I disagree with David Germain’s “low rent” version of The Shining (see prior post). This movie stands alone on its own merits. While The Shining relied on gore and violence, 1408 is psychological horror at its best.

John Cusack performed beautifully as Mike Enslin, a troubled writer who writes books about haunted hotels despite the fact that he’s a skeptic of the paranormal. “Nothing would make me happier than to experience a paranormal event, to catch a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said to a meager group of fans.

He gets his wish, and then some, when he enters Room 1408 inside the Dolphin hotel. The special effects were very typical of a Stephen King movie. According to the hotel manager (played by Samuel L. Jackson), 56 people had died in that room. Yet, I saw only four of the ghosts.

The evil essence (or whatever you’d like to call it) picked Mike’s brain and tortured him with the memories of his deceased daughter and father. At first, he denies the ghosts as hallucinations, blaming the manager for poisoning the liquor he had taken up to his room. The hauntings escalate until he decides to check out. Only the room won’t let him.

His situation gets scarier and weirder as time goes on. In one scene, we think he’s escaped, only to watch him get plunged right back into that nightmarish room. The ending was a bit rushed and pat. That, I agreed with. Despite the weak ending, this was a good movie. I’m looking forward to adding the DVD to my Stephen King movie collection.