good haunted house movie

Rating: 7/10 (9 March 2015)

Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is a cynical skeptic based in LA who writes about haunted hotels and other places. His first book holds some promising insights but he has settled into a rut. He is still haunted by a lost. He gets a postcard from Dolphin Hotel in NYC warning him against going to room 1408. It gets his attention but they won't book him in that room. He threatens to sue to get the room but hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) still vehemently warns him not to stay in that room. The room seems ordinary at first except for a broken thermostat, a baby next door and a few odd stains. Then things start to happen. He tries to leave but he is trapped. He sees visions of past guests, his father, his wife Lily (Mary McCormack) and their daughter.
This is essentially a haunted house movie. The setup is very nice. Samuel L. Jackson does a terrific job. The main missing element is another character to bounce Cusack off of. Compared to another King story-turn-movie 'The Shining', Nicholson has his family to act against. Cusack is able to do a great one-person show for the most part. The constant changing visions work well.