1408 (2007)

Director: Mikael Håfström
Format: Theater
Starring: John Cusack, Samuel Jackson, Jasmine Jessica Anthony, Mary McCormack
Trailer

I do not, in general, seek out movies based on Stephen King novels. In fact, I usually avoid them. The only exception to that has been The Shining. However, it is rumored that the author of the book did not agree with Kubrick’s adaptation. I stopped being able to stomach King’s writing after my freshman year in high school. Until that point, I’d read many of his earlier novels and my favorite was the collection of shorts entitled, “Skeleton Crew”. Aside from the afore mentioned film, most movies based on King’s books are terribly scripted and painful to watch. I cannot claim to have read 1408 and therefore cannot vouch for the movie’s accuracy.

The trailer for 1408 is a bit misleading. It explains that Mike Enslin (John Cusack), after having suffered the loss of his young daughter, becomes obsessed with the paranormal and seeks out his child’s ghost. While that idea can certainly be interpreted from the film, it’s not the main plot point or even openly stated. Mr. Enslin is a writer (surprised?) who is sarcastic, cynical, borderline alcoholic, and does not believe in ghosts or the afterlife. He travels the country, checking into purportedly haunted places of lodging and publishing his reviews in guides like, “Top 10 Spooky Graveyards” or “10 Haunted Lighthouses” (I made those titles up). Judging from his small array of ghost hunting gadgets though, he does appear to be seeking proof to challenge his skepticism. When he receives a mysterious postcard warning him to stay away from room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel, naturally, that’s the first place he goes. After a wordy argument with the hotel’s manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel Jackson), Enslin steps up to the challenge and enters room 1408. This time, he’s not disappointed.

John Cusack has proven himself, to me at least, to be a very solid actor. I am pleased that he didn’t sink in the mire of his 1980’s chick-flick past as so many stars of the time did. It’s a good thing too, because 1408 is primarily a one man show, with most of the film taking place while Enslin is alone in the hotel room. (I use the word “alone” very loosely in this instance.) He is terrific at playing the cynical type, as in High Fidelity, which makes him a great skeptic ghost hunter. Samuel Jackson is also known to give a solid performance. Although his character has a very minor role in the story, it is chock full of the type of dialog delivery the actor became known for in Pulp Fiction. The rest of the actors appear only briefly here and there. As usual, the child annoyed me to death.

1408 gave me some serious acid flashbacks. Seriously. Some of the special effects were a bit hokey. Specifically, Olin’s appearance in the refrigerator. However, I can honestly say that at least the first portion of the film had me drawing my feet up onto the seat. (Ever get that feeling that something’s just about to grab your ankles?) There are a few glaring continuity errors. The most obvious is the fact that, despite being told that electronics do not function in room 1408, Enlin is able to operate his cell phone, his laptop, the radio and light switches. It might have been interesting to delve more closely into the individual ghosts haunting the room, but the movie focuses most directly on Enlin’s inner psyche and past. His daughter’s death from an undisclosed illness and his subsequent separation from his wife plague him as the main terrors of room 1408. There are some hints during the film of what the ending will look like, but just when you might think it’s over – it’s not.

So, it appears that 1408 has entered the elite ranks of the two Stephen King movies I can stand. A surprising thumbs up. It is a commonly known bit of trivia that the author appears in every one of his films (except The Shining), just like Hitchcock and, now, Shyamalan. I didn’t notice him myself, but maybe you can spot him.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 1 (eh, Cusack's not bad)

Alternate viewing: Night Watch (Russia)
Official Site
IMDB Page
Wild Bluff Media review

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More Bunnies

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Horror Poll

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Opinion Poll #1 Results

The voting period for our first poll has expired.
Here are the results:

14.3% voted to see a New Layout
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14.3% want to see More Blood

There were 7 votes overall. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote, and there will be a new poll up shortly.

Lord of War (2005)

Director: Andrew Niccol
Format: DVD
DVD Features: making of, documentary, deleted scenes, commentaries
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Ethan Hawke, Bridget Moynahan
Trailer

This is the third movie in a row that I’ve seen starring Nicolas Cage. The two movies that I have to compare Lord of War to are Wild At Heart and The Weather Man. Wild At Heart was shot in 1990, 15 years before The Weather Man and Lord of War were released. So, do I prefer the young Cage or the more modern, more cynical Cage? I don’t know that I’m quite ready to end my Cage-fest just yet, although it seems to have been postponed, according to the random fate dealt to me via my Netflix queue. I long to re-experience the classic Raising Arizona and the fuzzy recollection of 8MM. Looking at his filmography, it’s astonishing how prolific Cage is as an actor, sometimes doing 4 movies in a year. It looks like I’ll have plenty of ammunition for my next Cage-O-Rama.

In Lord of War, Nicolas Cage plays Ukrainian immigrant Yuri Orlov (although that’s just the first in a string of aliases). Dissatisfied with his lower class surroundings, he discovers that his calling in life is illegal arms dealing. He asks his brother Vitaly (Jared Leto) to partner with him and the two begin supplying weapons to the neighborhood gangsters. Before too long, he’s dealing weapons to top ranking military officials and bringing in a hefty profit. Orlov finally attracts the attention of model Ava Fontaine (Bridget Moynahan) and the two of them have a son. He’s also attracts the attention of ATF agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) who is intent on making sure Yuri won’t enjoy a comfortable life.

In both Lord of War and The Weather Man, the story is narrated by the main character. I didn’t feel it was a necessary feature in either. In fact, it seemed like the screenwriter’s way of cheating. The narration is a bit spotty in both films; a little heavier in the beginning, and fairly infrequent during the rest of the story. However, it seemed to me that a better film would cut out the narration and use other techniques to move the tale along during those lulls in action. The subject matter involved is so much more exciting in Lord of War. Yuri is involved with an insane dictator, a drunken Soviet official and truck loads of ammunition. He’s got to stay on top of the world politics that signal who’s about to go to war and who’s got army surplus to unload. All the while, he keeps his profession a secret from his family. There is some attempt at bringing morality into the picture. Is he just a necessary evil or is he the reason people are killing each other? Lord of War doesn’t attempt to do much more than raise the question though and delves no deeper into the issue. Vitaly Orlov, his brother, is primarily a character in the film to provide juxtaposition for Yuri (oh, AND for eye candy). Even though he is a hopeless drug addict, he has a stronger conscience than his brother. It’s not all about the money with Vitaly. Actually, it’s not all about the money with Yuri either. He does it because he’s good at it.

I really did like Cage in his role as Lord of War. It was a fitting position for his wry humor and cool under pressure personality. It feels good to see him succeed despite his questionable occupation. However, the morality of his acts doesn’t seem to sink in at all. He has conveniently settled on an excuse for himself as only a facilitator of an eventuality. Even when he tries to fly straight at the request of his wife, there’s no fire in his attitude. And that’s a credit to Cage’s acting. I wasn’t terribly fond of his wife, Ava. She wasn’t much of a character in the film until near the ending. All the while, she enjoys the fruits of Yuri’s labor, never questioning how he provides her with luxury. Then, when she discovers the truth of her husbands extended business trips, she suddenly becomes a pillar of morality. Shallow to say the least.

From what I’ve read about the film, many aspects were authentic. Most of the arsenal being traded is the real thing. That supply of Soviet tanks are all actually sitting there, even waiting to be shipped off to a battle. There were actual arms dealers consulted in making the movie. Lord of War was supposedly based on true events and I wouldn’t really doubt it. After all, doesn’t it seem logical that there are men facilitating the sale and purchase of helicopters, rocket launchers and missles from country to country? In cinema, it always seems that what we should be worried about are computer switches for nuclear arms and stolen warheads. At one point in Lord of War, the point is made that nuclear warheads are hardly ever used in war, that it’s the M-16 and the AK47 that do the dirty work.

On the surface, Lord of War was an enjoyable movie. As long as you don’t look to the film for any deep, moral content, it’s good. The acting was about average. There are some nerve-wracking sceens and in general, the audience can root for the bad guy. It was certainly better than the mundane depression of The Weather Man, but not nearly as disturbing as Wild At Heart. To answer the question I posed earlier; the young Nicolas Cage or the current Nicolas Cage? I think I’ll go for the Raizing Arizona version. He’s so much more random and fun.

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 5 (love that Leto!)

Alternate Viewing: The Good Shepard
Official Site
IMDB Site
Roger Ebert’s review

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LOL Rabbits

According to the results of my poll, 14.3% of you would like to see more bunnies on Neko Goes To The Movies. So, for your enjoyment, here's an LOLRabbits that I made.

The Weather Man (2005)

Director: Gore Verbinski
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, featurettes
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis
Trailer

The latest batch of movies in my mailbox have all starred Nicolas Cage. Which means, several months ago, when I made my selection online, I must have felt that my movie watching menu could use a little dash of Cage. Although I don’t recall now what led me to that conclusion, I find that I’m enjoying the experience of having a Cage-Fest. What’s nice about viewing a series of movies headlined by the same actor, is that it’s easy to compare how an actor performs in certain roles, as opposed to others, and notice their progression in style at varying time periods.

In The Weather Man, Cage plays a middle-aged local weatherman. He is separated from his wife and struggling in relationships with his two children. He constantly feels that his ailing father (Michael Caine) disapproves of him; his career, his attempts at fatherhood, and the fact that he never has more than a dollar in his wallet. It doesn’t help that the general public takes delight in hitting him with fast food. Throughout the film, the viewer is given insight to David’s (Cage) thoughts via first person narration.

I found the vast majority of the film to be very depressing. Here’s our hero, David, trying his best to hold things together, and failing at every turn despite his best intentions. His failure is not set in a comical light, aside from the food throwing, but rather an all-to-realistic one. Some might feel that the realism of the picture is a credit to the filmmakers. However, for me it was a gloomy reminder of the mundane life most of us likely experience and would like to get away from. I suppose that I look to movies for an escape of sorts, and The Weather Man did not provide that for me. But, ironically, it’s the realism of the ending that I liked. All of David’s plans do not come together in a sugary Disneyland conclusion, but rather, it’s culminated in an inner realization that leads to David’s satisfaction with his circumstances.

Nicolas Cage performs well in an underdog role. I think that one of his best aspects is that the audience can sympathize with him and really feels a lift when his characters win. His casting in “bad ass” roles, like Ghost Rider and Wild At Heart are a testament to that. Michael Caine is always Michael Caine. His bread and butter is the stoic wisdom he so easily conveys, and it is rare to see him step outside that mold. Noreen (Hope Davis) is the quintessential ex-wife. (Although she’s a little bit more friendly than Kathleen Turner in The War of The Roses.) Their two children, Shelly and Mike are realistically remote and apathetic. The acting all around was solid and it wasn’t at all a negative aspect of the film.

Most of the movie takes place in Chicago during the winter, which makes everything all the more depressing. However, there are some wonderful shots of the ice and rain. Appropriate, of course, for a movie about a man who predicts the weather. Almost all of the scenes are cityscapes full of taxicabs and highrises. The movies takes place in the current time period, so it’s hard to get too creative with costume and wardrobe design. I will say that the change in Shelly’s dress was a vast improvement. In that regard, I think that the wardrobe was clever. Everyone else’s clothing realistically reflects the suit and tie world of the upper middle class city dweller; mostly greys and blacks and not much flare or attitude.

I think that The Weather Man could have used a bit of comedy here and there to lighten the tone. The movie would have been just as effective in getting the point across, but wouldn’t have been such a bummer to watch. Even the ending is hardly uplifting enough to make the previous 101 minutes worth sitting through. A horrible tragedy would have even given a refreshing change to the tone of the film. But, even when David loses his father, it’s hard to feel much of an emotional reaction. So, if you’re looking for an uplifting tale, The Weather Man is not the movie for you.

Overall Rating: 1 ½
Hottie Rating: 0 (bummer)

Alternate Viewing: Little Children
Official Site
IMDB Site
Frank’s Reel Reviews review

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