Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is an emotionally repressed ghost hunting enthusiast that has no true to life belief in the paranormal. Eslin's daughter Katie (Jasmine Jessica Anthony) recently passed away, and he has had no emotional release following her death. He has subsequently bottled up all his feelings and poured himself into his work of writing Top 10 books for various most haunted locations through out the United States such as, Top 10 Hotels, Motels, Lighthouses, etc. This writing of novelty books has kept him afloat for long enough, and his dwindling readership is of little concern to this author that is just trying to get by. While going through a small stack of fan letters one day Enslin sees a challenge when the Dolphin Hotel in New York is recommended to him with one exception. He must not stay in room 1408. Mike Enslin takes this as a challenge to his lack luster ghost hunting career and seeks out the vary room he's been told to steer clear of. Not believing in ghosts Enslin makes it a point to meet this challenge head on and dares to test fate and stay in the room that a supposed 56 people have died in. Upon arriving at the Dolphin Hotel, Enslin is told by the hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) in no uncertain terms, that he will not be allowing Mr. Eslin the option of staying in 1408. After dropping a few classic Sam Jackson lines such as, "That room is ____ing evil," and through much bribery and negotiations Eslin cannot be deterred. Cusack pulls the roll off about as well as anyone in Hollywood could, but the story is really the conductor of this train, and we are merely along for the ride. 1408 has its ups and downs, and overall does a good job of scaring the wits out it's audience (one grown audience member even commented a need for their mommy); the movie just has no idea where it wants to end. This was an enjoyable experience altogether, and a worthy screening. 1408 get's an above average 7 Skulls out of 10.
Review of 1408
