Drag Me To Hell (2009)

Yet another review from the crypt, this for Raimi's best film in ages...

It’s been almost 20 (!) long years since Sam Raimi waded into the genre pool with his last horror offering, 1993’s Army of Darkness. The film was the second, and most likely final, sequel to the Evil Dead film series, the trilogy which put Raimi’s name high up on the list of horror’s most beloved directors. After its release, everyone was wondering what kind of new horrors he would have in store for fans. However, rather than sticking to his low-budget roots, Raimi expanding into cinema with non-genre offering such as The Quick and the Dead (a much better film than it’s given credit for being), A Simple Plan (a well-received, and rightfully so, crime drama), For the Love of the Game (for the love of God, why?) and The Gift (a decent, if not bland, thriller). Fans, though weary of his output, held out hope for another masterpiece of horror. And then the announcement came that he would be directing Spider-Man. This was, in essence, the nail in his horror coffin, since once most low-budget directors go big (I’m looking at you, Peter Jackson) they don’t tend to revert back to relying on practical FX and smaller budgets. The Spider-Man film series has kept Raimi busy for the better part of the last decade, so when it was announced that he was taking a much-needed break to direct a low-budget horror film, well, needless to say, his longtime fans were frothing at the mouth. No, it wasn’t going to be the oft-discussed Evil Dead 4 (a project which, frankly, is past its expiration date), but an original piece written by Sam and his brother, and longtime collaborator, Ivan. The finished product, Drag Me To Hell, is a fun little horror flick, but there are some obstacles that keep it from being the low-budget jewel so many were hoping for.

Christine (Alison Lohman) is a loan officer at WilshirePacific Bank, where she’s hoping to snag the newly-opened Assistant Manager’s position. When an old gypsy woman comes in to get a third extension on her mortgage, Christine’s boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), tells her that an assistant manager has to make the tough decisions, so it’s her call. Knowing that her promotion may ride on her choice, she decides to deny to old woman her extension, even though she will lose her house. After work, the two have an all-out catfight in a parking lot, culminating in the old gypsy placing a curse on Christine. As told to her by a local soothsayer, Rham, the curse causes the recipient to be tormented for 3 days, after which the ground is opened up and they are literally dragged to Hell. Christine, and her boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long), now have to find a way to undo the curse before she suffers that very fate.

The film’s trailers don’t do a whole lot to make it look like anything other than a generic horror flick, but fans of Raimi’s prior films will know this is likely to be anything but. Raimi is known to combine horror and slapstick comedy, a trademark in full effect here. That’s both a blessing and a curse, since many scenes that should be terrifying end up as slightly campy due to the humor. This isn’t necessarily a slight on the film, but I think that there should have been a stronger undercurrent of terror running throughout the picture. A few gags are repeated once too often, especially the possessed handkerchief. Yes, you read that right. It worked once, but it doesn’t do much the second time it pops up. My biggest complaint has to be the overuse of shoddy CGI. I had hoped Raimi would use almost 100% practical effects here, since he’s known for having some of the best in his films, but many of the intended scares were diluted by the poor computer renderings. That fact left me dismayed since I had hoped to get some spectacular gross-out set pieces, only to find haphazard computer work. I will say, though, that what practical effects are shown on-screen are rightfully nasty and definitely got the audience hooting and hollering.

I wasn’t entirely sold on Alison Lohman in this role. She does a reasonably good job, but she often has an uneasy delivery to her lines that tended to throw me off. I can’t complain too much, however, since the lead was originally intended to go to Ellen Page, she of (the worse fucking film of 2007) Juno fame. Her inclusion here would have kept me from seeing the film at all. I loathe her on so many levels. But I digress… Lohman does seem to be sleepwalking a bit here, but as I said, she does well enough that I’m not going to complain much.

One actor who always shines, in my opinion, is Justin Long. Even though it’s a slight stretch casting him as a college psychology professor (I don’t know, maybe my mental image is of someone who looks a bit more distinguished, or like Dr. Weil), the guy can still hold a film together. He was one of the highlights in Jeepers Creepers, but I’ve found his best work to be in comedy. He’s got some serious chops in that department. See Zack and Miri Make a Porno and you’ll know what I mean. Though he doesn’t have a whole lot to do here aside from acting concerned, and providing a major plot point at the end, his presence is still a plus for the film.

Here’s something I rarely notice in films today: sound design. Drag Me To Hell has some of the most incredible sound I’ve heard in a theater in a long time. It’s abrasive, unnerving, tormenting and VERY FUCKING LOUD.. I doubt this is going to win an Oscar or anything, though it should, but the sound design here alone is worth the price of admission. I’m sure it’ll sound sweet as hell on a decent home theater system, but don’t wait for the Blu-ray to come out. This is definitely something you need to experience in a theater. Raimi has always had a penchant for creative use of sound, Evil Dead II is a perfect example of this, but the uninitiated will be in for quite the auditory treat.

I’m recommending you see this, but it’s a mild recommendation. I really wanted to be blown away by this movie, but some of my minor quibbles keep it from being a full-blown return to form for Sam Raimi. For one, the torment Christine goes through for 3 days isn’t nearly as tormenting as I had anticipated. Truth be told, it’s rather tame. There are some worthy practical FX on display, but for every one of them there’s any equally appalling CGI monstrosity that sucks you right out of the action. I will say this, though: the ending has some balls, and those are in short supply these days. Don’t let the PG-13 rating dissuade you here. Anyone familiar with Raimi’s films knows that he has a tendency to use multi-colored oozes and puss in lieu of traditional red blood, and there’s no need for nudity here, so an R-rating isn’t required. Many great horror films haven’t been R-rated, not that this is great, but it’s simply not an issue for this particular flick. Summer could use a few good scares, so go see it to diversify your summer viewing schedule.

Observe & Report (2009)

Here's another oldie. I think this is one of the most underrated comedies of the decade, so hopefully someone stumbles upon this and decides to check it out...

I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering why Hollywood, in its infinite wisdom, decided audiences needed to see two mall cop films released within 3 months of each other. And the reason you’re wondering this is because Warner Brothers decided to market Jody Hill’s subversive, black comedy, Observe & Report, as a comedy. Ostensibly I suppose it is, but the film has such a deep, dark black heart that you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that thought this movie was even in the same ballpark as Paul Blart: Mall Cop, this year’s other mall cop film. This film is more along the lines of Travis Bickle: Mall Cop (fuck you Variety magazine, I thought of it first). Anyone who goes into this film expecting the typical Seth Rogen feel-good stoner flick will get quite a surprise when they learn just how disturbed an individual he’s playing here. As a huge fan of black comedies I spent a great deal of the film laughing, though much of it was due to how exceedingly fucked up the characters who populate this film really are.

 

Rogen stars as Ronald “Ronnie” Barnhardt, head of mall security and leader to a squad of halfwits headed up by his right-hand man, Dennis (Michael Pena). When a pervert in a trench coat starts flashing women in the mall parking lot, Ronnie takes things a little too seriously and his rapid descent into a completely psychotic state of mind begins. Not only is he desperate to solve the case on his own, without the aid of the police, led by Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta, finally in something worth watching again!), but he’s also trying to protect the object of his affection, Brandi (Anna Faris), a make-up counter employee who was the latest victim of the flasher. Ronnie, thinking he’s more in control of the situation than he knows, decides to stop taking his medication… and thus begins his mind’s warp-speed descent into total madness.

 

People need to understand that this is not a typical Seth Rogen film. Everyone knows him as this cuddly, slightly-overweight stoner with great improvisational skills and a husky voice. Here, he’s much more subtle in his approach. This is a dark character with some serious emotional problems. You know those guys in high school who always tried to act hard, like they had some deep-rooted issues with authority? The same guys who would probably fantasize about being police officers just so that they could call the shots and fuck with people? Well, Ronnie is that kind of guy… only in addition to all of his obvious social deficiencies he also happens to be bi-polar.. The man has no filter, and he won’t hesitate to do whatever he thinks is necessary to keep his mall safe, regardless of who gets hurt. As I said before, he’s very much like Robert DeNiro’s Travis Bickle character from Taxi Driver. Just watch the scene where Ronnie goes to police headquarters to apply for a position; it’s heavily influenced by the scene in Taxi Driver where Travis talks to the CIA agent about recruitment. Rogen isn’t as loud and brash as usual, though he does swear and yell a lot, rather he spends most of the film delivering lines in a cool demeanor reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter or Henry Lee Lucas. I really enjoyed seeing Rogen break free of his typical persona, and this is one of his best roles, in my opinion. 

 

Credit for Rogen’s dark turn can’t entirely go to the man himself, however, as that distinction falls squarely on the shoulders of Jody Hill. You’re probably not very familiar with Hill’s work, but he’s quickly making a name for himself as a director specializing in putting his characters, and his audience, in extremely uncomfortable positions and forcing us to watch people break down in unsettling ways. I still haven’t seen his debut film, Foot Fist Way, but it’s high on my list. His most recent project, HBO’s Eastbound & Down, one of the most vulgar shows on television right now, is fucking hilarious. There are only 6 episodes and each one is 22 minutes of solid gold. Hill directs the film with a 70’s attitude, an era which typically depicted films about man versus the machine of society. Unlike Judd Apatow, who probably would have turned this into a 2+ hour slapstick comedy, Hill makes this film tight as a drum.. Running a scant 86 minutes, there’s just enough time to assault an audience’s sense before allowing them to leave the theater feeling like they’ve been violated in some horrific fashion. Again, as a huge fan of black comedy I eagerly anticipate seeing where Hill’s career goes. I’m reminded of filmmakers like Todd Solondz, he of Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness fame, and I hope Hill takes off on a similar trajectory.

 

There are some, uh… interesting supporting characters populating this film. The main focus is on Ronnie, so most are left to fill in comedic gaps, but the standout here is easily Michael Pena as Dennis, Ronnie’s deputy. The film introduces him as someone who admires Ronnie and always has his back, regardless of how wrong he may be. It’s only when Ronnie is at his lowest point that Dennis decides it’s time to cheer him up the only way he knows how: drugs, and lots of them. After that, Dennis is a fucking wild man. Anna Faris is a funny chick, mostly. Her lips are so collagen filled they look like she gave oral to a tailpipe and they blistered up, but I digress, she’s perfect as Ronnie’s object of desire (and later, anger). Their “date” is troublesome for many reasons. Ray Liotta! In something that wasn’t shot in Romania or shipped DTV! He looks good and he kicks major ass. ‘Nuff said there. Of course, this being a Jody Hill film, Danny McBride shows up to chew some scenery. It’s not his funniest role, but I’ll be damned if the guy doesn’t steal every scene in every movie he’s in. I can’t wait for Season 2 of Eastbound & Down.

 

This isn’t a film for everyone, that’s for sure. I saw a group of about 8 people leave halfway through, probably because the film isn’t what they were expecting. This is a companion film to Paul Blart: Mall Cop only in the sense that it features a mall cop, not that I really know because I haven’t seen Paul Blart, but you get where I’m going with this. If you’re into subversive comedies with dark sensibilities, this should be right up your alley. It’s vulgar, crude, offensive and, yet, somewhere beneath all of that cynical sentiment there’s a little bit of heart. See it with someone you love, if only to remind them that at least you’re not as fucked up as this guy.