Drag Me To Hell – Movie Review + Playlist
I usually don’t like putting movie reviews up there but before I concentrated on music only, I did write about both sports and movies in addition to music.
I haven’t seen Sam Raimi’s infamous Evil Dead (perhaps seeing some clips through Donnie Darko) but I’ve had a chance to sit through the Spiderman movies despite the third being horrendous.
I had zero expectations for Drag Me To Hell though did it finding it quite odd at the 93% Rottentomatoes score and 83 Metacritic score. Those scores are nothing to sneeze at to say the very least. The trailer to the film, looked as if it would’ve been a typical horror movie.
This movie is every bit typical horror movie and it lets you know that. The scares are pretty typical using the same musical lead up to create tension, relaxing/silent moments and then BOOM for the scare. It’s a pretty wide used technique and this movie uses a lot of it. The character, Christine Brown (played by Alison Lohman) is your typical horror movie blonde e.g. stupid.
Basically this movie could be darn awful if you just take it at face value. It could be a bad horror movie but the X factor is that it’s hilarious. It doesn’t try to be hilarious necessarily but there are just times where you can’t help but laugh. Sort of like the So Bad It’s Good category of things.
I think I have more a tempered mindset. It wasn’t over the top scary or funny for me but there were some people who were uncontrollably laughing their heads off in the theatre. I can see people liking the movie and absolutely HATING the movie. Zero expectations or expecting a crappy horror movie might really help before checking it out.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Here’s a playlist that I like to do with movies (the scoring to the film was pretty awesome I must say):
It’s A Curse by Wolf Parade
Even While You’re Sleeping by The Acorn
Animals and Insects by The Stills
Hell Isn’t My Home by October Sky
Buttons by The Weeks
Winged/Wicked Things by Sunset Rubdown
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I normally like this site, but I am not a fan of this review.
I have grown up with horror films and and have dipped in and out of the genre in recent years. I thought this was a great film and not what you describe as a typical horror. I felt that it really explored and enhanced the genre, and for the first time in many a year, I was genuinely scared, not by the shocks, but by the entire atmosphere of the film.
Perhaps you should see The Evil Dead before you comment on this film, the director and the genre as a whole. The Evil Dead is quite rightly regarded as a classic, and this film is a natural progression from that – humour and scares working in partnership to provide a very eerie atmosphere.
This film is very much NOT a typical modern horror film which why I found it so refreshing. In a genre dominated by sexed up remakes and nu metal/ industrial soundtracks, the director has chosen a different path, yet still created a mainstream film. For Sam Raimi to go from the blockbuster Spiderman franchise to this rather disturbing film is very respectable and I wish more directors would take more of risks in their careers. The sound was also incredible.
Go see this film in a good cinema.