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Amazon.co.uk Review
Conclusive proof both that one man can power a horror film, and also that John Cusack is one of the most believable actors of his generation, 1408 is an entertaining and surprisingly effective Stephen King adaptation, albeit one that runs out of steam by the final reel.
The premise finds Cusack’s character as an author of paranormal books, even though he doesn’t believe in such things himself. However, when researching his latest work, he checks into the mysterious room 1408 at The Dolphin Hotel in New York, managed by Samuel L Jackson in an effective cameo. But room 1408 is a room where nobody has lasted more than an hour in it, and thus Cusack considers it the perfect location for some book research.
It’s in the build up of its premise where 1408 is very much at its strongest. Cusack is a compelling guide through the story, and the film delivers some effective chills and jumps as the tension ratchets up. Into the final act and this control is relaxed, and as a result some of the potential is wasted, but you’re still hard-pushed to feel short-changed as the credits role. For 1408 proves to be both an effective little horror film, and one of the best Stephen King adaptations in many, many years. --Simon Brew
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Whilst I could comment on many films that I have watched over the years, I have never felt more compelled to do so than now.
1408 is brilliant. It kept my family and I on the edge of our seats from start to finish. There are so many things that I could say about the movie, but I would hate to spoil it for you. Just watch it and make sure that you have the surround sound system turned up.
1408 is brilliant. It kept my family and I on the edge of our seats from start to finish. There are so many things that I could say about the movie, but I would hate to spoil it for you. Just watch it and make sure that you have the surround sound system turned up.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Based on one the short stories from Stephen King in his 2002 collection "Everything's Eventual", '1408' is about an author named Mike Enslin (played by John Cusack) who is writing the next book in his series called The 10 Most Haunted Hotels. Enslin is losing his belief in the supernatural though as he has never actually seen a ghost. Then one day he receives an anonymous postcard telling him not to stay in room 1408 at The Dolphin Hotel in New York.
After convicing the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson) to let him stay in 1408 and being warned that no one who has stayed in the room lasts longer than an hour, Enslin begins to see ghosts of the people that have been killed or died in the room and also experiences ghosts from his own past.
Everyone knows that King's film adaptions usually aren't that good, especially the ones from his short stories (with the exception of Stand by Me/The Body) but 1408 is actually a very creepy and well thought out film. Once Enslin gets into room 1408 things get very strange indeed and may be a little confusing at times, but all does make sense in the end.
Cusack does and excellent job in his role as Enslin and made me wonder what he was thinking about when acting out the part as he does seem genuinely terrified throughout the whole ordeal.
Overall this is a scary, weird and exciting supernatural thriller that both fans of Stephen King and the horror genre in general should enjoy. There's plenty of clever special effects and lots of scares and enough to keep you thinking from start to finish.
After convicing the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson) to let him stay in 1408 and being warned that no one who has stayed in the room lasts longer than an hour, Enslin begins to see ghosts of the people that have been killed or died in the room and also experiences ghosts from his own past.
Everyone knows that King's film adaptions usually aren't that good, especially the ones from his short stories (with the exception of Stand by Me/The Body) but 1408 is actually a very creepy and well thought out film. Once Enslin gets into room 1408 things get very strange indeed and may be a little confusing at times, but all does make sense in the end.
Cusack does and excellent job in his role as Enslin and made me wonder what he was thinking about when acting out the part as he does seem genuinely terrified throughout the whole ordeal.
Overall this is a scary, weird and exciting supernatural thriller that both fans of Stephen King and the horror genre in general should enjoy. There's plenty of clever special effects and lots of scares and enough to keep you thinking from start to finish.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Not entirely bad, but very different from original Stephen King's story and inferior to it
4 Mar 2011
Format:DVD
"1408" is one of the best short stories in Stephen King's working career (and he writes a lot and well) but this adaptation is very different from the original and the changes - in my modest opinion - harmed this movie, which could be a masterpiece instead of just another horror film.
In case if you didn't read the story (available in the collection "Everything is eventual") or saw this movie, I do not want to provide any spoilers, so I will not go into the details of the plot - let's just say that this is a tale about a professional "ghost hunter" who stays in places supposedly haunted to debunk the myths and then write about his experiences. After many years of doing that he finally finds one place, a hotel room, which is very different from all the others supposedly "haunted" or "cursed" places he ever saw... Both the story and the film describe his short but eventful stay in room 1408....
As I already said the original story is excellent and EXTREMELY scary! It reminded me of some of H.P. Lovecraft short stories and also of one long passage in one of the earlier Stephen King's book, "Dark Tower III, the Wastelands". In the story the solution is very logical and almost believable (a little hint here - think about how polar bears, who live in the world of icecap, hunt seals, who live in the world of the sea...). The movie is very different from the story, no matter which of the alternate endings you choose, and the result is much less convincing. My advice, if you do not want to have your pleasure spoiled, is to watch the movie first and only THEN read the story - because if you do it in different order, the movie will not taste all that good anymore.
The film is not without merit. John Cusack gives here a very good performance. As it is mostly a "one man show", Samuel Jackson can not really show all his talent, because his appearance is brief. The events which occur in room 1408 are quite creepy and there is at least one VERY scary scene - but sadly, because of the changes in the story made for the needs of this movie, we are also frequently taken out of the room for flashbacks, and they are simply depressing and boring. The character played by Mary McCormack, which doesn't even appear in the original story, is distracting us from the mainline plot rather than adding to it.
So, to conclude, this movie, although honest, is not a real success - if you want to see a really great recent adaptation of Stephen King works, try "The Mist"! That one is REALLY good!
In case if you didn't read the story (available in the collection "Everything is eventual") or saw this movie, I do not want to provide any spoilers, so I will not go into the details of the plot - let's just say that this is a tale about a professional "ghost hunter" who stays in places supposedly haunted to debunk the myths and then write about his experiences. After many years of doing that he finally finds one place, a hotel room, which is very different from all the others supposedly "haunted" or "cursed" places he ever saw... Both the story and the film describe his short but eventful stay in room 1408....
As I already said the original story is excellent and EXTREMELY scary! It reminded me of some of H.P. Lovecraft short stories and also of one long passage in one of the earlier Stephen King's book, "Dark Tower III, the Wastelands". In the story the solution is very logical and almost believable (a little hint here - think about how polar bears, who live in the world of icecap, hunt seals, who live in the world of the sea...). The movie is very different from the story, no matter which of the alternate endings you choose, and the result is much less convincing. My advice, if you do not want to have your pleasure spoiled, is to watch the movie first and only THEN read the story - because if you do it in different order, the movie will not taste all that good anymore.
The film is not without merit. John Cusack gives here a very good performance. As it is mostly a "one man show", Samuel Jackson can not really show all his talent, because his appearance is brief. The events which occur in room 1408 are quite creepy and there is at least one VERY scary scene - but sadly, because of the changes in the story made for the needs of this movie, we are also frequently taken out of the room for flashbacks, and they are simply depressing and boring. The character played by Mary McCormack, which doesn't even appear in the original story, is distracting us from the mainline plot rather than adding to it.
So, to conclude, this movie, although honest, is not a real success - if you want to see a really great recent adaptation of Stephen King works, try "The Mist"! That one is REALLY good!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Half-decent, but a worse cut
I remember watching 1408 in the cinema, and found it to be a genuinely scary film. Admittedly, many of those scares came from jumpy moments, but then the horror would continue,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. E. G. J. Smith
Great
Great film, interesting and different. I had seen this before I bought it so I knew how it ended but what confused me was the ending to this version is different to the original.
Published 6 months ago by Carly Johnson
Good attempt
This is a film that starts out well - very well - but loses its way after a while. You can tell this because the film had alternate endings, always a sign that the studio can't... Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Rottweiller Swinburne
What a film
Theres no point going on and on and on. This is one hell of a great movie, something that i have watched over and over again and wont get bored of this film. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Free Lurch Drummer
This DVD is not new!!!!!!! Its a rental copy
So, why Amazon don't say that this movie is not a new DVD. I think its not correct to sell 2nd hand stuff in this case a rental DVD without a note. Read more
Published 9 months ago by spencman3
Good movie, poor alternative ending version!
This is a good movie made even better on bluray but there are two versions with different endings and unfortunately this copy has the bad ending which was shown initially in the US... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Sam Todd
Surprising twist.
Very original, in these times of remakes. John Cussack makes a very convincing ghost buster looking for the ultimate haunted hotel. He finds it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by pchee1
Hmmmm
Frightening? Sometimes. Surreal? Very much so. Disappointing? I'm afraid so. I ordered this on the back off high reviews but felt a bit let down, it seems to value surreal imagery... Read more
Published 13 months ago by philwint
Dissapointed
Very dissapointed in this film. Confusing to say the least. The film left alot to be desired, no thrills or suspense. Boring plot. There are far more better films out there.
Published 13 months ago by Eren Lakeman
1408, he should have picked another room....
Mike Enslin, played by John Cusack, is a sceptical writer of the paranormal. He travels all over America in the hope of finding signs of paranormal activity but usually ends up... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Oliver H Willis
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