Drag Me To Hell

Released: 2009

MPAA rating: R

Run time: 1:39

After the disappointment of "Paranormal Activity", I had to cleanse the palate by going back to horror, so "Drag Me to Hell" it was! Directed by Sam Raimi of "Evil Dead" and "Spider-Man" fame, "Drag Me to Hell" is a good old-fashioned curse movie. Christine Brown (Allison Lohman) is a loan officer at a bank, hoping to get a promotion to a vacant managerial position. Her boss (David Paymer) tells her he needs someone who can make "tough decisions". When an elderly gypsy woman (Lorna Raver) asks for an extension on her home loan, Christine decides this is the opportunity she can make that tough decision and turns her down. The gypsy woman responds by putting a curse on her, which will result in her being brought to Hell in three days time. Of course, Christine is shaken, but does not take it all that seriously until strange things start to happen. Her boyfriend (Justin Long) thinks she is imagining things but wants to be supportive. As things get more and more intense, Christine will try anything to reverse this curse. "Drag Me to Hell" is classic Raimi with heavy over-the-top horror and a smattering of tongue-in-cheek humor. One of the best sequences involves a physical confrontation between Christine and the gypsy in a parking garage that rivals anything the WWE could put out (right down to the presence of a stapler). This scene also is a perfect example of the humor/horror mix that Raimi is known for. The performances were good, although none really stood out. The effects were great and the story was just plain fun and entertaining. It is actually nice to see Raimi go back to his roots. The only thing missing was a Bruce Campbell (aka "Ash") cameo (and I was really hoping for one). This was not the scariest horror movie but it was a lot of fun to watch.

Grade: B

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