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1408 - No Interest?

post #1 of 23
6/23/07 at 3:04am
Thread Starter 
If I missed it my apologies but there seems to be no thread and no interest here for this flick.

Its opened to pretty good reviews, is being called the scariest horror movie in recent years, does it all with little gore, has Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack in powerhouse performance, and is based on a Stephen King short story.

BTW, King is having a Banner Year with his latest book Blaze just out, a new story in the current issue of Esquire - with Angeline Jolie on the cover, Darabont's version of my favourite King short story - The Mist out on November 21 this year, and another novel - Duma Key due out in January 2008.

I am really looking forward to seeing a good old fashioned horror movie this weekend in 1408.

Is anyone else planning to see 1408?
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post #2 of 23
6/23/07 at 8:30am

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Dont forget King has one of the hottest selling comic books of all time that came out this year. And didnt this guy say he was going to retire a few years ago ?

Any way, I will be seeing this flick. I loved the SS and I was pleased to see it got decent reviews. However as with all King flicks I will not be expecting much and then hope to be pleasantly surprised.
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post #3 of 23
6/23/07 at 11:16am

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent T
And didnt this guy say he was going to retire a few years ago ?
Yep. So he's a big fat liar, too, on top of everything else.
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post #4 of 23
6/23/07 at 12:45pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I think the retirement thing came after he was nearly killed by a careless driver. Once he recovered more or less, I think he probably changed his mind.
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post #5 of 23
6/23/07 at 1:05pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

As far as King adaptations are concerned: fool me once shame on you, fool me 27 times...forget it and wait for the DVD!
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post #6 of 23
6/23/07 at 1:34pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Quote:
I think the retirement thing came after he was nearly killed by a careless driver.
Actually the retirement statement came after he finished the last book in the Dark Tower series.

Quote:
fool me 27 times.
Quit renting the DVD over and over!
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post #7 of 23
6/23/07 at 2:15pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou Sytsma
Quit renting the DVD over and over!

But I keep telling myself: Maybe Maximum Overdrive won't suck this time!
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post #8 of 23
6/23/07 at 2:55pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I went and checked out 1408 yesterday during the day, actually.

I enjoyed it.

Couple of cheap scares, but most of it really worked well, imo.
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post #9 of 23
6/23/07 at 5:07pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I'm not ordinarily much of a horror fan, and was going to ignore this film, but it's been getting some generally good reviews (74% at Rotten Tomatoes is much better than you would expect from a horror film), the cast is good, and the clip I saw on Letterman looked intriguing. I'll try to check it out when it's released here.
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post #10 of 23
6/23/07 at 5:26pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I liked the setup for this film well enough, but I think it loses steam about 2/3 into the film, so it could have been a really good film, but ends up in the so-so column. John Cusack does most of the heavy lifting on this film (and he never seems to age anymore, perhaps he needs to star in a Dorian Grey vehicle soon).

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.
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post #11 of 23
6/23/07 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

A very solid thriller bordering on excellence for a sustained sequence near the middle for about 15 mins. It was great to hear the murmurs of the audience stop abruptly during that sequence. For a long stretch you could hear a pin drop.

John Cusack gives a tour de force performance and the director, for the most part, stays away from conventional horror movie scares but not always sadly.

I'd give it 3.5 out of five.

Now, bring on The Mist!
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post #12 of 23
6/24/07 at 8:31am

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Bought tickets for O13 but ending up seeing this instead. Thought it was a good movie, one of the better SK adaptions.
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post #13 of 23
6/24/07 at 9:03am

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I saw it yesterday and felt damned bored through most of it. Part of the problem is that the trailer tells you way too much - the actual film comes with precious few surprises. I wasn't creeped out or intrigued at any point, and I sure wasn't scared. I just wanted the damned thing to end...
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post #14 of 23
6/24/07 at 3:04pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Saw it today. Good but not great. Cusack and Jackson do fine work. Creepy and atmospheric but not fulfilling in the end. Worth a look if you're a fan of King, the genre, or Cusack.

***/*****
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post #15 of 23
6/25/07 at 3:44pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I was pleasantly surprised after seeing this...a better SK film adaption I agree...somehow most of his stories just don't translate to film very well minus a few exceptions (Carrie to name one)

I thought the atmosphere was genuinely creepy most of the time and it held my attention....However I thought it lost some steam toward the end..


a couple of cheap scares but they got me none the less
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post #16 of 23
6/25/07 at 9:30pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I'm pretty sure I know which "cheap scares" you're referring to and they got me as well (and I usually am not susceptible).

I enjoyed the film thoroughly....definitely an above average Stephen King adaptation, IMHO.
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post #17 of 23
6/30/07 at 9:14pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I really liked the element of free will in this movie. The ending refused to take the "Gotcha!" route that has been tired for decades now. The decisions the main character made actually had an impact on what happened. I get bored with films where the characters' fates are sealed five minutes into the film.
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post #18 of 23
7/3/07 at 2:17pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

The earlier parts of the film had me feeling very edgy, with a palpable sense of dread and claustrophobia. Cusack was excellent.

I didn't care for how the film wrapped up. . .and actually was surprised to see at imdb that people have totally interpreted the ending differently.
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post #19 of 23
7/6/07 at 9:03am

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I have to say that the film did 2 things very well. First it got me with some of those jump scares pretty effectively, they didn't feel cheap. Second, I wanted him to get the hell out of that room the entire time. I felt the pressure he felt and a sense of dread kept growing.

There were a few moments where it didn't stay as tight and some of the third act story was not quite as good, but that just keeps it from being classic. It's still extremely entertaining.
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post #20 of 23
7/22/07 at 4:17pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

The movie starts out strongly intriguing but unfortunately lapses into tedium and predictable situations. John Cusack is at first interesting as an atheistic author who believes in practically nothing, and Samuel L. Jackson matches wits with him as the adamant hotel manager. Too bad things sink rapidly into cliches once Cusack settles in for the evening. No spoilers revealed here, but since we pretty much know what's going on between Cusack and 1408, it's hard to be very impressed or terrified. Instead, it's only a matter of how much we are required to endure before it ends.

**/****
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post #21 of 23
8/17/07 at 7:18pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin Jacobson
I saw it yesterday and felt damned bored through most of it. Part of the problem is that the trailer tells you way too much - the actual film comes with precious few surprises. I wasn't creeped out or intrigued at any point, and I sure wasn't scared. I just wanted the damned thing to end...

agreed. I have not seen it yet. But after watching the trailer, I don't really feel the need anymore.
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post #22 of 23
9/4/07 at 3:26pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

just saw this and I really liked this.

Cusack is on top form throughout.

I did expect to see more of SLJ though

I really wanted him to get out of the room.

It was very unconventional imo, I did get scared a few times when you did not expect it.

I would agree that it was the best horror film i have seen in a while
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post #23 of 23
9/4/07 at 6:37pm

Re: 1408 - No Interest?

I think it's reflection of the thirst for well-written, well-made and subtle horror films that this film got reviews that it did not really deserve. The first 2/3 is well-written and sets up a simple premise. The viewer gets pulled into the movie and actually wants Cusack to get out. The atmosphere of dread is conveyed well and there is one really good scene - when Cusack looks at the room across the street.

Then things start to degenerate with several unwelcome plot developments that spoil the simplicity of the movie and actually take it into different territory. It felt like the filmmakers just did not trust that simplicity and had to throw in a bunch of other material.

1/2 out of
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