- Drag Me To Hell
- OPENING: 05/29/2009
- STUDIO: Universal
- RUN TIME: 99 min
- ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site
The Charge
Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But in three days, she’s going to hell.
Opening Statement
It’s hard not to mention The Evil Dead when talking about Sam Raimi’s newest horror show, Drag Me to Hell, but you know what? I’m going to try it. I’ll start of by saying that Drag Me to Hell is unlikely to have the same epic cult appeal that made the aforementioned video nasty such a genre delight, but on its own merits Raimi’s latest is solidly entertaining with an ending not lacking in wit or bite. You’ve seen the man on better form, but honestly, Raimi’s legions of fans can sleep easy because Drag Me to Hell is a good return to the trademark tongue and cheek horror that made the man’s name.
Facts of the Case
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is a hardworking gal looking for a promotion, so as to prove once and for all that she is good enough for Professor boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) and more than the sum of her farming roots. Such a work based opportunity arrives in the position of Assistant Manager, left vacant, with Christine a prime candidate in the Bank owners eyes to fill the slot. However competition is stiff and in order to prove herself the Bank Manger requests that Christine improves her ability to make “tough calls”. Such a chance arrives when a one eyed Crone Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) arrives looking for a third lone on her property, set to be repossessed later in the week. In a bid to be seen taking a firm stance Christine refuses, but an enraged Mrs. Ganush refuses to leave without dishing out some vengeance of her own, and places a curse on the career minded heroine. Soon Christine is seeing visions and being physically tormented by evil spirits and poltergeist style menace, but after a consultation with those viced in the supernatural, it seems the particular hex placed on Christine is just not ghosts and ghouls, in three days time it sends you directly to the fires of hell.
The Evidence
I said earlier that I wasn’t going to mention Evil Dead and I still intend to uphold that promise, it’s after all unfair to hold up a horror picture as acceptably crafted as Drag Me to Hell against something so beloved, purely because they’re spawned of the same artist. The first thing likely to deter the die-hard devotees concerning the flick is the PG-13 rating it showboats, usually a mark of creative death and greasy fingered cash grabbing from the filmmakers and studio. Indeed, upon entering Drag Me to Hell it wasn’t Spider-Man 3 that planted seeds of doubt in my mind, but the fact that Raimi was seemingly catering to the acne covered clientele that bad Asian remakes are generally preheated for. So back slaps to all concerned, because despite the family friendly certificate Drag Me to Hell is an at times intensely spooky and joyously dark piece of popcorn cinema, seriously, give Night at the Museum 2 another run because despite what the MPAA says, this ain’t for the kiddies.
The film is pretty much fully centered around Lohman as the female hero, and I have to say that the young actress does a really good job in the part. Lohman has shown promise in several previous projects but always in fairly minor parts, here promoted to leading lady she fares more than competently. Christine isn’t a typical damsel in distress, she’s ballsy and determined but when the going gets tough the audience is rooting for her and not the demon hungering for her soul. Raimi cooks up a good character and compliments her effectively with a serious of supporting acts that are used to further flesh out her persona or push the story forward. This is one of the greatest strengths the picture possesses; it’s a mean and lean efforts with no unnecessary run time expounded on characters that just slow the picture up. Justin Long’s boyfriend is the perfect example, Long actually provides a rather quaint and believable performance, but never takes up the screen when his participation doesn’t work to build up the character of Christine. We are treated to a Meet The Parents style sequence at one point that really is only present to solicit dark giggles and a little bit of eerie tension, but other than that virtually every sequence in Drag Me to Hell is a motor for the plot are a way to further enhance the three dimensionality of the leading lady. In a time when cinema has become increasingly flabbergasted and bloated, audiences tend to applaud a director who edits his movies with a chainsaw, keeping the story at the requisite length so it remains both engaging and exciting.
Those looking for genuine fear might feel under-served by Drag me to Hell. The movie definitely packs a respectable amount of creepy atmosphere and nifty boo moments, but isn’t really that fascinated with amassing a cavalcade of adrenaline rush terror. Raimi has lost none of his potency with a well placed gag, turning yuks and slime into the source of belly laughs, and even hardened horror fanatics will be caught once or twice by the loud and bombastic jumpy moments that populate the production. Those inexperienced in the horror genre are advised to avoid the supersize soda before venturing to this movie, via Raimi’s talent for catching viewers of guard they’re bound to have spit all over themselves by the 30 minute mark. On leaving the theater a friend of mine commented that Drag me to Hell was remarkably like An American Werewolf in London in it’s well crafted teaming up of salacious humor and efficient horror, a contrast that I would endorse.
Kudos also has to be handed out for the tricky and hard-to-handle ending. The movie toys with the viewer constantly in the last 10 minutes, suggesting at least three different conclusions to the picture, and then taking the most surprisingly effective one. The finish is also without giving too much away, a ballsy move, especially within the benchmarks of PG-13 material.
From a technical stand point some of the CGI deployed is dodgy but the cinematography is stylish without being to overstated, a sort of amalgamation of Raimi’s times in the low and high budget ends of the filmmaking spectrum. The lighting is often well placed to heighten the more frightening and shocking moments, and the soundtrack actually works as a neat comedic prime one more than one occasion. It’s not outstanding musical work from Christopher Young but it’s no disgrace either, and lets the visual energy steal the spotlight.
The movie is worked from an original concept by the Raimi brothers, sure at times they rely on hokey plot devices and creaky mythology, but their movie moves effortlessly and at a pace that keeps the fun levels at an intense and enjoyably relentless high. Drag Me to Hell isn’t a perfect film by any means and probably won’t go onto be considered a genre classic, but given it’s creator has been out of the horror game for 22 years, it’s a semi-spectacular return.
Closing Statement
Well I made it……a full review without comparing Drag Me to Hell to The Evil Dead. I think from my analysis of the film you can come to the conclusion on how the two size up to each other, basically there isn’t much of a surprise in the victor. Still, Drag Me to Hell is a fresh, funky and at times really funny way to spend a summer evening, Raimi is back in the genre that made his name and on the basis of this enjoyable and spooky frolic, I hope he stays for a long time.
The Verdict
7/10
24 comments ↓
I like the way you go through the entire review without comparing the from to The Evil Dead while still mentioning The Evil Dead three times.
Good review! I pretty much agree with most of what you’re saying here. I found the film immensely entertaining if a bit lacking in resonance.
Saw the movie Sunday afternoon and it was worth the $12 bucks but I’m a Sam Raimi fan. Despite a clunky and predictable-if-you-pay-attention script by Sam and Ted Raimi (written right after 1992′s “Army of Darkness” but shelved while brother Sam built himself a better directing resume) “DMTH” defies its own PG-13 rating by delivering a pretty messed-up and dark morality horror pic that is definitely NOT meant for the easily spooked or little children. Alison Lohman’s character is a tricky one to play since we’re supposed to both sympathize with her demonic plight without losing sight that she brought the curse of Mrs. Garnush (Lorna Raver) upon herself. Justin Long is surprisingly sympathetic and likable as Christine’s tolerant and loaded boyfriend (I want a sequel built around his character) but everybody else in the supporting cast is stuck in their one-note characters. If you can live with the start-and-stop pace of the narrative the nods to Raimi’s grindhouse roots (camera angles/props/gags straight out of “Evil Dead 1 & 2″) and set-pieces (the car garage ‘duel’ stands out) make “DMTH” an enjoyable horror-lite genre pic for discriminating movie fans to choose. A rental for most folks though, since it doesn’t fly as high as the “Spider-Man” or “Evil Dead” flicks.
Saw this flick last night and I gotta say, highly overrated. I don’t know what the buzz is all about. The effects were fine, the make-up fine (the old lady was definitely creepy and disgusting at times), but the story dragged way too much between the “so called” scary scenes (especially after the “curse” kicked into gear) and the use of sound to telegraph the money shot was overdone and borderline stupid.
Acting was so/so, but how many times does a person need to be thrown across the room before they suffer an injury? Apparently our heroine can feel no pain.
4/10
DZ
I’d give it 8 stars, so I liked it a bit more than the reviewer. But I largely agree with his opinions. The highlight of the film is the remarkable sound design. It wasn’t just going for the startle effect, it really helped shape the movie. Anyway, it’s worth seeing on the big screen, although many will wait for the dvd.
I’m glad to see it doing well. I particularly liked the dark cinematography. I found a good discussion of the movie at pandalous. It’s here: http://www.pandalous.com/nodes/drag_me_to_hell
your stupid film was pathetic and the effects were shit.. i give it 0.0163483 out of 10 and i hope that you all choke oon that bloody kitten
It is the best horror movie I have seen in my entire life.. ! ! ! .. !!!!
Please make a sequel with the guy trying to get her out of hell. Drag me out of hell? Epic lol.
Ms. Alison Lohman is a very good actress. She did a fine job at portraying the character’s emotions. I hope she returns somehow. Yes.. she must.. :p Make a sequel please.
i think there should be a sequel to the movie also even i like the first one.The movie should pick up where it left of because the guy still had the button
I agree that they need to make a sequel because
the movie should had not end that way. They
need to get that girl out because good more
powerful than evil.
i looove that movie.
I saw Drag me to Hell last night. FREEAAKY! I’d give it two thumbs up. And If they ever do make a sequel, i hope it’s either about how Justin Long gets Alison Lohman out of Hell or if he ends up getting cursed, but he beats the Lamia.
if there is a sequal it should be justin long’s character hiring bruce cambell to go to hell and save her. so amazing!!!
Justin Long should become in the Drag Me to Hell series what Bruce Campbell was in the Evil Dead series and go kick some demon ass to get his woman back, and say groovy at least once, lol.
I really do thing a sequel or even a franchise should be made of Drag Me To Hell. A whole new spin can be added. The Lamia I’m sure doesn’t work alone. Hell is full of minions who can do diabolical stuff. Of course, Justin Long must provide the bridge to the sequel, and I hope he does a nude scene because he’s so cute.
this has got to be the worst movie i have ever seen, so inconsistent, nobody was overly freaked out by the stuff going on, didnt even mention the fact about cffing blood everywhere in the bank, stuff like that. some of the worst acting i have ever seen i think the goat made the best performance. really, really, totally rubbish movie. its funny but really annoyingly funny if you happen to have any sort of taste in movies
I thought Christine Brown was great. She fought back and really wrestled with her options. I would love to see a sequel, but I am not sure how they would do it. Hell is not really Hell if there is possibility of escape, so a Justin Long tries to get her back sequel would be pretty grim. If she was really good, she would not have fallen victim in the first place.
I thought the humour was a little much. I prefer scary to funny or disgusting, but when it comes to horror movies where there is more to fear than just death, this is the only decent one I can think of.
Ididn’t see the movie because I don’t think a movie about being dragged to hell is good entertainment, however I read the plot and I was quite affected by the fact a young boy and a young woman could get it like that. Sam Raimi is a twisted human being. I would request a sequel on the basis they rescue the boy and Christine. This whole gypsy/lamia/drag curse thing is illegal anyway, from the perspective of the Bible.
Raimi is in to sequels so that might be possible. Howsoever, he tends more towards the Lovecraft viewpoint than the biblical (while using his own mythologies) . I.e. there are gods and demons but none of them are nice. In Lovecraft, the only reason nice places like we know can even exist is because the universe is in a temporary state where the bad things are dead — but they will eventually revive. Meanwhile their servants are bad enuff.
Course, maybe Justin Long can get Tim Allen and the crew of the USS Protector to come help. They owe him one. Since Sigourney Weaver is in that lineup, the lamia would be in deep serious trouble.
Wow this is by far the most dopest movie ever!!!!
Yes, drag me out of HELL would rock, and i do agree, that sam raimi has done a super job,with the base movie, it starts like this> justin long goes back to the medium asking “what can i do?” she was taken by the lamia to HELL, from there,SAW style storyline would be my first pick and you would go from there, bruce cambell can make the “cameo” as the 1 man the medium tells (justin long) can retreive (alison lohman) from hell, but there is just 1 catch, he must join him (bruce cambell) in a fantastic cinamagraphic (doorcrashing) to get into HELL, now comes into play a new chacter, the grandaughter, yes the girl who awnsered the door at the funeral party, and she must use “something belonging to (lorna raver) “ms. ganush” to travel to hell as “visitors” aka spyscrux< aka plot but once succesful they still have to battle HELL'S minions and the souls there to retrieve the girl pt.3 pt.4 ect. ect. remember the souls taken have what can only be called the devils version of the "stockholm syndrome" and dont remember their past lives, so its a double whammy, once there you must convince them its a parallel world they live in and a total LIE, HELL after all is just another universe and death is really the end, HELL is just a purgatory for victims of SATAN and his mission to take back heaven! remember the prophecy, in any event this is how i'd make the story play out, enjoy!
this movie looks very real, there should be some way out for the guy to save the girl.
i got no reply to my suggestion on a sequel to drag me to hell, i hope more people will check back to this site soon, its a great one, and i do love sam raimi sooo much, i just hope he does not screw up this sequel, like resident evil was destroyed, by letting the cast decide their sequels<
THAT MOVIE SUKED ASS!!!!!!!!!!! BUT IT IS FUNNY!!! HAHHA
That movie was defenitely a fantastic movie , I enjoyed it and screamed like a little girl. There should defenitely be a Drag me out of hell. The people that hate this movie are haters cause this movie is real good. Great actors i was eating out of your palms. I do believe in these dark things so it was very realistic to me.
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