Review: "Drag Me to Hell" is Gross-Out Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images, and language
DIRECTOR: Sam Raimi
WRITERS: Ivan Raimi and Sam Raimi
PRODUCERS: Grant Curtis and Sam Raimi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming
EDITOR: Bill Murawski

HORROR with elements of comedy and thriller

Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, Adriana Barraza, Chelci Ross, Molly Cheek, and Reggie Lee

The Sam Raimi who directed The Evil Dead films has returned to his demonic spirits-gone-wild roots with the new film, Drag Me to Hell. Before he directed the Spider-Man films, Raimi unleashed ghoulish, comic horror movies that featured, among other things, preposterous scenes of mutilation and slapstick dismemberment, in flicks like Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1992). Drag Me to Hell is essentially from the same family as those scary movies. It’s like EC Comics on crack with a steroid chaser – and rated PG-13!

This film focuses on the soft-hearted Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), an ambitious L.A. loan officer for WilshirePacific Bank. Christine also has a charming boyfriend, Clay Dalton (Justin Long), who has recently become a philosophy professor, but all is not well. The winsome girl with a dazed look in her eyes is tired of being life’s punching bag. She knows that Clay’s mother doesn’t like her (although they’ve never met), and at work, a cheesy co-worker, Stu Rubin (Reggie Lee), is scheming to snatch a promotion from her. When the mysterious, one-eyed Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) shows up at the bank and begs Christine for an extension on her home loan, Christine decides not to follow her instincts and give the old woman a break. Instead, Christine denies the extension in order to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks (David Paymer), and, in turn, get an edge in the battle for the promotion.

Christine’s fateful choice shames Mrs. Ganush and essentially dispossesses Ganush of her home. In retaliation, Ganush, a rotten-toothed old gypsy woman, places the powerful curse of the Black Lamia on Christine, which transforms the young woman’s life into a living hell. Almost immediately, the evil spirit starts to haunt and torment Christine, and her plight is misunderstood by her skeptical boyfriend. Christine seeks the aid of a seer, Rham Jas (Dileep Rao), in hopes that he can tell her what’s happening. What Christine learns is that after three days of tormenting her, the Lamia will drag her soul to hell to burn for eternity.

Perhaps, it is Allison Lohman loveable, huggable, girl-next-door quality that makes it easier for the viewer to sympathize with her and even want to take on her troubles. Maybe it’s Raimi’s ability to scare the hell out of his audience with cartoonish, ghoulish nightmares – or maybe both. Whatever the reasons are, Drag Me to Hell gets in your head. Raimi does that by creating a hellish carnival atmosphere: the kind where the ticket salesman is a hideous, curse-spewing crone; where the fun house is a level of hell; and where the cotton candy maker is a jack-in-the-box full of wormy devils. The film is also very old school; Raimi often creates the sense of creeping dread by using atmospherics like shifty shadows and sound effects. This film even features a favorite Raimi trademark – a demonic possession

Drag Me to Hell is also filled with wonderfully deranged sequences. The first physical altercation between Christine and Mrs. Ganush is film’s best confrontation, and it involves nothing but hands, feet, and teeth – nothing supernatural until the end of it. In fact, Mrs. Ganush is a great character, conceived to be a physically aggressive granny who is as delightfully vindictive as she is demonic and ghoulish.

You’ll laugh. You’ll scream. You may even laugh at your own gullibility, but Sam Raimi has returned to the wretched roots of his filmmaking – bugf*ck crazy horror movies. Drag Me to Hell isn’t perfect; there’s too much of a focus on Alison Lohman’s Christine to the detriment of the other quality characters (like Justin Long’s Clay and Dileep Rao’s Rham Jas, for instance). Still, its mixture of blood-curdling terror, gross-out horror, and inspired lunacy make Drag Me to Hell one of the most entertaining horror flicks in years.

7 of 10
A-

Sunday, June 21, 2009

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John Pilger on the Recent Riots in London

"Damn It or Fear It, the Forbidden Truth Is There's an Insurrection in Britain"

In an age of public relations as news, the clean-up campaign, however well meant by many people, can also serve the government's and media's goal of sweeping inequality and hopelessness under gentrified carpets, with cheery volunteers armed with their brand-new brooms and pointedly described as "Londoners" as if the rest are aliens.

Go. Read.

 

Review: "Queen of the Damned" is a Mere Curiosity Piece (Remembering Aaliyah)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 175 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Queen of the Damned (2002)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for vampire violence
DIRECTOR: Michael Rymer
WRITERS: Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni (based on The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice)
PRODUCER: Jorge Saralegui
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ian Baker
EDITOR: Dany Cooper
COMPOSERS: Jonathan Davis and Richard Gibbs

HORROR/FANTASY/MUSIC

Starring: Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Paul McGann, and Lena Olin

Some may remember the furor and excitement over the unintentionally campy costume drama, quasi horror/fantasy, vampire movie, Interview with a Vampire, based upon the Anne Rice novel of the same title. Released in 1994, it featured Tom Cruise miscast as one half of a vampire duo with Brad Pitt, who wasn’t as miscast, as the other half. At the time, I liked Interview with a Vampire, but I have never been able to watch the film in its entirety since then.

Now comes a sequel of sorts – Queen of the Damned. This 2002 horror film is an adaptation of the third novel in author Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, The Queen of the Damned, with some plot elements from the second book in the series, The Vampire Lestat. While the first film had its controversy, Queen of the Damned is mostly remembered because it is the last screen appearance of R&B singer and actress, Aaliyah Dana Haughton, best known simply as Aaliyah.

In this film, sexy Stuart Townsend replaces Cruise as the vampire Lestat. Queen of the Damned also depicts Lestat’s rebirth as a vampire (which had been hinted at in the first film) at the hands of a noble dilettante vampire named Marius (Vincent Perez). Marius also possesses the (un)earthly remains of the King and Queen of Vampires (they’re frozen like alabaster statues). Lestat arouses the Queen, Akasha (Aaliyah), from her slumber and that panics Marius. The nobleman takes the remains before Akasha is fully revived and disappears, leaving Lestat alone. This is told in flashback.

The film really begins centuries later, as the sounds of rock music awaken the despondent Lestat, who eventually joins a band of Goth rockers. Still feeling very lonely, Lestat deliberately commits one of the greatest sins a vampire can commit against his kind; he goes public with his vampirism. Marius, who had been secretly following Lestat since he’d abandoned his apprentice, reappears to warn his “child.” However, Lestat’s rock star fame has earned him a death sentence from several vampires who want to destroy him for going public. Worst of all, Akasha finally awakens completely. She has her eyes on Lestat as her royal consort, but she also wants to destroy humanity again, as she did during her first reign.

Queen of the Damned is an occasionally delightful horror film with a heavy fantasy atmosphere, but it also has an equally heavy campy atmosphere. Still, I found it to be an oddly fascinating monster movie. The script is weak, and all the characters are little more than fancy and stylish ciphers. Like its predecessor, Interview with a Vampire, Queen of the Damned manages to have a peculiar kind realism or verisimilitude, as if the world of this movie could actually exist. Director Michael Rymer does a good job grounding this film in reality, which it makes the film’s more fantastic elements really stand out.

A really nice extra from this film is that Jonathan Davis, leader singer of the rock band Korn, and film composer Richard Gibbs provide some nice music and songs for Lestat’s rock band. Davis even sings the songs in the film, but contractual difficulties forced others to sing the songs for the film’s soundtrack CD release. The music adds a nice touch to this campy movie, which is worth seeing when you’re hungry for trash and laughs. I’ll remember Queen of the Damned for Aaliyah, the singer who became an actress with potential. Her beauty radiates in this film, and that makes me think more of it than I would without her.

5 of 10
C+

NOTES:
2003 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Film Poster”

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Montreal International Black Film Festival Announces Spokesman

Charles Biddle Jr will be the spokesperson of the 7th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival

The Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF), presented by Global Montreal, is proud to announce that the spokesperson for its 7th edition will be Charles Biddle Jr.

Charles Biddle Jr has been shining on the cultural scene for many years, as both an actor and singer-songwriter. Since being awarded the 2001 Félix for Best Artist for his performance in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris, where he played the role of Clopin, the king of truands, he toured the world and then joined the American cast of Notre-Dame de Paris in Las Vegas.

Born into Black culture, jazz, motown and rhythm & blues, the incredibly versatile artist with an extremely diverse cultural background is proud to represent the Montreal International Black Film Festival: “As a society, it's important to broaden our horizons and reflect on the reality of others. The mission of the MIBFF allows us to do so in an entertaining way. Cinema is the perfect medium to bring awareness to issues we might not be confronted with on a daily basis. I cannot wait to take part in the festivities and enjoy the festival's full program.”

“Just like the MIBFF, Charles Biddle Jr is a perfect mix of African-American and Quebec cultures. We're proud that our spokesman is the son of the famous jazz man Charles Biddle, who contributed a lot to Montreal's musical heritage”, said Emile Castonguay, programming director and co-founder of the MIBFF.

Charles Biddle Jr. succeeds renowned Columnist Francine Grimaldi, who has been the MIBFF's spokesperson for the past 5 years and who will now be the Honorary Ambassador of the Festival.

The 7th MIBFF will take place from September 22 to October 2, 2011!


About the Montreal International Black Film Festival - MIBFF
Presented by Global Montreal, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Cinema, Art and Culture. The mission of the Montreal International Black Film Festival is to stimulate the development of the independent film industry and to encourage more films on the realities of Blacks from around the world. The Festival wants to promote a different kind of cinema, cinema that hails from here and from abroad and that does not necessarily have the opportunity to grace the big screen, groundbreaking cinema that moves us, that raises awareness and that takes us all by surprise. The MIBFF wants to deal with issues and present works that raise questions, that provoke, that make us smile, that leave us perplexed, that shock us... A fresh new look at black cinema from the four corners of the globe! http://www.montrealblackfilm.com/.

Get all the festival news on:
http://www.montrealblackfilm.com/
www.facebook.com/festivalfilmblack
www.twitter.com/filmblackmtl

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Returns to IMAX

PARAMOUNT PICTURES’ 3-D MOVIE TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON LAUNCHES BACK INTO IMAX® THEATRES FOR EXTENDED TWO-WEEK RUN

Film Grosses $1,095 Billion to Date

Los Angeles, CA (August 23, 2011) – IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Paramount Pictures announced today that Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third film in the blockbuster Transformers franchise, is returning to 246 IMAX® domestic locations for an extended two-week run from Friday, Aug. 26 through Thursday, Sept. 8. During those two weeks, the 3-D film will play simultaneously with other films in the IMAX network.

Since its launch on June 29, Transformers: Dark of the Moon has grossed $1,095 billion globally, with $59.6 million generated from IMAX theatres globally.

“The fans have spoken and we are excited to bring Transformers: Dark of the Moon back to IMAX theatres,” said Greg Foster, IMAX Chairman and President of Filmed Entertainment. “The film has been a remarkable success and we are thrilled to offer fans in North America another chance to experience the latest chapter in this history making franchise.”

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: An IMAX 3D Experience has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology for presentation in IMAX 3D. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique immersive environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

About Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the third film in the Transformers franchise and the first shot in 3D. It is directed by Michael Bay, written by Ehren Kruger and produced by Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. The film has been rated PG-13. © 2011 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

HASBRO, TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. © 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry's top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company's new digital projection and sound systems - combined with a growing blockbuster film slate - are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX theaters deliver the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX®, IMAX 3D®, and IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo and Shanghai. As of June 30, 2011, there were 560 IMAX theatres (417 commercial multiplex, 25 commercial destination and 118 institutional) operating in 46 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience® and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at http://www.imax.com/. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

"Bambi II" Returns from the Vault - For a Limited Time

BAMBI II SPECIAL EDITION: Walt Disney Studios invites audiences to once again fall in love with the adorable, beloved forest friends - Bambi, Thumper, Owl, Flower and Faline - in this magnificent Bambi II Special Edition, the heartwarming story of a son’s courage and a father’s love. Available for the first time in Blu-ray™ high-definition, this touching sequel to Walt Disney’s original animated classic Bambi is finally releasing from the Disney vault on August 23, 2011 and will be available for a limited time.

Celebrate the unbreakable bonds of family and the power of friendship in this remarkable story, which reveals how Bambi was raised by his father, the Great Prince of the Forest. Perfect for the whole family to enjoy, this collectible release was packaged to include a variety of special bonus features including a new deleted song, interactive games, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more.

Bambi II will be available for purchase as a 2-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for the suggested retail price of $39.99/$46.99 Canada, a 1-Disc DVD for $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada, a High Definition Movie Download for $39.99 U.S./46.99 Canada and/or a Standard Definition Movie Download for $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada. For more information on this release, please visit www.Disney.com/Bambi2.

PHINEAS AND FERB THE MOVIE: ACROSS THE SECOND DIMENSION- Families can bring home Disney Channel’s original movie, Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across The 2nd Dimension, in the 2-Disc “Ultimate Fan Pack” DVD Set on August 23, 2011. Based on Disney Channel’s #1 animated hit comedy series among Tweens 9-14 for three years running, this epic release comes packaged with a DVD of the movie, a digital copy of the movie with eight digital music tracks, all new bonus features and an awesome do-it-yourself Platypult Kit – all for the suggested retail price of $26.99 in the U.S. and $29.99 in Canada.

This special 2-Disc “Ultimate Fan Pack” also includes a variety of cool bonus features (i.e., eight deleted scenes, an exclusive song, a sing-along “Perry-oke” feature, and a bonus episode). The Digital Copy lets viewers transfer the movie and the eight digital music tracks onto their laptop and/or portable devices of choice – to watch the movie or listen to songs anytime, anywhere and at the touch of a button. The Ultimate Fan Pack is the perfect gift for teens and/or families on-the-go!

BROTHERS AND SISTERS: THE COMPLETE FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON: The final season of the star-studded ABC drama continues the story of the Walkers, a contemporary picture of the American family. At the heart is matriarch Nora, who finds personal satisfaction in knowing her family is happy, however sometimes allows her intentions to be a little overbearing. Her five adult children, friends as much as they are relatives, come together to support each other through the joy and heartache as they try to manage their professional, romantic, and familial lives. Together they face genuine, relatable life issues in this warm and witty drama.

Brothers & Sisters: The Complete Fifth And Final Season, is releasing as a 5-Disc DVD Set for the suggested retail price of $45.99 in the U.S. and/or $54.99 in Canada.

OFF THE MAP: THE COMPLETE SERIES: From the creators of Grey’s Anatomy comes the inspiring medical drama, ABC‘s Off The Map. This exciting series takes viewers to the South American jungle with five idealistic doctors as they explore how far you have to go to truly heal. This sexy action-packed complete series invites audiences to relive the hope and discovery of every unique patient and medical case.

Off The Map: The Complete Series, is releasing as a 3-Disc DVD Set for the suggested retail price of $29.99 in the U.S. and/or $35.99 in Canada

Negromancer Bits and Bites August 23 2011 - 2 Songwriting Legends Leave Us

Stuff, I've found:

First, let's remember Yusef Hawkins.  Hawkins was a 16-year-old who was murdered 22 years ago today for going into a white neighborhood in America to buy a fucking car.

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Nick Ashford is dead.  Please, read the New York Times obituary.  If you don't want to, here's a short bit about him. Nick Ashford was half of the Motown songwriting duo, Ashford and Simpson, with wife Valerie Simpson.  Ashford and Simpson wrote, among other songs, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing."  They started their career writing for The 5th Dimension, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles and joined Motown in 1966.  Ashford and Simpson had their biggest hit as an R&B duo in 1984 with "Solid." They were inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.  R.I.P. Mr. Ashford.

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Another famous songwriter who died is Jerry Leiber, who was one of the real great ones.  With his partner, Mike Stoller, the lyricist wrote "Hound Dog" for Big Mama Thorton and also "Stand By Me" with Ben E. King.  After Elvis Presley made "Hound Dog," a huge hit in 1956, they also wrote "Jailhouse Rock," among others, for Presley. R.I.P. Mr. Leiber.