Drag Me to Hell
July 27th 2009 11:44
Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Morality Tale
Running Time: 99 minutes
This could also be Sam and Ivan’s Excellent Adventure. What a fun film this is. It pays homage to the horror genre and the black humour of Monty Python, while still managing to be a traditional morality tale that would sit easily in the works of the Brother’s Grimm. If there is one outcome in this story that morality tales depend on, it is that people never learn. Our heroine Christine, played by Alison Lohman, is a Mortgage loans officer in a mortgage office in Middle America. She is also the unsuitable girlfriend of Clay (played by Justin Long), a young college professor who plays the disbelieving foil to the cursed horror of his girlfriend.
The visual effects are great fun and well incorporated into the story, with some great direction, firmly setting this story well into the 1950’s horror genre. There are some great moments in the story, which echo some past horror masterpieces, like Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963), or even Poltergeist (1982). This film is a solid piece of tongue in cheek writing from the Raimi Brothers, and is generally well directed. The acting, is a little wooden, and the lead character Christine is difficult to like, to the point where you actually might agree with Clay’s snobbish mother that there might be someone more suitable for him to marry as much to advance his career and mix with the right people.
The outstanding character in the film is Lorna Raver as the elderly Sylvia Ganush who Raver plays with relish and gusto. Raver more regularly seen on TV, often in the courtroom as a Judge, is outstanding in this role. Disgusting, but outstanding. She even takes her teeth out just like my late granny used to. Raver imbues this character with hideous evil eastern european stereotyping. It is wondrous to behold.
This is a rollicking good Raimi flick and one you should see with a group of friends. I saw this film in a fairly full cinema, and the atmosphere was great, both to share the rollicking laughter but only occasionally jump out of your skin! The ending of the film leaves the way open to a franchise follow up, and I do hope the boys give us a sequel, a la Evil Dead. Christine’s demise at the end of the film should please anyone with a mortgage.
This is a fun film, with no pretensions, some great twists and excellent scary effects and no escape! Watch out for coat buttons though. They can bring you no good, no good at all...
3½ /5
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Morality Tale
Running Time: 99 minutes
If only this happened to all mortgage brokers.
This could also be Sam and Ivan’s Excellent Adventure. What a fun film this is. It pays homage to the horror genre and the black humour of Monty Python, while still managing to be a traditional morality tale that would sit easily in the works of the Brother’s Grimm. If there is one outcome in this story that morality tales depend on, it is that people never learn. Our heroine Christine, played by Alison Lohman, is a Mortgage loans officer in a mortgage office in Middle America. She is also the unsuitable girlfriend of Clay (played by Justin Long), a young college professor who plays the disbelieving foil to the cursed horror of his girlfriend.
The visual effects are great fun and well incorporated into the story, with some great direction, firmly setting this story well into the 1950’s horror genre. There are some great moments in the story, which echo some past horror masterpieces, like Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963), or even Poltergeist (1982). This film is a solid piece of tongue in cheek writing from the Raimi Brothers, and is generally well directed. The acting, is a little wooden, and the lead character Christine is difficult to like, to the point where you actually might agree with Clay’s snobbish mother that there might be someone more suitable for him to marry as much to advance his career and mix with the right people.
Lorna Raver as the hideous Sylvia Ganush
The outstanding character in the film is Lorna Raver as the elderly Sylvia Ganush who Raver plays with relish and gusto. Raver more regularly seen on TV, often in the courtroom as a Judge, is outstanding in this role. Disgusting, but outstanding. She even takes her teeth out just like my late granny used to. Raver imbues this character with hideous evil eastern european stereotyping. It is wondrous to behold.
This is a rollicking good Raimi flick and one you should see with a group of friends. I saw this film in a fairly full cinema, and the atmosphere was great, both to share the rollicking laughter but only occasionally jump out of your skin! The ending of the film leaves the way open to a franchise follow up, and I do hope the boys give us a sequel, a la Evil Dead. Christine’s demise at the end of the film should please anyone with a mortgage.
This is a fun film, with no pretensions, some great twists and excellent scary effects and no escape! Watch out for coat buttons though. They can bring you no good, no good at all...
3½ /5
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