1408

A haunted hotel room is the eponymous antagonist of this thriller/horror flick from the bizarre brain of Stephen King. Based upon his short story, 1408 stars Cusack as Mike Enslin, a writer intent on debunking the mystery behind legendary haunted room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel. Ever the skeptic, Enslin ignores the intense (and entertaining) warnings from the hotel manager (Jackson) of murders and unsolved deaths occurring in the titular space. Dismissing the ominous foreshadowing that "no one lasts more than one hour," Enslin checks into the room with only his tape recorder for company. Cusack is in wonderful form as a man battling his way through the layers of hell as he essentially narrates his plight to the audience, while director Håfström avoids many of the stereotypical horror traps found in hotel features, even if the pace does slow in the second act. That said, 1408 is worth checking out. If you can! [Megan Garriock]