Drag Me to Hell [DVD]

Here's me thinking this was just another one of those modern horror films that gets forgotten in time. That was until I discovered it was a Sam Raimi film. Any horror fan will know the name as the maestro behind the Evil Dead films. This film has Raimi all over it. You'll instantly know his style; a mix of gore, jump scares, horror, comedy and downright daftness.Drag Me To Hell has a really simple premise, that of a struggling young bank saleswoman who refuses a loan to a creepy old lady. Said old lady happens to be an evil gypsy who then casts a curse on the young woman. Cue her being chased by an evil demon and needing to reverse the curse before she's..... yep..... dragged to hell.The film has all the fun and scares that you know from Raimi. It's a decadent horror that just keeps offering up more thrills, and insanity. Lead actress Alison Lohman does a wonderful job as the tormented Christine who's trying to succeed in her job, win over her boyfriends snooty family... and fend off a crazy demon gypsy lady who wants to destroy her, all at the same time.If you want an entertaining horror this is it. No stuffy serious nonsense here.

I'm not generally a great afficionado of the horror genre but there are one or two things I like and Raimi's work is high on the list. 'Drag Me to Hell' is a curious combination of textbook horror effects with a sense that Raimi has his tongue in his cheek some, but not all of the time. Horror movies, unless they are being overtly self-satirising, tend to eschew alienation as they work to wind you into their shock-creating universe where you scream because, at the key moments, you don't have time to un-suspend disbelief. In this film, you can be simultaneously shocked and aware of the irony about the genre which the creators clearly intend and enjoy. I think this is what makes Raimi's work so effective and gives it its singular and unmistakable flavour. I suspect that, if you watch this simply expecting a straightforward horror flick you *might* be a little disappointed. You really have to be up for Raimi's ambivalent games to get the most out of it. (Ellen Page was originally pencilled in for the lead but, much as I admire Ms Page's considerable gifts, Lohman brings a stunt-ridden athleticism to the role which enhances the general sense of doom-laden wackiness.)

When friends come to stay I enjoy grossing them out with this witty film. There is more saliva and mucus in this movie than in a dentist's drool barrel after an 8 hour work day, and none of it gets wasted. Multi-dimensional characters and some rollicking jump scares make this a worthwhile movie for those who enjoy some tongue-in-cheek horror and don't care about whose tongue is in whose cheek.

This movie is one of director Sam Raimi's real landmarks not only in his own repertoire but also in the movie world of its time as well. It is genius. If you are expecting blood-and-gore horror look elsewhere to Hellraiser and its ilk. But if you want a story that works as a horror with just enough special effects to keep you amused without being gratuitous, this is one for you. It is genuinely spooky and scary, and there is also a comedic tongue-in-cheek undercurrent element to proceedings, but this does not detract from the seriousness of what the main protagonist's (a bank clerk played by Alison Lohman) dilemma really is-and it is a very frightening one indeed. The idea that one has to struggle for one's own soul's survival and the frustration one encounters with other characters' stupidity or unbelief when seeking help is a mesmerising one. It gives the movie its pivotal importance as a soul on a quest for survival. As I said, the comedy element-which is just discernible, actually, so don't worry you serious horror buffs-does not take away its overlay of seriousness, of real horror and threat, of the terror of being the one who though surrounded by the most sympathetic of people must nevertheless embark on a lonely quest for salvation against hellish odds, genuinely makes for a spiritedly good-wait a minute, I should say evil-yarn that keeps you gripped to the end and coming back for more viewings afterward. I did not like his modern version of Spiderman much, having become familiarised with the real Spiderman from Marvel Comics history at an early age, but this film goes to show that you can't judge the quality of a movie alone by the director's name being affixed to it but rather by the quality of the movie itself, and by watching it for yourself, so as I said this would be a landmark in any director's portfolio, but only Sam Raimi among other directors can truly take the credit for an original.

If it's supposed to be a comedy, it's not all that funny and if it's a horror, it's not all that scary either. I also don't like any films that (and I know it's only acting) have animal sacrifice. I thought it started off well but soon went downhill for me.

I couldn't tell you whether I was crying tears of laughter or terror.I don't know what it is about Sam Raimi, but he's the master of getting the most out of each scare. You'll get a slow creeping scare when you see something isn't right, then your stomach will drop when you realise what it is, and then there'll be a jump scare to boot.The film can also move straight into comedic material moments after a scare, too. Even the creepiest scenes in this flick also provide a few laughs.A slight gripe would be that the whole plot is rather predictable, a major plot points can be easily determined when you look at how much effort will be put into showing you something seemingly unrelated to the story. However, this does not detract from the fact that you're hooked until the last second wondering what could possibly be in store.Would recommend for any fans of horror, horror comedy and good old fashioned ridiculousness.

I’ve watched this film a few times now and just think it’s a great little horror/comedy.It’s just great piece of entertainment that’s bot your typical gore fest. In fact it’s the stuff that you don’t see see that gives it an edge.The hooves at the door for example. Well worth a watch.