An impressive summer surprise!

Rating: Null/10 (16 August 2007)

The 2000s have not been a good to horror fans. While some people love torture porn such as the Saw and Hostel films, I find them to be utterly repulsive and pointless and this is coming from a guy who loves gore (when used correctly). The alternative to these snuff films is not much better. The political climate over the years has drifted to such a PC state that almost all other horror flicks have been neutered down to a PG-13 rating, cutting out all the elements fans want to see in the process. It was with that in mind that I went to see 1408, based on the Stephen King short story I'd read when it first came out though had mostly forgotten about by the time the feature went into production. My one reason for going was the fact the adaptation was co-written by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, the duo responsible for writing such smart and underrated classics like Man on the Moon and People vs. Larry Flynt. It was my hope that despite the PG-13 rating, there would still be a great story. As always, Alexander and Karaszewski (along with Matt Greenberg) came through. This is the first straightforward horror picture in years to have a story and characters worth giving a hoot about. The best part of 1408 is the set-up, taking up about half an hour in the beginning to establish the lead character well played by John Cusack. Director Mikael Håfström is able to build suspense and tension with these scenes long before the frights even begin. That takes talent. Håfström makes the rest of the film visually impressive. More importantly, he is able to do so with little to no CG work. Cinematographer Benoît Delhomme has done amazing job here. Although I doubt he'll be nominated, he definitely deserves an Oscar nomination for what he has accomplished. With a near perfect look and a solid story, 1408 is recommended watching for horror fans even if the PG-13 rating is a bit of a letdown. 8/10
Director's Cut note: The extended director's cut contained on the two-disc DVD is a superior version with more depth and a much better ending. I give that version a 9 out of 10.