man*machine

Tell me about it. I saw that in 3-D theatrically and it was a pain sitting through even with the 3-D. I can't even imagine watching it flat. The usual generic genre remake put together by studio suits with nothing new brought to the table. I know the writer and director were fond of the original, but they sure didn't do anything fun with the material.

Even for those people who didn't like DRAG ME, there's no denying that Raimi revels in having fun as a director. You can just feel his ethusiasm flowing off the screen. So many modern genre films just feel so flat and by-the-numbers. Raimi proves that genre films can still be fun, even if the material may not be the most original or unique. It's the kind of movie that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place oh-so many years ago. I've often wondered why I still go see genre movies these days like the Ft13th remake and all the other junk because none of them are any good. DRAG ME makes me realize again why I ever liked the genre in the first place. THE DESCENT was excellent and probably a better "horror film" than DRAG, but DRAG was a lot more fun while watching it. And that counts for something.

The Bus

Saw this last night. It's up there with The Ring, The Descent, and Let the Right One In among the best horror movies of this decade (even if The Ring isn't strictly horror).

If I hadn't seen Up just a few days ago, this would be the best movie of the year for me. Just a great mixture of funny and scary, and even some of the The Mask-level CGI can't detract from the fun of this film.

The ending, which I should've seen coming a mile away, took me by surprise.

kristina

Really? All through the movie I was hoping for that ening. If it would've ended in the extremely opposite way, I woulden't have liked the movie as much as I did.

Daytripper

Me too. And I'm with the Bus, because I wasn't expecting that ending at all. Guess I'm stupid.

kristina

In what way are you contrasting those two with DMTH? I found The Descent and LTROI to be quieter than Drag Me To Hell. LTROI overall had too many subtle scares to keep my interest. Sure DMTH had some over-the-top scares but the storylines are different in the other two movies you mentioned.

kristina

No you're not. I think maybe some ppl predicted that ending before even seeing the movie. Their predictions probably influenced them to not enjoy the movie as much and say "it wasen't as good as I hoped."

fearnet

I agree with you here 100%. Even if you weren't the hugest fan of the movie, you gotta give it to Raimi for reminding us why we all love horror.

And for all the Evil Dead fans out there, FEARnet.com is streaming 'Evil Dead 2' (for free) to celebrate Raimi's return to horror. (Isn't that movie why we all gave DMTH a chance anyway?)

Jack with FEARnet

CaptainMarvel

I didn't say the ending was bad. It was just telegraphed.

riotinmyskull

just got back from seeing this and thought it was a blast. yes i figured out the ending midway through but it didn't bother me. i rarely walk out of the theater after seeing a modern horror flick with a big grin on my face and this movie made me do just that. my only complaint was the use of lame cgi. seriously this is 2009 not 1999.

RocShemp

I did not predict the ending before I saw the movie. I predicted the ending the moment Although I was slightly off as I thought due to some technicality of his having

Did that ruin the movie? Certainly not. Did it keep the final act from living up 100% to what came before. Yes. But at least it was 95% there.

RD1973

I think Drag Me to Hell was definitely the best of the three. The Descent was more predictable for me. And LTROI was very disappointing. It wasn't scary or creepy, just really boring. I know I'm gonna get torn apart for saying that. But it definitely did't live up to the hype. DMTH, on the other hand, was a blast (especially in a packed theater).

RocShemp

You're not alone, RD1973. There was nothing scary or creepy about Let The Right One In. It didn't help that I found the whole thing was incredibly predictable. Add to that that it was dreadfully boring, I don't get the hype at all.

I disagree on The Descent, however. I love that it's It had a great amount of tension built up so that it really payed off for me in the end.

As for Drag Me To Hell it was a fun ride from beginning to end, telegraphed final twist notwithstanding, and a breath of fresh air in a genre that's been gradually growing stale due to the more prominent "mainstream" horror flicks of late.

grrr

Any director who would name his film "The Decent" has already given up completely.

Saw DMTH last night and found it to be a great little flick full of the classic Raimi humor that we've come to expect. If anything, it out-Evil-Dead-ed the Evil Dead movies, which is high praise indeed considering that Bruce Campbell was nowhere to be found onscreen. Probably my favorite movie of the young summer (though I have yet to see Up, so that may change in the next few days).

grrr

Raimi's playing with genre conventions here. Anyone who's seen the old Phantasm flicks knows that evil always triumphs when these sorts of stories play out, and I would expect nothing less of this film than to return to the genre standards.

RocShemp

Dang typos!

I have no issues with the actual conclusion. I just wish it hadn't been so telegraphed.

Charlie Goose

If your soul is at stake

Solid Snake

Liked the ever loving fuck out of it. Pure Raimi film...that little head against car window moment...that was Bruce Campbell acting there..fun film. Really liked it. One of the best films of year so far. Hope this gets an ED4 to come up somehow...yeah..I still hope for it.

Brent L

I know it's quite early, but has any sort of talk of a possible sequel been mentioned yet? I highly doubt we'll have a Sam Raimi horror picture which has received critical praise, not to mention decent returns at the box office (and likely make big bucks on the DVD/BD releases) not have some sort of sequel.

notkevinbacon

^ I've thought about that too. Interesting to think where it would end up going (plot wise and tonally) if you look at the ED -> ED2 -> Army route.

RocShemp

Actually, if we are indeed to follow the ED -> ED2 -> AOD pattern, DMTH2 would begin with

Brent L

Well all I know is that if they do indeed produce a sequel, I'll be there opening day.

kristina

Glad I'm not the only one. I became bored with it about an hour in so I just sent it back to Netflix w/o watching the conclusion. I do like the movie's poster though.

kristina

hmmm... I'm extremely skeptical about sequals. Even if it is done by the same director. Sometimes people just take the horror part and completely make it comedic for a sequal and that just ruins it for me.
If there were a sequal, I woulden't see any point in putting Alison Lohman in it unless she got into some sort of romantic relationship in Hell. That's the only way I'd be interested. I hate when sequals bring the main charecter back as some sort of "warning" to whomever the new live person who has to fight off the evil. That's why I diden't care for Rest Stop 2.

kristina

Before I forget, I'd love to see a SE DVD. It'd be great to have one or two commentary tracks and a few makeing-of features.

islandclaws

I'm sure the DVD/BD will have a commentary and (possibly) be the slightly longer R-rated cut.