1408

A bit of a naive ghost story, the kind of which there have been many. And even though John Cusack is playing for dear life and all that fear is palpable, my adrenaline level didn't rise an inch during his growing madness. Besides, the filmmakers didn't know where to go and resorted to more and more obvious twists and turns, almost crossing the boundary of kitsch several times. On the other hand, they came up with a very interesting ending, which was certainly not very shocking, but it surprised me. A decent 3* for the effort, the actors and the decent atmosphere. (13/06/2012)

Of course, the short story was better. And to tell the truth, when is that not the case with Steve? By the way, today it’s King’s sixtieth birthday, so I dedicate this review to him. :-) But still it’s a quality picture and the necessary changes during filming were managed fairly... let’s say decently. I wouldn’t give it a straight A, the story was unnecessarily protracted in places. Mikael Håfström puts his money on a pretty sure winner and mainly relies on the excellent John Cusack who was absolutely great and precisely cast. I was a little unhappy that we didn’t see some of the malevolent “parts" of the room, like the distorted door or the swampy floor, but I understand that Håfström had to restrain himself and also he was only working with visual media. Samuel L. Jackson was a pleasure and acted superbly, even though I admit that I was rooting for the fat, bald Mr. Olin. A high four stars and at last I’m grateful for a horror that is terrifying even without hundreds of frights and a mass murderer. I hope that this is a sign of good times on their way. (21/09/2007)

I was expecting a cynical hero locked in a scary room. And I got a cynical hero with past trauma locked in a treacherous room, which can scare you so much that unexpected visitors will not be welcome at that moment. Even in the horror genre, there is occasionally a surprise that won't easily leave your mind and that you would gladly experience again, despite the unpleasant dose of fear. Cusack's The Raven deserves this privilege. (15/10/2008)

I like Stephen King a lot. It's just that not all adaptations of his books are excellent. Unfortunately, I haven't had the privilege of reading the book, so I can't compare this time, but if I were to rate the movie, and I probably should since I'm typing this blabber here, it would be four stars. But for what, though? For the atmosphere? John Cusack's performance? The storyline? The satisfying ending, where the wife's bulging eyes confirm that her husband really did experience something? I add it up, I scratch twice, and yeah, it's a well-deserved 4 stars. Definitely for me. (11/05/2008)

1408 is not exceptional either in terms of script quality or directorial approach, but at the same time, it is an honest genre film without unpleasant mistakes and pandering. In the flood of endless teenage massacres, inconspicuous vampire and zombie slasher films, and cheap thefts of famous films from the past, this psycho-horror feels honestly old-fashioned according to the rules of the old genre school. In addition, Cusack acts excellently and Samuel L. Jackson complements him very well in the smaller role of the hotel manager. The appropriate duration and several decent special effects scenes with a functioning atmosphere make this film an above-average work in its genre. Overall impression: 70%. (11/07/2008)