Review by Nick Reed

Notable ghost hunter and novelist Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is a traveler in search of paranormal activity, specializing in hotels which claim to be haunted. Although he admits to the four person audience at his book signing that he'd give anything to have a real paranormal experience, he is a compassionate disbeliever of "ghoulies and ghosties".

After receiving a rather cryptic postcard in the mail from the Dolphin Hotel in New York City with the message "Don't go in room 1408", he travels to the big apple to lodge in said room. After strutting about the room, he spends about five minutes ranting into his tape recorder, going on a diatribe filled with sarcasm and skepticism.

But the malevolent room turns out to be no walk in the park; almost immediately, poltergeist-like scares start to flourish, and Mike takes off running for the door. When the handle breaks off, trapping him inside, the hauntings begin to get far more intense. Soon, it becomes clear that this ordinary looking room is not only overflowing with paranormal activity, but in fact a gateway into another dimension; one that's filled with evil and despair.

John Cusack, one of the most underrated actors in the business, is a particularly unique performer. Not only is his stage presence consistently delightful to watch, but he also possesses a solid acting range that puts most A-list celebrities to shame. He once again proves his ability to carry a film completely on his own, as he did in High Fidelity and the classic Better Off Dead. Being the sole character for 70% of a film can't be easy, and with a different actor, I think this horror flick wouldn't have been nearly as tolerable.

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