Short Attention Span Review: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Short Attention Span Review: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Only Sam Raimi could make a picture like Drag Me to Hell.  This bold and fast-paced horror movie boasts several great scares, some truly terrifying content, and the sort of gore that Lucio Fulci was famous for--and yet it is also brimming with big laughs and excitement.  Despite the utterly horrifying concept and several totally disgusting sequences, this isn't the type of horror flick that viewers should earn a merit badge for enduring.  Rather, it's incredibly fun, with a cartoonish tone and several winning performances that somehow complement all the disturbing elements.  It represents Raimi at his very best, and all of his staples are in play, most notably the fluid camera work that makes his films so invigorating and the physical and emotional turmoil that his main characters are subjected to.  Alison Lohman is terrific in the lead role, and proves just as capable of taking a beating, screaming, and getting her hands dirty as Raimi's leading man of choice, Bruce Campbell.  Justin Long does a nice job with a decent part that isn't as integral to the proceedings as one might wish until the haunting last frame, which solidifies Drag Me to Hell as one of the most daring big budget horror films to come down the pipeline.  I guarantee you that there were studio execs who desperately wanted to see a different conclusion, but this is Raimi's vision through and through.  While it may not be quite as fun as his Evil Dead trilogy and the gut-wrenching conclusion is telegraphed, it is hard to find fault with this outrageous shocker that packs a serious punch.

Final Grade: A-

Drag Me to Hell is a true smorgasbord--it offers thrills, chills, chuckles, and a wealth of excitement.

Top 20 Horror Movies - #12) Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

One of the things that I'm doing this month as I celebrate Halloween here in the Land of Way is taking the time to rank my Top 20 Horror Movies and my Top 20 Horror Novels.

Note:
I want to be clear that I'm basing these choices on my own humble opinion.  I'm not trying to rank these movies in accordance with their place in pop culture, but I'm offering up my take on the best horror films that I have ever watched and enjoyed.  There are some familiar candidates that I consider to be great pictures that didn't make the cut because there wasn't room, and there are some films that are widely regarded as great pictures that didn't make the cut because I feel that they are overrated.  There are also a few instances where it was difficult to determine whether or not a movie belonged to the horror genre (I said "no" to Aliens but "yes" to Jaws), and it may also be worth noting that this is largely a modern list (as long as you're okay with my classification of modern as anything after 1960) that only features one lonely creature from the so-called "Classic Monsters" films produced by Universal Studios.

Thus far, the list includes:

#20) The Fly (1986) 
#19) The Howling (1981)
#18) Night of the Living Dead (1968)
#17) Alien (1979) 
#16) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
#15) Suspiria (1977) 
#14) Phantasm (1979)
#13) Evil Dead 2 (1985)

Let's turn the clock back a bit.  In fact, let's turn the clock way back to the days when Universal Studios sat atop the mountain so far as horrific cinema was concerned.

Top 20 Horror Movies - #12) Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

I love all of the "Classic Monsters" and I'm not here to throw shade at Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, or any other ghoulish menace who ran with that Universal Studios crew.  I am here to anoint the scaly fiend who terrorized the crew of the good ship Rita as my personal favorite of the bunch.  I also feel that his movie is the coolest, and I think it's a bit odd that he's the only representative of that era who hasn't seen his saga officially updated for modern audiences.  Of course, given the strength of this picture, maybe it's better that way.  The Creature from the Black Lagoon is a whimsical and exciting horror film that boasts stellar cinematography, giving genuine meaning to the phrase "in glorious black and white."  The creature design is incredible, and the meticulous application of the costume yields one of the best-looking monsters of all time.  The creature's presence on screen is still rather breath-taking more than sixty years after The Creature from the Black Lagoon was released.  A strong cast that includes Richard Carlson and Julie Adams helped director Jack Arnold breathe life into this fascinating classic that features some of the best underwater photography that you'll ever see.  More so than any of the other beloved horror films that Universal produced, I think there's something magical about The Creature from the Black Lagoon that extends beyond the unique look of the titular menace and the technical prowess on display.  The themes concerning the environment and science that run just beneath the surface never distract us from the wonder that the picture inspires.   The creature is both fearsome and sympathetic, giving the film additional depth and conflict.  Creature from the Black Lagoon is a rich and rewarding motion picture that is still impressive to behold, and there's no way I could make a list like this without including it. 

Man, oh man, do I love that creature design!  It still looks great in this dazzling era of modern effects.

Top 20 Horror Movies - #13) Evil Dead 2 (1985)

One of the things that I'm doing this month as I celebrate Halloween here in the Land of Way is taking the time to rank my Top 20 Horror Movies and my Top 20 Horror Novels.

Note:
I want to be clear that I'm basing these choices on my own humble opinion.  I'm not trying to rank these movies in accordance with their place in pop culture, but I'm offering up my take on the best horror films that I have ever watched and enjoyed.  There are some familiar candidates that I consider to be great pictures that didn't make the cut because there wasn't room, and there are some films that are widely regarded as great pictures that didn't make the cut because I feel that they are overrated.  There are also a few instances where it was difficult to determine whether or not a movie belonged to the horror genre (I said "no" to Aliens but "yes" to Jaws), and it may also be worth noting that this is largely a modern list (as long as you're okay with my classification of modern as anything after 1960) that only features one lonely creature from the so-called "Classic Monsters" films produced by Universal Studios.

Thus far, the list includes:

#20) The Fly (1986) 
#19) The Howling (1981)
#18) Night of the Living Dead (1968)
#17) Alien (1979) 
#16) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
#15) Suspiria (1977) 
#14) Phantasm (1979)

I'm going to put our late 70s theme on hold so we can turn our attention to the only true sequel to make my list, Sam Raimi's maniacal return to the the cabin in the worlds where Ash and his friends unwittingly unleashed deadites on the world.

Top 20 Horror Movies - #13) Evil Dead 2 (1985)

When Sam Raimi made a name for himself in the horror genre, he did so with The Evil Dead, a grim affair that was dark, dreadful, and brimming with bodily dismemberment.  It was a bit of a shock when he followed that picture up with this sequel, a delirious effort that mixes demonic possession and severed limbs with heavy doses of slapstick humor that would have garnered applause from The Three Stooges.  Yet Raimi's high-energy direction and Bruce Campbell's immaculate chin made this mash-up an astounding success.  Three decades later, fans are eagerly awaiting the latest from this franchise, the Showtime series Ash Vs. Evil Dead, which is set to debut on October 31, 2015.  If that show is half as good as Evil Dead 2 (and based on what I've seen, I'm pretty damn optimistic), we're in for a real treat this Halloween.  Fast-paced, funny, and utterly ridiculous, this is surely one of the most purely entertaining movies to be featured on my list.  Everything about this cult classic is aimed at being so over-the-top that it makes William Shatner's work seem like method acting.  The effects, the performances, the score, and Raimi's wild camera work are all designed to wring every drop of fun out of a kooky script that allows for an abundance of gore and some of the silliest bits you'll ever see in a horror flick.  In short, Evil Dead 2 is a zany descent into horror and comedy that works to sheer perfection.  While I'm not at all surprised that it made the cut, I am a little surprised that I didn't wind up ranking it much higher on my list.

The first Evil Dead is grim and disgusting, but the sequel is gleefully absurd--and 100% awesome!