Drag Me To Hell

Drag Me To Hell (2009): Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, Directed by Sam Raimi
In Drag Me To Hell, Sam Raimi returns to his "Evil Dead" style of film-making to tackle the classic story of an old gypsy woman's curse. Christine (Alison Lohman) is an insecure farm girl, working in the city at a bank. She's a bit mousy yet is desperate to prove herself and get the promotion. So desperate in fact, that when a sick and elderly woman comes into ask for a 3rd extension on her loan, she uses the situation to demonstrate her business strength. Unfortunately, this is no ordinary helpless old lady, and she soon finds she has been cursed by a demon. There's much here that feels familiar, from some of the visual "gags" that are directly lifted from the Evil Dead series to plot points and basic premises. Despite the abundance of computer-enhanced effects, there's still an over-abundance of disgusting, gross-out scenes (mostly centered around the old gypsy) designed to shock the system. And then of course, there's the sound effects, which at times are deafeningly loud (and especially effective in shocking the system). The overall glossy sheen of the production keeps it from ever getting too real, and in that regard, manages to keep us, the audience at a distance. Perhaps if it had brought us in a little closer, become a little more intimate with its audience, the horror might've been elevated, but as it is, it's little more than a combination of gross humor and sudden surprises. Still, where it fails as horror, it manages to make up for in entertainment value. And if nothing else, Drag Me To Hell is certainly entertaining (even if it's not everyone's cup of tea).
3.5 out of 5