1408 (2007)

A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.

Director:

Mikael Håfström

Writers:

Matt Greenberg (screenplay), Scott Alexander (screenplay)

Stars:

John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Mike Enslin
Paul Birchard	...	Mr. Innkeeper
Margot Leicester	...	Mrs. Innkeeper
Walter Lewis	...	Book Store Cashier
Eric Meyers	...	Man #1 at Book Signing
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
Tony Shalhoub	...	Sam Farrell
Emily Harvey	...	Secretary
Bill Armstrong	...	Clay the Lawyer (as William Armstrong)
Kim Thomson	...	Desk Clerk
Drew Powell	...	Assistant Hotel Manager

Storyline

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

paranormal phenomena | death of daughter | hotel | writer | author | 

---

Taglines:

Some rooms are locked for a reason.

---

Genres:

Drama | Horror

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material including disturbing sequences of violence and terror, frightening images and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Official site [Taiwan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Soba 1408

Filming Locations:

The Reform Club, Pall Mall, St. James's, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,617,667, 24 June 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$71,985,628

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$131,998,242, 8 February 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films, The Weinstein Company, Di Bonaventura Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 114 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Mike climbs across the ledge as a means of escape could be a reference to another of Stephen King's short stories, "The Ledge" (1978), in which a man must circumnavigate a high ledge in order to win a "bet".

---

Goofs

Mike looks down the street several times. At 00:38:49 and at 00:42:33 the same three cars are moving slowly on the road.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Mike Enslin: Hi. Mike Enslin. Checking in.

---

Alternate Versions

The theatrical version is run 104 minutes and the director's cut version is run 112 minutes.

---

Connections

References Aliens (1986)

---

Soundtracks

Watching the River Flow
Written and Performed by Bob Dylan
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Shined Up

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.