Review of 1408 (2007) by Edb. — 23 Jun 2007

[***SPOILERS***] Boo. And I don't mean "as in scary"; I mean "as in stinky ca-ca." John Cusack's acting is the only thing that makes this watchable. It recklessly and meaninglessly throws in everything but the kitchen sink (oh, and then the kitchen sink, too), has so many multiple endings that the final ending is impossible to take seriously, and contains so many violations of its own (admittedly weak) pre-established logic that you'd have to be really high to fall for any of it ("SPOILERS," I guess): Why do a loose window and some hot water terrify John Cusack? Why doesn't John Cusack just leave when the engineer comes to the room? Why doesn't John Cusack look cold or water freeze when the temperature is 30 degrees? etc.

Also: what exactly was the nature of the "awful" relationship John Cusack had with his father? (Specifics are always a plus.) Samuel L. Jackson seems too "street" to be believable as a man in his position (dropping the "g" from "-ing" words, for example); the poor, cookie-cutter-plastic-surgeried actress who plays Cusack's ex-wife has the typical, thankless Hollywood "wife" role; and the little girl - sorry, I know she's just a kid, but there are some really amazing child actors - can't act her way out of a paper bag.

Sorry to be such a downer, but it just seems as if people's standards have sunk pretty low these days. For a good contemporary thriller, try the overlooked "Alone With Her," and for a good contemporary supernatural thriller, try "The Descent.

" And let's not even talk about "The Shining," which "1408" wishes it were, but SO is not. Maybe it's Stephen KIng who's become hackneyed, and this is a faithful adaptation of some cynically mediocre work, but whatever the reason, this ain't worth twelve bucks.