Drag Me to Hell [Blu-ray] [US Import]

Watched this a while ago , it’s a good watch , a little jumpy at times , was recommended

This movie is one of director Sam Raimi's real landmarks not only in his own repertoire but also in the movie world of its time as well. It is genius.If you are expecting blood-and-gore horror look elsewhere to Hellraiser and its ilk. But if you want a story that works as a horror with just enough special effects to keep you amused without being gratuitous, this is one for you. It is genuinely spooky and scary, and there is also a comedic tongue-in-cheek undercurrent element to proceedings, but this does not detract from the seriousness of what the main protagonist's (a bank clerk played by Alison Lohman) dilemma really is-and it is a very frightening one indeed. The idea that one has to struggle for one's own soul's survival and the frustration one encounters with other characters' stupidity or unbelief when seeking help is a mesmerising one. It gives the movie its pivotal importance as a soul on a quest for survival. As I said, the comedy element-which is just discernible, actually, so don't worry you serious horror buffs-does not take away its overlay of seriousness, of real horror and threat, of the terror of being the one who though surrounded by the most sympathetic of people must nevertheless embark on a lonely quest for salvation against hellish odds, genuinely makes for a spiritedly good-wait a minute, I should say evil-yarn that keeps you gripped to the end and coming back for more viewings afterward.I did not like his modern version of Spiderman much, having become familiarised with the real Spiderman from Marvel Comics history at an early age, but this film goes to show that you can't judge the quality of a movie alone by the director's name being affixed to it but rather by the quality of the movie itself, and by watching it for yourself, so as I said this would be a landmark in any director's portfolio, but only Sam Raimi among other directors can truly take the credit for an original.

Christine Brown(Alison Lohmann) is having a tough time. She feels that she's being passed over for the dream promotion at the bank where she works, she feels her boyfriend Clay's parents look down on her and she's struggling with an eating disorder. In short, Christine is full of insecurities and needs a confidence boost fast. What she gets instead puts all her other problems into perspective. A wise old Gypsy woman Mrs Ganush(you can tell she's wise because she's got a funny eye) turns up at the bank pleading for a leave of execution on the eviction from her property. Christine initially feels sympathy, but on reflection thinks that if she takes a hard line with the woman, her boss will reward her with promotion. Mrs Ganush is unhappy to say the least. After work, when Christine gets into her car, Mrs Ganush appears in the back seat and after a hilarious fight, rips one of Christine's buttons off her coat, curses it and gives it back.After visiting a psychic, Chrstine finds out she's the recipient of a three day curse, which unless it is broken, will see her dragged to hell by the Black Goat, the Lamia. Will Chrstine be able to break the curse, or is she getting a one way ticket to hell?Sam Raimi started his career making groundbreaking B-Movies. The first two Evil Dead films are rightly regarded as two of the greatest low budget triumphs in the history of horror films, and then the bonkers Crimewave, the excellent Darkman and to a lesser extent Army Of Darkness can also be added to that list. More recently, he has directed the hugely successful, big budget Spider-Man franchise. This film is a partial return to his roots. It doesnt quite reach the heights of the original Evil Dead films, but is great campy fun and is packed full of great set pieces.One thing that did dissapoint me was the over reliance on CGI effects. They really don't add anything to a film for me, and at a time when directors are starting to eschew CGI for more traditional effects in horror films, it would have been nice to see Raimi do the same. The CGI in the seance scene for example, does ruin that particular part of the film for me, as the CGG(Computer Generated Goat) is laughable.Still, its not meant to be taken too seriously, and the film is best enjoyed as a tounge in cheek supernatural horror and nothing more. Lovely music score too. Of the actors, I think Dileep Rao impressed me the most as Rham Jas. Very enjoyable. 4 out of 5