'Drag Me to Hell,' a hell of a good movie
Donna P. Crilly
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Entertainment
Although the relationship between the two adds depth and suspense to the film, the stronger question we end up asking at what length are we willing to go to save ourselves? What falsified morals are we willing to compromise? A sacrificial scene involving Brown's beloved cat exemplifies that well. Did I mention that Brown once volunteered at the animal shelter? In society, we find ourselves doing good deeds to get something out of it or for self-satisfaction. Raimi's film is a commentary in this light.
Raimi also creates an aura of suspense throughout the film by combining a classical horror film score with extreme close-ups. One particular shot is of Mrs. Ganush tapping her rotten fingernails on Lohman's desk at the beginning of the movie. The synchronicity of the score and the shots add to the sometimes-cheesy special effects - we've gotten so used to seeing special effects used in movies these days that nothing impresses us anymore.
The title of the film is a blunt give away of the climax, but the movie is more about being a complete package rather than trying to guess what's going to happen at the end. As far as flaws are concerned, the title is the biggest one. Walking into the theater and not knowing anything about Raimi's past work, one is unlikely to expect much from the film except pure entertainment. But from the opening credits on, the movie delivers. "Drag Me to Hell" was a wonderful surprise.
Raimi also creates an aura of suspense throughout the film by combining a classical horror film score with extreme close-ups. One particular shot is of Mrs. Ganush tapping her rotten fingernails on Lohman's desk at the beginning of the movie. The synchronicity of the score and the shots add to the sometimes-cheesy special effects - we've gotten so used to seeing special effects used in movies these days that nothing impresses us anymore.
The title of the film is a blunt give away of the climax, but the movie is more about being a complete package rather than trying to guess what's going to happen at the end. As far as flaws are concerned, the title is the biggest one. Walking into the theater and not knowing anything about Raimi's past work, one is unlikely to expect much from the film except pure entertainment. But from the opening credits on, the movie delivers. "Drag Me to Hell" was a wonderful surprise.
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