DVDs in Review

Drag Me To Hell

Title: Drag Me To Hell (2009)

Release date: October 26 2009

Certificate: 15

Format: Reviewed on DVD, available on Blu-ray

DVD RRP: £19.99

Rating: 4/5

When Sam Raimi started directing the 'Spider-Man' films, his devout fan base must have groaned - the one time champion of independent black comedy horror and thrillers ('The Evil Dead', 'A Simple Plan') had sold out, churning out big budget studio franchises one after the other.

'Spider-Man' and its two sequels broke box office records, meaning that when his contract was fulfilled he could do whatever he wanted (within reason). And he did.

Writing and directing 'Drag Me To Hell' reconnected Raimi with his original fans and used his popularity to attract new ones.

It brilliantly tells the story of Christine Brown, a bank loan officer (Alison Lohman) who uses her judgement to evict a spooky witch-like old lady from her home because she can't keep the payments up.

Christine wants to impress her boss with her tough decision making skills and holds her ground, but as a result of her actions the woman (Lorna Raver) dies, not before putting a curse on the poor girl.

Christine is subjected to everything from nightmares to false teeth

The rest of the film sees Christine trying to ward off various evil demons by hiring psychics and so forth, provoking her boyfriend (Justin Long) to question her mental wellbeing. There's not much else going for 'Drag Me To Hell' in the plot department, but it's Raimi's undeniable style that propels the film to the top of the genre.

Balancing genuinely jumpy scares and jet black comedy, Raimi has created a sort of urban 'Evil Dead' that isn't afraid to place its tongue firmly in its cheek. Few filmmakers would dare to balance two very different genres (horror and comedy) so riskily.

It could've been laughable for all the wrong reasons, or funny without being scary, but Raimi saves it from any pitfalls. Naturally, there are trips and stumbles. Some gags don't work and some scares fall flat, but on the whole he has crafted a unique film that balances Hitchcock and Chaplin in unforgiving loud style.

Director Sam Raimi is no stranger to pushing his cast to their limit

Alison Lohman deserves special mention for handling such a demanding role with the appropriate levels of fear, independence, strength, weakness, humour and physicality without undermining Raimi's visually stunning compositions. She certainly isn't background material either - Raimi frames her lovingly even when she's up to her neck in blood and mud.

Overall, 'Drag Me To Hell' is silly, funny, scary, not perfect but brilliantly made. More importantly, it's a triumphant return to form for the director. Pity there's no Bruce Campbell cameo though. Lionsgate's DVD contains around a dozen different production diary segments for avid Raimi film buffs.