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.

Evil Dead (remake)

When I heard there was an Evil Dead remake in the works, I was skeptical at best.  When I found out that there would be no Ash in the picture, I couldn't imagine it working.  Even after the theatrical release, I wasn't interested--despite my good friend Tony D's assurances that it was an awesome reboot.  I shouldn't have doubted him.

The Evil Dead remake may represent the most fun I've had with a horror film in years.  It was a gory thrill ride that was disturbing, repulsive, dark, demented, and 100% entertaining.  The direction was spot-on, the acting was on-point, the effects were glorious, and the sense of impending doom was a perfect recreation of the sinister tone and the grisly atmosphere of Raimi's original.  In fact, I think it's fair to say that, Ash or no Ash, this remake topped the original.  To be fair, the makers of this film had Sam and Bruce in their corner, and they had the original and every other meaningful horror film from the last 30 years to reflect on.  Yet many remakes of films with similar legacies fall flat, and I thought this was a smashing success.

Finally, I think the lack of Ash was appropriate.  After all, who else could play that role?  It's a part for the The Chin, and a part for The Chin alone.  If you're looking for a good time drenched in blood, look no further than the Evil Dead remake, a rip-roaring massacre that is incredibly well-made.