MovieChat Forums > 1408 (2007) Discussion > Somethings Missing with Continuity

Somethings Missing with Continuity

posted 7 years ago by creaper69
4 replies | jump to latest

First off, I really like this movie. That said, there is something that seems out of place that could have been handled differently.

In the beginning of the movie the main character, Mike Enslin (John Cusack), tells the audience that he's a good researcher, investigating the paranormal with an EMF Meter, Full Range Spectrometer, and Infrared Camera. They show him using the meter in the first hotel he visits, but not any cameras. Then, they never show or discuss these objects again.

When he is in Room 1408, he has a bag which contains a (now old) cell phone, a laptop with webcam, a flashlight and a knife. Wheres his "ghost hunting" equipment, and why does he use a tape recorder if he has expensive cameras? He never takes a single picture of the places he visits!? You would think after the hotel managers speech, he would have brought out all possible equipment.

The hotel manager said electronics don't work in the room, but everything worked fine except when the laptop got wet. It would have been interesting if they had shown his EMF Meter going haywire. Or maybe, he could have a camera that showed him casually sleeping in bed, or some other visions. If you're going to introduce these items, at least show them even if they are not "working"!

My conclusion is that his EMF Meter doesn't actually do anything, and his line about the Spectrometer and Infrared Camera was a lie to entice his readers. The idea of having an actual Full Range Spectrometer without a Proton Pack makes him look amateur, so that's a pretty weak/cheap tactic.

The webcam to his wife was obviously to reconnect them, but he said he had no plans of contacting his wife. And he carried the knife into the air vent, but didn't use it when he was confronted by death. Was the knife intended for defense, or does he just use that when he can't find a toothpick?

Still a fun movie!

[–] Batty67 (358) 6 years ago

Fair points. I'd say it is likely a continuity error: they just did not bother. Or, it could be that Enslin USED to do all those quasi-scientific things, but as he got more and more burned-out, he did not bother, which is me rationalizing why it might not be an error.

[–] scannerdarkly (1274) 2 years ago

I agree.

You can see Enslin in the opening scene at the motel sitting in the chair drinking the small liqour bottles and just looking weary. He's going through the motions and giving it a chance but at the same time he just knows he'll find nothing.

Its a theme that pops up constantly through the film. He wants to find some proof of the afterlife but he has become so jaded and atheist over the death of his daughter. Its why I actually like the theatrical ending of the film, where Enslin listens to the partially burned tape recorder and both him and the wife hears their dead daughters voice on the tape. The wife drops what shes holding and Enslin just looks up with a surety on his face. He got his closure, and probably wont continue his ghost hunting anymore.

I prefer this ending.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

The movie was alright, but the short story is better. King's description of what happens to the hero in that room is incredible.

[–] Gothor (9) 2 years ago

> When he is in Room 1408, he has a bag which contains a (now old) cell phone, a laptop with webcam, a flashlight and a knife. Wheres his "ghost hunting" equipment, and why does he use a tape recorder if he has expensive cameras?

I think you're right, those are just props for his readers. He doesn't believe in the paranormal, so he has no reason to take the items with him. You would think he'd take pictures of the rooms (Sam Jackson even offers to let him take photos of an identical room next door), but it could be his 10 Haunted Hotels series don't feature in-room pictures, for whatever reason.

> The hotel manager said electronics don't work in the room, but everything worked fine except when the laptop got wet.

His tape recorder playback is also distorted, even before the fire. When he's sort of leaning against the wall, drunken, playing back his notes, it definitely sounds weird. But in the Theatrical ending, when Cusack plays back the tape of his daughter, the voices are no longer distorted. This might mean the distortion only happens while in the room.