Drag Me To Hell

• The MovieSet Ultimate Review of 'Drag Me to Hell'

  Published on: May 21, 2009

  By Jeff Otto

  Synopsis: Christine Brown (Lohman) is a bank loan officer up for a big promotion from her strict boss (Paymer). To prove she can make the tough decisions, she denies a loan extension to an old lady (Raver) and the woman places a curse on the girl that will have her haunted by a powerful demon intent on dragging Christine Brown into the depths of hell.

  Stars: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Dileep Rao, Adrianna Barraza

  Written by: Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi

  Directed by: Sam Raimi

  Distributed by: Universal Pictures

  Opening on: May 29th, wide

   

  EXPECTATIONS

  What I'd Seen - Fun, over-the-top trailers and a day spent on set put my hopes high, although I was thinking this might be more along the lines of Raimi's The Gift rather than the beloved Evil Dead series.

  What I'd Heard - This is Sam Raimi's long-awaited return to horror after years away directing blockbuster material. Although, with a PG-13 rating, I wondered whether the talented director would be restrained from delivering the kinds of no-holds-barred material fans loved so much in the Evil Dead trilogy.

  What I Wanted - Something to wash the bitter taste of Spider-Man 3 from my mouth once and for all.

  EXPERIENCE

  What Turned Me On -

  When Sam Raimi first told us about his Ghost House production banner, it sounded like a great idea. Fun house horror movies along the lines of classic material by the likes of William Castle and Mario Bava. Unfortunately, what followed were a series of lifeless throwaway horror material like The Grudge and Boogeyman series. 30 Days of Night was good, but still didn't feel true to the spirit of Ghost House's kitschy horror promises.

  Drag Me to Hell should serve as the blueprint for what a Ghost House Picture is supposed to be. Near-perfect in execution, Drag Me is a thrilling, gross-out, goosebump-inducing ride through the fun house from start to finish. It is an absolute blast and, believe me, they didn't give away all the best bits in the trailer. Not by a long shot.

  What Turned Me Off -

  In all honesty, I have almost no complaints about Drag Me to Hell. It's exactly what I wanted. If I had to criticize anything, it would be that this serves as yet another example of the MPAA's consistent inconsistency in their ratings tactics. Personally, I probably wouldn't let my 13-year-old see this and I consider myself pretty lenient.

  AFTERMATH

  I Left Thinking - That was so much fun that I can't wait to see it again, and I never see anything more than once these days. Raimi may have been away from the horror genre for a long time, but he got back on that horse without so much as a hiccup anywhere in site. He can still turn stomachs and make audiences jump with the best of them.

  I Left Saying - Does Raimi really have to go back and do another frickin' Spider-Man movie after this? Does anyone really want that? Sure, the first two movies were good, but been there, done that. Lots of people are doing comic movies. What the fans really want is more films like Drag Me to Hell. The horror genre needs you, Mr. Raimi. Don't make us wait to long before you come back again and show everyone else how it's done.

  Expiry Date - Drag Me to Hell should hold up quite well to multiple viewings and a long shelf life on home video. Now let's just hope mainstream America comes out and supports one of summer's few examples of original material.

   

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• Drag me to Hell - Screendaily Review

  Published on: May 20, 2009

  Clearly delighting in a return to his roots, Sam Raimi downshifts from the billion-dollar Spider-Man franchise with Drag Me to Hell, a slickly made, engaging horror film that evokes the spirit of much of the director’s early work, particularly the Evil Dead series. Mixing different modes of horror storytelling with dark touches of humour, Raimi proves here that gore isn’t necessary for a cathartic horror-thrill ride.

  Raimi’s name should pull in some Spider-Man fans, but those unfamiliar with the humour of his early work will likely feel baffled by how much Drag Me to Hell differs from current teen-baiting horror fare. Still, mid-eight-figure grosses seem certain, outstripping the returns of similar genre hybrids such as Slither and Cabin Fever.

  Los Angeles loan officer Christine Brown (Lohman) has a good life; she’s happy with her boyfriend, Clay Dalton (Long), a young professor at a nearby college, and seems to have the inside track on a promotion. In an effort to impress upon her boss (Paymer) that she can make tough-minded decisions with an eye on the bottom line rather than human compassion, Christine denies a third extension on the home mortgage of an old woman (Raver), which means certain foreclosure.

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• A Look At Justin Long From 'Drag Me To Hell'

  Published on: May 18, 2009

  Justin Long's latest project is that of Drag Me To Hell which tells the story of Christine Brown (Alison Lohman)who is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton (Justin Long). Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), and get a leg-up on a promotion?

  Before Drag Me To Hell however, Justin Long was no stranger to the screen appearing in such films as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and He's Just Not That Into You. We've been used to seeing him in comedy roles as that is what he does best.  However, Justin is trying to stretch himself and ensure that he doesn't get typecasted into that role

  Read the full article here
  
  FanBolt.com
  By: Emma Loggins

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