 14o8.

Mr. Enslin then disappointingly ends up in the evil room once again & is close to losing his sanity. The room continues to play with his most sensitive emotions especially concerning his daughter. There seems to be no ending to his trauma in the 14o8 room. Well, at least until the one hour & 45 minutes length of the 14o8 movie is over. The evil room offers him a way out by having him commit suicide or threatens to make him relive the ghastly hour over & over again.

Thank goodness the ending scenes of the 14o8 movie finally materializes as some viewers may choose the express check out option of switching off the movie not because it was scary but because it would be more fun to experience it in real life at the Haunted Mansion in Orlando's Disney theme park.

Finally Mr. Enslin burns the room to rid of the evil which wants to kill him. The writer reconciles with his estranged wife & listens to his half fried voice recorder. To his & his wife's amazement, they heard a recording of their daughter's conversation with him in the evil 14o8 room.

I am surprised to see MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer), the makers of the hit movie 14o8 also made the borderline 'B' grade movie, Species: Awakening (Species 4) which was released recently. Well, we can not expect all the projects of big movie companies to be a hit. Anyway, the 14o8 movie is directed by Micheal Hafstrom.

Micheal Hafstrom's work is fantastic. You should see how he manages to direct a movie which is mostly about a single haunted hotel room to become interesting as in the 14o8 movie. I reckon the layout of the two roomed suite of 14o8 helped a lot too. Maybe Species 4 would have done better with him in the director's seat.