sums up Stephen King's quote

Rating: 7/10 (25 September 2010)

Stephen King once said "We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones." I would say that Mikael Håfström's adaptation of "1408" shows that statement in its entirety. John Cusack plays Mike Enslin, an author who goes to supposedly haunted hotels to debunk the ghost stories. One day, he gets a postcard from a New York hotel warning about room 1408. So, Mike decides to stay there. The hotel owner (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to talk him out of it, but Mike is determined. So begins an experience such as Mike had never imagined...and in the process, the audience learns more about Mike's own history.
Much like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Dolores Claiborne" focused on personal horror, so does "1408", although it certainly adds elements of spooky horror. The movie is less about scaring us than about forcing us to confront the unpleasant episodes in our lives. The point is, a person can't run away from reality. And what Mike experiences forces him to REALLY face reality. This is probably the only movie that I've seen in which Cusack and Jackson are both frightening. I definitely recommend it. Also starring Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub and Len Cariou.