Drag Me to Hell

**_Don’t disrespect an old Gypsy woman who begs for mercy_** An ambitious loan officer at a bank in Los Angeles (Alison Lohman) wants an imminent promotion above her rival and so makes the “tough decisions” by refusing compassion to a desperate aged borrower. Big mistake. Justin Long is on hand as the young woman’s beau. “Drag Me to Hell” (2009) marked Raimi’s return to the overdone comic book horror of his “Evil Dead” flicks after achieving blockbuster success with the “Spider-Man” trilogy. While unpleasant in ways since it deals with the assault of an evil spirit, the lamia, it’s all-around superior to the first two “Evil Dead” movies (I’ve never seen “Army of Darkness”). A critic who hated it claimed that it had no message. Whether people appreciate what the flick has to offer or not, it does have a message amidst its exaggerated comic booky thrills. A pretty glaring one on the surface along with interesting details if you go a little deeper. Lohman is winsome on the feminine front while Bojana Novakovic has a brief but notable role as the old crone’s granddaughter. It runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles & areas nearby. GRADE: B+