Trying something a little different here, not a review post or anything like that but instead a place for those who have seen Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell to discuss it with others. Anything is fair game here, spoilers and all, just fire away and tell us what you thought!
As for me, while it is very much an orally-fixated return to form for Raimi behind the camera I couldn't help but think Drag Me To Hell would be five times the film it is now if original star Ellen Page had stayed with the production and been the star in front of the camera. Alison Lohman just doesn't have any charisma at all, certainly not the right kind of personality for doing a big,road horror-comedy in classic Raimi style. Still, a lot of great set pieces that left me thoroughly entertained. On the Raimi-quality scale I'd put this closer to Darkman than any of the Evil Dead films.
How about you?
I was skeptical. The trailer was pretty awful and I'll also admit that the PG-13 rating put me off, too, but I couldn't have made a better decision last night than to see it. By a wide margin, it is Raimi's best movie. I got the feeling that Drag Me To Hell was the movie he was warming up to make the whole time. So much fun.
I went and saw this and Up last night, and let me tell you, it was one of the best moviegoing evenings I've ever had. Drag Me To Hell was far better than I'd expected. Raimi took his skills and amped them up a notch. The score and sound design was awesome, all of the practical monster effects were GREAT and I felt as giddy as the first time I saw Evil Dead 2. The gross out moments were completely effective and gave me a jump every time. He knows exactly how long to hold the tension, and just when you think it is going to be a false scare and settle down, POW! In regards to Alison Lohman, I think she is good for the role, Ellen Page is too affected at this time to have made a good victim in this part. Alison Lohman has a certain naivete and bubbly spirit that makes her character all the more tormented when she's being put through all this horrible shit.
I have to say I disagree about Ellen Page. Watching this movie, I was thrilled that Page dropped out because Lohman NAILS it. As someone else commented, she has that "bubbly naivete" that makes the performance perfect. The curse drives her to become a desperate, brutal person. And the girl is a total trooper, she puts up with a lot of nastiness and violence in this. I thought she's the closest thing to female Bruce Campbell they could have gotten.
As much as I love Ellen Page, I also agree that she would have been the wrong choice. Alison Lohman is the classic all-American girl, blonde hair and all, which is what the part called for.
I loved the movie. The old Raimi tricks were in there, but he takes full advantage of modern film technology to crank it up. Even when I knew something was going to happen, I still jumped out of my seat when it did. Classic entertainment, with enough smarts to keep my mind interested.
Lohman is terrific here Todd (and I've had other films ruined by Lohman's performance)! My only complaint is the occasionally dodgy CG, but Raimi's energy and style more then make up for it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. But who the hell keeps an anvil suspended on a rope in a tool shed? Raimi does, that's who.
I'm not being sarcastic, this was the most disappointing movie I've ever taken the time to look forward to. SO BAD. It was un-funny, un-scary, mean spirited, and all possible suspense or 'cult' factor was ruined by horrible CG. It opened with the 80's Universal logo and then proceeded to be one of the worst CG laden modern American horror films.
I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm a big time fan of the Evil Dead series, I get the campiness the film was going for, I yelled out loud with excitement when Justin Long mentioned going to "his parents cabin with lots of trees". But after the initial car attack it never got good, it just kept throwing cheap gotcha moments and CG shadows in your face. WTF!!!! The whole movie promised a big crazy prosthetic goat demon finally going crazy on Day 4, but nope just a dancing Gypsy!!!????
I am epically disappointed and can't understand the insane amount of love this forgettable film is getting.
Good fun, but let me get this straight ... Justin Long was supposed to be a professor? Suspend your disbelief.
Long was hilariously a DOCTOR in Idiocracy, and that seemed about right.
I thought he was very good in DMtH, much as he was in Galaxy Quest. Did his part. It was Lohman's show here and yea, she was great.
Throw me in the "loved it" group. I wasn't expecting much at all honestly, but I walked away with the biggest grin. I thought Lohman was great and I'm a huge EP fan, but Ellen would've brought an unneeded vibe to the film. The sound design (and I'm sure it depends on the theater you see it in) was pretty epic! The scares, the gross outs, the laughs, it was an awesome night at the movies! Also, and I know there's no way to predict this, but if you catch it in a theater filled with people who are completely game for a Raimi film, it amps up the fun quite a bit! Me and my friends had an awesome crowd to watch this with.
I thought it was awesome. and I thought Alison Lohman was brilliant, the face she pulls against the car window (and head actions) when the gypsy women drops out of sight after being locked out is classic Evil Dead/Bruce Campbell vibe.
I agree...Ellen has a smarmy, sarcastic "adolescent" sulking, non-stop blabbing down to an art form now...
It's incredibly hard to shake her image as anything but "Juno"...
Even in her turn in "Smart People"...she plays the wise-cracking youngstah again...
Lohman, actually looks pretty good in this...
As someone said, her facial reactions...full-on, perfect!!!
I have yet to see this, as I'm hoping for the upcoming Soloman Kane to come out to dish my free ticket on...
But I'll DEFINITELY rent this when it comes out to DVD...
And then watch it like I did when I first saw "Suspiria"...!!
Alone, and preferably, in the Dark!!!
haha...Bee-sides, I hate having to watch...through certain "horror" movies dat takes itself SOOOOOOOOOOoooo seriously, I can barely STAND the inane, often, Unnecessary so-called "Tension" building up to "realistic" scary moments...
I call "Bullshit!!!"
Shaun of the Dead, would be an excellent example of Horror/Comedy done so Exquisitely well!!!
And u know, those "Serious" Horror movies lend themselves to be SO easily Parodied, that it's NOT even funny...!!!
True mark of Quality is in the Horror/Comedy!!
Even 28 Days Later, had it's lighter moments!!!
Haha...Just enthusiastic! Can't wait!
Watched this over the weekend with my Wife and we both really enjoyed. Some nice jumps and very funny in places. I felt Raimi was back on form.
Some classic Evil Dead style shots and scenes.
I thought Lohman worked well in the lead as an everywoman pushed as far as she could be pushed.
During the seance scene when you hear the laughter I could have sworn it was Ash at his most maniacal (maybe Evil Ash) but that was just my Evil Dead 4 wishful thinking.
Was there anything after the credits?
I could almost see a sequel with Alison crashing down onto a fiery landscape then looking up to see a booted foot in front of her as the camera pans up to show Bruce Campbell holding out his one good hand to her.
Drag Me to Hell IS EVIL DEAD 4! Loved it! Glad Raimi still puts that 73 Oldsmobile in every film. People looked at me odd when I clapped at that. Hell, if you listen closely, there's some borrowed sound effects from Evil Dead 1 and 2. AMAZING sound design with terrific set pieces! The Goat!!!!
And the soundtrack!!!! LOVED IT!!!
I have one complaint and one complaint only. The CGI was embarassingly bad and I wonder if it was intentional. Raimi got away with some intense and narly stuff. The "workshed!" scene in particular. When the anvial knocks the gypsies eyes out into Lohman's mouth... It was a nice, nasty little wink to Evil Dead 2 and suprisingly nasty. But the CG was so fake it was distracting. I know Raimi was going for a B-Movie vibe, but with the budget available, the sloppiness of the CI was kind of inexcuseable. Or was this done to avoid an R rating?
I think it was an honest attempt to do 'B-level' CGI in keeping with the tone of the piece. I would have enjoyed more practical level stuff at times, but then I kind of respect him for trying something new with computer effects. It's not entirely successful, but not a deal breaker either.
I thought the CGI in the anvil scene in particular looked very Looney Tunes, which I think was intentional. I'm actually warming up to CGI in movies just because so many people are nitpicking it in every horror film that uses it (like practical effects are always better. Some practical effects suck worse than CGI ever has), so maybe that skewed my view, but I had no problem with any of the CGI. Even stuff that was dodgy, like the boys hand sticking out of the ground, were not like American Werewolf in Paris or anything... or practical effects in Evil Dead 2 for that matter (don't get me wrong I love Evil Dead 2, but it has some of the fakest looking practical effects ever that don't even match continuity-wise. Dancing Linda, Henrietta's extending head. But they're darned fun)
@TheDoug
Having lived in super rural Vermont, US, most of my life I can definitely say your theater options are limited LOL! That said, I wouldn't say the sound or the seating, or even the audience made the movie for me outright, it just enhanced it.
Would hate to have you drive all the way to Burlington or Manchester (maybe West Leb?) only have the movie "not do it for you" all over again. ;)
Thanks abjectnuttiness for "feeling my pain." Bennington is where I witnessed this low-techntravesty and if Manchester had the film (which they didn't) I would have travelled the xtra 30 minutes north! (Manchester has a decent 2-screener with dolby-digital) There's always travelling west to Albany NY or south to the Berkshires.
I have to humbly disagree with Todd and side with the majority here who thought Alison was right on. Definitely more of the Ash type- an empty vessel waiting to be filled with terror and psychotic rage.
The film as a whole was totally entertaining, and probably the best PG-13 horror film ever made. Not a brilliant piece of cinema, and guilty of innumerable cheap scares, but nobody does them better. I never jumped so high from clanging pot and pans in my life.
To all of you who enjoyed the Sound Mix on "Drag Me To Hell" I want to say Thank You! I mixed the film along with my mixing partner Chris Jacobson. We had a blast working with Sam. He is the best!
Here is a link to a group picture of the sound Crew of "Drag Me To Hell".
I am standing next to Sam. Notice what he has in his hand...
http://www.thedubstage.com/news.php
Take Care,
Marti
Marti, outstanding work.