There is a shadow that walks, screeches and howls in this world – this is the Lamia, the demon that terrorizes in the new Sam Raimi horror film Drag Me to Hell. Raimi brings ghastly to new heights in this tale of the black magic torment of Christine Brown.
Christine, played by Alison Lohman, is a bank loan officer that has crossed the wrong crone—the evil-eyed Mrs. Ganush, played by Lorna Raver. After being informed by her supervisor that she should be less empathetic and make the difficult decisions, Christine rebukes the third loan extension of this aged homeowner and destroys her pride when she begs Christine for help. While assaulting Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Ganush incapacitates her, removes a simple coat button, gives it a powerful Romani curse and carefully returns it.
This curse summons the Lamia, which needs but three days before it is strong enough to drag its victim to Hell.
Christine’s loving, yet skeptical, boyfriend Dr. Clay Dalton, portrayed by Justin Long, feels the need to go to any lengths for her in the name of love and seems to round out the academic view of magic.
I can say that Drag Me to Hell is a great accomplishment of Sam Raimi’s know-how in spooking the audience, from epic one-on-one struggles that peak the audience’s anticipation, to the surprise horrors that slam the viewers to the dark corners of their minds where they to question every shadow.
On top of this, the presentation of Christine’s mental stress through gushing nosebleeds and the over-the-top anxiety gives a deep impression of how truly terrified she is. The special effects were of a suitable caliber for the film, making it a feast for the eyes that are brave enough to remain open. A gaggle of ghouls materializing in a séance and the massive number of baneful reappearances of creepy Mrs. Ganush are enough to make your head spin two pi radians.
The only criticism I have is the addition of humor. Now, I am a fan of humor in most forms (even the most violent of situations), but I somehow find it dissatisfying to see it so blended into the macabre. In a moment of horror, some may close their eyes. However, a braver soul might face it head-on, hold ground and be “rewarded†with some overly gross humor along with the terror. In me, this causes a mental conflict that I find as distasteful as salty ice cream. However, had my palette been of different composition this may be a sensational scene. I leave this only as an opinion.
Besides the previous gripe, this horrid haunting is a wonderful return of Sam Raimi to the horror genre showering him acclaim from critics and viewers alike. With such a pedigree, it may just go far enough to win everyone’s darkest fears.
There is a shadow that walks, screeches and howls in this world – this is the Lamia, the demon that terrorizes in the new Sam Raimi horror film Drag Me to Hell. Raimi brings ghastly to new heights in this tale of the black magic torment of Christine Brown.
Christine, played by Alison Lohman, is a bank loan officer that has crossed the wrong crone—the evil-eyed Mrs. Ganush, played by Lorna Raver. After being informed by her supervisor that she should be less empathetic and make the difficult decisions, Christine rebukes the third loan extension of this aged homeowner and destroys her pride when she begs Christine for help. While assaulting Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Ganush incapacitates her, removes a simple coat button, gives it a powerful Romani curse and carefully returns it.
This curse summons the Lamia, which needs but three days before it is strong enough to drag its victim to Hell.
Christine’s loving, yet skeptical, boyfriend Dr. Clay Dalton, portrayed by Justin Long, feels the need to go to any lengths for her in the name of love and seems to round out the academic view of magic.
I can say that Drag Me to Hell is a great accomplishment of Sam Raimi’s know-how in spooking the audience, from epic one-on-one struggles that peak the audience’s anticipation, to the surprise horrors that slam the viewers to the dark corners of their minds where they to question every shadow.
On top of this, the presentation of Christine’s mental stress through gushing nosebleeds and the over-the-top anxiety gives a deep impression of how truly terrified she is. The special effects were of a suitable caliber for the film, making it a feast for the eyes that are brave enough to remain open. A gaggle of ghouls materializing in a séance and the massive number of baneful reappearances of creepy Mrs. Ganush are enough to make your head spin two pi radians.
The only criticism I have is the addition of humor. Now, I am a fan of humor in most forms (even the most violent of situations), but I somehow find it dissatisfying to see it so blended into the macabre. In a moment of horror, some may close their eyes. However, a braver soul might face it head-on, hold ground and be “rewarded†with some overly gross humor along with the terror. In me, this causes a mental conflict that I find as distasteful as salty ice cream. However, had my palette been of different composition this may be a sensational scene. I leave this only as an opinion.
Besides the previous gripe, this horrid haunting is a wonderful return of Sam Raimi to the horror genre showering him acclaim from critics and viewers alike. With such a pedigree, it may just go far enough to win everyone’s darkest fears.