MovieChat Forums > 1408 (2007) Discussion > Does the room 1408 only hurt and kill Gu...

Does the room 1408 only hurt and kill Guilty people?

posted 3 years ago by scannerdarkly (1285)
4 replies | jump to latest

The room 1408 conjures a fake Olin to tell Enslin that "You shatter peoples hopes for an afterlife with your books. People want to believe in ghosts because it gives them hope, and you take that away from them" (paraphrased). So in that way, the room is telling Enslin that he deserves to be punished.

Im rewatching the movie today, but It'll be hard to know if the people it killed were guilty of something.

It would explain why the room was rented out for so long before a manager (Olin) made the room unavailable. Think about it, if every single person that checks into 1408 dies, the staff wouldnt wait long before making the room unavailable to the public. But if the deaths in 1408 was seemingly random and sporadic then it wouldnt cause alarm for some time.

This makes sense if the room only hurts guilty people, and leaves innocent people alone.

[–] [deleted] 3 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.

[–] scannerdarkly (1285) 3 years ago

I'll need to read it then. Another short story I keep putting off reading is "Who Goes There"? By John W. Campbell Jr. Its the short story that inspired John Carpenters The Thing.

One scene from 1408 that always creeped me out and I never forgot is when he sees the shadowed person across the street in another building and calls for help...only for it to turn out to be mocking his movement and then being his doppelganger 0_0

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

"Who Goes There?" is a great read also.

[–] Gothor (9) 2 years ago

> One scene from 1408 that always creeped me out and I never forgot is when he sees the shadowed person across the street in another building and calls for help

The window across the street and the Carpenters song ("We've only just begun...") were both great additions to the original story. :)