Drag Me to Hell

Ok, so horror movies have never been my favorite, but there has always been some strange part of me that is willing to let go of my fears and give them a shot, once in awhile. But considering it's not a favorite genre of mine, it's extremely difficult to find a good one to watch. Most horror movies don't get good reviews because they just aren't good movies. They go for shock appeal. A lot of times with very little story. And they are by far the majority of B-Movies. So when I saw startling high reviews for the perfectly named, "Drag Me to Hell." An immediate excitment was formed. I didn't know what to expect, except that the movies were directed by Sam Raimi, the director of the Evil Dead movies from the eighties. Which of course were B-movies with a low budget, but they had a strange quirky appeal.

Well the ratings for Drag were spot on. Once Raimi directed the Spiderman movies, the studios obviously didn't mind throwing millions into a project he believed in. So this is Raimi's high budget version of the Evil Dead. There are many frightening, suspensful, moments in the movie where Raimi uses the standard tricks to perfection: dead silence to thunderous noise, shadows creeping, terrifying nightmares, seances, you name it. But what's missing from a lot of horror movies is humor. Many of them take themselves too seriously. This couldn't be further from the truth for Drag.

He makes it fun enough, so when there is a look away moment for some gross scene, say, I don't know, when embalming fluid pours out of a deceased women's mouth onto the face of the unfortunate victim, it's a look away moment with a smile. You hide your eyes in your hands, but look up just enough to find it hilarious. I've never had so much fun watching a horror movie. The story is solid, the acting strong, and it was a complete joy to watch. And I have to admit, I looked away more times than a man should. But whatever.

And by the way, anytime a horror movie can include a talking goat it gets an extra half star in my book.

Ken's Score: 90
Metacritic: 83

Reviewers found the movie just as fun as I did, and for damn good reason.