Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi - Page 5

Patman · 05-30-09, 02:17 AM

This film was a hoot. It was gross and funny and horrific in spots. The character development wasn't all that great, but it's a film built around the shock and scare of the horror movie genre with a good sense of humor behind the camera. This is the kind of film enjoyed with a good sized audience who get all caught up in the mayhem on the screen. It's like a scary amusement park ride, not as much fun riding it alone.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

dino88 · 05-30-09, 02:20 AM

Now that was a fun film. With all the crap horror put out lately, it's good to see a film that takes me back to old school horror. I wasn't blown away by it leaving the theater, but I'm liking it more and more as I think about it (I'm usually like this with films I end up loving...I didn't care that much for Pulp Fiction when I first saw it).

My favorite line: Christine driving to the cemetery "I'm gonna get me some"

I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars.

dino88 · 05-30-09, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patman

This is the kind of film enjoyed with a good sized audience who get all caught up in the mayhem on the screen.

I definitely agree. Unfortunately, there was only about 30 people in my audience.

Suprmallet · 05-30-09, 02:42 AM

I haven't seen such a straightforward and delightful ghost story in years. It's not Raimi's best, but a wonderful footnote to the Evil Dead series. Lohman was cute as a button (pun intended), and the old lady was an excellent heavy. I loved the seance scene and the guy who played the fortune teller was quite enjoyable. It relied slightly too much on CGI, but not to the point where it ruined the movie.

I do wish Justin Long's character had been developed just a little bit more, he was a little too broadly drawn to make him effective as the support. But, those few minor gripes aside, I think this is one of the most enjoyable films in the theaters right now, and highly recommend it to anyone.

fallfan · 05-30-09, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GenPion

Also, I kept hearing about how GREAT the audio was but there was hardly anything going on with the surrounds AT ALL. Was this my theater messing it up? I'm going to guess that it is because it came no where CLOSE to being as good as I expected.

Definately try to catch it at a different theatre. The sound mix was fantastic, especially during the seance scene and the parts where she is alone at home.

The movie had several parts that brought back that Evil Dead 2 feeling. Particularly the seance as well as the awesome workshed ("Workshed!")scene. I love nothing more than crazy, Sam Raimi dutch-angle zoom-ins, and this movie has loads of them.

man*machine · 05-30-09, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fallfan

Definately try to catch it at a different theatre. The sound mix was fantastic, especially during the seance scene and the parts where she is alone at home.

Yes, the sound was great. The screeching sounds she heard at home would circle itself around the theater. During the seance, when the noise gets so loud that even the characters are putting their hands up to their ears, I thought the theater's speakers were going to explode! Great stuff.

I haven't had so much fun at a horror movie in years. Don't let that lousy trailer or the PG-13 rating turn you away. This is complete fun from start to finish. There was even applause when the film ended at the afternoon show I went to yesterday, which rarely happens. It's refreshing to see a "fun" horror film for a change and I will see it again this weekend (something I never do). Go out and see it.

Thank you, Raimi! The horror genre has finally been given a new transfusion of life after so many years of retreads and remakes and torture-porn.

Daytripper · 05-30-09, 12:09 PM

This movie ROCKED! So much fun. It has everything. And yes, the sound is a huge part of the experience. You must see it in a theater with a great sound system. Daniel, I do think this is up there with Raimi's best. And I'd give it a 10/10. Great great stuff.

riotinmyskull · 05-30-09, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lara Means

Sorry, but this movie looks retarded. Raimi fanatics, much like Bruce Campbell fanatics, are too quick to praise their pieces of shit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

I'll pass. Nothing looks interesting at all about this one. Kinda surprised Raimi wasted his time with this.

how's that crow taste?

chris_sc77 · 05-30-09, 12:19 PM

^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

Daytripper · 05-30-09, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

First of all, it's your loss for not seeing this because of it's rating. And you can rag on it all you want, but get your facts straight. It is NOT performing "well below expectations". It was predicted to open at 20M. From boxoffice.com:

"The weekend's other major new release, Drag Me to Hell, looks as though it will fall just shy of the $20 million mark. The horror flick has received some surprisingly strong reviews, so if audiences enjoy it as much as critics have then word of mouth could spread quickly and boost the opening weekend tally."

man*machine · 05-30-09, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

...but you apparently waste 'me' time in threads discussing PG-13 horror movies?

chris_sc77 · 05-30-09, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daytripper

First of all, it's your loss for not seeing this because of it's rating. And you can rag on it all you want, but get your facts straight. It is NOT performing "well below expectations". It was predicted to open at 20M. From boxoffice.com:

"The weekend's other major new release, Drag Me to Hell, looks as though it will fall just shy of the $20 million mark. The horror flick has received some surprisingly strong reviews, so if audiences enjoy it as much as critics have then word of mouth could spread quickly and boost the opening weekend tally."

It IS performing below expectations. I saw quite a few predictions that this was supposed to open above $25 million.
/film.com states it will make around $16.5 million this weekend. And they state it is indeed performing below expectations.
http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/05/30/...r-67m-weekend/

scott1598 · 05-30-09, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

i don't understand why you get off when movies you don't like and have no interest in seeing doesn't do well and feel the need to boast that the 1 time out of 20 a prediction you make faintly resembles being correct.

Daytripper · 05-30-09, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

It IS performing below expectations. I saw quite a few predictions that this was supposed to open above $25 million.
/film.com states it will make around $16.5 million this weekend. And they state it is indeed performing below expectations.
http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/05/30/...r-67m-weekend/

You show me one site that said it was expected to do 25M or more. Even your link said 20M. And box-office.com said it could end up around 19M. We'll see on Monday night when the final tally is in.

That said, why don't you get lost and come back once you've seen the film.

scott1598 · 05-30-09, 01:56 PM

this was quite fun, but not quite as good as i thought it would be. the atmosphere, the thrills, the jumps definitely work. the sound had the seats rattling. seeing it with an audience that obviously knows Raimi's "Evil Dead" Trilogy is a plus.

they, as well as i, knew what to expect, got giddy at the right moments, laughed at the homages to his ED series. you could just feel the delight in everyone's seat.

however, i think what hurts the film is that it plays so closely to the ED movies that you know what to expect almost all the way through. the effects are sometimes identical to scenes in ED 2 especially and Raimi didn't seem to change much from the effects from the series even though it has been 15 years since the last. of course, it is more polished, but the cheesiness is still evident.

that is why i don't think this will find a wide audience, which is too bad, because if you don't know Raimi and ED then you won't get a lot of the movie. i hope i am wrong on that account though.

this is a very fun movie, much different than anything that has come out probably since 1993's "Army of Darkness" because of the comical nature and possession nature of the story. i just saw an interview with Raimi this morning and he said he wanted to go away from the blood and gore and realism horror that has penetrated Hollywood of late. he definitely succeeded in making this unique and a stand apart from those mostly crapfests.

i also wish, as many have said, that the "Three's Company" twist was a little less obvious. i mean after that everything you knew she was doing was superfluous until the end and yes, it could have went either way, but the finale wasn't too much of a shock, but it was done with style as was the whole movie.

and i absolutely loved the 2 title card presentations! one at the beginning and one at the end. i think it gives it a great emphasis and almost like an exclamation point. "The Lion King" had it as well, as i am sure many others, and loved it. that is such an easy effect that brings it home for a good movie.

very stylish, very clever, very fun, very loud, but just a little too much like the ED series.

not a bad night at the movies and much much better than anything else this summer thus far with the exception of "Star Trek".

Suprmallet · 05-30-09, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

This PG-13 horror movie is better than almost any R-rated horror film from the past 5 years that I can think of.

man*machine · 05-30-09, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daytripper

You show me one site that said it was expected to do 25M or more. Even your link said 20M. And box-office.com said it could end up around 19M. We'll see on Monday night when the final tally is in.

That said, why don't you get lost and come back once you've seen the film.

Well said!

I always use Boxofficeprophets and they had predicted a $19 million weekend.

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/col...columnID=11652

As far as the PG-13 goes, who cares what the rating is? This isn't some neutered slasher flick with all the gore cut out. Honestly, if I hadn't known the rating in advance, I'd probably have thought it was an R. Does it really matter? Or is it just that kids only feel "cool" because they're watching an R film? Dumb.

I agree with Suprmallet too - this PG-13 flick is way better than practically every R-rated, unrated, or 'too-extreme to rate' horror films from the last 5 years.

Daytripper · 05-30-09, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by man*machine

Well said!

I always use Boxofficeprophets and they had predicted a $19 million weekend.

http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/col...columnID=11652

As far as the PG-13 goes, who cares what the rating is? This isn't some neutered slasher flick with all the gore cut out. Honestly, if I hadn't known the rating in advance, I'd probably have thought it was an R. Does it really matter? Or is it just that kids only feel "cool" because they're watching an R film? Dumb.

I agree with Suprmallet too - this PG-13 flick is way better than practically every R-rated, unrated, or 'too-extreme to rate' horror films from the last 5 years.

Thanks. And you know what? Honestly, I had no idea this was PG-13 going in. And I'm quite surprised it wasn't rated R. There was enough gore and blood that it probably could or should have earned a harder rating.

Suprmallet · 05-30-09, 03:23 PM

Sam Raimi learned a trick on Evil Dead 2. If blood is red, it offends the MPAA. That's why in a lot of his films, the monsters bleed any color but red, and in this movie you'll find a lot of green, white, and yellow-ish liquids, but red is used more sparingly and for great effect (the nose bleed scene and the eye in the cake come to mind).

Larry C. · 05-30-09, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

I'm sorry but thats just dumb.

scott1598 · 05-30-09, 05:40 PM

mods...could we add a 5 to 0 star poll to this review thread using half stars? it would be interesting to see where the reviews lie and pointless to start a new one.

Suprmallet · 05-30-09, 05:58 PM

I'm not seeing an option to add a poll, that might take an admin. I'd say it's 4 stars.

Labor · 05-30-09, 06:00 PM

This was absolutely fantastic

Creepiest, most tense and scary American mainstream Horror movie of the decade, bar none. And funny as hell to boot. Classic Raimi.

I was skeptical due to the PG-13, but wow, what a non-issue.

scott1598 · 05-30-09, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

I'm not seeing an option to add a poll, that might take an admin. I'd say it's 4 stars.

oh well, no biggie. thanks for trying though. i figured if poll threads can be merged with non-poll threads it would be ok.

RD1973 · 05-30-09, 06:19 PM

I just saw this movie last night with a packed house and it was awesome! I don't scare easily, but the sound effects had me on edge the whole time. There was one bad CG moment (flying eyeballs). But everything else was perfect.

Someone here stated that there wasn't enough character development. I'm starting to think people just use that term to sound smart. This movie is all about Christine. What else did we really need to know about her or anyone else in the cast?

Also, why are some people hung up on the rating? Jaws is rated PG. Like a few others have said, this movie is much more intense than most of the "unrated" shitfests I've seen lately.

I'm just waiting for someone to complain abouth the portrayal of gypsies in this movie, though.

05-30-09, 02:17 AM	#101
Patman DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Duluth, GA, USA Posts: 34,384	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi This film was a hoot. It was gross and funny and horrific in spots. The character development wasn't all that great, but it's a film built around the shock and scare of the horror movie genre with a good sense of humor behind the camera. This is the kind of film enjoyed with a good sized audience who get all caught up in the mayhem on the screen. It's like a scary amusement park ride, not as much fun riding it alone. I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-. __________________ PatCave; HT; DVDs; Dragon*Con 2009 According to DGibFen, I'm a "freaking genius." "Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there." - Roger Sterling

05-30-09, 02:20 AM	#102
dino88 DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,815	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi Now that was a fun film. With all the crap horror put out lately, it's good to see a film that takes me back to old school horror. I wasn't blown away by it leaving the theater, but I'm liking it more and more as I think about it (I'm usually like this with films I end up loving...I didn't care that much for Pulp Fiction when I first saw it). My favorite line: Christine driving to the cemetery "I'm gonna get me some" I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars. __________________ My DVDs

05-30-09, 02:42 AM	#104
Suprmallet Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: USS Enterprise Posts: 21,756	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi I haven't seen such a straightforward and delightful ghost story in years. It's not Raimi's best, but a wonderful footnote to the Evil Dead series. Lohman was cute as a button (pun intended), and the old lady was an excellent heavy. I loved the seance scene and the guy who played the fortune teller was quite enjoyable. It relied slightly too much on CGI, but not to the point where it ruined the movie. I do wish Justin Long's character had been developed just a little bit more, he was a little too broadly drawn to make him effective as the support. But, those few minor gripes aside, I think this is one of the most enjoyable films in the theaters right now, and highly recommend it to anyone. __________________ Living Dead: So what you're saying is... no one died in the middle of your store when you told them they couldn't have a $10 plasma TV? I find that a little hard to swallow.

05-30-09, 12:09 PM	#107
Daytripper DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 6,209	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi This movie ROCKED! So much fun. It has everything. And yes, the sound is a huge part of the experience. You must see it in a theater with a great sound system. Daniel, I do think this is up there with Raimi's best. And I'd give it a 10/10. Great great stuff.

05-30-09, 12:19 PM	#109
chris_sc77 Suspended Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bellefontaine, Ohio Posts: 5,628	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi ^The movie still looks like absolute SHIT to me. I dont waste me time with PG-13 horror movies. You can like it all you want but it is performing well below expectations so I am happy.

05-30-09, 01:56 PM	#115
scott1598 DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: I want to go to there. Posts: 13,541	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi this was quite fun, but not quite as good as i thought it would be. the atmosphere, the thrills, the jumps definitely work. the sound had the seats rattling. seeing it with an audience that obviously knows Raimi's "Evil Dead" Trilogy is a plus. they, as well as i, knew what to expect, got giddy at the right moments, laughed at the homages to his ED series. you could just feel the delight in everyone's seat. however, i think what hurts the film is that it plays so closely to the ED movies that you know what to expect almost all the way through. the effects are sometimes identical to scenes in ED 2 especially and Raimi didn't seem to change much from the effects from the series even though it has been 15 years since the last. of course, it is more polished, but the cheesiness is still evident. that is why i don't think this will find a wide audience, which is too bad, because if you don't know Raimi and ED then you won't get a lot of the movie. i hope i am wrong on that account though. this is a very fun movie, much different than anything that has come out probably since 1993's "Army of Darkness" because of the comical nature and possession nature of the story. i just saw an interview with Raimi this morning and he said he wanted to go away from the blood and gore and realism horror that has penetrated Hollywood of late. he definitely succeeded in making this unique and a stand apart from those mostly crapfests. i also wish, as many have said, that the "Three's Company" twist was a little less obvious. i mean after that everything you knew she was doing was superfluous until the end and yes, it could have went either way, but the finale wasn't too much of a shock, but it was done with style as was the whole movie. and i absolutely loved the 2 title card presentations! one at the beginning and one at the end. i think it gives it a great emphasis and almost like an exclamation point. "The Lion King" had it as well, as i am sure many others, and loved it. that is such an easy effect that brings it home for a good movie. very stylish, very clever, very fun, very loud, but just a little too much like the ED series. not a bad night at the movies and much much better than anything else this summer thus far with the exception of "Star Trek". __________________ "stranger than fiction" DVD collection "almost famous" SteelBook™ collection "Even though I am no better than a beast, don't I have the right to live?" Last edited by scott1598; 05-30-09 at 02:01 PM.

05-30-09, 03:23 PM	#119
Suprmallet Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: USS Enterprise Posts: 21,756	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi Sam Raimi learned a trick on Evil Dead 2. If blood is red, it offends the MPAA. That's why in a lot of his films, the monsters bleed any color but red, and in this movie you'll find a lot of green, white, and yellow-ish liquids, but red is used more sparingly and for great effect (the nose bleed scene and the eye in the cake come to mind). __________________ Living Dead: So what you're saying is... no one died in the middle of your store when you told them they couldn't have a $10 plasma TV? I find that a little hard to swallow. Last edited by Suprmallet; 05-30-09 at 03:26 PM.

05-30-09, 05:40 PM	#121
scott1598 DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: I want to go to there. Posts: 13,541	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi mods...could we add a 5 to 0 star poll to this review thread using half stars? it would be interesting to see where the reviews lie and pointless to start a new one. __________________ "stranger than fiction" DVD collection "almost famous" SteelBook™ collection "Even though I am no better than a beast, don't I have the right to live?"

05-30-09, 05:58 PM	#122
Suprmallet Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: USS Enterprise Posts: 21,756	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi I'm not seeing an option to add a poll, that might take an admin. I'd say it's 4 stars. __________________ Living Dead: So what you're saying is... no one died in the middle of your store when you told them they couldn't have a $10 plasma TV? I find that a little hard to swallow.

05-30-09, 06:00 PM	#123
Labor Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 203	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi This was absolutely fantastic Creepiest, most tense and scary American mainstream Horror movie of the decade, bar none. And funny as hell to boot. Classic Raimi. I was skeptical due to the PG-13, but wow, what a non-issue.

05-30-09, 06:19 PM	#125
RD1973 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 404	Re: Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi I just saw this movie last night with a packed house and it was awesome! I don't scare easily, but the sound effects had me on edge the whole time. There was one bad CG moment (flying eyeballs). But everything else was perfect. Someone here stated that there wasn't enough character development. I'm starting to think people just use that term to sound smart. This movie is all about Christine. What else did we really need to know about her or anyone else in the cast? Also, why are some people hung up on the rating? Jaws is rated PG. Like a few others have said, this movie is much more intense than most of the "unrated" shitfests I've seen lately. I'm just waiting for someone to complain abouth the portrayal of gypsies in this movie, though.