"Raimi takes us back to gory basics with a smile, posing a valid challenge to other film-makers in the genre... bring on more Raimi horr-com!"

He's spent the past decade bringing Spider-Man to the big screen - and hasn't finished yet. But some fans might argue that he's neglected his forte in horror. Therefore, we heartily welcome the 'King of Frights', Evil Dead maestro, Sam Raimi, back to where he belongs, and it's nice to see him return with full gusto, as if to say, "Hey, folks! Here's Sammy!" --------

It could be easy to write off Drag Me To Hell as yet another schlock horror offering, but it's far more superior to that because of its behind-the-camera talent and its successful mixture of humour and scares that makes it immensely entertaining in a tongue-in-cheek way. It also does not rely on the present-day obsession with special effects, simply resorting back to good old-fashioned creepiness from the era of the original Amityville and The Omen, complete with curses, flies, sinister shadows, vomiting, demonic pupils and open graves. In fact, with all its grossness, complete with puss-spewing and grotty-false-teeth moments, it strangely satisfies the big kid in you that wants the bejesus freaked out them. -------

Essential horror ingredient No.1 is the good-looking couple in their prime. A delicate-looking Alison Lohman (Things We Lost In The Fire) does a superb job as long-suffering Christine Brown by combining female fragility, with ball-breaking, femme-fatale action and spades of winking-at-camera comedy. Cue that wallowing-in-self-pity-with-ice-cream-tub moment, and the kitty sacrifice. Lohman is also put through the infamous Raimi 'abuse' mill on set, trying to avoid flying furniture, shards of glass and putrid bodily fluids from the newly deceased. There are big thrills to be had just from witnessing this, alone. Justin Long as Christine's sceptical scientific boyfriend provides the grounding and logic, amongst the supernatural madness. As a credible young couple in love, Lohman and Long could not be better cast. -----

Dileep Rao (upcoming Avatar) is hilarious as the mystical Rham Jas, an alleged seer/moneyman who has a whole back room full of answers. But we award a full, terrifying 10/10 score for Lorna Raver (Freeway) as the possessed and demented, old Mrs Ganush who gets seriously p***ed when her mortgage extension is refused by an unsympathetic Christine - something some of us can relate to, enough to stir the demon in us. The car park fight scene between a recently-cursed Christine and Ganush is breathtakingly worth the entry fee, alone. ----

Drag Me To Hell works because it plays on our primal fears and our fears of the evil unknown or the yet-unexplained, plus Raimi and his co-writer and brother, Ivan, take us back to gory basics with a smile, posing a valid challenge to other film-makers in the genre. Let's face it; if being handed a stray button can freak you out, the Raimis are back on track. We say bring on more Raimi horr-com! --------

Synopsis ------

Christine Brown (Lohman) is an ambitious L.A. loan officer with a charming boyfriend, professor Clay Dalton (Long). Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Raver) arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), and get a leg-up on a promotion? Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home. -------

In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Haunted by an evil spirit and misunderstood by a skeptical boyfriend, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas (Rao) to save her soul from eternal damnation. To help the shattered Christine return her life to normal, the psychic sets her on a frantic course to reverse the spell. As evil forces close in, Christine must face the unthinkable: how far will she go to break free of the curse? ------

Film Facts -----

Official site: http://www.dragmetohell.co.uk/

UK Release Date: 27th May 2009

Director: Sam Raimi

Writers: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi

Cast: Alison Lohman ('Christine Brown'), Justin Long ('Clay Dalton'), Dileep Rao ('Rham Jas'), Lorna Raver ('Mrs Ganush'), David Paymer ('Mr Jacks'), Reggie Lee ('Stu Rubin'), Bojana Novakovic ('Ilenka Ganush'), Adriana Barraza ('Shaun San Dena')

Distributor: Lionsgate International UK

Certificate: 15

Run-time: 100 mins

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