Search - Drag Me to Hell (Unrated Director's Cut) [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 11/2/2021...

Director Sam Raimi does not disappoint along the lines of evil dead. Actors Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao shine in this with a really special unique horror plotline that evolves throughout the entire movie all the way until the end! A must see for suspense terror fans!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL
Reviewed on 3/10/2011...

Sam Raimi's Long Awaited Return To Horror Too Bad It's A Failure

I wanted to like this film. Too bad it turns into a badly done cliche filled mess. The concept seemed really dated and nothing in it was at all entertaining. Took me three attempts to watch it. Boring, pointless crap that might be enjoyed by children. Not at all scary.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Sam Raimi's Return to Horror

www.TheHorrorMovieCritic.com | 07/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"He's back! No I'm not talking about Freddy, Jason, Chucky or Michael. I'm talking about Sam...as in Sam Raimi. It's been almost 17 years since Raimi has helmed a horror flick and he hasn't lost his touch. Drag Me to Hell feels like the ugly (real ugly), long lost sister of Evil Dead II. It blends jump-outta-your-seat scares with Three Stooges style slap stick. If that sounds like an odd combination then you've never watched a Raimi horror movie before...

Drag Me to Hell is a basic morality tale. The whole thing feels like a polished episode of Tales from the Crypt. The story follows Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a young woman who is looking to move up the corporate ladder at the bank where she's employed. Her boss tells her that she must learn to make the hard decisions if she wants a promotion and the first time she attempts this she forecloses the house of a disgusting, old, gypsy woman (Lorna Raver). If classic horror has taught us anything it's that you don't EVER screw with gypsies (or carnie folk). The dilapidated crone waits for Christine in the parking garage (in Raimi's beat up Oldsmobile!) and applies the 'Curse of Lamia'. The Lamia is a devil goat that loves the taste of souls. It takes three days to fully manifest and then the demon comes looking for its meal which gets dragged back to Hell for consumption.

Christine is perfectly portrayed by Lohman and I'll be damned if that girl doesn't have some spunk! She is cute as hell and has a knack for physical comedy. One thing about Raimi is that he loves to put his actors/actresses through the ringer. Lohman is a trooper as she gets hit in the face with maggots, mud, blood, drool etc... See that's the beauty of this film. Every time something terrifying happens it's quickly followed up with some disgusting gag that makes you cringe and then burst into a fit of laughter. It's a really great group experience...much like a well executed haunted house.

Justin Long plays Lohman's love interest, Dr. Clay Dalton, and to be honest it seems like he's just along for the ride. Make no mistake about it, this is Lohman's movie and she easily carries it all on her own. The rest of the cast is merely there to witness Christine physically and mentally fall apart as the Lamia's curse intensifies.

My only real complaint is that Raimi actually had the budget to create some CG effects. While they don't ruin the movie, I would have loved to see him stick with the real stuff instead. My main problem is that the things he uses CG for could have easily been done with practical effects.

Drag Me to Hell is horror done right. Sam Raimi has crafted one of the best horror films I've seen in the past 5 years. You've got elements of Evil Dead, The Exorcist and Dead Alive all stirred into the wicked witch's brew that is Drag Me to Hell. The packed theatre I sat in seemed to really get into it, but I'm afraid some folks simply won't wrap their heads around all the goofy stuff that Raimi does. Make sure you drag as many friends as possible to see it. Rest assured that everyone will be jumping in their seats, covering their eyes, screaming and giggling like prepubescent schoolgirls! Drag Me to Hell is just flat out fun cinema. Go see it.

Final Grade: A"

Raimi has created another horror classic....

M. Powell | 09/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit that the Evil Dead movies are 2 of my favorite horror movies of all time. I loved Army of Darkness, but I guess it's debatable if that is even a horror movie. Anyway, I was at the theater opening weekend to see Drag Me to Hell and was not disappointed. It has Raimi written all over it with the screechy violin type music, the close up shots, and all the cool little camera tricks. I was laughing and jumping throughout the whole movie and left the theater with a smile on my face.

The plot is pretty simple. Alison Lohman plays Christine who works as a loan officer at a bank and is competing with a co-worker for an assistant manager position. She has been at the bank far longer than this person, but has a difficult time making tough decisions. So when Mrs. Ganush, an old Gypsy lady with one bad eye, false teeth and generally bad hygiene, walks in one day for an extension on her house payment Christine, trying to impress her boss, decides that the bank cannot extend the loan any further. This ends in Mrs. Ganush begging Christine and causing a scene in the bank. A confrontation between the two later leads to Mrs. Ganush putting the curse of the Llamia on Christine. This curse basically means Christine is going to be haunted by a demon goat from hell until, on the third day, she is literally dragged to hell.

The sound and camera work in this movie was awesome. Make sure you are watching this somewhere with a good surround sound system. The effects are generally good, there are only a couple of things I can think of that were a little cheesy, but it fits in with movie. Expect the same dark humor from the Evil Dead films which is a good thing. I think Raimi really understands what having fun while watching a horror movie is all about. After all the crappy remakes we seem to get in America, Drag Me to Hell was a much needed breath of fresh air for horror fans. Don't miss it!"

I'll Swallow Your Soul! I'll Swallow Your Soul!

Sky | New York | 10/20/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Sam Raimi sure does have a consistent view of what the demons from Hell look like, sound like and act like. And these are some of the meanest, scariest demons ever conjured into the world of film-making.

In Evil Dead II (Raimi's Horror Classic rumored to be in re-make mode), words spoken from a tape recorder bring some nasty demons over that ruin the day for a group of folks stuck in a spooky cabin in the woods. In Drag Me to Hell it seems that there are some gypsies that you don't want to cross that know words similar to those spoken on the Evil Dead II tape recorder...And if you hear them spoken...you're dead whether you're alone in the woods or surrounded by suburbia.

So if you happen to be an aspiring local bank manager...check that...aspiring *assistant* bank manager, and a gypsy comes in asking for an extension on an overdue loan payment...give it to her!

Sam Raimi may not have outdone himself with Drag Me to Hell, but he has certainly succeeded in giving Horror fans something to cheer about. There are really scary moments, funny moments, grotesque moments and very deliberately over-the-top moments. There are even moments that are clearly a tip of the hat to Raimi's Evil Dead collection (open wide and say Eyyyyyee!).

Alison Lohman keeps the action and scares rolling along almost solo for like 60% of the movie. She's no Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead's Ash Williams), but she does a fine job of taking her role seriously and stepping into Raimi's humorously sinister world of diabolical demons. Then there's the gypsy women played devilishly by TV actress Lorna Raver; Raimi turns this little old lady into one memorably hideous villain. Justin "I'm a Mac" Long plays Lohman's boyfriend and has some short, mostly unmemorable appearances. In fact, Justin Long's acting in the final memorable scene would have lost him the job if I were involved; I wouldn't be surprised if Raimi thought the same thing but complacently had to settle since it was indeed the last scene.

Like I said, Drag Me to Hell ain't no Evil Dead II, and it's by far no Spider-Man Trilogy, but it's a super fun ride in the Horror genre that's worthy of your collection. Add it to your cart or at minimum your rental queue.
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