In the theater, there is atype of play known as a one-man show. It Is a play in which there is only one character acting out a story in what amounts to a protracted monologue. Theyare always tricky to pull off, but the stagy nature of the genre suits live theater well. While some such plays translate to the screen well, in the end, the one-man movie is the rarest film of all. There just are not very many out there. In 2007, however, an ambitious Horror film based on a Stephen King short story brought us what amounts to the first one-man Horror movie. Though the film has some supporting characters, the body of the story belongs to one character in one setting. That movie was1408.
Directed with great energy by Mikael Hafstrom, 1408 stars John Cusack as Mike Enslin, a researcher of the paranormal who authors books skeptical of the supernatural. Answering an anonymous challenge, Enslin makes his way to The Dolphin hotel and requests to stay in room number 1408. Though the hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), tries to talk him out of it, he eventually agrees to rent him the room – though not before warning him that 56 people have died in the room over 95 years, and that no one has ever lasted more than an hour in there. Once inside, Enslin soon discovers why the room has its reputation, and a battle of wills ensues as Enslin tries to survive the mysterious, remorseless forces that dwell in room 1408.
1408 has a lot going for it. It boasts terrific source material from one of our greatest scare-masters. A spooky and emotional score is contributed by Gabriel Yared. The real-world production design of Andrew Laws is photographed perfectly by Benoit Delhomme. It is a top-tiered, professional production. However the film really belongs to John Cusack, who throws himself fully into the role of Mike Enslin. Cusack convincingly and forcefully portrays a man whose entire worldview is crumbling down upon him, but whose survival forces him to cling to the logic and level-headedness that formed that worldview in the first place. He is someone who did not expect to find what he did, but reacts to the evil he is subjected to with indignance just as much as terror. It is a tour-de-force performance.
The film was not without its problems. The filmmakers had a hard time coming up with a suitable ending to the movie, as evidenced by its three alternate endings that were shot and tested. The ending they settled on is not perfect, but it is satisfying. When the film was released in the summer of 2007 it received good reviews – most of which singled out John Cusack’s performance for particular praise. While it has yet to achieve ‘cult’ or ‘classic’ status, the film is remembered fondly for its expert handling of difficult material, and that alone make it worth a revisit every few Octobers.
1408 fun facts – One of the hotel room’s first victims was named “Grady” - clearly a reference to a character of the same name from “The Shining”.
The role of Mike Enslin was originally going to be played by Keanu Reeves.
Near the end of the film, the ax that the fireman is holding when he breaks down the door is the same prop that Jack Nicholson used in “The Shining”. This was unintentional, as the ax was simply part of the Elstree Studios prop department stock.
Kate Walsh had to back out of the role of Lily Enslin due to scheduling conflicts. She was replaced by Mary McCormack, whose pregnancy required she be shot mostly from the waist up.
Mike Enslin - “Hotels are a naturally creepy place. Just think, how many people have slept in that bed before you? How many of them were sick? How many died?”
Mike Enslin - “Stay Scared.”
Mike Enslin – “I was out!!”
Room 1408 – “You can choose to repeat this hour over and over again, or you can take advantage of our express checkout system.”