1408 (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

I picked up this DVD cuz I was looking for a great thriller and because of John Cusack and Sam Jackson. I had super expectations so I guess disappointment was inevitable. I really had no knowledge of the story so I was in away expecting a different kind of a thriller. I expected a cleverly woven story of a mysterious room that had a fantastic story behind it which unravels throughout the movie. That's not exactly it. It is about a mysterious, devil of a room. And not much else. I also hoped to be frightened out of my wits but sadly it isn't that kind of a movie either. Although there are occasions where I was startled by sudden entrances of ...ghosts?

Nevetheless, John Cusack and Sam Jackson were awesome. Sam Jackson plays the hotel manager who tries to convince John to stay away from the room - 1408. And John defies Sam's plea. This was an awesome prelude to the main plot. If the Jedi master tells you not to do something, it must be something scary. Hence the more intriguing the room became (at least to me).

For the rest of the film, it's a one man show by John Cusack and he pulls off quite a performance. The ending of the film was also quite alright.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to thrill-seekers though.

I am not a huge fan of horror. I like "thriller," but in last 25+ years most horror films have been "slasher" - blood, guts, and gore - instead of good, honest, edge of your seat psychological thriller. 1408, however, successfully returns the thriller genre to the big screen.

1408 pulls you in quickly and keeps on going. The pacing is just right. The intensity of this film is excellently timed, bringing you to your edge of your seat, and then releasing you. This rollercoaster effect actually increases the "thrill" of the thriller; you do not get numb and disconnected from constant slashing and bashing, fright and horror.

The performances are terrific. John Cusak is great as always. Samuel Jackson is riveting and appropriately spooky. The little girl, Jasmine Jessica Anthony, is extremely talented. The rest of the supporting cast does a similarly nice job.

As I said, there is very blood, guts, and gore in this film; it is a true thriller. It is the LACK of said blood, guts, and gore that gives this film its psychological edge, and prevents it from becoming a slash `em up film.

I recommend this film. For a good, old fashioned, yet up to date thriller, 1408 is the movie to see.

1408 was pretty good. Has a couple of good scares and keeps you interested throughout.

It took a while for the movie to actually get to the point. not until 30 min. in does it finally start to get exciting. I still enjoyed it.

1408= B+

it was longer than i expected and a strange twist at the end (i didn't quite get it) and this wasn't very scary, but it was cool. haunted hotel? classic!

1408's theatrical cut is just below mediocre but the director's cut is a solid four stars out of five and one of the most effective horror films in the last five to ten years. So I went with three stars to balance things. It is amazing that such little changes can have such a dramatic effect on one viewer's perception. It's a shame that the Weinstein's decided to flub 1408 and give it a sappy and cliché Hollywood ending rather than the dark and gutsy horror ending that Mikael Håfström decided to create. This is the version that you folks in Europe and South American got to see in the theaters. The director's cut certainly seems to be the real cut, as 1408 seems to move along at its own pace within that version. It is simply a film about a man who checks into a hotel and we enjoy the suspense build up as the film's main protagonist soldiers forth. Håfström clearly knows what he's doing and he is influenced by a bevy of horror's most keenly detailed films, and that is why it is such a shame that his punches are pulled by Dimension Films for the US audience. His razors are dulled, his poison is given an antidote, and his biggest attack of all is completely de-clawed. Shame on the Weinsteins and shame on the US audience that always has a hankering for these sappy moments of comforting resolve. Other than that I have no strong feelings on the matter.

The Weinsteins did do one good thing and that is to suggest the casting of the Dolphin Hotel's manager, Mr. Gerald Olin. He probably should've been played by some little old white guy with a fancy accent, but instead we get the absolutely iconic Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is surely one of my favorite actors and it is simply because I enjoy watching him in anything he is in, and 1408 is no exception. Jackson is like Jack Nicholson, he can play anything but it seems that creeping perpetually underneath every character he plays is a little bit of Sam winking at the audience as if to say "it's me again". Olin is the formulaic old man who warns the kids not to go into that house or stay at that camp, and no one listens. The problem is Jackson, as an icon, is traditionally such a great intimadator, but here he is the intimidated and yet he carries the same confidence in 1408 that he carries anywhere else. He warns ghost skeptic and author Mike Enslin, played by the equally enjoyable John Cusack (if you don't believe me I recommend seeing Grace Is Gone) that his quest to find physical or visual validation of the supernatural will end in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel, but it will very likely mean the end of Enslin's life as well. 1408 is an extremely evil room. It would have to be if not even Jackson will go inside.

The screenplay is great and it is based on a Stephen King short story I'm only familiar with by name. The music in this film is outstanding and works the suspense triggers with the pace perfectly. Enslin is a loner, who the audience will either like or dislike, but his character is very strong and Cusack plays him as if the audience could take him or leave him as a viable hero. The scenes with Cusack and Jackson together are very enjoyable to watch as the two are such dramatically different actors and their characters are so fundamentally strong and so fundamentally in opposition of each other within the context of this story. These scenes work to further heighten your curiosity. What the hell is going on inside room 1408 anyway!? Don't you worry, the Weinsteins will protect you.