1408

Synopsis: Non-believing ghost-hunter goes to hotel room that is actually haunted and has a really shit time.

What seemed like one of very few Stephen King stories that has been well adapted for the screen breaks down about two thirds of the way through, which is a real shame because it was going incredibly well until then. So, here’s the review for the good two thirds:

The main character, whose name I have already forgotten, is established well initially as a sceptic authour of books about ghosts, and one that even sneers at those who believe in what he writes. An emotional past is hinted at, but always left as an unknown quantity at this stage. He hears of a hotel in New York that contains a room with a grisly past, lots of suicides, unexplained deaths and the like, room 1408. Well, he goes off to stay there, against the wishes of the hotel manager (Samuel L motherfucking Jackson) who explains the past of the room very well, building the tension. Well, he goes to the room, and so as not to spoil things, I’ll just say he has a very shit time. Loads of effective scares if Tess’ squealing is anything to go by, very spooky atmosphere, all good. Then, it just gets shit. So, here’s a review for the shit last third:

What on earth were they thinking? I’ll tell you what, they were trying to be too clever for their own good. Once the floorboards start ripping up from the floors (and if you see it you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about) the film loses all its pace, and never manages to get back to the high point of the middle of the film again, despite there being a supposedly big climax at the end.

Overall, the good bits outweigh the bad bits, but the two pikey fucknuggets who wouldn’t stop talking on their mobile phones in the seats in front of us made it less than worthwhile. I mean, who the fuck does that at a cinema these days? Cunts like that need to be taken out and have their faces kicked in.

I’ll give 1408 Goolies/10