Movie #178 - 1408

Title: 1408

Director: Mikael Håfström

Release Year: 2007

Plot Summary: 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.

Thoughts: I really wasn't particularly enthused about going to see this one, but as is more and more often the case, I was lured in with the promise of candy to munch on. So I soldiered on, and while I can't say I ended up blown away, I at least didn't feel like my time had been overly wasted.

In terms of story, there's nothing all that new here - ghost skeptic stays in haunted hotel room, and find out just how wrong he is. In terms of execution... well, let's just say that the first hour is suitably creepy, but there's a "twist" about an hour in that just left me cold for the rest of the movie. Don't get me wrong, the mood stays creepy, but I was quite unenthused with the direction the story took. Maybe that's just me though.

Usually I make some sort of comment about the acting, but in this particular case I can't say anyone really jumped out at me. Don't get me wrong, John Cusack was perfectly good, but he didn't really impress me overmuch. And since he is pretty much the only person in a good deal of the movie, that isn't really a good thing. Ah well, they can't all be Oscar-worthy performances, right?

Recommendations: Not particularly bad for a horror flick, but it doesn't really pull together very well in the end. Don't avoid it, but don't go out of your way either.