DRAG ME TO HELL (includes footage)
September 9th 2010 14:23
Drag Me To Hell is the 2009 horror film from Evil Dead director Sam Raimi, that fondly revisits his old stomping ground of 80’s horror schlock fests, providing a return to form after his work on directing the Spiderman films. Drag Me To Hell is a reminder of old camp fire yarns and ghost trains at the carnival, always waiting around the corner with a well placed scare in hand. Drag Me To Hell is delightfully entertaining with it’s mix of macabre humour and book of clichéd frights, lined up and ready to attack.
Alison Lohman (Matchstick Men, Beowulf, Big Fish) plays Christine Brown, a loan officer at a bank, a career girl, preening herself for a possible promotion, a bright future and a promising relationship with her warm and supportive Boyfriend, Clay, played by Justin Long (Die Hard 4, He’s Just Not That Into You, Funny People). When a ghoulishly creepy old woman asks Christine for a loan extension on her mortgage, Christine turns her down to impress her boss. This old woman, with her blood curdling presence puts a spell on Christine. A supernatural curse that will bring forth demons to torment and terrorize Christine and eventually – DRAG HER TO HELL. Christine discovers a psychic, played by Dileep Rao (Avatar, Inception), who is trying to help save her soul – but time is running out!
Drag Me To Hell is enjoyable for what it is, a slickly produced tale that has it’s roots in deep trash, sure to please casual horror fans looking to jump in the seats and gasp in fright for 90 minutes. While I enjoyed Drag Me To Hell I was always overly aware of it’s transparent scare tactics, which work, but can also make you roll your eyes at times. This is fun stuff, but it’s filled with every hocus-pocus cliché in the book, from clanging pots and pans to burst open windows pre-empted by a loud sound effect to cue it in.
The film feels like nothing more than a hack work, with frights in all the expected places every scare generated by nothing more than the volume on the sound mix being boosted up momentarily. Having said that, that isn’t really the point of Drag Me To Hell, it’s really the work of a horror fan who treasures these old horror standards, wishing to kick them up and celebrate them in the same way that, say for example, Quentin Tarantino does of his films. It’s a devilish mix of the funny and grisly, as Drag Me To Hell simply works to add notches to it’s belt regarding how many times it can give you a moment’s scare and keep you in it’s grasp. It’s great fun, especially for a date-horror film to watch, sure to make you squirm as it holds you at it’s mercy.
Interestingly enough, I get the feeling that Drag Me To Hell might be enjoyed more by female horror fans, not only because of it’s main character but it’s inherent pop-horror flavour that’s become so popular in recent slasher films like Scream as well as the entire point of view of the film. At the same time Drag Me To Hell isn’t afraid to go for the jugular, we’re in the hands of a director who knows the genre inside out and he has the ability to increase the intensity at any moment, it’s a fun ride and the elegant cinematography works to lure you in further and keep you engaged.
Alison Lohman has given better performances before and this is probably another flaw revealing itself in the form of a bland main character. The same can be said for the character of the boyfriend. The actors are normally capable ones, but here they seem to be going along for the ride more than anything else.
Drag Me To Hell is terrific fun and it hits it’s desired effect with great stride. Whether it will hold up ten years from now remains to be seen. As a sheer entertainment it’s bloody fantastic, as a horror film it’s a little disposable considering it’s abundance of gimmicks, crudely obvious sound design and it’s disinterest in subtlety. At the same time, Drag Me To Hell has a seductive simplicity, a satirical twinkle in it’s eye and a mischievous self awareness that’s hard to resist.
HERE'S A BRIEF EXAMPLE OF DRAG ME TO HELL'S GREAT MERGE OF COMEDY AND HORROR
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I had a good time with this fun house ride too.
From my own review:
"Controlling tensions with solidly constructed suspense, then achieving laughs seconds later with over the top gross out gags, Raimi’s deft direction shows a flawless fluency in cinema language. From human frailty to visceral thrills, the pedestrian sounding set up is testament to the old adage that a good filmmaker can bring life to even the most overused of devices.
Right from the start when the 1980’s style Universal Pictures logo first appears and the fatalistic art of the opening credits, the film proudly displays its love of traditional, old fashioned supernatural thrillers. You know, the kind that make you fidget as the strings are pulled tighter and then give you quick relief in the form of farcical happenings."
Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
It definitely doesn't take itself seriously, which I think is what makes it work. *lol* at how many times Lohman's character gets vomited on!!
Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
This was a slight return to form for Mr. Raimi.
I can't stand all the Spider-Man crap he's done.
For me his best work was his first.
I enjoyed this a lot, probably cos I went into the screening with low expectations. I'm a fan of Alison too.
I loved the fly crawling into her mouth and ouot her nostril! And the demon shadow creeping under the door.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
cheers
fog
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Hey guys - yeah - it's a fun one. It's not a good as some but definitely decent.