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Drag Me to Hell
Drag Me to Hell
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is on her way to having it all: a devoted boyfriend (Justin Long), a hard-earned job promotion, and a bright future. But when she’s forced to make a tough decision that evicts an elderly woman from her house, Christine becomes the victim of an evil curse. Now she has only three days to dissuade a dark spirit from stealing her soul before she is dragged to hell for an eternity of unthinkable torment. Director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and The Evil Dead Trilogy) returns to the horror genre with a vengeance in the film that critics rave is “the most crazy, fun and terrifying horror movie in years!” (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly)Touted as a return to Sam Raimi’s horror-movie roots, Drag Me to Hell is indeed closer in spirit to the director’s Evil Dead pictures than to his Spider-Man films. You got your gypsy gargoyles with rotted dentures, your upchucking corpses, your flexible two-way orifices–yes, Raimi’s definitely back in the saddle. There’s
Rating: (out of 259 reviews)
List Price: $ 14.98
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Vance E. Berk
October 27, 2010 at 1:06 am
Review by Vance E. Berk for Drag Me to Hell
Rating:
Ever have that feeling that for the last ten years horror films have been repetitious series of clichés and horrific actors taking absurd premises far too seriously? When was the last time you actually had fun watching a horror movie without it trying to work your lunch out of your stomach? Yeah, I’m pretty tired of modern horror films to. Luckily, a veteran of the genre has returned to teach us once more how to have fun with our horror once more. This man is of course, the one and only Sam Raimi!
After the debacle that was `Spider-Man 3′ director Sam Raimi decided “Enough with working on a big studio’s agenda” and goes back to his roots as a B-horror filmmaker…And, boy, does he sure come out with the movie his fans have been waiting for! `Drag Me To Hell’ s that breath of fresh air (or is it rancid air?) Hollywood’s needed for over a decade, and who better to bring it than the director of the Evil Dead Trilogy?
Let’s go through the Raimi checklist.
Do we have an energetic lead who finds herself/himself in ridiculous situations? Yes.
Is there an evil curse pursuing our hero? Yes.
Will the hero be repeatedly splattered in gratuitous blood and filth? HELL YEAH!
The story is fairly simple where an aspiring bank employee, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), just wants to get ahead in life. One way to impress her boss is to deny a loan to an old woman who has failed to meet her payments multiple times. Unfortunately this old woman happens to be a gypsy (perhaps the scariest old lady ever filmed; makes Norman Bate’s mom look like Kermit the Frog) and she deals out eternal damnation to those who publicly shame her. So with *little*help from her skeptical boyfriend (Justin Long), Christine has to lift the curse in three days or else spend the rest of eternity burning in Hell.
Sam Raimi is back, ladies and gentlemen. Alison Lohman is great as the lead (never thought you could find an *attractive* young woman willing to pull these Bruce Campbell type stunts) and as a viewer you will sympathize with her, but the star of this movie really is Sam Raimi. Over twenty years experience is put into this film as Raimi utilizes many techniques to heighten the atmosphere of this film. Through use of shadows, and everyday sounds Raimi is able to create an eerie mood that meshes with his razor sharp sense of black comedy.
Some words of warning!
This movie will gross you out if you are not familiar with Raimi’s horror. `Drag Me To Hell’ is rated PG-13, but Sam Raimi has created the most borderline R-rated PG-13 movie of all time.
If you’re a hardcore horror fan you may not appreciate Raimi’s over the top sense of dark-camp humor in what could otherwise be a standard horror movie.
If you ARE a fan of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films and can look past the fact that Bruce Campbell isn’t the star of Drag Me To Hell, I can guarantee that you will LOVE this movie- or at least find it a welcome addition to a Hollywood that’s been overrun by horror films that take themselves far too seriously.
Drag Me To Hell is some of the most fun you’ll have at the movies. Get some friends, rent the Unrated Director’s Cut and prepare for a popcorn-munching goodtime!
9/10 Stars
R. Siegel
October 27, 2010 at 12:09 am
Review by R. Siegel for Drag Me to Hell
Rating:
Finally a horror movie worthy of my time. This is one of the best horror movies in a long time, I don’t know why some people gave it one star, maybe because it relies on scares and fear rather than a ton of blood. The music score reminds me of the 1930’s-50’s horror movies, excellent music, the acting is very good, and the special effects are great. The cemetery scene is awesome.Great story, and the Blu-ray is excellent quality. I highly recommend this if you like a good horror movie that doesn’t have blood everywhere or people cutting of their hands (Saw) but just good scares from the story itself. I give it a 5 compared to other horror films.
www.TheHorrorMovieCritic.com
October 26, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Review by http://www.TheHorrorMovieCritic.com for Drag Me to Hell
Rating:
He’s back! No I’m not talking about Freddy, Jason, Chucky or Michael. I’m talking about Sam…as in Sam Raimi. It’s been almost 17 years since Raimi has helmed a horror flick and he hasn’t lost his touch. Drag Me to Hell feels like the ugly (real ugly), long lost sister of Evil Dead II. It blends jump-outta-your-seat scares with Three Stooges style slap stick. If that sounds like an odd combination then you’ve never watched a Raimi horror movie before…
Drag Me to Hell is a basic morality tale. The whole thing feels like a polished episode of Tales from the Crypt. The story follows Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a young woman who is looking to move up the corporate ladder at the bank where she’s employed. Her boss tells her that she must learn to make the hard decisions if she wants a promotion and the first time she attempts this she forecloses the house of a disgusting, old, gypsy woman (Lorna Raver). If classic horror has taught us anything it’s that you don’t EVER screw with gypsies (or carnie folk). The dilapidated crone waits for Christine in the parking garage (in Raimi’s beat up Oldsmobile!) and applies the ‘Curse of Lamia’. The Lamia is a devil goat that loves the taste of souls. It takes three days to fully manifest and then the demon comes looking for its meal which gets dragged back to Hell for consumption.
Christine is perfectly portrayed by Lohman and I’ll be damned if that girl doesn’t have some spunk! She is cute as hell and has a knack for physical comedy. One thing about Raimi is that he loves to put his actors/actresses through the ringer. Lohman is a trooper as she gets hit in the face with maggots, mud, blood, drool etc… See that’s the beauty of this film. Every time something terrifying happens it’s quickly followed up with some disgusting gag that makes you cringe and then burst into a fit of laughter. It’s a really great group experience…much like a well executed haunted house.
Justin Long plays Lohman’s love interest, Dr. Clay Dalton, and to be honest it seems like he’s just along for the ride. Make no mistake about it, this is Lohman’s movie and she easily carries it all on her own. The rest of the cast is merely there to witness Christine physically and mentally fall apart as the Lamia’s curse intensifies.
My only real complaint is that Raimi actually had the budget to create some CG effects. While they don’t ruin the movie, I would have loved to see him stick with the real stuff instead. My main problem is that the things he uses CG for could have easily been done with practical effects.
Drag Me to Hell is horror done right. Sam Raimi has crafted one of the best horror films I’ve seen in the past 5 years. You’ve got elements of Evil Dead, The Exorcist and Dead Alive all stirred into the wicked witch’s brew that is Drag Me to Hell. The packed theatre I sat in seemed to really get into it, but I’m afraid some folks simply won’t wrap their heads around all the goofy stuff that Raimi does. Make sure you drag as many friends as possible to see it. Rest assured that everyone will be jumping in their seats, covering their eyes, screaming and giggling like prepubescent schoolgirls! Drag Me to Hell is just flat out fun cinema. Go see it.
Final Grade: A
Sky
October 26, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Review by Sky for Drag Me to Hell
Rating:
Sam Raimi sure does have a consistent view of what the demons from Hell look like, sound like and act like. And these are some of the meanest, scariest demons ever conjured into the world of film-making.
In Evil Dead II (Raimi’s Horror Classic rumored to be in re-make mode), words spoken from a tape recorder bring some nasty demons over that ruin the day for a group of folks stuck in a spooky cabin in the woods. In Drag Me to Hell it seems that there are some gypsies that you don’t want to cross that know words similar to those spoken on the Evil Dead II tape recorder…And if you hear them spoken…you’re dead whether you’re alone in the woods or surrounded by suburbia.
So if you happen to be an aspiring local bank manager…check that…aspiring *assistant* bank manager, and a gypsy comes in asking for an extension on an overdue loan payment…give it to her!
Sam Raimi may not have outdone himself with Drag Me to Hell, but he has certainly succeeded in giving Horror fans something to cheer about. There are really scary moments, funny moments, grotesque moments and very deliberately over-the-top moments. There are even moments that are clearly a tip of the hat to Raimi’s Evil Dead collection (open wide and say Eyyyyyee!).
Alison Lohman keeps the action and scares rolling along almost solo for like 60% of the movie. She’s no Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead’s Ash Williams), but she does a fine job of taking her role seriously and stepping into Raimi’s humorously sinister world of diabolical demons. Then there’s the gypsy women played devilishly by TV actress Lorna Raver; Raimi turns this little old lady into one memorably hideous villain. Justin “I’m a Mac” Long plays Lohman’s boyfriend and has some short, mostly unmemorable appearances. In fact, Justin Long’s acting in the final memorable scene would have lost him the job if I were involved; I wouldn’t be surprised if Raimi thought the same thing but complacently had to settle since it was indeed the last scene.
Like I said, Drag Me to Hell ain’t no Evil Dead II, and it’s by far no Spider-Man Trilogy, but it’s a super fun ride in the Horror genre that’s worthy of your collection. Add it to your cart or at minimum your rental queue.