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

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

Sam Raimi's friend Bruce Campbell, who appeared in some fashion in every other film Raimi directed, turned down a role because he was busy with his TV show Burn Notice (2007).

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Goofs

In the scene where Cristine is first attacked by the Lamia, she gets a visible cut on her lip. In the following scene, where Cristine makes out Clay, the cut is gone. In the next scene, however, the cut returns.

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Quotes

Christine Brown: Help me! Help me please!

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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

References Army of Darkness (1992)

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Soundtracks

Non Rimane Piu Nessuno
Written and Performed by Ennio Morricone
Courtesy of Bixio Music Group Ltd. O/B/O Cinevox Records SPA

User Reviews

A stitch in time saves nine

"Drag Me To Hell" transports to you to the era of 1980's where blood, gore, chills and likes of "Nightmare on Elm Street" / "Evil Dead" spawned in plenty. And yes, for a welcome change "Drag Me To Hell" steers clear from the Japanese horror genre and pans out to be a very much American product.

† Alison Lohman "i can shriek" delivers the right expressions warranted for a horror movie. Anything more would have been potential overdose.

† Justin Long "Keanu Reeves impersonator" is plastic expressions all the way.

† Reggie Lee "corporate pacman" does a good job of munching up everything that comes between him and the success ladder.

† David Paymer "carrot dangler" knows how to make the rabbits dance to his tunes.

† Lorna Raver "the trigger of Lamia curse" ensures to get etched in the memory and haunt you for a very long time.

† Dileep Rao "amateur spiritualist" was okay'ish. It appears his part got hijacked by his Guru.

† Flor de Maria Chahua "avenger in waiting" has a brief but effective role. And so was her assistant.

All in all "Drag Me To Hell" is both tacky and cheesy, but that doesn't stop it from sending shivers down the spine. The screenplay is void of drag moments ensuring the audience get fright doses at regular intervals. Good utilisation of visual effects and the background score alleviate the visual experience. The potholes in writing could have been easily creased out. Not exactly horror-comedy like "Shawn Of The Dead" but it does have well-interlaced comical moments between the chills.

Watchable fare... and yes a few days you potentially might abstain from using the staplers.