I'll just repost this from the cinemania thread

'm going to sort of divide it into sections to try and get everything straight.

The first few minute and the last 60 seconds: the greatest moments I have seen in horror film, it is absolutely fantastic.
SPOILER: SHOW
These five minutes are everything the film wants to be, outrageous, intense, dramatic, ridiculous, hilarious, and a huge bag of fun. a perfect 10

The setup for the film is fine. Kinda dull, but surprisingly well executed, so its just fine, but its not the point of the film and that's evident. 4/5

All the moments that are trying to be creepy and setup for the "surprise" moment, these are well done, and genuinely creepy, which is why I didn't really like them. Yeah, I know, a guy that hates scary moments watching this doesn't make much sense, but that's who I am. They were relatively well done though and admirable. 3/5 (even though I disliked it, it's still good)

The way over the top moments, which are very frequent, are hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing and neither could anyone else in our employee screening. They were really entertaining too. 4/5

This covers most of the movie. It is almost all setup/preparing to be over the top/ being over the top. There's not much else to it, which is a good thing.

Overall it is what you've all heard, intense, creepy, ridiculous, over the top, and hilarious. However it's the satire and mockery that make this even better than it would be. It's very self ridiculing, while taking itself semi-seriously.
4/5 (but on my top 5 of the year thus far)

Most entertaining movie this decade? Quite possibly. A

Not a fan of Raimi's early horror work, but damn this was so freaking fun... Even though I was smiling throughout most of it due to its dark comedic nature, Raimi does an excellent job of keeping the tension and creepiness alive. This is right up there with Cabin Fever for the best over-the-top horror movie. Solid A- and the title of my favorite movie of the year thus far.

Cabin Fever is dogshit. Drag Me To Hell is not.

They are fairly different movies, but I enjoyed them both equally. And Cabin Fever is pretty awesome in its campyness. But Drag Me To Hell has just that little extra that makes it more memorable in its talking devil goat and the Gypsy/Lohman car cat fight...

Saw a mostly finished cut back at SXSW, can't wait to see the finished product this weekend! Here's what I wrote back then...

I've tried to make this as spoiler-free as possible.

Drag Me to Hell was the only film I saw in Austin over South by Southwest, but it was a great choice. Sam Raimi lost a whole lot of goodwill after Spider-Man 3, but the ingenious set pieces are macabre humor here show that the guy still has some tricks up his sleeve.

So what makes this a great horror film - a tremendous rarity in this day and age? It doesn't take itself too seriously, it has a rascally wit when it comes to playing on the audience's expectations, and most surprisingly, Alison Lohman. You'll be impressed with how gamely she goes through disgusting, terrifying, and hillarious punishment. Justin Long does not fare nearly as well. He was believably frightened in Jeepers Creepers, but in his second horror outing he has very little charm or presence to offer. On the other hand, Sam Raimi's presence can be felt fully. He said the tone of this film is somewhere in between Evil Dead 1 and 2, and I'd say that's fairly accurate. There's a lot of nasty humor here, and the plot is happy to dish all sorts of gross liquids and torture upon our poor protagonist. Best of all, like the best horror films it goes in directions that are plumb unexpected, but had the audience squealing in delight.

I've read reporst of how unfinished the movie was in this cut. They're sharper than I - there were some imcomplete effects, but rarely did it ever take me out of the movie. I will totally acknowledge that my opinion may be different from most - the 1,200 Paramount Theater was packed to the brim with people who were stoked to see this. I can certainly understand why some internet writers proceed to write such hyperbolic reactions as my own, if this screening is any indication. Still, I can't see any true horror fans being dissapointed, provided there not fools who only like their scary movies to take themselves way too seriously to actually be, y'know, scary.

Yesssss. I'm so excited.

I hope this brings makeshift out of hiding, too.

I'm glad you said that, because I was worried for a second when it was compared to Cabin Fever. That movie sucked. I have high hopes for this though. Seeing it Saturday night.

Absolutely fucking brilliant. I've never laughed so hard...in a horror movie. And being a huge fan of old-style campy horror films this just was really, really, well done. I actually got creeped out a few times (and I will never, ever look at goats the same way again!). It only lagged in a few small spots but even then it would make up for it at the last minute. I thought I had the ending pegged too, and I was off (but I think that was the brilliance in it all).

A-

Spoilers

I hate seeing horror movies on Friday nights. The crowds you get are the absolute worst. Have High Schoolers ever been taught to actually shut the fuck up?

One more non-movie related complaint. Was anyone else upset that they showed THE LAST SCENE in the movie in the commercials? Completely ruined a possible surprise ending. I hate marketers sometimes.

The movie was fantastic. The best horror film of the year so far easily, and I loved Friday The 13th and My Bloody Valentine. It was fun! I was laughing at all the gruesome scenes, with the exception of the wake, ewwww. Though it was a nice reveal. "Here kitty kitty" Then the goat! And when the old lady's head got crushed in her vision... the splatter is glorious.

Raimi proves that he is still a master of horror. Hopefully it won't take 17 years for him to make another one. A

Loved it!

Wowsir.

Haven't seen a HOR-COM this good since... ... ... what?! ... the nineties??? Shaun of the Dead comes pretty darn close more recently, but - - Yup! Uh huh! This one's sweeeeet!!!!!

I do remember the last great horror film I saw - - The Skeleton Key - - from four years back.

But Drag Me To Hell wasn't just a horror movie, it was indeed a finely crafted horror comedy, and above that, it was a nigh on perfect take on the art of the B-movie - - it's an "A" B!

Alison Lohman ably carries the lead role with her assuredly top notch acting chops (previously on fine display in Matchstick Men and Where The Truth Lies), but also in her all-out physical performance as the ultimate super combo scream queen/ass kickin' babe/sweetheart. Her character, Christine Brown, had to handle many horribly unpleasant things being shot into her face - - the embalming fluid seemed especially squirm-worthy to me, but I'm sure everyone will have their own favorite. They're all superbly staged and visualized and really brought the horror part of the equation fully up to par.

And I loved the nutty symbolic product placement too! Of course, I already knew that "Apple = Heaven", but how many of my fellow audience members were ready to accept Steve Jobs as their lord and saviour? Yup - - Apple represents the forces of good in this film, along with it's mighty ally: St. Prius!

Justin Long, in a suitably low key performance, embodies the holy spirit of corporate good, while the rest of the superb supporting cast represents various degrees of evil...

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One of the year's ten best.

out of

'Twas great. Genuinely scary at times, often hilarious (but sometimes too campy and over-the-top - the talking, possessed goat), and incredibly entertaining.

Mrs. Ganush will probably haunt my dreams tonight. Jeeeesus.

And the ending rocked...



***½

entertaining and funny... but where were the scares!?!? B+

drag me to hell

I just caught this movie at 1900 tonight in my favorite theatre and it was pretty full. Before I talk about the movie, I have to relay that this was one of the most eventful movie going nights I've had in a while because there was this ridiculously disrespectful black guy who visited the theatre tonight. Idk how it started but all of a sudden around halfway through there's loud talking going on that quickly escalated to f words and n words and b words. My gosh! After about 1-2 minutes of this the management came in and got that guy the F out. Then later another guy in the same area had to go. Lastly, some guy who was using his phone in the front got talked to once then used his phone again and got talked to by a cop the 2nd time. What a numbskull. Finally, the couple next to me were semi-talkers from time to time during the film but that was tame compared to all the nonsense that took place tonight.

As for the film, I'll be quite short and to the point. The film had me jumping all over the place and tense about ever fright or near fright moment. Some of the effects were over the top but mostly enjoyed it all. Loved the opening sequence. I thought the end was a bit rushed and anti climactic when more over the top-ness was needed, but overall I really enjoyed myself with this film.

grade - A

I didn't realize this was a horror comedy in the tradition of the Evil Dead movies, which it totally is. In fact, it plays like a sequel. A glorious, hilarious, marvelously inventive sequel. Bliss.

Pixar totally got served this weekend.

I thought it was alright.

There wasn't really much tension for the first half because it was established (a few times) that they aren't taken to hell until the third day so all the scary scenes just seemed kind of pointless to me, as she was clearly going to be fine until. As for the button stuff, it got on my nerves because it was utterly predictable that she didn't actually have the button in that envelope.

None of the characters were especially interesting, either. The main woman started off dull and became increasingly dumb/unlikable and the variety of shamans or whatever were non-characters. Justin Long's character was pretty okay but I think that was just by comparison.

I wasn't impressed.

Characters? Narrative inevitablility? It's a movie primarily about finding new ways for Allison Lohman to get vomited on, for Christ's sake!

Yeah, and I don't see why that's so fun or scary. Most of the "horror" came from gross-out moments and LOUD NOISES!!! From these "scares" to the story there was nothing new or exciting on display, it was all so terribly predictable.

I've never been a fan of Raimi, though. The Evil Dead movies weren't scary or funny to me, they were repetitive and uninteresting.

DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)

What a wild ride! I am amazed at how well the horror and comedy elements blended together. It has great atmosphere and music and will have you on edge one moment, and then laughing your ass off the next. I loved its old-fashioned sensibility. I’d say it’s one-of-a-kind, but Raimi’s own “Evil Dead” trilogy was obviously a huge influence on this. They are very, very similar in tone. But compared to today’s horror, this is something fresh. It saddens me that we don’t see more like this. It’s a masterful blending of genres.

Alison Lohman, who gave such promising performances in movies such as White Oleander and Matchstick Men, makes a welcome comeback with her game performance here. I’m hoping she’ll get more work now.

“Drag Me To Hell” is really something. I cannot imagine any of the big budget blockbusters coming out this summer being nearly this much fun. This is a must for horror fans and should be experienced on the big screen with an audience.

Grade: 9/10 (A)


Unfortunately I’m not sure how word-of-mouth will be on this one. While reviews are beyond fantastic I only heard negative comments on the way out. Granted, it was just a couple of remarks saying it was stupid, but I can see general audiences feeling this way about it. I really don’t think they get the whole tongue-in-cheek approach. I mean, people were laughing a lot during the movie, but sadly I believe a lot of them are going to go away thinking it was cheesy and not intentional. After the movie my boss’s daughter was like, “That was stupid, but it was really funny.” I told her then that it was supposed to be funny, and she was like, “It was? I didn’t know it was supposed to be funny.” And this is why horror-comedies tend to not do too well at the Box Office. Too many people just don’t get them.

Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots in a great way with this chilling, scaring, and at some times comedic horror piece. Alison Lohman's adventures start to go wary after she refuses an older lady (played by Lorna Raver) an extension on her house payment. She is now haunted by spirits and the woman herself multiple times during the day. The freights given pull you to the edge of your seat while comedic value is mixed inbetween these moments to have you just enjoy the movie as a whole. Justin Long, Dileep Rao, Reggie Lee, and others really help build up this strong film. While the ending was a bit predictable, it was still a strong and scary outing. One of the few good horror films of the decade. B+

I think this will be a future barometer movie for me. If you don't love it, you should stop doing things. Like living.

Too bad Up is the movie that brought you back

Things I loved from this movie

- The bitch fight in the car
- The "kitty" scene
- The talking goat
- Many other things

This film was just so much at the theater