DRAG ME TO HELL

Lorna Raver as Sylvia Ganush

Directed by Sam Raimi

Written by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi

     It sure is a bitch getting a promotion these days. You scratch and claw and fight your way to the top of the ladder. You kiss ass and lower yourself to levels you never dreamt possible. Even after all that, there are no guarantees.

    Christine Brown wants the assistant manager’s job at the bank she is employed at. The only other person in the running for it is Stu, a true Stiffly Stifferson if ever there was one. Christine merely has to deny poor old Mrs. Ganush an extension. That will show her boss she has what it takes. Oh, but be careful how you treat the elderly, Christine. Mrs. Ganush may just put a curse on you that will drag you straight to hell itself. Still want that promotion?

    Sam Raimi returns to horror after a spectacular Spider-man, an amazing Spider-man 2 and an uneven and disappointing Spider-man 3. Drag Me to Hell is certainly no Evil Dead, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its merits. Raimi is a master at mixing humor with horror to call up an uncomfortable comedic atmosphere to his films. In other words you don’t know whether to laugh out loud or be scared shitless. A huge fan of the Three Stooges, Raimi never fails to put some element of their slapstick antics into his films and Drag Me to Hell is no exception.

    So, is Drag Me to Hell Raimi’s triumphant return to horror that his fans were hoping for? Uh…well….hmm, I guess I’m a little undecided on that. It’s good to see him making a horror film once again, but after the great Evil Dead series Drag Me to Hell is a bit of a letdown. It’s not a bad film; it’s just not the Raimi film we were hoping for.

 Trivia

Ellen Page was cast as Christine, but dropped out to star in Whip It (2009).

Sam Raimi’s friend Bruce Campbell, who appeared in some fashion in every other film Raimi directed, turned down a role because he was busy with his TV show “Burn Notice” (2007).

The license plate of Sylvia Ganush’s car is 99951. When it is turned upside-down, it reads IS666.

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