Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 411256" data-attributes="member: 23">1408 (2007) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dvdsreleasedates.com%2Fposters%2F800%2F0%2F1408-2007-movie-poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=92668966ef35ff9c64118b4fb1c84fa10928c4ad589dd3e33e3da751a769d67f&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 595px" /> Last night I was in the mood for something a bit creepy and atmospheric, but not too bloody. I fancied something a bit glossy and slick which meant Nineties or Noughties Dimension fare, but I didn't want anything too formulaically slasher-ish. Running a quick search for horror/thrillers of the era, 1408 came up in a couple of lists with favourable comments about the style (it's #26 in Rotten Tomatoes' 100 best films of the Noughties). It's a Stephen King adaption and I suppose it does follow a lot of his formula (frustrated writer; creepy, off-limits hotel room; blood on the walls, etc., etc). All the same, it's a story with which I wasn't familiar and which held my interest. There are a few cheeky jump scares, and some out there horror as well. As is so often the case with Stephen King type stuff, though, it's the lower-key elements that were most effective for me. I especially enjoyed creepy little touches upon entering the titular room, and a few subtle "did I just see that?" gaslighting moments. Possibly the most effective one in the entire film (involving, of all things, a toilet roll!) was also the simplest one, and drew a reflexive little "oh" from my mouth. It helps that it's well-cast. Samuel L. Jackson is always good value for money. I'm sure I must have seen John Cusack in other films, but I struggle to place them. I was impressed with his screen presence and his overall performance. Being in practically every scene, with a lot of emotional highs and lows and frequently monologuing the entire film hinges on his performance, and he carries it with flair. I'd go so far as to say his performance would be the key reason for a rewatch and I'd certainly be up for checking out more of his work. A nice surprise for a film of this genre was to see Gabriel Yared's name appear on screen as composer. As expected, he did a wonderful job, and the music fits perfectly. Since I think it would also stand up to out-of-context listens, I may well invest in the soundtrack. In pictures, John Cusack often resembles Edward Norton to me. In this film, though, I found myself deciding that if Kevin Spacey and Ryan Reynolds had a baby, he'd probably look just like JC. It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one whose mind went along this track: [MEDIA=youtube]yXF8Lhvjqa8[/MEDIA] ^ Oh -the embarrassment. And she's boasting about being a film student. Oh, Hans looks very charming and smooth, and very smartly dressed. I like the way the borderline flamboyance of the rust-coloured jacket is balanced by the conservative striped tie. Of course, it's the taupe jumper that pulls everything together perfectly and makes him seem very accessible.His flawless skin, glossy hair and dapper style are like something AI would put together today for young women (and young men) to swoon over.Oh my. I was going to ask how well she spoke Dutch, but perhaps "incomprehensible" answers my question. Still, at least she had a go.Did any other soap stars of the era attempt to wrap their tongues round the language?</blockquote>

Verification: 6 + 4 =

Poison your name this Hallowe'en

There's plenty of time to choose your spooky October username

Click here for more details

Reply to thread