“The rules are simple, just pick your favorite horror film for each day! However, you can’t pick the same horror film more [than] once. So once you pick say THE EXORCIST for your favorite horror film involving the powers of Hell, you can’t [pick] it again for any other day [whatsoever,] including favorite horror film.”
Source: Dollar Bin Horror
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Day 12 – Your favorite horror film involving the occult
Film: 1408 (2007) – dir. Mikael Håfström
When occult is be defined as “the supernatural or supernatural agencies and affairs considered as a whole” (from http://dictionary.com), 1408 fits, so that is the definition I am using. It’s no secret to my friends and family that I am scared easily, but never had a movie made me scream in a crowded theatre before 1408. Sitting next to one my best friends, I let out the loudest, most feminine squeal of my movie-going life about halfway through the film.
This Stephen King adaptation is one of my favorites (along with The Mist, mentioned earlier). It isn’t a perfect film, but few of my favorite movies are. The flaws of the film are made up for by the scares that Håfström brings to the table. 1408 is also an example of a movie where I can’t decide which ending I like better: the theatrical cut or the Director’s Cut. Both had an impact on me the first time I saw them, and it’s hard to choose which fits the movie better. If you’ve missed out on this gem, pick it up. It can be found on Blu-ray pretty cheap now, and is worth owning.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
