1408 ***

I've always found Stephen King to be an innovative and entertaining author. But the mental imagery his writing evokes is usually far better than the visuals any filmmaker can put on the screen. I've not read the short story this picture is based on but this movie is better than I expected and quite intense in parts. Basically, this is John Cusack's film since he's the only person on screen for large segments.

If you've seen the preview you pretty much have the entire plot with the exception of the ending. Cusack is a talented writer who cynically turned to "ten best" books about haunted rooms, etc. after the death of his young daughter. He solicits sites to write about and one of the sites he's told about is room 1408 in a New York hotel. He goes to the room with the intention of debunking the fact it's haunted and is responsible for the deaths of 56 individuals. The scary part starts after he enters the room and then discovers he can't get out.

I really can't go much further with the plot without spoiling the ending and you're not going to get to that ending without a couple of twists and turns. You may or may not like the conclusion but after thinking about it I don't know how it could have been any more satisfying. Cusack is good in his role and the special effects do an impressive job of giving you the creeps. I would suggest you see this one in a theatre with good sound as the audio effects are used very effectively.