Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
John Cusack | ... | Mike Enslin | |
Tony Shalhoub | ... | Sam Farrell | |
Len Cariou | ... | Mike's Father | |
Isiah Whitlock Jr. | ... | Hotel Engineer | |
Jasmine Jessica Anthony | ... | Katie | |
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Paul Birchard | ... | Mr. Innkeeper |
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Margot Leicester | ... | Mrs. Innkeeper |
Walter Lewis | ... | Book Store Cashier | |
Eric Meyers | ... | Man #1 at Book Signing | |
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David Nicholson | ... | Man #2 at Book Signing |
Holly Hayes | ... | Lady at Book Signing | |
Alexandra Silber | ... | Young Woman at Book Signing | |
Johann Urb | ... | Surfer Dude | |
Andrew Lee Potts | ... | Mailbox Guy | |
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Emily Harvey | ... | Secretary |
The cynical and skeptical writer Mike Enslin writes books evaluating supernatural phenomena in hotels, graveyards and other haunted places, usually debunking the mystery. While writing his latest book, he travels from Los Angeles to New York to spend one night in the Dolphin Hotel's posessed room 1408, which is permanently unavailable for guests. The reluctant manager Mr. Gerald Olin objects to his request and offers an upgrade, expensive booze and finally relates the death of more than fifty guests over decades in the cursed room. However Mike threatens Mr. Olin, promising to sue the hotel, and is finally allowed to check into the room. Later in the night, he finds that guests of room 1408, once they have checked in, might never leave the room alive. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Shined Up
I decided to watch this after Polanski's "the Tenant" and that was probably a bad choice, because that film is precious.
This one consists of three elements, typical of the King formula.
The first is the expression of terror, shaped safely so that you can watch but not be personally threatened. I think this is a King invention. Here, we know WE would have taken seriously the warnings so he deserves what he gets. It relieves us.
The second element is trite, so far as I am concerned. Also a King specialty is to weave some sort of emotional trauma into the otherwise merely decorative horror. Here it is the death of our character's child, which happened before we meet him. This allows for the final zinger.
The third element is the stuff I study and that King knows well. I call it narrative folding. Situations are nested in each other. Time gets shifted, at the same time that the period in the room proceeds in real time, even with a clock counting down. Ghosts inhabit ghosts and all people are ghosts. Cold is hot. Water is land. Daughter is wife.
This is the stuff that makes the film work, and I think it is done pretty well. Its why they picked Cusak. He understands this stuff. Has since "Malkovich" and "Fidelity" and mastered in "Identity."
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.