1408
1408
#11408
Posted: 6/26/07 at 12:40pm
(mini-review)
I'm happy. With the likes of Zodiac, Behind the Mask, The Host, Mr. Brooks, 28 Weeks Later, Vacancy, Hostel: Part II, Bug, Disturbia, Severance, and Grindhouse, 2007 is shaping up to be a stellar year for fright flicks of all shapes and sizes (we can forget that The Hills Have Eyes II, The Hitcher, and Dead Silence happened, right?).
The latest is 1408, and I'm pleased to say that this one packs a real punch. It is, by turns, scary, disturbing, funny, and moving (at times, within the same scene). The plot details are best to be left unsaid, although the trailer did a great job of mapping it all out.
John Cusack, though he has been working steadily for years, is (imho) one of our most underrated actors. No matter WHO he playing, even a cynical jerk like Mike Enslin, he gives the role identifiability and depth, without ever losing the specificity of his characterization. This has to be one of his best performances. For a large chunk of the film, it is a one-man show, and he pulls it off without even seeming to try. A tour de force, methinks.
Credit must also be given to Samuel L. Jackson, who does SO much with two or three scenes. He practically is the build-up to the payoff.
Not gonna give anything away, but there are scenes in here (a lot, actually) that have the potential to become genre classics. So many spine-tingling moments (the air shaft and the window across the street being two highlights). There comes a point in the third act where it seems that special effects and strange twists will overpower the story, BUT (once again) the movie pulls the rug from under us. There is also a sadness and thoughtfulness in the latter part of the movie, which I didn't expect, that makes the experience complete.
And NEVER have The Carpenter's seemed so sinister.
If you want to enjoy a really spooky movie without all the gore and chopped testicles of late, check it out.
Updated On: 6/26/07 at 12:40 PM
Cruel_Sandwich
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/30/05
#3re: 1408
Posted: 6/26/07 at 12:52pmi need to see this movie.
Less is more
Ugly is beautiful
"My brother plays a drag queen... and I'm surprised he looks as good as he does in drag." - Adam Rapp
"thanks, abba. now i'll forever have an image of you as a tattoed hardcore straightedge grrl savaging people in the mosh pit." - papalovesmambo
"Yeah Abba. All the filthy crap you spew out there on those boards. I for one, am equally shocked. :-P" - AnnaK
Ugly is beautiful
"My brother plays a drag queen... and I'm surprised he looks as good as he does in drag." - Adam Rapp
"thanks, abba. now i'll forever have an image of you as a tattoed hardcore straightedge grrl savaging people in the mosh pit." - papalovesmambo
"Yeah Abba. All the filthy crap you spew out there on those boards. I for one, am equally shocked. :-P" - AnnaK
#5re: 1408
Posted: 6/26/07 at 12:54pm
I'm looking forward to this one hitting the UK. I've been a Cusack fan for ten years now (and now I'm feeling old...) and some proper spooky horror is always appreciated. Particularly if set in a hotel, hospital, school, anywhere that has been used to great effect in a 'Silent Hill' game really. ^_^
grnsmwhr
Stand-by Joined: 5/27/04
#8re: 1408
Posted: 6/26/07 at 3:32pm
The previews looked great-good acting by Cusack.
Haven't seen the new Zodiac but I liked the 2005 version with Justin Chambers and Robin Tunney. I thought is was spooky that they did it in the same town where the guy might still be living.
You see, obsessions are very personal things, they come from deep inside us, where we are open and vulnerable, which is why I consider them sacred, not to be belittled....PalJoey
What Lola Wants
Understudy Joined: 6/6/07
Cruel_Sandwich
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/30/05
#13re: 1408
Posted: 6/29/07 at 8:56amFinally...a horror movie that's actually scary! Just saw it last night It was good to see an old fashioned horror movie that relies on creating atmosphere, creating characters you care about, telling a story, and creating a sense of dread. Instead of just slicing cookie cutter characters up. Cusack gives a great performance and so does Jackson for the brief time he's in it. Eli Roth should go watch this movie...and take notes.
#16re: 1408
Posted: 7/6/07 at 10:26pm
Undenianbly Bway, I must've missed it. I assume the number was "1408."
I loved this film, wasn't what I expected. My heart wasn't pounding for the reasons I thought it would be. Cusack gives a great performance. I haven't been around for twenty years, but I am a fan of his, and thought this was some of his best work. Samuel L. Jackson certainly packs a punch as well for the three scenes that he was in. The ending gave me the chills.
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