Picture on a Wall

“Drag Me to Hell”

“Drag Me to Hell” 2009
Rated PG-13
Horror/Thriller
Running time: 99 minutes

Directed by Sam Raimi, (famous for his 1981’s “The Evil Dead” and Spiderman Trilogy) and written by him and his brother Ivan Raimi, this account of a young woman, who in being cursed by a gypsy, has three days before being taken to hell, brings us back to the essentials of what horror films should inflict: the creepies, the crawlies and chills down your spine. The bonus is quite a few friggin hilarious encounters.

A young woman, Christine Brown, is a loan officer at a bank who is trying to get promoted but to do so, has to prove her ability to make tough decisions. An older customer arrives, a gypsy named Mrs. Ganush, and needs Christine’s assistance as she’s failed to pay her mortgage for the past few months. With the knowledge that the poor Mrs. Ganush is having health issues and is begging for another extension, yet also knowing that this is her chance to prove to her superior that she is the gal for the promotion, she denies Mrs. Ganush’s request. Mrs. Ganush doesn’t leave without a fight and Christine leaves work later a bit disturbed but proud that she did what was going to set her apart to her employer. In the parking lot she finds a surprise, Mrs. Ganush is not simply letting Christine get away with that type of decision making. A struggle ensues and after much hair-pulling and jaw-biting (literally), the old gypsy placing a curse on her. Christine will now face terrors never imagined as she discovers just what she’s gotten herself into and attempts to be absolved of her crime. I won’t give much more away as this is worth every horrifying turn!

What may be simple nuances to some are the blocks of what a classic horror movie should contain: the gross factor (e.g. bodily fluids seeping into mouths gone rampant) and the truth that what you don’t see is scarier than pushing a bloody monster in your face throughout every scene (e.g. when the demon slowly climbs the stairs having backed Christine into her bedroom, the slick shadow hands reach under the crack beneath the door frame and manage to get a hold of her) – a simple scene that doesn’t need garish atrocities to terrify you.

Yet a few detractions: in a scene in her garage, the cg effects were a bit too obvious – this either should’ve been omitted or altered. In addition, the over the top “arm in the mouth” scene (you’ll understand once seen) seems to be somewhat out of place and a bit too ridiculous.

All in all, to manifest a story that you can both laugh at and then turn and bite your fingernails in fear while avoiding too much cheesiness is not a feat easily accomplished and Raimi doesn’t falter.

Rating this movie with consideration of its genre, I give this film five out of five frames!

Go to the j1studios forum to chat about this film along with other classic horror favs!

Danae signing off!


video source: www.traileraddict.com