The Holiday in room 1408

Work front has been mind numbing the past week. I have loads to do (which I am looking forward to) but my stupid code refuses to cooperate. I have been breaking my head over a piece of code which mysteriously refuses to work. Its developed AI and is diligently working against me, frustrating me. To get my head off the little prick, ended up watching "The Holiday" yesterday and "1408" today. Refreshing, but still the code keeps disturbing me at the back of my head. Anyways, my main intention was to review the 2 movies. So here goes...

"The Holiday" was a romantic comedy about a couple of girls (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) swapping homes as a home exchange vacation setup. Both tired of their miserable love lives, or their attempt to have one, plan to take a trip away from all the shit and spend christmas in a different country. They both end up meeting guys (Jude Law and Jack Black) more suited to their line of choice than their previous disasters. It was a tad bit long but then again didn't really get bored at any point of time. All the actors did justice with their roles (loved Kate, always had a soft corner for her) and the director did a brilliant job portraying the emotions. I was a little disappointed by Jack Black's character. Probably its difficult imagining him in a non-sidey character. A good movie to watch on a lazy weekend afternoon. Will definitely leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside and the hope that someday you too, in spite of all the failed romances shall meet the right person accidentally.

Alright! I admit it! I like mushy romantic movies. I like kick ass action, gross guy movies. But I love the romance and drama genre too. I can imagine a couple of my friends smirking but I shall take care of them later. X-(

Its been ages since I have seen a good horror movie. I hate those serial-killer-oh-so-scary flicks but its been a long time since I have been scared by a horror movie. "Exorcism of Emily Rose" scared me in some scenes, ie the original version and not the one they showed on TV. They actually butchered the movie. The fact that it was based on a true story helped too.

Well 1408 based on a short story by Stephen King was interesting, though a little boring in the middle. There were quite a few twists and turns and if one is familiar with Stephen King's work then you'll know that apart from just supernatural, he likes to play with the human psyche ( you'll know what I mean if you have seen Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining"). 1408 had a good mix of paranormal and human psychology. Mike Enslin (John Cusack), the protagonist is a writer who debunks paranormal activities in haunted hotels, graveyards etc. He checks into room 1408 in the Dolphin hotel where it is claimed that no one has survived for more than an hour. There have been 56 deaths in that room. The movie slowly reveals the activities of 1408 and Enslin's life and how the two mix to create the experience that Enslin goes through. There is a "Director's Cut" version of the movie which has a better ending, though the current ending is also pretty interesting. If you wanna increase the effect of the movie, watch it in a dark room, alone... you'll like it :D