Editor Reviews:

Description:
(Thriller) 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.

Amazon.com:
As creepfests go, 1408 is right up there with The Shining, also inspired by a Stephen King work and featuring a menacing hotel and the wobbly sanity of a writer lodging there. "It's an evil [bleep]-ing room!" intones Samuel L. Jackson, who plays the smooth but vaguely sinister manager of the Dolphin Hotel. John Cusack is stellar as Mike Enslin, a cynical Everyschlub who writes "occult travel guides," but believes in nothing, especially anything resembling an afterlife.

What happens in room 1408 of the Dolphin may change Enslin forever--if he survives the first hour. The thrills range from jumpy "gotcha" moments involving mirror images, to more traditional horror fare like bleeding walls, to truly diabolical touches like the recurrence of the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun." (Shudder.) The film does a nice job of weaving the operatic horror effects with the truly heart-breaking backstory of the death of Enslin's young daughter and his marriage--perhaps the only two things Enslin has ever believed in. And thankfully, there's just enough humor to leaven the intensity at key moments; Cusack is unparalleled when it comes to delivering a self-deprecating wisecrack, even as his life passes before his eyes. Get your adrenaline pumping and check into this room. Oh, and sorry, no refunds. A.T. Hurley

Rating : - A surprisingly good and atmospheric Stephen King adaptation
I'd put off seeing 1408 for a while, namely based on the fact that PG-13 rated horror just doesn't do much for me. Not to mention that I can't remember the last Stephen King adaptation, except for The Mist, that was actually pretty good. Well, I'm happy to say I finally gave 1408 a chance, and walked away quite satisfied, especially by the longer director's cut of the film that takes up the second disc of this Two-Disc Collector's Edition. John Cusack stars as Mike Enslin, a jaded and somewhat haunted author who travels around to supposedly haunted places to debunk their myths. Upon hearing of the bloody history of the Dolphin Hotel's haunted room 1408, Mike ends up taking it on, despite the warnings of the hotel's manager (Samuel L. Jackson). Needless to say, Mike gets much more than he bargained for, and it isn't long before he starts becoming a believer. Directed with efficient dread and perfect pacing by Mikael Håfström, 1408 is carried by a spectacular performance from Cusack, and some truly scary moments to boot. And while the theatrical version of the film isn't bad, it's the director's cut with an alternate ending that really deserves your attention, making 1408 one of the better Stephen King adaptations to see the light of day in the past few years. All in all, if you're in the mood for some great suspense that actually will keep you guessing how it'll all end; 1408 is definitely worth a trip.