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'Drag me' is never a drag
Director Raimi balances humor and horror.
Published online on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009
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*"Drag Me to Hell" Grade A-: A woman (Alison Lohman) has her life turned into a living hell because of a bad decision.
Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" trilogy, released in the '80s and early '90s, is one of the great examples of a director blending the macabre with the comical. The director uses that chills-and-giggles formula to make this film one of the best horror films in years. In many ways, it's also one of the best comedies.
The film has only one minor problem: The plot-twist ending is too obvious. By then, the movie has been so entertaining such a flaw can be forgiven.
*"The Proposal" Grade B: An executive (Sandra Bullock) fakes wedding plans to avoid being deported. Bullock is self-deprecating and funny enough to keep digging the role out of stereotypical clichés.
She has an understated knack for physical comedy that comes across with just the right amount of hyperbole for the big screen.
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) climbs into her enemy’s grave in “Drag Me to Hell,” director Sam Raimi’s return to the horror genre.
Ryan Reynolds, who is adept at working his puppy-dog eyes, is a good foil for her shenanigans. The director perhaps lays on the bickering between the two a bit too thick early on, but the two stars manage to pull it off.
*"Legend of the Seeker: The Complete First Season" Grade D+: A young man (Craig Horner) lives in a strange, heavily wooded world. His destiny is to free his people from a mad ruler -- a familiar story.
He finds out about this heavy destiny from the mysterious Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan). And the word mysterious here refers to how Regan could have been the best actress that auditioned for the part.
The acting is amateurish. The action is sluggish. The story moves slower than a snail on a glacier. And it is just so bad that there is really nothing funny about it.
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*"The Stepfather": 1987 film starring Terry O'Quinn.
*"Gnaw": A quiet weekend in the country turns deadly.
*"The Haunted Airman": Robert Pattison stars in this World War II ghost story.
*"The Hunger: The Complete Second Season": David Bowie hosts this horror anthology.
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The reporters can be reached at dmunro@fresnobee.com or rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355.
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