Drag Me to Hell (2009)

A loan officer who evicts an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.

Director:

Sam Raimi

Writers:

Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi

Stars:

Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Ruth Livier

7 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alison Lohman	...	Christine Brown
Justin Long	...	Clay Dalton
Lorna Raver	...	Mrs. Ganush
Dileep Rao	...	Rham Jas
David Paymer	...	Mr. Jacks
Adriana Barraza	...	Shaun San Dena
Chelcie Ross	...	Leonard Dalton
Reggie Lee	...	Stu Rubin
Molly Cheek	...	Trudy Dalton
Bojana Novakovic	...	Ilenka Ganush
Kevin Foster	...	Milos
Alexis Cruz	...	Farm Worker
Ruth Livier	...	Farm Worker's Wife
Shiloh Selassie	...	Farm Worker's Son
Flor de Maria Chahua	...	Young Shaun San Dena

Storyline

Christine Brown is a loans officer at a bank but is worried about her lot in life. She's in competition with a competent colleague for an assistant manager position and isn't too sure about her status with a boyfriend. Worried that her boss will think less of her if she shows weakness, she refuses a time extension on a loan to an old woman, Mrs. Ganush, who now faces foreclosure and the loss of her house. In retaliation, the old woman place a curse on her which, she subsequently learns, will result in her being taken to hell in a few days time. With the help of a psychic, she tries to rid herself of the demon, but faces several hurdles in the attempt.

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Plot Keywords:

psychic | evil | fight | psychologist | hell | 

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Taglines:

Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But in three days, she's going to hell.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Australia]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Hungarian Czech

Release Date:

29 May 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arrástrame al infierno

Filming Locations:

18421 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,825,480, 31 May 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$42,100,625

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$91,388,487

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Ghost House Pictures, Buckaroo Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the medium in the film, Rham Jas, is similar to Ram Dass, the name adopted by Harvard psychologist Richard Alpert when he became a new-age spiritual guru.

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Goofs

When Christine staples Sylvia in the face, she uses a stationery stapler, but close-ups of Sylvia's face clearly show carpentry staples.

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Quotes

Mrs. Ganush: I beg you and you shame me?

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Crazy Credits

The 1970s 'When in Hollywood, visit Universal Studios' bumper is at the end credits.

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Alternate Versions

The unrated director's cut DVD adds four notable extended shots/sequences:

• 1. The scene where Christine's nose squirts blood is extended, adding a shot of blood pouring out of her mouth. She covers her mouth, causing the fountain of blood to erupt from her nose.
• 2. The shot of Christine raising the knife above her cat is extended, showing Christine plunging the knife down several times, with some squirting blood.
• 3. We also see the cat's bloodied body fall into the hole in Christine and Clay's yard, just before Christine begins to shovel dirt upon it.
• 4. When Christine drops the anvil on Mrs. Ganush, Christine still gets splattered with Mrs. Ganush's eyeballs and brain matter, but now it's blood red colored.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Horror Movies: 2000s (2015)

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Soundtracks

Pathetique
An arrangement of "Piano Sonata No. 8 'Pathétique'"
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed and Arranged by Chris Virzi

User Reviews

A much needed revival for the horror genre.

Drag Me To Hell is exactly what it should have been. It effortlessly takes a dump on 90% of the rest of the horror movies this decade has offered us.

In 2009, we are flooded with brainless remakes and Saw rip-offs, which was never a great series in the first place. Only Sam Raimi (the king of horror in my opinion) has the power to bring a completely original horror movie back to the big screen in this day and age and capitalize with it.

It was one of the most intense movie-going experiences I've had in some time and I see it as a wild ride that no one should miss out on. It is guaranteed that you will be either jumping or cringing in your seat half the time, unless you are one of those people lacking heavily in the department of sensitivity and/or general thought processing.

The movie is entertainment and horror fun in it's purest form.

A lot of people complain about CGI, and in a lot of cases I agree, but in Drag Me To Hell, they were never trying to hard with it - it was always in good fun and in a movie paced like this, with it's Sarcasti-Horror, it is certainly fitting.

It is, without question, a new horror classic - thanks to it's basic yet innovative plot, likable blondie, loads of bodily fluids, and an ending you will not forget.

Let's hope Hollywood takes some hints and allows studios to start making original horror movies again.

Thank you Sam Raimi. Loved it.