1408 Blu-ray offers solid video and great audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Horror novelist Mike Enslin believes only in what he can see with his own two eyes. But after a
string of best-sellers discrediting paranormal events in the most infamous haunted houses and
graveyards around the world, he has no real proof of life—afterlife. But Enslin's phantom-free
run of long and lonely nights is about to change forever when he checks into suite 1408 of the
notorious Dolphin Hotel. Defying the warnings of the hotel manager, the author is the first
person in years to stay in the reputedly haunted room. Another best-seller may be imminent,
but first he must go from skeptic to true believer—and ultimately, survivor..
For more about 1408 and the 1408 Blu-ray release, see the 1408 Blu-ray Review
When you are exposed to as many movies as regularly as I am, and to such a broad range of
movies at that, it's hard not to become a bit cynical, remain focused on the stinkers, and get excited
over the mundane. It wasn't all that long ago that I found I could enjoy even the worst filmdom
had to offer. After all, I didn't have to write about what I had seen, give my full attention to the
film, or pick apart what did and did not work about the movie. Now, with movie watching a
full-time job, sitting down to watch something becomes an exercise in endurance, and it's a rare
occurrence anymore that I find myself lost in a movie, which is what happened with 1408.
Does that mean it's a great film? Absolutely not, but it is a good, yet ultimately somewhat
uninspired, one in the context of its
genre that probably will play better to the casual movie fan than it will to anyone who spends as
much time with movies as I do.
John Cusack wonders why he looks like Brendan Fraser on the cover art.
Mike Enslin (John Cusack, War, Inc.) is a writer
of books that deal with the occult. He's barely recognized as a famed author and draws a
miniscule crowd at a book signing. Nevertheless, he continues on writing, and when he receives
a postcard featuring New York's Dolphin hotel and its famed room 1408 (the numbers add up to
13), Enslin deduces that a chapter on this room would make for a fine closing chapter in his
latest book. Unfortunately, because of several past tragedies, the room is unavailable, but the
persistent Enslin convinces the hotel's manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson, Unbreakable), to let
him have the room for the night. Olin presents Enslin with plenty of evidence that a stay in the
famed room is not in the writer's best interest, but he shrugs off the tales and settles into the
room for the night of his life. What presents itself as a normal hotel room soon develops a few
odd quirks and scares, and eventually engulfs Mike into a night of terror he'll never forget.
1408 is typical Stephen King, or at least typical among his works I've read and he film's
based on his stories that I've seen. That means that it easily grabs your attention and sucks you
into the story, but leaves you somewhat disappointed at the end. There is no doubt that
1408 creates a fantastically tense atmosphere and tells a wonderful story, at least up to
a
point. 1408 feels almost like two films. The first begins and ends all too abruptly and
tells
the tale of Mike's arrival at the Dolphin Hotel and the set-up for the rest of the film, involving a
great exchange between the Cusack and Jackson characters. The second, and lesser, is the story
of
what happens inside room 1408. Mike Enslin, after his first few minutes in the room, says into
his
tape recorder, "Round one goes to the hideous Mr. Olin, for effective aggressiveness I have to
admit he had me going." That sums up the movie nicely. The open definitely "has you going,"
but the second half leaves a bit to be desired. While intriguing, it falls into creepy convention and
we're never all that surprised by what the room has in store for Mr. Enslin. His actions, and the
room's reactions, never truly throw us for a loop. Everything we learn about his past predictably
becomes integral to the story, though at two hours, movies don't really have the luxury of a
novel that can delve fairly deep into character development and interaction for the sole purpose
of creating a fuller, more believable world. The standard-length 1.5-2.5 hour film must use every
frame wisely as it has no time for extemporaneous material, but as noted in the opening
paragraph, it's these sort of conventions that become far too readily apparent to anyone who
watches a lot of movies; it becomes annoying in the process, a fact that can ruin a film or
drastically reduce its effectiveness.
Nevertheless, 1408 has some real positives. Mikael Håfström's direction is not flashy but
is rather effective. He gets into some Hitchcock-like shots and angles, a standard for suspense.
He keeps the pace relatively quick, though the film does slow down in the final act. In
fact, it fades, gradually, over time, never becoming bad or completely uninteresting, but it clearly
loses steam as the movie progresses. Though appearing for only minutes in two or three scenes,
Samuel L. Jackson, as usual, brings vitality and realism to his role. He's truly a gifted actor with a
broad range and the ability to turn almost any role into a good one. John Cusack is also very
good in his role as a man
wrestling with his faith, the obscure theme of the movie. His is an intriguing character. Told in
flashbacks, we learn the story of his young daughter's death, his loss of faith (at least once asking
what sort of God would allow something like this to happen, and also stating God does not exist in
a separate scene), and his separation from his wife. He
also works in faith. As a writer dealing in the paranormal, which by definition is something that
is "against the norm," his audience must accept his words on faith alone, lest they choose to visit
those supposedly haunted locales of which he has written, and even then it is assumed that
"your results may vary." Also of key importance is that he writes on a subject he doesn't seem
to believe in. He leaves the first place he visits (what seems like a cozy bed and breakfast),
mocking the experience. Even as he arrives at the Dolphin Hotel, his attitude is one of complete
nonchalance; he has no faith that something truly could be amiss in the supposedly cursed room,
and even though Mr. Olin "had [him] going," he never believes in the room's power until it's too
late to accept the evidence presented to him by Mr. Olin at face value. Indeed, Mike Enslin's life
is one at constant struggle with his faith in all aspects of his existence.
1408 brings us into its world via a 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. What we see is a
somewhat dark, nondescript transfer that offers little in the way of eye-catching detail. There are
a
few very nice looking moments, such as a surfing scene in chapter three that is drenched in
natural
light, but the vast majority of the movie that takes place in room 1408 rarely provides viewers
with
any material worth getting excited over. That's not to say the movie doesn't benefit from the
1080p treatment. It's definitely a good transfer, just a remarkably average one in the world of
high
definition transfers, thanks more to bland cinematography and odd color schemes than any fault
of
the transfer itself. There is a golden tint to much of the image with a hint of green, too. It
reminded me, in a way, of the look seen in The Matrix, but not
quite as drastic and with less of a green push. As a result, flesh tones never really look all that
natural, either. Black levels are fine, and some of the darker scenes in the film, such as one that
takes place in the ducts above the rooms, turned out quite well. The print itself features
absolutely no blemishes. Fine detail is never seen in abundance and there is generally a soft edge
to the picture. 1408 is another in an ever-growing list of transfers that are acceptable,
but not awe-inspiring.
1408 unlocks its secrets on Blu-ray with a rather strong Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. At the open of the film, at least, we are presented with a bland and fairly standard
listen. Music and effects play across the front with little rear channel presence. We find the
occasional nicety that makes its way to the rear, but the track definitely features a front-heavy
feel to it. As we move along, it gets substantially more aggressive and immersive. Rears are still
used in support, but their use continues to build and finally begins featuring some great discrete
effects. As the track gets spookier and spookier along with the movie, the lossless option
definitely aids in creating a tense, scary track. I don't want to mention any specific instances for
fear of ruining parts of the movie, but rest assured the soundtrack does a fine job in recreating
the tension and fear that is to be found in room 1408. Dialogue is strong and natural, too.
There is a nice clarity and presence to the entirety of the soundtrack. It is very well-mixed with
nothing coming across as too loud at reference volume, and the track is very good at doing what
it's primary purpose should be: compliment the movie perfectly without drawing unwarranted
attention to itself. It's not as precise and engaging as Transformers, for
example, but for a soundtrack that accompanies a psychological horror movie, it's plenty good.
1408 comes to Blu-ray with a nice selection of special features. A commentary track
with
director Mikael Håfström and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski is first. This is both a
lively
and informative track. The writers really take the reins and discuss the conventions the
characters
fall into, and some of the more general character traits taken away from them (namely Enslin).
Someone always
has
something to say, whether they are discussing the power and authority Sam Jackson brought to
his
role (and the single use of the "F" word in true Sam Jackson fashion), their interpretations of the
story (as heard over chapter 10, a great segment to listen to), or scenes that were lengthened or
shortened
over time. I found this track entertaining and informative, and it's worth a listen if you enjoyed
the
movie.
The Secrets of '1408' is a four-part feature. The Characters (1080i, 8:00) looks
at the character the room in the film becomes, the real effects seen in select moments of the
film, and moving on to take a closer look at the various characters that inhabit the film,
intertwined with plenty of clips from the film. The Director (1080i, 5:14) take a closer
look at the film's Swedish director, Mikael Håfström. The Physical Effects (1080i, 4:18) is
an examination of how the crew created some of the film's on-set effects, focusing on a scene
involving water in the room. Lastly, we find The Production Design (1080i, 5:24), a
piece that examines the design of the film's central location, room 1408. Two "Webisodes" are
next -- John Cusack on '1408' (1080i, 2:33) and Inside Room 1408 (1080i,
2:07). These shorts are basic promo pieces that feature John Cusack talking up the film --
nothing special. Rounding out the special features are two alternate endings (1080i, 10:39), five
deleted scenes (1080i, 11:23) with optional commentary from the director and
writers, and the film's original theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:33).
1408 is a decent movie, better than a lot of the junk out there, but it's not one you'll
regret not seeing should you find yourself on your deathbed looking back on what you missed in life.
The movie starts out very well and begins to slow down and fall into convention
thereafter, but it never gets bad. It's entertaining and oddly engaging, even if we can predict much
of what will happen. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson provide good performances, and Mikael
Håfström's direction is better than average. This Blu-ray release from Genius/Weinstein is solid yet
unremarkable. With a picture quality that is passable, a nice lossless audio mix, and a selection of
several decent extras, the overall package will satisfy fans. 1408 comes recommended,
though Blu-ray fans who have yet to see the movie might want to rent it first before laying down
$21 to purchase the film.
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Weinstein Company have detailed the extras for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'The Mist' and '1408', both due to hit store shelves on September 16th. Both titles will have video presented in 1080p VC-1 accompanied by a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtracks. As previously ...
