Drag Me to Hell (2009)
This is definitely a Sam Raimi film. The man utilizes almost every creative trick from his repertoire of horror movies and horror-comedies to entertaining and hilarious effect. It’s extremely nostalgic to watch this great director pay tribute to the styles and genres that catapulted his career to mega-director, a director who, for the last decade, has only shown us glimpses of these antics hidden within his decidedly mainstream Spiderman franchise. Drag Me to Hell features some delightfully campy dialogue and an original script by Ivan and Sam Raimi, very reminiscent of the Evil Dead movies which they also co-wrote. Other Raimi staples you will find here are some fun one-liners, the demonic-force cam, shaky cam, goo and slime of all different colors, weird sound-effects triggered by trippy camera movements, special effects by two thirds of the KNB crew, producing by long-time colleague Rob Tapert, and a larger-than-cameo performance by “The Classic,” Sam Raimi’s 40-year old yellow Oldsmobile which has appeared in every one of his films. Even with all this greatness, the presence of Mr. Bruce Campbell is sorely missed. He is, after all, a vital member of the trifecta who, along with Sam and Rob, crafted three of the most memorable cult-horror films of all time. Don’t get me wrong, Sam is incredibly talented and can make a movie like nobody else, but part of what made his great movies of old so memorable, is the self-depreciation, sarcasm, and unassuming charm of Bruce Campbell
Drag Me to Hell opens with the old Universal Studios logo: a gesture meant to portray the following picture as a throwback to the classical horror film. This is disingenuous because Drag Me to Hell, although featuring many classic Sam Raimi trademarks, is very much a modern horror movie, and includes all those elements that some of us horror film buffs have come to resent. Stuff like cell phones, computer-generated special effects, and that ominous PG-13 rating all make prominent appearances. Maybe Raimi is trying to make a point here that modern horror film elements can actually work as long as the creative forces behind them are just that: creative. Drag Me to Hell really does work, and I left the theater only a little peeved about the PG-13 rating. I suppose a couple of his older films, like Army of Darkness, probably would have received a PG-13 if released today anyway, so the rating isn’t a real crime.
One thing that did take away from this return-to-form is the CGI. Alison Lohman gets all kind of dirty, with mud, puss, saliva, and other unimaginable goo splattering her cute figure. There are, however, at least two occasions when this goo was clearly computer-generated. There is no need for this. None of the goo was so other-worldly that it had to be realized artificially. Sam never showed any remorse over beating the crap out of Bruce and soaking him with blood during long night shoots when the temperature bordered on freezing. Maybe it was a contractual thing. Maybe Lohman only agreed to have 20 litres of goo sprayed at her, anything more would have to be computer-generated.
Drag Me to Hell starts a little slow. The film develops a predictable character-exposition-followed-by-scary-things-happening formula that carries through the second act. It’s entertaining, but you will find yourself becoming a little impatient for the story to get going. When it does, though, it’s really excellent. The third act contains some terrific horror sequences and some very creative images. If you’ve seen the Evil Dead movies, there won’t be many surprises here for you, but it’s nice to see that Sam still cares.
This is a Sam Raimi movie, so expect lots of humor. There are a ton of nods to his older films, and subtle pop-culture references sprinkled here and there. What type of computer do you think the Justin Long character uses at his office? I wonder if he has an iPhone too. Alison Lohman is pretty funny throughout, although there is an awkward moment here and there when she must say a line already immortalized by Bruce. I don’t want to take anything away from Alison, because she does a great job, but once again, something was missing from the overall product that prevented it from achieving the masterpiece status.
The final verdict: It’s hard to say anything bad about this film, because it works tremendously well and it’s wonderful to see Sam Raimi take some time out for horror; Drag Me to Hell just isn’t a masterpiece of the same caliber as the Evil Dead movies. The formula is there, the creative talent behind the camera is there: the only thing missing is The Chin. Cross your fingers and hope that the long-rumored Evil Dead 4 is on the way...maybe after another three Spiderman films.
This is definitely a Sam Raimi film. The man utilizes almost every creative trick from his repertoire of horror movies and horror-comedies to entertaining and hilarious effect. It’s extremely nostalgic to watch this great director pay tribute to the styles and genres that catapulted his career to mega-director, a director who, for the last decade, has only shown us glimpses of these antics hidden within his decidedly mainstream Spiderman franchise. Drag Me to Hell features some delightfully campy dialogue and an original script by Ivan and Sam Raimi, very reminiscent of the Evil Dead movies which they also co-wrote. Other Raimi staples you will find here are some fun one-liners, the demonic-force cam, shaky cam, goo and slime of all different colors, weird sound-effects triggered by trippy camera movements, special effects by two thirds of the KNB crew, producing by long-time colleague Rob Tapert, and a larger-than-cameo performance by “The Classic,” Sam Raimi’s 40-year old yellow Oldsmobile which has appeared in every one of his films. Even with all this greatness, the presence of Mr. Bruce Campbell is sorely missed. He is, after all, a vital member of the trifecta who, along with Sam and Rob, crafted three of the most memorable cult-horror films of all time. Don’t get me wrong, Sam is incredibly talented and can make a movie like nobody else, but part of what made his great movies of old so memorable, is the self-depreciation, sarcasm, and unassuming charm of Bruce Campbell
Drag Me to Hell opens with the old Universal Studios logo: a gesture meant to portray the following picture as a throwback to the classical horror film. This is disingenuous because Drag Me to Hell, although featuring many classic Sam Raimi trademarks, is very much a modern horror movie, and includes all those elements that some of us horror film buffs have come to resent. Stuff like cell phones, computer-generated special effects, and that ominous PG-13 rating all make prominent appearances. Maybe Raimi is trying to make a point here that modern horror film elements can actually work as long as the creative forces behind them are just that: creative. Drag Me to Hell really does work, and I left the theater only a little peeved about the PG-13 rating. I suppose a couple of his older films, like Army of Darkness, probably would have received a PG-13 if released today anyway, so the rating isn’t a real crime.
One thing that did take away from this return-to-form is the CGI. Alison Lohman gets all kind of dirty, with mud, puss, saliva, and other unimaginable goo splattering her cute figure. There are, however, at least two occasions when this goo was clearly computer-generated. There is no need for this. None of the goo was so other-worldly that it had to be realized artificially. Sam never showed any remorse over beating the crap out of Bruce and soaking him with blood during long night shoots when the temperature bordered on freezing. Maybe it was a contractual thing. Maybe Lohman only agreed to have 20 litres of goo sprayed at her, anything more would have to be computer-generated.
Drag Me to Hell starts a little slow. The film develops a predictable character-exposition-followed-by-scary-things-happening formula that carries through the second act. It’s entertaining, but you will find yourself becoming a little impatient for the story to get going. When it does, though, it’s really excellent. The third act contains some terrific horror sequences and some very creative images. If you’ve seen the Evil Dead movies, there won’t be many surprises here for you, but it’s nice to see that Sam still cares.
This is a Sam Raimi movie, so expect lots of humor. There are a ton of nods to his older films, and subtle pop-culture references sprinkled here and there. What type of computer do you think the Justin Long character uses at his office? I wonder if he has an iPhone too. Alison Lohman is pretty funny throughout, although there is an awkward moment here and there when she must say a line already immortalized by Bruce. I don’t want to take anything away from Alison, because she does a great job, but once again, something was missing from the overall product that prevented it from achieving the masterpiece status.
The final verdict: It’s hard to say anything bad about this film, because it works tremendously well and it’s wonderful to see Sam Raimi take some time out for horror; Drag Me to Hell just isn’t a masterpiece of the same caliber as the Evil Dead movies. The formula is there, the creative talent behind the camera is there: the only thing missing is The Chin. Cross your fingers and hope that the long-rumored Evil Dead 4 is on the way...maybe after another three Spiderman films.
Professor P
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