ArsGeek

It’s a tough time to be a horror fan. With the majority of American fright films being either adaptations of barely better j-horror, Hollywood remakes, or a slew of disposable kiddie fodder, there seems to be no room for original ideas for studio scare faire. Leave it to Sam Raimi to step up to the plate and knock one of the park by with Drag Me to Hell. An ambassador to geek culture, Sam’s been known for the Spider-Man movies and the Evil Dead saga. He’s now back to the genre that gave him cult superstardom and has delivered in spades.

The story is about a girl named Christine, (Alison Lohman) who has to make a tough decision at work that causes a woman to give her the curse of the Lamia, a demon spirit that comes knocking for her soul. There are some CG effects used for the demon, but they don’t detract from the movie by obviously being just that, a pitfall that many horror movies suffer from when using digital effects. You can tell that these are the tools Raimi would have used if he had access to them when doing his Evil Dead movies. Fans of the series will immediately see a familiar style and technique to the suspense and action sequences of demonic invasion. It’s like he’s taken the camera action he’s learned from Spider-Man, the drama evident in The Gift and A Simple Plan and woven a demonic tale that would do the Army of Darkness proud.

Horror movies generally need an R rating for me to even give them consideration, but under the circumstances I kept an open mind. The violence usually seen in slasher flicks was absent but the action and gross-out factor were turned up to 11. Fight sequences are so extreme they feel like superhero battles. And there are enough bodily fluids to gross out even the most seasoned of horror fans. They’re done with so much style that there’s even an underlying thread of humor woven into each of the shots. There was a scene that was so intentionally revolting that an elderly couple just got up and left the theater at the showing I was at. That was just a case of poor movie research on date night, but seeing them disgusted and fleeing added to my enjoyment and the overall hilarity of the experience.

The bottom line is that Drag Me to Hell is a well-made original offering from one of the best in the movie industry. Bloodthirsty fans may leave wanting more, but if they’re simply fans of good movies they should enjoy it. Viewers with weak stomachs may want to sit this one out. But those with haunted house mentalities and a love for fun and the bizarre should have a hell of a time.

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