1408 (2007)

Full disclosure here: I am a big fan of Stephen King. In the eighth grade I read at least half to three-quarters of his bibliography. He is by no means a great writer, but he is certainly an entertaining storyteller with a big imagination. Sadly, many of the films adapted from his works leave a great deal to be desired, so I approached 1408 with some trepidation. However, 1408 manages to do the King justice, mostly thanks to director Mikael Håfström's colorful and energetic direction. Håfström manages to capture the pulpy and almost comic book like feel of King's stories, and by indulging in bombastic tendencies, he manages to create a suspenseful and entertaining flick. However, when he begins to take the material too seriously, for example, when the sub-plot about the protagonist's dead daughter comes to the foreground, the film loses its sense of fun, and becomes maudlin and overly sentimental. King's original story is a bit more cynical, and the main character's family is not even mentioned. Of course pathos are always important, especially in horror cinema, where they can heighten the emotional stakes and tension, but here it feels forced and unnecessary. This is not a story that really needed to be all that serious, and would have worked a lot better as a straightforward popcorn flick. For a better film that tackles similar motifs, check out Coppola's Twixt. Otherwise, save this one for a night of mindless entertainment.