Jun 11 2009
How Drag Me To Hell renewed my faith in horror
Drudging through the glut of direct-to-video/low-budget horror movies that come out every week, it’s easy to lose faith in the horror genre. Even recent theatrical horror movies are proving that the genre is being pushed in the wrong direction. That is really sad because I want horror to be good considering the best theater experiences I’ve had in the last decade have been at horror movies. Snakes on a Plane in 2006 was such a giddy blast and Grindhouse in 2007 was an unforgettable experience that sadly isn’t replicated on DVD. However, while those were essentially horror movies, they were satires of the genre. Finally, Sam Raimi has returned to the horror stage to remind us of what makes a truly great horror movie. Drag Me To Hell is everything that horror should be (and needs to be). Now I’m a 23-year-old guy whose seen a lot of horror movies and none of them scare me. Drag Me To Hell scared me.
Drag Me To Hell follows Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a loan officer on the verge of becoming an assistant manager, who ends up being cursed by a gypsy for not giving her an extension on her mortgage (which she’s already had two of). Not to give too much away, but the curse involves the Lamia, a demon that tortures you for three days before dragging you to you-know-where. And with that simple setup, Ms. Brown is tortured for the rest of the movie in a variety of ways as she struggles to find a way out. Some hardcore horror movie fans may be put off by the films PG-13 rating, but I assure you this is a HARD PG-13. It’s just one severed finger away from being R-rated. However, all of Raimi’s classic slapstick elements and gross-out humor present in the Evil Dead movies is in full force here. Now, for the easily-scared, there are a lot of jump-scares in this movie. I’ve never been a fan of jump-scares; I think they’re an amateur attempt at trying to scare the audience. However, Raimi finds a way to make them interesting. Never once does Raimi have an oh-it’s-just-you jump-scare. And usually the jump-scare is followed with a laugh of slapstick or disgust. Again, not to give to much away, but if you’re familiar with Raimi’s early work, you can see the ending coming a mile away. However, I cannot stress just how awesome and fun Drag Me To Hell really is. DO NOT WAIT FOR THIS ON DVD! SEE IT IN THE THEATER!
My hope is that after Raimi’s triumphant return, we’ll start seeing a new trend in horror. Hopefully, a return to the golden classics of horror. What kind of horror am I talking about? Well…
EVIL DEAD 2: Chainsaws, shotguns, dismemberment, heaps of blood, crazy camera tricks, need I go on?
DEAD ALIVE: Gallons of blood with incredible practical effects and some of the best gorey humor you’ll ever see.
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: Freddy Kruger is the jackal of the horror genre and also the most dangerous considering he can attack you in your dreams. A serial killer of the surreal world.
FRIDAY THE 13th: Before the ‘cool’ Jason with the hockey mask, Camp Crystal Lake was terrorized by Jason’s mommy. Jason’s crazy obsessed mommy. But, hey, I’d be pissed too if my child died while camp instructors were making out.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: Classic zombie movie with a not-so-conventional ending.
PHANTASM: An old, tall caretaker trying to kill you because he is actually an interdimensional alien is enough to freak me out. And if you’re only 12-years-old, even more frightening.
HALLOWEEN: Proof that you don’t need blood to make an effective horror movie.
CREEPSHOW: You haven’t seen disgusting until you’ve seen Creepshow. Also, one of the rare Lessle Neelson serious roles.
