1408
This week Mike and I went out to the dollar theater with Scott and Shanna to watch the supernatural, horror, suspense, thriller 1408. I heard that it was incredibly frightening so I was a little hesitant to see it. I used to really enjoy a good horror movie, especially if it was disturbing and left me thinking. But for the past year or so, I haven't been able to stomach too many horror flicks. The movie is based on a short story by Stephen King from the book Everything's Eventual. However, I didn't
know that until after the movie, and if I would've known before hand, I probably wouldn't have watched it since I'm not that into King's work. The movie starts out pretty slow as you get to know Michael Enslin (John Cusack), a washed up author who writes about hauntings, yet doesn't believe in the supernatural. He's been to several hotels claiming to be haunted, but he's never actually seen a ghost or witnessed any paranormal activity. He gets a postcard from an anonymous somebody telling him not to stay in room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel located in NYC. Obviously, he doesn't take the advice and ends up determined to reserve that particular room at all costs. Despite strict orders to stay away from room 1408 by the hotel manager (played by Samuel L. Jackson) he finally retrieves the key and stays in the room. The first little while everything seems normal, but then weird things start to happen. Granted, there were some scary images, and even a few cool scenes, but for the most part, I wasn't a big fan of the movie. I suppose I was so tense anticipating something really creepy, that when I finally realized the movie was more trippy than scary, I was a little disappointed. One thing that I didn't like about the movie is that it never explained why room 1408 is the way it is. Is it haunted by a ghost or just an evil entity of some kind? How much of it is in the imagination and how much of it is real? What happened there? A lot of people died, but why? Who or what did it? The questions were never fully answered. The movie was worth the buck fifty we paid for it, if only to get out of the house and spend some time with friends. Overall I just felt like it was one never ending bad dream sequence, and I wasn't too broken up when the credits finally rolled.
know that until after the movie, and if I would've known before hand, I probably wouldn't have watched it since I'm not that into King's work. The movie starts out pretty slow as you get to know Michael Enslin (John Cusack), a washed up author who writes about hauntings, yet doesn't believe in the supernatural. He's been to several hotels claiming to be haunted, but he's never actually seen a ghost or witnessed any paranormal activity. He gets a postcard from an anonymous somebody telling him not to stay in room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel located in NYC. Obviously, he doesn't take the advice and ends up determined to reserve that particular room at all costs. Despite strict orders to stay away from room 1408 by the hotel manager (played by Samuel L. Jackson) he finally retrieves the key and stays in the room. The first little while everything seems normal, but then weird things start to happen. Granted, there were some scary images, and even a few cool scenes, but for the most part, I wasn't a big fan of the movie. I suppose I was so tense anticipating something really creepy, that when I finally realized the movie was more trippy than scary, I was a little disappointed. One thing that I didn't like about the movie is that it never explained why room 1408 is the way it is. Is it haunted by a ghost or just an evil entity of some kind? How much of it is in the imagination and how much of it is real? What happened there? A lot of people died, but why? Who or what did it? The questions were never fully answered. The movie was worth the buck fifty we paid for it, if only to get out of the house and spend some time with friends. Overall I just felt like it was one never ending bad dream sequence, and I wasn't too broken up when the credits finally rolled.
1 comment:
i've heard of that movie but didn't know it was based on that story. that was my least favorite story in the compilation. the imagery in the store is very cool - his powers of description are pretty incredible - but i also don't really appreciate stories that don't have a more definitive plot. it can work fine in a short story, but it must be even worse in a movie. also, movies of king's work are always botched beyond recognition. too bad.
in that same compilation there is a story about a man who wakes up after a snake bite to find that he's about to have an autopsy permormed on him. i was very interested to see that that actually happened recently, i believe in south america. not with a snake bite, but the man was in an accident and they thought he was dead and started the autopsy. when they cut him he started to bleed and they knew he was alive. that particular scar is sure to make you a hit with the ladies, eh?
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