Film: Drag Me To Hell

[His Name Is Frank]

Sam Rami has returned to his horror roots with Drag Me To Hell. Alison Lohman and Justin Long star in the movie, about a loan officer (Lohman) who is forced to evict an old woman from her home. The woman happens to be a witch, who puts a curse on Lohman. She will be tormented by demons for three days before finally being dragged to....well you know.

This looks very promising and a return to form by the Evil Dead director. I can't wait to see it.

Click here for trailer

 

[psood0nym]

I was stoned, but I thought it was funny and genuinely scary in parts (in a similar proportion to the first Evil Dead film). There are elements of psychological and metaphysical horror, and music conducts the audiences fears instead of just shocking them after a period of silence. I saw the ending coming but it was still disturbing. At 83 it's currently rated as the third best rated film for movies in wide release on metacritic, which is incredible for a horror film.

I have a question for someone that saw it with a clear head though:

NSFW:

Is Clay cursed at the end? I thought the last shot was of him looking at the button in his hand with an expression of horror, like he's realizing he's been cursed. If he's not cursed it doesn't make much sense to have the button in the parting shot. But when did Christine make a formal gift of the button to Clay? The thing that got mixed up with the button, the coin, was a gift, and maybe that's not a coincidence, but I don't see how, or remember a way, he could be cursed. Clay was also going to propose to Christine, which brings up all kinds of possibilities where a sequel could hold the button was bequeathed. Speaking of sequels, it also makes sense because it opens the ending up for an obvious story where a psychologist whose belief system was just shattered and who just lost his fiance to demons must face a supernatural reality surrounded by disbelieving peers even as he's not sure he believes what he saw himself (due to post traumatic stress, like he thought Christine was experiencing). Clay as the cursed funny guy former fiance would very much be in the Evil Dead tradition...

 

[captainballs]

I thought it was fucking great, no joke. I don't think there are any other movies that are actually funny and kind of scary too. This movie made me lol plenty of times too, and I totally didn't want to go see it. It doesn't really fit into a genre, but it's ten times more entertaining and fun to watch than almost anything I've ever seen.

 

[axl blaze]

Sam Raimi has returned to what he does best - making scary, comic-booky movies.

this movie was psychologically terrifying and at parts intensely in-your face scary. some parts were creepy, like when the shaman woman tries to conjure the demon but says "we are not alone" and you get a snapshot of 20 spirits slowly coming to light in the same room.

in fact, the scene where they hold the seance (sp?) was one of the best scenes I have seen in horror history.

the best part about this movie was that it was funny! it's such a great dichotomy to see a horror movie and your heart is racing, but then you laugh because the old lady's teeth fell out. I usually don't like slapstick comedy, but how many times did the many character chick get thrown up on? that was pretty awesome.

the scene in the car involving the main character utilizing a staple gun was also top notch.

the only detraction to this movie was that it could be cheesy at times. but if you know anything about the director you should really be prepared for this. I myself do not mind since I am such an adamant fan of comic books.

psood0 - in my opinion, Clay was not cursed at the end.

... I don't think there are any other movies that are actually funny and kind of scary too. This movie made me lol plenty of times too, and I totally didn't want to go see it. It doesn't really fit into a genre...

wut you haven't seen the original Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2: Army of Darkness?! oh captain, my captain please check them out as they are scary and hilarious and right up your anal alley of taste. a girl gets raped by a tree in one of those, man.

 

[junglist15]

want

 

[Smokingk1lls]

4...

 

[nukaFreak]

this movie is defintely what the horror genre needed... i got the torrent file if anyones interested in downloading it, its a cam , but its good.

 

[doesntmatter]

it was at the "dollar" theater here so i went to check out what the good reviews were all about. it was actually refreshing to watch which wasn't what i had expected. i enjoyed the extremes to which they went to force feed you feeling of disgust with the gypsy woman. it was great to enjoy a laugh while being truly engaged in the films story line.

...i have a crush on alison lohman

 

[L2R]

gratuitous noise and grossness =/= scary

i liked raimi's earlier juvenile work only because at the time i was just as juvenile. never really found any of it scary at all. watching this has really highlighted for me how much of a hack that guy is.

the story is cliche and just terrible. the directing is ... well, like all other raimi flicks it relies completely on his trademark shakey camera full of quick cuts and sudden loud noises, both of which are incredibly cheap. i just feel that severe psychological/paranormal antagonists which just threaten physical harm are just fucking lame.

i would have expected with 30 years of directing experience and age raimi would come up with something new or better, but it's just the same song he's always played.

now i have no more nostalgic compulsion to watch any more raimi films, spider-man or not.

2/5

 

[ego_loss]

^^
While the movie wasn't anything amazing, it was certainly entertaining. Hell, the simple fact that it was an original story is refreshing in an otherwise stale era of horror movie sequels, remakes and reboots.

After suffering through increasingly agonizing and over-hyped Spider Man flicks, shitty Kevin Costner baseball movies and Sharon Stone trying to be a gun slinger (I actually liked The Quick & The Dead except for Stone's performance), I am very happy to see Raimi back to his old tricks. Honestly, I don't know what you were expecting out of a Sam Raimi movie. Complaining that it's full of crazy jump cuts and loud sound effects is like complaining that Michael Bay had too many explosions in one of his flicks. The story may have been a little cliched, but the characters themselves and the way the film progressed were anything but. The supernatural antagonists weren't "just threatening physical harm"... the ultimate threat was eternity in hell (hence the title of the film).

I've never been a big fan of Alison Lohman, and this movie didn't do anything to change my opinion of her. Although by the end of the movie I realized it wasn't really Lohman that I disliked so much as her character. That was probably one of my favorite things about the movie... there were no real sympathetic characters except maybe the two psychics. I was also really impressed with the old gypsy woman. One of the best villains in ages, right up there with Col. Landa from Inglorious Basterds. She wasn't even alive for half the movie and she was still an evil bitch.

Regarding the question about the ending:

NSFW:

The boyfriend was not cursed at the end. They explained several times that the cursed object had to be formally given to someone else in order for the curse to be passed. The curse was broken after she was dragged to hell.

 

[junglist15]

hmmm i didn't think it was all that....maybe i was expecting too much

 

[L2R]

i was expecting something that i'd enjoy. i really didn't, and it showed me why i never really liked the spideys, and the earlier stuff i liked purely out of nostalgia. i have only just learned that i don't like raimi flicks. that's all.

"hell" according to this film is ONLY physical harm. bleh. the characters were worse than cliche. why the hell did the lohan character start lying to the dude guy? she acts like a dickhead. i wished on her worse things than stupid sound effects and cheesy cg shadows.

nothing wrong with those who liked it. i just didn't. well i didn't turn it off. i watched it all the way through, so i guess it could have been worse.

 

[tribal girl]

2/5

I can honestly say that was the first time in ages that I turned off a film before it finished. There were some choice moments, but not nearly enough to keep me entertained. Plus there was zero chemistry between that Rachel Miner look-a-like and Justin long. Altogether pretty boring.

 

[smotpoker]

pretty good i thought

 

[Ravr]

The fight between the girl and the gypsy was EPIC! Best scene in the movie!

I thought the movie was okay, but what it was trying to say about corporate America and those willing to do anything to have the American dream was brilliant.

 

[Stark]

I love Sam Raimi's style.

I loved seeing him refer back to his old work in Spiderman 2.

I also now love biting my wife's jaw, since it REALLY freaks her out.

 

[axl blaze]

I can understand why someone might dislike the directorial style of Sam Raimi...

but Impacto. as a Spidey fan yourself you have to see that Spider-Man 2 is as close as we will ever get to a truly accurate, great, entertaining, and truthful Spider-Man movie. the first was okay, and the third was diluted with a horrible Venom storyline and that sad "emo" take.

Spider-Man 2 was Raimi at his best. not pesky or annoying as he was with the first or third

 

[L2R]

his shooting and editing methods are just distracting to me. i know they are meant to put more "oomph" or something into the scenes, but i just find them annoying. despite my love for the spidey character, i was totally blah with all three movies.