It only occurred to me this week that I have yet to write about Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me to Hell,” which I saw weeks ago and never got around to reviewing in a timely fashion. I’ve had the artwork for whatever piece I was to conjur sitting here on my desktop, waiting for me to, you know, write the friggin’ words, but for whatever reason, the inspiration hasn’t hit.
Knowing me and my curmudgeonly self, you’d think that would be the result of the film not registering for me. After all, I pretty much dislike everything Raimi has ever done, save for “Spider-Man 2” and “For Love of the Game.” And yes, that includes the precious “Evil Dead” series that established his committed fan base over two decades ago. It’s that very same following that will no doubt flock to “Drag Me to Hell,” and they’re going to love what they see.
But no, my writer’s block has nothing at all to do with an aversion to the film. On the contrary, I was thoroughly entertained by nearly every minute of “Drag Me to Hell.” I think, perhaps, it has more to do with the idea of reviewing a film this fun being a real drag (pardon the pun). Who wants to ruin it with the usual analysis? But here I go…
I do think Rami shoots himself in the foot more often than not. He can’t help himself with the grotesque humor, for instance, because, like any smart entertainer, he knows his audience. But it drives a guy like me crazy because he clearly has the talent to offer up something more. He’s a lot like Quentin Tarantino in that regard. If Raimi ever let up on the throttle a hair, I really do think he’d prove to be the only filmmaker capable of making a truly terrifying horror film the likes of which we haven’t seen in years. But he likes the comedy, likes what he likes, you can’t fault him for that, etc. Fine, fair enough.
So with my own suggestions in check, I have to say I really liked the film. It’s a simple, uncomplicated yarn, the type that often makes for the best horror. It has so many shock-scare moments I had to watch it with peripheral vision from time to time, lest I soil my pants. The sound design is cranked to 11 and deserves a lot of credit for the environment it creates. And the visual effects, though cheaply rendered here and there, do the job and get out of the way.
Alison Lohman, a rather uninteresting actress for the most part, is a perfect fit for the lead role with her wholesome good looks. Lorna Raver, meanwhile, in a few short but effective scenes, makes the absolute most out of her role with a huge debt paid to Luisa Abel’s makeup department. And yeah, the Mac guy actually wasn’t too bad.
So yeah, if it sounds like a half-assed review, that’s because that’s what it is. I can’t be bothered. It was too much fun. Go see it, have a blast. It’s impossible not to.
Comments
16 responses to “SHORT TAKE: “Drag Me to Hell” (***)”
UP/Drag Me To Hell double-header on Friday! Heh.
The commercials make this movie look pretty campy. Speaking of which, I should re-watch The Evil Dead trilogy.
well i guess now i have to see it
A Simple Plan is still his best film. Spiderman 2 is a masterwork for the genre. And Army of Darkness is a deranged work of art. However, after Spiderman 3, Raimi’s gonna have to win me back big-time, because Spidey 3…um…that was pure ass-cream-posing-as-cinema.
I did meet Raimi one time in a bathroom on the Sony lot (he was wearing his customary jacket and tie) and he was very cool — he said hello and gave me the head nod. I was wearing a suit because I was there on an interview, so my guess is that he thought I might have been an agent, which is why he probably said hello.
Agree about a Simple Plan being Raimi’s best work actionman. I’d also disagree with Kris’ contention that Lohman is an uninteresting actress, her work in Matchstick Men is among the best performances this decade for my money.
Didn’t like Simple PLan. At…all.
Bing: Note the phrase “for the most part.” Her work in “Matchstick Men” (one of my favorite films that year) is clearly the only exception when you look at her body of work.
I’m really quite surprised at how well the movie’s doing critically. It’s a horror film, that looks like it won’t do great at the box office (so far), from the guy who brought us…Spider-Man movies.
I may be the only human on the planet who dug Spider-Man 3. I didn’t love it, but I thought it was pretty fun.
I wanna see Drag Me to Hell really badly for some reason. Can’t place it, really. Looks pretty darn stylish.
I made a Top 10 List in 1998 when I was 14. It went:
1. American History X
2. A Simple Plan
3. Saving Private Ryan
Not sure I still see it that way but A Simple Plan is a great fucking movie. Raimi’s best BY FAR.
I noticed a couple weeks ago that this was keeping a solid 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s still at 94% with a 32/34 good reviews, but it’s still way too early to see what the final critical consensus (Top critics are at 80%, but that’s 4/5 reviews). Not typical at all for this kind of film at this time of year.
Kris, What about White Oleander?
Kris: what about Beowulf? :)
Uh, what about them?
Was anyone besides Michelle Pfeiffer even in “White Oleander?”
I really like Alison Lohman, but I completely understand why Kris would call her uninteresting. She was perfect in Matchstick Men, but that’s pretty much the only role of hers where she made much of an impact. Clearly she’s talented, but I think she needs to exercise caution when choosing scripts. Most of the time she’s a bit bland. The only other film she was in where her character intrigued me was Things We Lost In The Fire, but she was hardly in that film.