Subscribe to RSS @
(If you have not seen the 2007 John Cusack movie ‘1408′ and still intend doing so then don’t read this. If nothing else i give away the ending. Well… sort of!)
I admit that I might be totally wrong and confused on this – after all, with the old grey cells increasingly turning beige and a lack of sleep over the past three weeks, my memory might well be shot to pieces. In fact – it would not surprise me in the least.
Last Autumn, while sitting on a plane heading for the USA, I watched the movie ‘1408′. For those that do not know of it, it is a film based on a Stephen King ‘horror’ story about a man locked in an evil and ghostly hotel room. The main reason I watched this – not being a fan or having any interest in this genre – was that Cusack, the man in 1408, had rave reviews for his performance and spends the majority of the film acting solo. And yes – as always with Cusack, his performance was noteworthy.
Before my wife contracted JDOCD, Cusack was her actor of choice and she still has a soft spot for him and watches his movies so, as she hadn’t seen ‘1408′ we sat down a couple of nights back to watch it on DVD. I thought I remembered the movie pretty well – after all it was only about seven months ago that I saw it. But it wasn’t the movie I remembered. Sure, lots of the scenes were the same – in fact most of the scenes were the same. But I had this eerie feeling that I was both watching the same move and a different movie at the same time.
Now I know that films are edited for planes – I understand that. Maybe some of the more violent scenes are toned down in some way – really frightening scenes may be cut. After all, Virgin Atlantic do not want to be sued by little Wayne’s Mom and Pop for being traumatised. I get that.
But here’s the thing. And the sort of spoiler. The DVD and, I assume, the theatrical release, ends with Cusack setting the room on fire and dying in the subsequent blaze. But as I remembered it, up there in the middle of crossing the Atlantic, he survived. Convinced of it I am. Which leaves me seriously wondering if my memory truly is starting to play tricks – which is more frightening than anything Stephen King can dish up.
The plane must have played the theatrical version (he lives after setting the room on fire) and at home you saw the director’s cut with the alternate ending.
@BadKitty: Well it’s good to know I was not mistaken. Thanks for the confirmation. And yes – the DVD is marked ‘Directors Cut’ and I feel cheated!
Hey Andy – I had one of those weird moments, once.
P About 10 days ago I watched Unfaithful, mainly to see Diane Lane. (I’d seen her in Untraceable a week or so before and kinda, well, developed an appreciation for her, ahem.) Anyhow, Unfaithful has lotsa pretty strong images in it but somehow it wasn’t until the very last scene of the SUV parked in the nighttime street under the stop light and next to the police station that I realized that I’d actually seen it before. I mean, this is a movie that was made only 6 years ago and it has DIANE FREAKIN’ LANE in it. I forgot that I’d seen it? Gray matter oatmeal. . .
Then I watched The Glass House even since watching Unfaithful and it wasn’t until half way through that I realized, hey, THAT’s Diane Lane! Oh, that’s why I ordered this movie. Gray matter milkshakes. . .
Do I have to do something at MY blog in order for CommentLuv to show up when I post on YOUR blog? I know you explained it to me but I somehow don’t seem to recall—gray matter kabob—so I thought I’d ask.
Ta.
@fractiverse: I hate that feeling that starts to creep over you an hour into a movie when you start to realise that ‘wait a moment… I’ve seen this’! Especially when the only bit you can remember is how it ends!
(CommentLuv: No – it just tries to visit your site to grab the last post URL. I do not know what it means if it can not do that. I’ll try fnd some time to look at the code)
I have DVDs at home that have all the alternate endings on, some even have the Airline ending on them, I have heard of some films scenes being totally reshot so airlines can screen them, and keep the passengers happy…
Darrens last blog post..Alan Knows Best
@Darren: yes I know it happens but this one came as a bt of a shock!
Thanks for assessing this film for me: it’s one I remember reading about and had a very scant interest in. After reading how the film wraps up, I can’t say that I’m really any more interested at this point.
@Edinburgh Lover: Yes – on balance I wouldn’t bother. I watched it chiefly because Cusack’s performance – and for most of the film he is the only character – received very good reviews and I have a lot of respect for him as an actor.