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chapter11 [ 8.0 ]
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It's pretty terrific to see the inimitable Sam Raimi apply his new a-list clout to an old script for a decidedly b-movie horror exercise. Better yet that the film doesn't pull any punches despite its PG-13 rating - a warning flag if I ever saw one - and manages to be every bit as gooey, looney-tunes, and mean-spirited as it wants to be. (The cat scene in particular is a rarity, and that wicked ending is inspired, potent in its silliness AND its bleakness.)
This is just the sort of thing I want to see a lot more of. Horror movies are rarely this good-time anymore. A shame that our beloved genre has grown so stone-faced and self-important - we need more "Drag Me to Hells" and "Evil Deads" to remind us of why we fell so hard.
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DokBrowne [ 8.5 ]
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"Spook-a-blast" indeed!
I miss a good horror movie. The '70s and '80s overflow with them, but the inspiration to craft one on this scale seems to have waned in the last decade. There are still hundreds released every year, but mostly in obscure markets (going directly to DVD) and merely for easy exploitation value (they may not be blockbusters on the big screen, but remain insanely profitable on the home viewing level), and when we do get a theatrical release, 98% of them these days are remakes, sequels, or cash-ins on fleeting trends. When someone with a passion for the genre steps up to the plate and makes a distinctive horror movie from their own vision, that's big news for being so abnormal, so here we are celebrating not only Sam Raimi's ode to his salad days (I can't call it a "return" because he's obviously still a slave to the "Spider-Man" franchise and as an A-list player, I expect more "For Love of the Game"s than "Army of Darkness"s in his future), but the mere existence of an original spookfest.
Is a lot of my enthusiasm here based on nostalgia? Probably. David Goyer made a ghost story earlier this year called "The Unborn" which I suppose qualifies as original and of a particular vision (he wrote and directed it), but we've seen the freaky ghost kid movie a thousand times in the last few years. "The Haunting in Connecticut", while based on a story and a Discovery Channel series, arguably stood out as well, but met the same demise by being just the same old ghost mystery.
"Drag Me to Hell" may be familiar - Raimi's "boo!" approach and nasty makeup effects and gooey attacks and cartoonish duels all come straight from his "Evil Dead" series, but unlike the perfunctory J-horror tropes that are STILL being recycled by lazy Hollywood in these "Unborn"s and "Connecticut"s, the Saimi touch is still pretty fresh and more importantly thrillingly fun. Horror doesn't need to be vivacious or over-the-top to work - lots of great mood pieces in the genre - but I still wish it were more often. These photo-copied creepy-by-numbers horror flicks that usually come out are so dull, we need someone like Raimi to get in there and start making a mess, causing a ruckus, remind us how entertaining this material can be.
One of the brilliant things about "Drag Me to Hell" is that Raimi doesn't enliven the genre the way other "return to great horror" neo-classics have in the past decade, with their hard R-ratings affording them merciless mayhem. This movie stays PG-13, not relying on the genre's usual indulgences to succeed (tons of gore, sex, profanity, all of which are awesome, don't get me wrong). He still blows you away, but with a carnival-esque pop-up scares and a knack for setting the scene, in both visual style and mounting dread. Shadows (all the most frightening moments involve shadowplay), light, and noise are key tools in Raimi's arsenal, and while one of my few qualms with the movie is its annoyingly heart-stopping use of blasting sound effects to pummel you during every scary encounter (I spent too much of the movie with my fingers in my ears in anticipation of the next explosion - maybe they just should've turned down the volume a tad in my theater..), I admit it's a useful device in this context and it's not a crutch for him the way it is in so many other horror movies of late. Plus overall Christopher Young's score is wickedly rich in freakiness. And there's plenty of ickiness, but it's used for humor instead of as a quick ploy to get the viewer's attention.
Another asset not often found in the genre anymore: memorable characters. Alison Lohman's protagonist is flawed yet strong, sincere and sweet and endearing yet capable of dark behavior. When she gains the upper hand, she isn't just somber and reflective, she basks arrogantly in the triumph. Lohman has a lot of notes to play, and pulls off the character thoroughly. Elsewhere, the villainous Mrs. Ganush makes a repugnant, loathsome impression with little screen time, the wonderfully named fortune teller Rham Jas seems like a badass in the making, and Justin Long's sympathetic boyfriend is nuanced by the underrated Long and has a striking moment at the very end (note: I'd also like to single out the otherwise comedy-inclined Justin Long for his 2nd gig in a vintage-styled 21st century horror classic in the making, after "Jeepers Creepers")
You can basically see where the movie is heading towards the end with a certain mix-up leading to a potential twist, but even that doesn't deter from the joyride experience. And while the finale is pretty grim no matter how you look at it, the ridiculousness of that last moment is so potent that you're given the option of whether or not to take it seriously. I chose not to because it seems so unfair, so instead I just appreciated the shock value and screenplay's devotion to the macabre. Bravo, this is a horror movie and a half. More please
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jeff_v [ 4.5 ]
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Pretty bad all around. The set up at the bank has some of the worst plot exposition I've seen in a long time, and the movie in general feels like it's pitched to a seven year old's intelligence. Add to that the irritating Mac Guy, silly gross-out gags, and even Alison Lohman's hairstyle (it's called a barrette, use it), and the movie felt half-assed. Neat ending though.
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| Weighted Rating | : 6.8 |
| No. Ratings | : 4 | |
| No. Reviews | : 3 | |
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