What Do The Critics Say?

"The dread is palpable in this chilling suspense thriller about a hotel room that more than lives up to its evil reputation." Glenn Whipp LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS "A much better than average horror flick that doesn't rely on hardcore torture and gore to thrill it's audience. This is not the best story King wrote." Danny Minton BEAUMONT JOURNAL "Virtually a one-man show by Cusack, and he's up to the task." Scott Von Doviak FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM "1408 isn't great cinema, but does an adequate job in spite of its flaws." Pete Vonder Haar FILM THREAT "A rivetting, terrific performance. This isn’t a horror movie about, screams and yells, it’s more like chills and little moments of revelation. Richard Roeper EBERT & ROEPER "1408 amounts to little more than a radical shock-therapy session for a man still finding his way after the loss of his daughter. Best to leave him alone with his issues." Scott Tobias ONION AV CLUB

"Not only is the trailer for "1408" oodles more terrifying than the movie itself; worse, for the most part, this pop-horror trifle adapted from a Stephen King short story grows into a formulaic bore. There are some neat sequences, directed with sadistic glee by Mikael Håfström." John Thomason ORLANDO WEEKLY "Cusack, an excellent actor, gives one of his best performances in this film." Robert Roten LARAMIE MOVIE SCOPE "The problem with this movie is that it feels too much like a joke rather than a true work of suspense. "1408" is a movie very much predicated on the delicate balance between perception and reality." Wesley Morris BOSTON GLOBE "Underneath the atmosphere and pizzazz is an intimate and thoughtful portrait of one man's return from an abyss infinitely more haunting than any old, evil hotel room." Dustin Putman THE MOVIEBOY "Cusack carries the whole film with a barely restrained snarl and snappy wit. 1408 stumbles one too many times and cannot escape the genre's most common curse: the dumb ending." Eric Melin SCENE STEALERS "Although 1408 lacks the dramatic power of either Misery or The Shining, John Cusack's riveting performance rivals that of James Caan and Jack Nicholson Tyler Hanley PALO ALTO WEEKLY

The Inside Story Well regarded for films in his native country, Swedish writer/director and oscar nominee Mikael Håfström gained the attention of American audiences and critics alike with the lurid 2005 thriller "Derailed", starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston as adulterous business executives. His latest effort, an adaptation of Stephen King’s chilling short story "1408", takes Håfström into a completely different world, one created by the undisputed master of horror. Håfström felt confident taking the helm of only his second English-language film, however, when principal photography began on "1408" in London. He was pleased to be surrounded by most of his "Derailed" crew: Oscar nominated editor Peter Boyle, costume designer Natalie Ward, production designer Andrew Laws and Director of photography Benoît Delhomme who rounded out the creative team. "We had a great script," Håfström says, referring to the adaptation by prolific horror scribe Matt Greenberg ("Reign of Fire") and Golden Globe winning screenwriters ("The People vs Larry Flynt") Larry Karaszewski ("Man on the Moon") and Scott Alexander ("Ed Wood"). "And we had great actors". John Cusack, one of Hollywood’s most popular and versatile actors, came aboard the project to play tormented author Mike Enslin. The actor had seen "Evil", Håfström’s 2004 drama that was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, and says he was "very impressed by it. I really liked that film, and I thought he was very talented. Mikael’s got a real wisdom about how to approach these things. He’s Swedish, and Swedes are very nice, but they have this great sense of foreboding. They’re definitely in touch with their inner doom." Håfström was delighted to be directing Cusack (who played Denny Lachance in "Stand By Me"), a star known not only for his acting ability, but his likeability. "Men like him and women like him," says Håfström. "He brought that likeability to this cynical character." Cusack’s ability to endear himself to audiences was essential to the success of the narrative, says Håfström. "It was very important that we set Enslin up so that the audience wants to follow him through this journey. The audience needs to not only understand him and where he is in life, but like him." To prepare for his role, Cusack read the Stephen King short story on which the film is based. It was originally part of an audio book and subsequently published in the 2002 short story collection "Everything's Eventual". "It’s really terrific, and it’s a lot of fun," the 1988 Blockbuster Entertainment Award winner for "Con Air" says. "King is a master storyteller, but he also has a kind of pulp sensibility. He knows how to make these stories really juicy and terrifying and vibrant. I don’t know how he knows how to scare people so intensely, or where those impulses come from, but King is definitely channeling some spirits and demons." Cusack’s character writes novels about famous haunted houses and other spine-tingling places around the world, exploring all manner of myths and legends along the way. He’s also experienced a profound tragedy in his life. "He is a guy who has lost his way," Håfström says. "He’s sad and depressed, and he’s searching for something." Enslin meets his greatest challenge when he books into room 1408 at New York's Dolphin Hotel. The notorious room is noted for the number of occupants who have died tragic deaths. What the public and Eslin don't know is the body count is much higher than has been revealed. In all, fifty six people have died in room 1408. "Things start to really happen and it becomes a Hotel California," says Cusack. "The room takes on a personality and becomes a character. It actually attacks." "Mike Enslin meets horror in the form of his own demons in 1408," says Håfström, "and he has to fight them." Samuel L Jackson portrays Olin, a relatively minor character in the story whose role was expanded for the film. "I’ve always loved Sam’s work," says Cusack. "You can think of a lot of people who can play Olin, but then you think of Sam Jackson; if Sam Jackson tells you not to go in that room, you shouldn’t go in that room!" "Olin has been the manager of the hotel for a while now, and he’s very proud of it," says Jackson of his character. "He tries to keep people out of 1408. For one reason, as he says, he doesn’t want to clean up the mess. He’s had four deaths happen while he’s been in charge of the hotel, and they haven’t been pleasant experiences. It doesn’t exactly enhance the reputation of the hotel." 2006 Image Award winner Jackson ("Coach Carter") describes the film as "a paranormal sort of thriller. There’s something very real that takes place in that room. Who knows what it is or why?" Rounding out the core cast is Mary McCormack, who plays Mike Enslin’s estranged wife, Lilly. She wasn’t familiar with the work of Håfström, but her sister-in-law is a good friend of the director. "She was yelling at me for not being familiar with every minute of his work! Family and friends and people who have worked with him in L.A. just rave about him. So I knew I was in good hands." So what about author Stephen King? "He does creepy better than anyone else. And does it in a really believable way, which makes it much more horrifying." McCormack, who played Justine Appleton in fourty episodes of "Murder One" (1995 - 1997) says she admired the way the screenplay put a new spin on what is a well trod film genre. "Genre-wise this film is tricky, but I like that. It makes it interesting," McCormack says. "It's not really a horror movie because it’s not a slasher film, but it’s horrifying. It’s sort of a ghost tale and a psychological thriller as well. In the end I don’t know if you’re really sure what was real and what was just in Mike’s mind." "It’s as much of a metaphysical mind bender as it is a horror film," says Cusack. "You don’t quite know if the hotel room is really doing this to Enslin or if it’s just his projections. This film is definitely designed to make you think, and make you scared, and make you feel like you might have a split personality." Most of the film is indeed Cusack acting alone, left to wrestle with nothing but his character’s demons in the confines of a hotel room. "It was very challenging because there’s nothing to cut away to," Cusack admitted. "You don’t know if you can pull it off." Håfström agrees noting, "It was challenging to have one character to work with for such a long amount of time in one room. It’s not a conventional storyline. You have to make it up as you go along a little bit and keep it interesting." Cusack didn’t want the film to rely too heavily on computer-generated effects. Håfström says he agreed. "It was very important to me that "1408" not look like a visual effects film," the director said. Håfström says that's because he didn’t want the audience saying, "oh, that’s a visual effects shot." “In the second or third act things get pretty wild, but mostly it was me in the room, and some people playing spirits or ghosts," Cusack points out. "It’s not like we threw up a green screen and just pretended to do the whole thing." About four hundred visual effects shots were used to create the more elaborate moments in the film. "The water bursting into the room, the room turning into a ship, the wall cracking; we tried to do as much as we could practically," says Håfström. "“When we cracked the wall, for example, we cracked it for real." He also revealled that he had never done a film with so many complicated effects. "It was a learning curve for me. We tried to not make it over the top. We tried to integrate the effects into the general feel of the movie." But Håfström still had one major challenge left: deciding how to end the film. "Stephen King’s short story doesn’t really have a cinematic ending. So we had a lot of debates, and we worked on different kinds of endings. After test screenings, we decided on the ending that we now have because we felt that it was most satisfying not only for the audience, but for the character and for us. We had to shoot the bulk of the film before we actually could see where the ending would take us. In this case it was very difficult to know the direction we would go beforehand." Having seen the film, cinemagoers will be left wondering: 'would the actors themselves stay in "1408" if presented with the opportunity?' "I would stay in 1408 because it’s a hotel," says John Cusack. "But I wouldn’t go twenty miles out in the country to a haunted place by myself. I’m way too terrified for that." Jackson, who remembers being highly superstitious as a kid says "I’d probably stay well away from 1408. You just can’t mess around with stuff that is forbidden." "Why would I stay in 1408? There are so many other rooms," says McCormack, who appeared in 38 episodes of the "West Wing" (2004 - 2006). "I mean, I’m not actually afraid of ghosts. But still, there are a lot of other rooms, right? Where’s the upside for me?" I'm sure those who take in "1408" will agree that Cusack gives a tremendous performance in the film. And I'm just as sure they will agree with Håfström's observation. "We couldn’t do much without John or his energy. I think that intrigued him and challenged him as an actor." And for those who are thinking about buying the DVD when it's released Håfström promises, "viewers will be treated to the alternate endings on the DVD version of the film." As for the film, the director has only one wish. He hopes audiences "have a good ride. "1408" is great entertainment." Synopsis

Renowned horror novelist Mike Enslin believes only in what he can see with his own two eyes. But after a string of bestsellers discrediting paranormal events in the most infamous haunted houses and graveyards around the world, he has no real proof of life after life. Having just debunked The Weeping Willow Inn and completed a rather poorly attended book signing Mike is looking for his next challenge. It comes in the form of a postcard from New York and the warning, don't enter room 1408. Enslin’s phantom free run of long, lonely nights changes forever when he checks into suite 1408 of the notorious Dolphin Hotel for his latest project, "Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms". Defying the warnings of the hotel manager Gerald Olin, the author becomes the first person in years to stay in the reputedly haunted room despite the fact that 56 people have died in 1408. Another bestseller may be imminent, but Enslin must go from skeptic to true believer, confront his demons and survive for sixty minutes in the room from hell.

The Verdict "Taking a Stephen King work and converting it to the screen has always proven to be a hit or miss experience, but despite the flaws in "1408", Swedish director Mikael Håfström, has, with the exception of the final act, come up with a finished product that is, in the main, very entertaining. Much of the credit for the films success must go to the highly popular John Cusack who gives a tremendous performance as writer Mike Enslin. Frightful fun! Recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "1408" stars .......
John Cusack ["Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", "Serendipity", "Runaway Jury" and "Must Love Dogs"]; Walter Lewis ["Unnatural Pursuits" and "Piccadilly Jim"]; Mary McCormack ["Deep Impact", "K-PAX", "Full Frontal" and "For Your Consideration"]; Jasmine Jessica Anthony ["Catch Me If You Can", "Little Athens" and "Under There"]; Tony Shalhoub ["Men in Black", "Gattaca", "Against the Ropes" and "Spy Kids 1, 2 & 3"] and Samuel L Jackson ["Coach Carter", "The Man", "Snakes On A Plane" and "Black Snake Moan"] as Olin.
"1408" was .......
directed by Mikael Håfström ["Days Like This", "Drowning Ghost" and "Derailed "]; from a short story by Stephen King ["Misery", "Hearts In Atlantis", "The Dead Zone", "Secret Window" and "The Mist"]; costume design by Natalie Ward ["Sex Lives of the Potato Men", "Enduring Love", "Venus" and "Death at a Funeral"]; production design by Andrew Laws ["Along Came Polly", "Derailed" and "The Break-Up"]; edited by Peter Boyle ["Sommersby", "The Postman", "Quills" and "The Hours"]; director of photography Benoit Delhomme ["The Winslow Boy", "The Proposition" and "Breaking And Entering"]; original music by Academy Award winner Gabriel Yared ["The English Patient", "The Talented Mr Ripley", "Cold Mountain" and "Shall We Dance"]; produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura ["Constantine", "Shooter", "Transformers" and "Stardust "]. Who's Who?

John Cusack Samuel L Jackson Jasmine Anthony Mary McCormack Paul Birchard Margot Leicesterr Walter Lewis Alexandra Silber Johann Urb Andrew Lee Potts Tony Shalhoub Emily Harvey William Armstrong Kim Thomson Drew Powell Noah Lee Margetts Gil Cohen-Alloro Isiah Whitlock Jr Benny Urquidez Len Cariou Ray Nicholas Tina Maskell Paul Kasey Angel Oquendo Chris Carey Kevin Dobson Lily Alexander

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Mike Enslin Olin Katie Lily Mr Innkeeper Mrs Innkeeper Book Store Cashier Young Woman at Book Signing Surfer Dude Mailbox Guy Sam Farrell Secretary Clay the Lawyer Desk Clerk Assistant Hotel Manager Bellboy Maitre D' Hotel Engineer Claw Hammer Maniac Mike's Father Factory Owner 1950s Lady Kevin O'Malley Taxi Cab Driver Fireman Priest 10 yo Girl

Run Time 104 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - MGM & Dimension Films - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.