Reviews of new films & DVDs A story about a horror fiction writer trying to discover the truth about a haunted room, 1408, adapted from a short story by Stephen King, is a mildly entertaining, old-fashioned horror movie. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael H?fstrom, the film opens with Mike Enslin (John Cusack), author of books such as The Top 10 Haunted Hotels and The Top 10 Haunted Cemeteries, checking into a supposedly haunted hotel to research supernatural experiences. The writer is eager to disprove everything intangible, from love to ghosts. But room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in New York City seems to be the real deal. Previous residents have either committed suicide or died mysteriously. Despite warnings from the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson), Enslin insists on staying in 1408 for a night. Good horror stories imply rather than reveal, and that's why King's novels are usually more terrifying than the movies. The problem with 1408 the movie is that it has no choice but to show the grisly details: window frames that open and close like hungry mouths, blood spilling out from cracks in the wall and sea water flowing out of a painting. These effects get less and less frightening as the film goes on. Watching Cusack - who only knows one facial expression, mild irritation - face fire, floods, blood and vertigo is too much for even forgiving viewers to bear. Hafstrom's forceful storytelling somehow keeps the movie going, although it feels like a struggle for the end rather than a build-up to a climax. If you want scary roller-coaster ride, check out the book. Words never lose their power to shock and scare. Now showing
