Phil's Horror Watch, Day 26: Phil watches DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)-October 26, 2011

The final days of my movie marathon are coming close to an end, so let's get right into Day 26! So for tonight's pick, I chose a film that was one of my top ten films of 2009, and it herald the return of a iconic horror director to his roots. Sam Raimi's DRAG ME TO HELL contained everything that we love about his films, plus some new elements to his arsenal.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2009)

Alison Lohman portrays Christine Brown, a loan officer in a bank. She tries to impress her boss (she' looking to be promoted to assistant manager) by refusing to grant an extended loan to an old gypsy woman named Mrs Ganush (Lorna Raver). In an act of revenge, Ganush places a curse on young Christine, that in three days, she would be dragged of to hell to burn for an eternity. Christine's boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) tries to console her, but when supernatural occurrences begin to happen, she must find a way to break the gypsy's curse.

The film marked the return of Sam Raimi to the horror genre, and the horror fans welcomed him back with open arms. For those of you who don't know who Sam Raimi is, he is responsible for directing THE EVIL DEAD trilogy as well as the SPIDERMAN trilogy. With the first EVIL DEAD, Raimi created a horror film classic, and made his lead actor Bruce Campbell into a cult icon (he stars in the television show BURN NOTICE). Raimi was only nineteen years old when he made the film, but what made him stand out was his style of directing, which is totally his own and has become his signature. This unique style would serve him well when he was tapped to direct the SPIDERMAN films. Combining unique camera set ups, panning and pacing, Raimi is like a kid in a toy store, playing with everything there and figuring out how to make it all come together. With DRAG ME TO HELL, Raimi used the experience he gained from the SPIDERMAN trilogy and applied it to this film. Much like his famous horror film trilogy, he was able to get great scares, bodily fluids spewing, and his trademark sense of humor. The only difference is that he got to have a bigger budget ($30 million budget to be exact) and he made the most of this.

The film was released to theaters on May 29, 2009. It was so well received by both fans and critics, and soon topped several horror lists later in the year. The film grossed over $90 million worldwide! Fans of Raimi were so excited that there has been talk of future horror films. Maybe with that Bruce Campbell guy again, but it's all rumors at this time. However, it's a helluva cool rumor!

DRAG ME TO HELL is a great horror films that will gross you out, make you laugh a bit, then scare the hell out of you! Find out what you're missing and go check out the film, but be careful to to cross any old gypsy ladies out there!

DRAG ME TO HELL is currently available on both Blu-Ray and DVD. To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer or visit Amazon's website at www.amazon.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!