Sam Raimi started out his career with a tiny low-budget horror film called Evil Dead. The movie’s mix of slapstick and gory fun earned it and its sequel Evil Dead 2 a massive cult following. Drag Me to Hell feels like a return to form from Raimi and is an exciting throwback to old-school horror. The DVD comes with both an unrated and theatrical cut, which are almost identical and serve mostly as a studio marketing ploy to prop up a movie which sadly didn’t do much at the US box office.
Drag Me to Hell is about a kind bank representative (effectively played by Alison Lohman) who denies an old woman an extension on her mortgage after she is late paying a few times. To compete with an ambitious rival, she denies the woman an extension and all Hell breaks loose. Lohman is cursed by the old woman (who turns out to be a gypsy with supernatural powers) and she must try everything in her power to break the curse. The DVD looks and sounds great (its extremely loud) and has a nice production diary which serves as a behind the scenes look at the making of the fun. There is no commentary from Raimi, which is something of a disappointment.
Drag Me to Hell is one of the better horror flicks of recent years. A timely mix of gore and giggles. It’s a consistently entertaining ride and the DVD comes highly recommended for fans of Sam Raimi’s awesome visual style and offbeat sense of humor.
DVD Grade: B+
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