Not to be missed. Very good tale of horror.

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2007)

Imagine if you will; a horror writer that only believes in what he can see and is to be haunted by something so safe as "We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters. Based on a scary short story by the king of the macabre Stephen King. Mike Enslin(John Cusack)is a renowned horror novelist that has written a string of best sellers dealing with infamous haunted houses and hotels. And the occasional graveyard. He has no proof of the afterlife, so he makes a living debunking them in his books. His life changes forever when he decides to stay overnight in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. He arrives wearing his lucky Hawaaian shirt and a cigarette behind his ear. The hotel manager Mr. Olin(Samuel L. Jackson)warns Enslin to not stay in room 1408, where at least a dozen people have committed suicide and near 30 have died 'naturally'. Enslin will be the first person to stay in room 1408 since 1978. And the average time of stay is between 60 to 70 minutes; one way or another the occupant cuts their stay short. Enslin is a skeptic that becomes a true believer as he barely survives the night. He comes short of saying the room is haunted...but it is the dwelling of something pretty damn evil.
Some very good F/X and spectacular photography. You will squirm and flinch and try to pretend you aren't scared. Popcorn will definitely hide in your clothes and hit the floor. This may be the best Cusack has ever been. Jackson is strong and authoritative. Also in the cast: Tony Shalhoub, Mary McCormack, Andrew Lee Potts and Jasmine Jessica Anthony. This movie does Stephen King good. Kudos to director Mikael Hafstrom.