Review by Adam Thomas
Sam Raimi.
Every horror fan knows him, and a lot of geeks know him now because of the Spider-man movies. If you are into the horror scene, there's no denying that Raimi is a legend. With Evil Dead, he made people take notice of him as a director. Here was a movie that scared the wits out of people, for multiple reasons. It was gory, which is kind of an understatement. It was scary, which is also kind of an understatement. It was also shot by a bunch of college kids on a shoestring budget freezing to death in the middle of the woods in Tennessee. Raimi made so many gadgets for shots it was truly inspiring. Some of the most complex looking shots were done with 2x4's, cooking lard, and good old fashioned ingenuity. This movie cemented his place among the icons of horror, where he will forever stay. He kind of veered off the horror track later in his career, lending his name to some films as an "Executive Producer", but he was more focused on Spider-man. Understandably so, because when something you do makes you that much money, you tend to stick with it.
Enter "Drag Me To Hell". I had heard he was directing this movie, not merely "executive producing". I withheld my inner desire to bounce around the room like a teenage school girl hopped up on boy bands and moose tracks ice cream. I knew I would be disappointed. After all, Spider-man 3 was awful. I felt ashamed to be a fan after that movie. After lending his name to such putrescence as all the American version of the Grudge, which is part of the American school of ripping off awesome foreign horror movies and changing everything about them that made the originals awesome, *ahem* QUARANTINE *ahem* I had lost all hope that he would ever return to his former glory as a horror director. Not wanting to get my hopes crushed beneath a gigantic weight of disappointment, I told myself I would go into this movie objectively. I would not go in with any preconceived notions of awesomeness, so therefore I would not be passing unfair judgment.
Oh my, was I ever surprised.
This movie was one of the best, no, THE BEST American horror movie of the decade. Yes, I said it, and if you don't agree, I'm sorry, but I can't say enough good things about this movie. It had everything all the classic Raimi movies have had. It had hardcore horror/occult elements, it had slapstick humor, the Three Stooges style antics were abundant. However, it never lost that seriously creepy vibe. Yes, a talking goat will make you chuckle, but it will also freak you out at the same time. The guy dancing on the table after he's possessed by the evil spirit that is coming after Christine is hilarious, but at the same time, unsettling. It's the ability to combine these elements that makes Raimi a genius and a true horror visionary. Everything about this movie made my little horror fan heart jump for joy: The original story, the introduction of a new supernatural villain with the Lamia, the catalyst of the gypsy Sylvia Ganush. With this film, Raimi proves he still has it in him to give even his adult audience nightmares.
This movie had more than it's fair share of gross out moments, too. This was really appreciated, because these kinds of moments, much like the scene in Evil Dead where Cheryl stabs Shelley in the ankle with a pencil, serve not only to shock the audience, but also entertain with that much anticipated "gross-out" factor every fan of Sam's movies have come to expect.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end, not because I am a Sam Raimi fanboy, which I most certainly am, but because it was truly entertaining in every single way a good Sam Raimi movie should be.
I give "Drag Me To Hell" a 10/10.