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Why Drag Me to Hell's star disagreed with director Sam Raimi
We don't want to spoil the ending of director Sam Raimi's upcoming horror movie Drag Me to Hell, so if you don't want to know, don't read any further.
But Raimi told reporters that he intended the audience to go along for the ride with his protagonist, Christine (Alison Lohman), all the way to the end.
"I wanted the audience to make this choice with her," Raimi said in a group interview on Monday in Beverly Hills, Calif. "I wanted to present her as a nice person. She is a nice person. We all are nice people, but we're all sinners, too. And I wanted you, the audience member, to make this choice with her." (We mean it: big spoilers ahead!)
The choice is this: Christine works at a bank and is eager to earn a promotion. When the creepy old lady Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) begs for a third extension on her mortgage, Christine denies it to show her boss she can make tough decisions. What she doesn't know is that Mrs. Ganush has the power to exact revenge in the form of a curse: After three days, Christine will be sucked into hell. Unless she can take a few steps to ward off the demon, the Lamia, that is after her.
"The old woman was unpleasant-looking, was absurd," Raimi said. "I wanted the audience to say, 'Yeah, just deny her the loan and get her out of the office, for crying out loud.' Because I had hoped that once you sinners had made that choice with her, that, like it or not, you would know in your heart that that thing that had been sicced upon her was not just coming for her, but deservedly so for you, because you had made that choice with her. That ending, when it came for her, although it may be a surprise or not, you'd know that it could've come for you, too."
For her part, Lohman, of course, defends her character's choice. "Her boss is pretty much telling her that she has to fill a quota and not give her the extension, to save money, probably, for the bank," Lohman said in a separate interview. "My character has her own agenda, so she definitely has enough rationalities to justify why she does what she does. I definitely think you can sympathize with both characters, really."
Well, it's Ganush's third warning. Even magical gypsies have to pay their bills on time, right, Sam? "Sure," Raimi said. "There are all sorts of reasons to be greedy and cruel to other people. They can be justified by logic, or you could use the rules of an institution or a government or the military. There are all sorts of reasons to torment and be cruel to others, justifiable, wonderful reasons. That's another one: that she had been given an extension twice before. Did she really expect a third one? Did she really expect mercy after she'd been shown some? It's another way for people to hide behind their choices."
Lohman doesn't buy it. "He and I disagree sometimes," she said about Raimi. "Is he taking Lorna's side? I never saw my character as a bad person. It was always hard to [say], 'Oh, when do I make the decision that my character finally repents?' Yes, of course, she was greedy and she did not give her the extension when she should have. But does she deserve to be dragged to hell? No, I don't think so."
Christine still tries desperately to avoid the consequences of her action. Raimi listed specific events from the film that support his perspective on the character.
"When you think about what she does besides throwing that old woman out of the house, she goes against her own vows and kills that cat to save her neck," he said. "She lies to the old woman's daughter at that house when she tries to get her way and get the old woman to take the curse off her. At the seance, when she's asked everyone to risk their lives for her, she tries to blame her boss when confronted with the demon. She in fact is ready to give that curse to some poor sap at the local Howard Johnson's or Denny's. She barely came up with a better idea. She came that close. I think she was a good person on the outside, but when you really start to look at her, when she gets in an extreme situation, the real person comes out. In fact, it's really the old woman that's the victim in this story. I think her character, Christine, deserved, probably, what she got. Maybe she was a little over-punished. I wouldn't have been as harsh, personally."
Lohman finds Christine's actions empowering. "I loved that about my character," she said. "I loved that part. My character's submissive to her boss, wanting to please everyone, and then just takes charge, trying to survive. I love seeing that dynamic. I find that interesting to watch on film, and I think I see aspects of myself in that. I kind of wanted to draw on that a little bit."
Decide for yourself when Drag Me to Hell opens May 29.
By ldyheat at 12:26 PM ON 05/21/09
I just wish Raimi would stop working all together. He's movies are full of slap stick crap; he hasn't done anything good for TV since Xena...yes, I'm pointing fingers at you Legend of the Seeker ::barfs::..he completely screwed up Goodkind’s works. I cringe just thinking about that show. Spiderman (especially 3) is chalk full of tomfoolery that is so bad, you are actually embarrassed for the actors involved! Do us all a favor Sam, just stop – PLEASE!
By Joe Asap at 2:47 PM ON 05/21/09
Sam Raimi is the best. He makes very entertaining films. He's made a lot of low-budget films entertaining because of his skills. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have heard of some really, really good low budget films like Darkman & Evil Dead.
By Not Dark Yet at 4:19 PM ON 05/21/09
"There are all sorts of reasons to torment and be cruel to others, justifiable, wonderful reasons."
Yeah, like create a character who makes a decision you don't agree with, so you can make an entire movie depicting her torture as she is LITERALLY dragged into hell.
Really Sam? Shame on you. I was planning on seeing this movie, but not anymore.
By Al at 6:25 PM ON 05/21/09
The premise of this sounds an awful lot like a bad movie Stephen King had a while back where a gypsy curses an overweight attorney to keep getting "Thinner" until, at the end, after finding a way to break the curse, chooses to take the curse again.
Hopefully this will be an improvement. Raimi's works are usually pretty enjoyable...usually.
By Killian at 12:46 AM ON 05/22/09
Heard from my friend at the Cannes showing that this film rocked. Funny it got chosen to be at Cannes but I'm ready for a fun scare.
By DZ at 1:19 AM ON 06/04/09
"I think she was a good person on the outside, but when you really start to look at her, when she gets in an extreme situation, the real person comes out."
When people are desperate, they exhibit traits they may not normally show. What defines the good people is how they respond to the impulses borne of this desperation. Christina considered passing on the curse to some poor sap, but she didn't. She had the opportunity (as far as she knew) to rid herself of the curse, and eliminate a workplace rival, but she didn't. Plus, humans aren't perfect; an honest attempt to be a kind person is admirable, even if one isn't 100% successful.
If the argument of greed is to be used, I don't see how Ganush is exempt. She may have been losing her home, but she was not without options; she could have lived with her granddaughter, or opted to live in an assisted living home. But she refused these options, due to self-admitted pride. What did Ganush do when she didn't get her way? She attempted to exact revenge, through violent assault, and finally by a curse with a weight beyond reckoning. I can recall no instance where this woman was shown to be a good person by Raimi's definition, and I cannot see how that woman could be possibly be considered a victim for how warped her soul was shown to be.
I enjoyed most of this movie, but the ending left an ultimately bitter aftertaste. I can't agree with the morality of it.
By brucelives-not at 10:54 PM ON 06/14/09
agree with DZ and lohman on the 'morality' of this film. and think raimi and Lorna are sick twisted pups.
Interesting also that Sam says we are all guilty because we just want to get the ugly old witch out of there. Well that might be his reaction, but I think the gypsy is initially sympathetic until she steals the candies. Trivial crime, of course, but so is denying someone their 3rd mortgage extension. Anyway it is not for this that she is doomed, but for 'shaming' the old crone by freaking out when she starts groveling at her feet and grabbing her.
The plot, dialogue, and casting of the main characters (aside from Lorna Raver who was the real star as the creepy evil gypsy woman)
were terrible. the loud silent LOUD trick that --- so overused - was the only thing that kept me awake. i left half way through, since if you see the trailer and the poster then you know the movie in it's entirety. And the trailer sucked too.
I went despite myself because of the excellent reviews and the fact I really enjoyed the evil dead trilogy. but hell the spiderman movies get great reviews and they are the worst superhero movies ever made, all 3 of them.
Bruce Campbell made the evil dead films enjoyable with his jim carrey shtick. (before there was a Jim Carrey).
Here we get a movie that is supposedly campy , but the gumming was the only over the top scene.
Raimi's explanation of how the character is evil because she denies someone a loan is bizarre; and to add that her desperate attempts to avoid going to hell were proof of her 'true evil nature'? man this guy is a moron who apparently does not live in the real world. As DZ said, she made the noble choice by NOT dumping her curse on just anyone, not even her already soulless boss and coworker. Yes she sacrificed the kitten and you could argue that is evil. But what kind of demon would sentence someone to eternal hell? I wouldn't even wish that on a mass murderer.
Maybe the director could have had her pass it on to a child rapist in prison or something but aside from the fact it would have ruined his 'morality tale', he's not that imaginative anyway.
btw - why is it gypsies can be stereotyped for laughs when every other group is untouchable? Does Sam Raimi realize he is going to hell for perpetuating the cliche of devil-conjuring creepy old 1-eyed toothless gypsies?
By JohnMarkowitz at 11:38 AM ON 06/20/09
First of all, Christine was told by her boss THAT GIVING THE EXTENSION WAS UP TO HER. She could have given the extension, but she chose to prove how "tough" she was, to impress her boss, so she would have a better chance at promotion. It was selfish, and SHE HAD A CHOICE.
Secondly, the pitiful old lady in the bank is NOT the Demonic Thing that "curses" Christine in the parking lot. That is the demon already, complete with spooky floating handkerchief, able to materialize inside a locked car, able to projectile fire a ruler from her mouth, so hard it cracks glass. And Raimi focuses on her scary eye and jagged teeth, to clue us in further that this isn't a normal old woman, and we should realize, at least by the end of the film, that this "curse" was laid by the demon as part of it's torture of Christine, to scare her into committing further crimes. Sure, denying an extension on a loan wasn't deserving of eternal hellfire ... but how about cursing another person to eternal hellfire? Especially if that person is the innocent old woman who had begged and pleaded with her at the bank.
The film portrays a psychological truth. People who victimize others rationalize their choice by demonizing their victims. Mrs. Ganush is literally turned into a Demon in the parking lot, and Christine, by the end of the movie, is convinced that Mrs. Ganush deserves eternal damnation. That is why Christine deserves to go to Hell.
By morganyevans at 4:37 PM ON 07/28/09
this movie was a blast, though i have to agree w Lohman over Raimi here. The nasty old hag was a candy stealing b*tch and had 3 chances. I wouldn't risk my promotion over that! She would've maybe lost her boyfriend AND job at that point if she risked granting it and didn't get promoted. She tried to suggest other alternatives. Raimi rules but I feel bad for the girl at the end of this!
By bluesky at 10:34 PM ON 10/23/09
Maybe it's a setup for a sequel. There should be a sequel called Drag me from hell or something where the boyfriend rescues her ala Supernatural. I really thought in fighting for her sould that she was becoming a female version of Ash (from Evil Dead) and would win. I don't see her boyfriend's character doing that to rescue her though through some arcane ritual.
By piytar at 4:56 PM ON 10/30/09
"Well, it's Ganush's third warning. Even magical gypsies have to pay their bills on time, right, Sam? "Sure," Raimi said. "There are all sorts of reasons to be greedy and cruel to other people."
What utter stupidity. So, people shouldn't have to pay, right, Raimi? Well, guess I'm going to sneak into a theater and watch your movie without paying. In fact, I'm going to do that with all of your movies from now on (if I feel like wasting the time). How many people want to join in? After all, it's cruel and greedy to expect people to actually PAY for something they get!
What, you don't like that idea, Raimi? You want to get paid for what you do? Guess you're a greedy cruel person who deserves to be dragged to Hell! (Or more likely a typical economically illiterate Hollywood moron who doesn't understand the inevitable implications of something-for-nothing socialist thinking.)
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piytar:
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