I’m a fan of reading the books first, if you have the chance, and later for sure. 1408 happened the latter way, where I saw the movie and loved it so much that I went back to read the Stephen King short story. And no matter how I consumed it, I was hooked.
Mike Enslin, a cynical writer, travels around writing about his stays in supposedly haunted establishments. From bed and breakfasts to haunted attic spaces, he tries his damnedest to find some sort of proof of the afterlife — he continuously finds none but writes a spooky tale or so to line his books (and wallet). But one fateful day, he gets a postcard from an unknown sender dissuading him from staying in a particular room at The Dolphin, a New York hotel. Intrigued, Enslin takes the bait, but he soon discovers he should have listened to the warning.
1408? I saw this bad boy in theaters and was not disappointed! I hadn’t heard of the movie before, so mistakenly thought it was an original work, only later finding out that it was based on a Stephen King short story of the same name — more on that later. Though the beginning watching Enslin be bored sitting in not-at-all haunted bedrooms was a bit slow, the movie picks up as soon as he enters the lobby of The Dolphin. We’re even greeted by the Master Motherfucker himself, Samuel L. Jackson, as the owner of the infamous hotel! It’s here that we see what trouble Enslin is really in.
Right off the bat, we’re told of how many people have died in room 1408. Some of mysterious circumstances, some of murder, some of suicide, all absolutely bonkers. We’re even told the insane precaution the hotel staff go through to keep it clean without falling victim to the room. Nevertheless, Enslin opts to stay there for the night because this is just the opportunity he needs to see an actual ghost.
Except he doesn’t get a ghost, he pretty much gets evil incarnate. Room 1408 is fucked. Absolutely fucked. The clock doesn’t work. He hallucinates seeing things outside his window. The AC and heat are on the fritz. I really want to go into detail, but I don’t want the scares and craziness to go to waste when you could just go watch it for yourself! What Enslin goes through in that room is filmed in such a way that you feel it too. Watching in the audience, you feel cramped and stuffy, your heart racing with every look around the corner. Once we’re in that room, we’re stuck just as much as Enslin is.
This mirrors exactly how the written story is, but worse. I read 1408 well after seeing the movie, but reading it was almost as bad as reading Misery; the amount of paranoia and discomfort I felt reading this was unimaginable. And it speaks to King’s writing because the story is nowhere near as detailed and drawn-out as the movie was. A good portion of the story was about the door frame being ever so slightly uneven, then changing, and the reader second-guessing themselves as if they were seeing things. It is anxiety-inducing.
I like 1408 a lot. It’s scary. It’s thought-provoking. And I have a personal connection to it. Quick story here:
I was on a business trip in Boston where I stayed at the Omni Parker House. It’s a historic 1927 hotel that has its hands in US history as well as hauntings. JFK frequented the hotel, and it’s the originator of Boston Cream Pie. It’s known to have two whole floors that are visited by ghostly specters, including the ghost of Charles Dickens, as well as many other spooky happenings. It’s also right next to two burial grounds dating back to the American Revolution. There was a rumor that 1408 was based on Stephen king’s stay at this hotel; seems legit, but false. Even still, I could see how one could come up with a ghost story staying here, and the amount of history and death involved with this particular hotel is utterly overwhelming. The Dolphin is a fictional hotel, but it bears a striking resemblance to the Omni Parker House as well. In my heart the rumor is true!
While 1408 has a little bit of a slow start and lackluster ending (depending on which one you saw), the middle — the meat — is a prime cut of filet mignon. Better yet, a delicious slice of Boston Cream Pie. Terrifying but hard to look away from!
Book, movie, or both? Let us know what you think of all things 1408 in the comments!
