Reply With Quoteosci (31-07-09)
Drag Me To Hell
After a string of mediocre "horror" films over the last few years, here comes horror-meister-turned-respectable director, Sam Raimi, to show them all exactly how it's done. The fact that Raimi can deliver a horror movie ostensibly about a cursed button and not have it look completely ludicrous is testament to the man's mastery of the craft. Drag Me To Hell also affords him a level of redemption from the slapstick misfire of Army Of Darkness, replete as it was with special effects that were astonishingly inferior to his seminal "video nasty", The Evil Dead, "the Ultimate Experience in Gruelling Horror", despite being 10 years it's junior.
Raimi knows what makes horror tick, he cut his teeth on it. Demonstrating his mastery of the genre, he plays on our insecurities in acting against our better judgement, expertly utilising flies, body fluids, unworldly yet strangely familiar sounds, creative shadow play, obtuse camera angles and syncopated editing to great effect. Menace is created in the most innocuous of elements - leaves blowing in the wind, creaky gate hinges and shifting furniture. Hippy wind chimes are liberally rattled, violin strings are duly screeched. Meticulously engineered "false relief" devices, which are not always followed by a legitimate "scare", keep the tension palpable and the scares unpredictable. These are readily recognisable Raimi trademarks but spotting them is half the fun and they never fail to deliver the requisite tension regardless.
Numerous nods to his Evil Dead movies abound like the strangely familiar voice on Christine's (Alison Lohman) self help tape, a starring role for his rusty old yellow Oldsmobile and a knowing reference to a holiday in a remote cabin; the only thing missing is a Bruce Campbell cameo!
While Drag Me To Hell doesn't break the mould in horror film making, which is slightly disappointing because The Evil Dead did, it's certainly a worthy study in how a horror movie ought to be made. Prospective horror directors take note.
7.5 out of 10.
Last edited by slickstu; 31-07-09 at 12:21 AM.
osci (31-07-09)
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ahhh horror films,. have not watched any since being absolutely petrified by poltergeist in the day (and the nightmare on elm st series)
yep ima.wimp!
If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.
watched this movie,
as a horror fan i was looking forward to it.
wasn't that great end had a good twist though
osci (31-07-09)
Well harden the #### up, man, and get your arse to this one coz it's a goodie!Originally Posted by z1gg33
ahhh horror films,. have not watched any since being absolutely petrified by poltergeist in the day (and the nightmare on elm st series)
yep ima.wimp!
z1gg33 (01-08-09)
same here dude, saw it during the day and scared the living be-jesus out of me!ahhh horror films,. have not watched any since being absolutely petrified by poltergeist in the day (and the nightmare on elm st series)
yep ima.wimp!
Democracy & Ignorance = A Winning Combination
agree with everything Stu says here, great review and a really great horror in the style of the old 80's ones.
so sick of the new style of horror that is only about good looking teenagers.
get this one guys and prepare to be freaked!
...In Somnis Veritas...
evil dead did it for me, never watched horror films since!ahhh horror films,. have not watched any since being absolutely petrified by poltergeist in the day (and the nightmare on elm st series)
yep ima.wimp!
Drag me to hell is ok, but the leads' acting grated with me a bit, dropping it to 6/10 for me.
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