Film Review: Stephen King’s ‘1408′

By: DThompson | in: Movies |

Stephen King 1408

Though the movie 1408 is as true to the Stephen King short story it’s based on as you could expect, and though that story is a good story, 1408 is not really a very good movie. The problem, as I see it, it that haunted whatever films are fairly rote by now. What could you possibly do to create something cinematically fresh yet still frightening? (Actually, for an example of something you could do try watching The Messengers, just out on DVD).
Allow me to digress, as I often do, to a personal story that may seem to be utterly irrelevant but will soon be revealed as entirely pertinent to the subject at hand.
Years (and years) before I was born my Aunt made chili for dinner, and my parents dropped by unannounced so Aunt Marilyn thought “No big deal.” and added two cups of water to the chili. Then my dad’s friend Don Loversky came by and she added another cup of water. Soon my Uncle Len’s brother Wally knocked on the door and in went another cup. Eventually, after a few more friends and relatives showed up what everyone was getting for dinner was a bowl of warm reddish water with a bean in it.

1408 Stephen King

Many authors, Stephen King included, have put forth the opinion that the short story is the ideal literary form for horror, as it is difficult to maintain fear in a reader over the course of the hundreds of pages a novel requires. I don’t know if I completely agree with that, but I do know that padding short stories out to feature film length is a lot like my Aunt adding another cup of water to the chili every time someone new dropped in. Eventually you end up with some desperately thin chili, or a movie with good scares and a lot of dead space between them.
In 1408’s favor, it tries to avoid cliché; more successfully in its first half than its second when it gives in to seemingly every tired, creaky stereotype in the book, all at the same time. Also on the plus side, 1408 has two good performances. One by John Cusack as depressed supernatural author Mike Ensler, who true to standard form, doesn’t believe in ghosts but soon will. And even better, a scenery chewing turn by Samuel L. Jackson as The Dolphin Hotel’s manager, who gets the film’s single best line.
“It’s just an evil fucking room.”
Even though Jackson’s role is really a monologue and little more than a glorified cameo, it sets your expectations for the remainder of the film very high indeed. And it’s not like what ensues isn’t terrible. It is. But, it’s also utterly predictable. So when 1408 wants to elicit chills it just gets a kind of ho-hum shrug of the shoulders.

1408 Stephen King

The film is confined to the inside of room 1408 for about two thirds of its running time and it’s commendable that director Mikael Hafstrom keeps the room refreshingly well lit for as long as he does. Unfortunately, he’s no Stanley Kubrick and this is no The Shining and so eventually you get darkness and you get water stains and peeling wallpaper and you get bored.
The film’s greatest flaw is engaging in emotional character development when it should be going for the big finish. Character development is necessary for audience identification, but you really should engage in it at the start of your movie, not at the payoff. You could call a climax where you do nothing but learn how a character feels about his dead daughter (hint: he feels sad) fairly anticlimactic. And, if you’ve seen this movie, you will. In fact, if all you call the end of this film is “anti-climactic” I’d say 1408 is getting off easy.

VERDICT: Fun Setup, Poor Execution

Movie Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKqPlIFokig

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Posted on June 23, 2007

Comments

21 Responses to “Film Review: Stephen King’s ‘1408′”

chris on June 23rd, 2007 7:20 pm

you should really learn how to write before you do a review. Did you graduate high school yet?

Deb on June 23rd, 2007 9:20 pm

We went to the movie today and I enjoyed “1408″ quite a bit more than I usually do with “spooky” movies. Stephen King movies don’t usually live up to his writing but I feel that the review was pretty much on target, the ending just didn’t do it for me. That doesn’t mean that I felt my money was not well spent, I would give it 3 1/2 stars.

Charbarred on June 24th, 2007 3:43 am

Chris, I have it in good authority that D Thompson has graduated from kindergarten. He has recently received 3 gold stars from his teacher for a wonderful drawing of his house.

Ipodwheels @ Auto Parts for Brains on June 24th, 2007 5:51 am

Chris,

Since your at it, please be reminded that sentences start with capital letters. I think I learned that in grade school.

Reviews are opinions expressed on facts based on personal experience. I dunno, but if you’re going to diss on someone, you might as well provide some explanation.

I have not yet seen the movie, but the trailer looks promising. I just hope it does not turn out to be a bore, like many Stephen King adapted movies. I wonder when we will have something to the ranks of Misery.

Keep on writing D.

scott on June 24th, 2007 10:07 am

” Since your at it, please be reminded that sentences start with capital letters. I think I learned that in grade school. ”

YOU’RE not your. THAT is a pre-kindergarten mistake.
Are you from the Mid-West?

lucy on June 25th, 2007 10:02 pm

dude who gives a shit if its a kindergarten or high school mistake

Zac on June 27th, 2007 1:02 pm

Ive just watched the film and i persoanlly enjoyed it, i think people expect too much of Adapted King films because his writing is top notch, to accept it as just another horror film means more enjoyment all around, but in whatever way you look at it, i thought it was a very good flick and im very glad i watched it.

Spomarepresent on June 29th, 2007 3:52 am

trailer looks good….but film can be wack…

Itax on June 29th, 2007 2:06 pm

Speaking as one who personally knows the author of the review, he’s my brother but thats another story. I just wanted to say to chris that yes D. did graduate from his All-American high school at age 16. I know for a fact that he has crapped things with more insightful critiques then you are apparently capable of. Sorry for my juvenile posting but family is very important to me and a cheap slanderous attack will be met with an equal amount of cheapness on my part. To quote Khan Noonian Singh poorly, “From the depths of hell I spit my hate at thee.” See D. me write good.

Carolyn on July 9th, 2007 2:09 am

I don’t care what this reviewer says, I thought it was a damn good movie.

Kas on July 16th, 2007 7:10 pm

Cliche or not, it wasn’t half bad. One of the better movies I’ve seen lately and about fifty times better than the original short story, which was severely lacking on content. I feel the screenwriters did a hell of a job of taking a mediocre short story and turning it into a decent, well-developed film.

jenny on August 10th, 2007 11:29 am

what the fuck was that ending about???????????????

iustina on August 22nd, 2007 8:35 am

I like the song from that radio in the movie 1408,can somebody tell me who sings it? Thx:*:*:*:*

DThompson on August 22nd, 2007 11:08 pm

That’s “We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Capenters, justina. It isn’t featured on the soundtrack to 1408 but I’m sure it would be on any Carpenters Greatest Hits CD.

Myrna on January 18th, 2008 2:50 pm

Im not really an easy to scare person but i got to accept that sthepen king knows how to work up your mind. He makes you wait and he feeds you with spooky stuff and in all the anticipation for something to happend i got really anxious and uncalmed. And then i noticed that everybody was holding their partner or just sinked into their chairs. it was scary but funny. and the whole story is sooo Stephen King, when you think everyting is gone then your back again deeper in the problem… Thas why at the end i wasnt sure if i should believe that everything was solved. But then again thats Sthephen King style.

amanda on February 21st, 2008 1:18 pm

This is one of my favorite movies.
Seriously, I thought it was amazing, and not only did it scare me…it made me like…depressed after..lol.
Like..holy shit..

Jennifer on April 2nd, 2008 8:01 am

I loved this movie, even though the short story was, of course, much better. In fact all of the short stories from Everything’s Eventual were great. I’m a huge Stephen King fan, so I’m pretty biased. However, I do see where you are coming from, D.Thompson. It seemed to be a little longer than it should have been. And although I liked each individual aspect of the movie. Maybe a few things could have been left out.

Inge on November 8th, 2008 4:36 pm

This review is right on the money.
I really enjoy king’s stories but the movie version of 1408 really didn’t do it for me.
As he said,the plotlines are so predictable!
My heart jumped a couple times when something loud happened but that’s about it.In between these moments of action I was really bored.
The ending fucking suckt. Totally anti-climactic
(oh and if anybody finds mistakes in my english, I think it can be overlooked since I don’t usually speak english…just for those who enjoy pointing them out)
well written review

Michelle on April 17th, 2009 2:03 pm

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That being said, this review appeared on the first page of a search engine, so people are bound to read it. That gives the author a certain responsibility to write something with a degree of thought behind it.

Much of the horror market has morphed into something resembling torture porn. When the audience looks away from the scene it’s because something disgusting is happening, not because there’s any gut emotional reaction to the systematic mutilation of a fellow human being. Physical pain is revered as the most awesome torture, perhaps because so few of us have experienced it in this era.

Converting a well written story to the big screen is always a little tricky. People read with the expectation that they may have to dredge up some small degree of intelligent thought. Apparently, the horror genre has been reduced to a garish carnival of flashing lights and gore.

King wove together a truly horrifying story. The main character was tortured not by a hick with a chainsaw, but by an entity able to ransack his mind and manifest the protagonist’s worst nightmares into things he could touch and feel. Fifty-six people chose death over the brand of torture that the room wove around them. The choice between life and death was always in the protagonist’s hands. And, as they say, dying is easy; living is hard.

The movie was engaging and terrifying. It identified the everyday torture that was dragging the character into an emotionally numb, hopeless state and amplified it to a relentless, fever pitched urgency. It fostered a deep sense of empathy with the protagonist because his pain was universal. At the same time, the terror and agony was hopeful. The existence of a malevolent evil gave the protagonist a renewed sense of wonder and depth to his world.

There were plenty of horrifying images and frantic moments. If the audience allowed itself to truly be swept away by story and character, the events transpiring on the screen were riveting and terrifying. To say that it was “not really a very good movie” because it failed to startle often enough is a reflection of the watcher, not the movie itself.

Saying that it was anti-climatic because the movie ended with character growth and resolution is ludicrous. Those anti-climatic meanderings were the heart of the story. Without a thinking, feeling protagonist, a horror movie is nothing more than an elaborate slaughter house. The desire to survive, the willingness to fight, even through the worst imagined pain and emotional torture is the point. It’s what makes the movie art rather than mindless entertainment for the desensitized and emotionally numb.

The depth of universal human character is what gives the movie its urgency. It illustrates the human condition of pain, disillusionment and aimlessness by forcing the matter into the light and stressing the protagonist beyond all previous limits. The ensuing struggle is the basis of the horror movie and it was executed admirably in 1408.

hARRY on October 15th, 2009 1:23 am

Michelle, you sound like a pretentious school girl. No one enjoys it when people write with a desire to show everyone else how well they can write. you fucking cunt ihope your father sticks a knife up your pussy