Release Date: June 22, 2007 Studio: Dimension Films MPAA Rating: PG-13 Genre: Horror •
Thriller Director: Mikael Håfström Writers: Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander, Stephen King Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub, Kim Thomson, Synopsis: Based on a short story by Stephen King, a man who specializes in debunking the paranormal checks into the infamous room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel, only to discover... the terror is real. The Review: You're Critics for the Evening: M & Deez.
Mikey and Danny check in for a double occupancy review. Will their guy love survive the night?
Mikey: When I saw the trailer for this I was floored. It looked spooky as hell and it had two of my favorites in it (Sam Jackson and John Cusack). I was ready for a film that would torment and take you on a ride, but this was a Stephen King movie and lets face it not all Stephan King films are created equally. It had the potentenial to go either way.
Danny: Ditto on that, buddy! I had never even heard about this movie till we saw the first trailer - and I was hooked like a junkie at Studio 54!! All kinds 'o creepiness to be had! I was totally sold ! (BEST TRAILER OF THE YEAR! !! ok.. that and any Transformers spot...) BUT, did the movie hold up to the lofty expectations that preceded it? The answer is a solid... "uh... yeah.. pretty much..."
The movie definitely starts of good! We have some nice character development for Senior Cusack as a critic of haunted places who writes travel books-- but doesn't really believe in ghosts. (Kinda like a movie critic that doesn't believe in.... ok - yeah, I got nothin...). Any-who, we then get in to the meat of the story with a nice creepy set-up as our intrepid Critic arrives at the Dolphin Hotel and asks to stay in room (you guessed it) 1408. He is greeted by the hotel manager (Samuel L. "I am tired of the mother f-ing ghosts, in this motherf-ing room!!!" Jackson) who pleads with him to not stay there. Samuel L. then acts as our "Johnny on the Spot" to give us a quick an spooky rundown of the 57 deaths that has occurred there previously. This whole sequence was like great cinematic foreplay getting me all revved up for some supernatural scary sexing!!
Mikey: Seriously, Sammy nearly convinced me it was a bad idea to go into the room...It's a good scene, it delivers some humor and makes you ask "Would I still go into that room?" Me? I'd still go in. I'm that crazy white guy in a horror movie that gets killed checking out where that noise came from...then again... if he'd offered me the Penthouse Suite, that bottle of aged booze and the file I needed to complete the job...throw in those comp tix to the Knicks and a pass to the VIP lounge at the nearest srip club I'd have taken the offer (yeah I can be bought...at least I know my price)...I'm crazy not stupid.
Danny: Of course, our hero insists! (if he hadn't it would have been a really short movie) and- just like a cinematic bordello, we then proceed to THE room...
Mikey: When he enters the room we are in the same space of "That's it?!", and it's all just the dull bland coating to lure you into a false sense of security. When the fit hits the shan it takes it's time and it mostly serves to leave space for two things: That Mike (John Cusack) doesn't rattle and for us to gauge just where we DO rattle. I'm pretty sure Danny would have been kicking and screaming at the door at the first jump...me I'd have been kicking the door out once I realized the mini-bar was empty.
Danny: Actually, the mini-bar was well stocked, but with beer nuts costing $8.00, I may have to have you spot me a few rounds! Once in the room, the cinematic sexing really starts cooking when the weird shit starts-a-happening! (The Carpenters.... mucho freaky!!!) Things start moving around.. mints get left on the pillow.. (apparently the afterlife has an excellent turndown service!)- I am seriously starting to freak out. Then you start to actually SEE the dead people- I am officially considering an "early checkout" at this point!! (Mikey is totally correct, I'd be bolting for the door! I have told my wife on more than one occasion - if she dies before me, and wants to visit, or send me a message "from beyond" to let me know she's ok?... DON'T!! Seriously, I wouldn't care, I'd just be freaked out!!)
The scary sexing at this point continues at a good pace for a large chunk of the movie. But, at some point, the movie takes a turn... things happen on a much larger scale (like the picture of the ship at sea flooding the room, and it snowing... no spoiling.. it's in the trailer!). Personally, this was the cinematic equivalent of having a nice sexy time going on, and then the ladies getting a little too creative for their own good, trying some weird positions, and getting all freaky- thus f-ing up the established rhythm. (Granted, those freaky things do have their place, don't get me wrong, it just sort of pulled me out of this particular "session") . It just seemed to me that the movie was going fine, and was much scarier on the more intimate level before it starts to get a little grandiose for it's own good... Although, in it's defense, this particular period of the film has the most "Stephen King feel" to it! It just seems that they translate better on the page then they do the screen... Mikey?
Mikey: You've also told your wife you'd pop a cap in her dome at the first sign of becoming a zombie. While I agree with your zombie survival tactics...you just don't tell the wife your resolve..not if you ever want sexy time again.
I think one of the ideas that freaks me out about ghosts and the after life is the thought of them watching me..while I'm in the shower..having "private time"...whatever. You can't lock them out and it can be difficult to "accomplish" your task when the ghost of Auntie Grizelda is watching. Given that the idea of ghosts doing their best to drive me to madness and an "early checkout" doesn't rattle me that much. In fact I'd probably spend the first thirty mintues or so laughing my ass off and/or taunting them.
John's character in the movie is much the same, just more logical than I am. He wont accept the idea of ghosts or give into fear. He stays pretty true to the character throughout the film. He might be seeing this stuff and he might come to believe it but he sure as hell ain't going to let it break him. The down side is that to keep this spectacle building and to outsmart this guy the settings become more and more elaborate and pull you farther away from the great build up they had going. The film jumps from a creeping fear with jolts of terror to being more about shock and awe. I'm not sure how they'd have gotten around this given the circumstances, and it doesn't kill the movie. In fact despite anything I might be saying this holds up as one of the best thrillers to come along in a good awhile. Where most thrillers need to pull a last minute twist this one feeds you a little mind bender as the second act ends and begins its run at a climax.
Danny: Ahhh the climax! My favorite part of... the movie! (thanks for the set-up buddy!). It totally agree. The "spectacle" stuff is a minor complaint for an otherwise really well crafted thriller! The last act of this movie brings the spooks full circle, and adds a very emotional layer to the proceedings (I almost cried at one point...). The ending is very satisfying (one of those "wow, I didn't think they do that- but now that they have it makes perfect sense" kind of conclusions)! And then, there is the little olive at bottom of the martini glass- the "post ending hook" they tack on the end of any horror movie. Won't give it away, except to say, in context, it was the perfect way to end it! (I almost cried again...)
All-in-all, it was actually a pretty good little haunt! (I would like to point out that writing this review- a day later- I am actually liking the movie more then I had when I walked out of the theatre... This one, like some STD's, grows on you!) I would also like to point out that I am perfectly sane in my not wanting to stick around this evil hotel room...I'm not ashamed! You don't have to spend an hour in a burning building to know it's on fire!
Mikey: I walked out of this movie thinking about how it would make a great little attraction at Universal Studio's. Seriously...you enter it looks normal and it could be like a maze where things just get crazy.
Danny: If you are looking for some classic chills and thrills, this is one room you'll want to make a reservation for!
Mikey: While the movie does miss some marks on the way to the target it does hold up and I think most people looking for a jolt and a thrill ride of a film wont be disappointed.
As a special note: During our screening we got a little bit of extra entertainment. Some goofy kids came in being really disruptive and kept on using their cell-phones and talking about blazing up some J during the film. Pretty annoying right?...exactly...BUT for one reason or another the police kept entering the theater looking around. Did these little geniuses leave? Run out the back door? Even make a mad dash out of the place? Of course not. They stayed for the duration of the film only to be arrested outside the doors as the credits rolled. They couldn't even figure out how to escape in the throngs of the crowd? Nope. I just wanted to say thanks to those numb skulls for making it a memorable screening for the rest of us...perhaps they will be put in Cell 1408. Rating:
