

But it's Raver, done up with wrinkles and crazy dentures, who keeps the whole thing flying, and whom Raimi clearly loves most. Long, though a bit of an empty shirt as the reliable boyfriend, is likable too, a nice audience surrogate who can't believe all this crazy shit is happening either. Christine's character development is crucial for keeping Drag Me away from sadism, letting us know that even though she might not have deserved this curse, she's not the worst candidate for all this torment. Lohman, with her willowy frame and wide brown eyes, is the perfect heroine, a waif barely able to fight back at first but eventually summoning reserves of strength and even sadism as her fight gets more desperate- and, to some degree, cruel. Ganush, corners her in the parking garage after hours, and after a brief (and jaw-dropping) struggle, breathes upon Christine a curse that means she has three days before the movie's title comes true for her. Christine chooses her career, and oh boy does she choose wrong. In essence Drag Me is a morality tale, about a bank loan officer named Christine (Alison Lohman) who is faced with a choice: extend the home loan for an elderly gypsy woman (Lorna Raver), or impress her boss with her ability to be tough. In defense of the story written by Raimi and his brother Ivan, the script is more than just a vehicle for seeing a pretty girl get covered in mud, blood, mucus and all kinds of awful stuff that I'll let you discover for yourselves. It's a movie that demands to be seen with a huge audience, milking every gasp and relieved laugh and even inviting shouting at the screen. The story is basic, the gimmicks familiar, the mythology laughable, but Raimi is so confident with what he's presenting, an alchemist mixing comedy and gross-out horror and genuine, expert tension. Behind the camera and in complete control, Sam Raimi comes to Drag Me to Hell with eyes ablaze, taking his genuine love for horror and bestowing it upon the audience like a gift.
