Hall of Hallowed Horror: 1408
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courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer
Welcome to the first installment of Hall of Hallowed Horror, where I take deep dives into my absolute favourite horror films to honour their legendary status. Today’s showcase features the paranormal-psychological triumph that is 1408, based on a 1999 short story in Stephen King’s audiobook collection, Blood and Smoke.
Dedicated to the real ones who understood the reference in my last post.
courtesy of walt disney studios
At the heart of this pulse-pounding tale is the jaded soul of middling author and weary cynic Mike Enslin, played masterfully by John Cusack. Enslin is a faithless man with a played-out plan, staying overnight at supposedly haunted locations to chance a paranormal encounter for his 10 Haunted Hotels series. None of them spark his interest or yield any results, validating his nihilistic outlook.
“Even if they did [exist], there’s no god to protect us from them is there?” – Mike Enslin
Until, that is, he gets a mysterious postcard from the fictional Dolphin Hotel in New York City with a cryptic message.
courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer
Enslin—with the help of his agent—scores a meeting with the hotel manager Gerald Olin, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Their ten-minute discussion is effectively the last scene of the movie that isn’t possessed by the sinister presence occupying room 1408.
(1 + 4 + 0 + 8 = 13 that’s quick maths. On the “fourteenth” (13th) floor no less. Lots of spooky number action going on.)
Cusack and Jackson navigate this battle of wits brilliantly. The pushback is clearly the first excitement Enslin has had in his career in a while, and he clings to it. Meanwhile, Olin just wants him the fuck away from that room. The audience catches on—to deliciously suspenseful effect—that Olin’s warnings are sincere as they are bone-chilling. Inevitably, Enslin finds himself standing in front of the creaky, discoloured door of room 1408 and takes his first dreaded step inside.
Why It Works
The success of this movie isn’t in the individual scares, but the white-knuckled build-up that puts any slasher to shame. From the POV shots that put you in the room alongside him to the eerie silence only broken by Enslin speaking softly into his trusty recorder, the film’s restraint leading up to its main event pays off beautifully. By the time the room reveals its evil to Enslin, you’ve been thoroughly primed and brought to the edge of fright without the use of a single trope.
courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer
I say “evil” because it’s an important distinction. Ghosts have a mortal life driving their presence, whereas what lies in room 1408 is inhuman—making it all the more vicious of a foe. It will push its occupants to the brink until they take their own life, and will pull every sadistic trick in the book to get them there. From their deepest well of grief to their most guarded weaknesses and fears, the evil in 1408 wields its victims’ minds with deadly accuracy.
Some Grievances
I’ve previously mentioned my distaste for excessive jump scares. While most here are executed effectively—using realistic sounds of the room rather than loud instrumentation—there are some that rely on clichés. There are also three endings to 1408 depending which version you’re watching. Only one of them is worth keeping.
courtesy of metro-goldwyn-mayer
If you know, you know. ;)
1408 adeptly handles the classic “haunted” plot while maintaining an underlying thread of humanity. Horror is at its peak when it balances external and internal terrors—grounding its message to remind you how dreadful the human experience can be without any supernatural assistance. Aided by its strong performances and intimate attention to detail, 1408 cements itself as a modern-day classic, and joins a long line of successful adaptations of the work of Stephen: King of Horror.
PICREW RIGHTS BELONG TO @COZMICCHU, DESIGN BY JUICE DEMON
Juice Demon
Juice Demon is a harbinger of chaos from a dark dimension. She daylights as a student in the Professional Writing Program at Algonquin College. She is an enthusiast of carefully curated horror movie marathons, bonfire cracklings, and imagining the alternate universe in which Willem Dafoe is cast as The Joker.
