1. Drag MeTo Hell (2009)
Drag me to Hell is a horror film that has the subgenre of Supernatural horror,
with a few heavy reliance on over the top and comedic gore moments have lead
people to label the film as also a horror comedy film. The film was directed by
and co-written by Sam Rami, who is known for the cult hit Evil Dead and The
original Spiderman series. The film had Gonne on to make 90.8 million in box
office from a budget of 30 million.
2. Narrative and Story
The film revolves around a Bank Loan Officer Christine Brown. Who hopes to be promoted in
her job over her work rival Stu Rubin. However her superior believes that she lacks the skill of
making tough decisions to get the promotion. Christine is visited by a woman asking for a
mortgage extension, however to prove that she is able to make hard decisions he declines the
request to prove that she can make hard decisions. The woman turns out to be a gypsy and
she puts a curse on Christine, because she declined the extension. When Christine goes to the
parking to drive home she is attacked by the gypsy woman known as Ganush. The woman who
attacked her rips off a button from her coat she uses this to place the curs on Christine. The
film revolves around Christine being haunted by a Demon called Lamia and her attempt to
remove the curse from herself.
The opening scene is set in 1969, Pasadena California, a family seeks the help of a medium
Shaun San Dena, saying that their son had stolen a silver necklace from a gypsy and is now
hearing voice. The family and San Dena carry's out a séance to expel the curse , however they
are attacked by a invisible entity who drags the boy into hell, this opening ends with the
medium saying that they will meet again one day.
4. Mise-en-scene
Location – The opening scene is located in a church, horror films that have supernatural themes are usually connected to the idea of
good and bad or God and the devil. This opening is filmed at day time which breaks a code and convention as most horror films open
on night time. The location also suggest that it is not isolated as there are 2 cars parked in the front driveway which suggests that there
are people in the location.The lighting becomes dark when San DenaTakes the boy into the Church.
Lighting – The lighting used in the opening is natural lighting, however there is a slight desaturation of the image so that the colours do
not pop out too much. As the scene goes on the lighting gets darker and Is lit by the use of candles and the spilling light of the blinds. A
colour jells are used to ever so slightly give a flicker of blue to the child’s face and room when the group is attacked.
Costume - the costumes within the opening shows that the family is poor and possibly the father has a labor job because of the denim
which was used for work and not as fashion in those times, because of the denim the characters clothing is quite blue . The mother is
also dressed in a long skirt and jacket this could be traditional clothing for that time. The medium’s costume stands out this highlights
the character to have more power in the scene. The boy is covered in a shawl this can indicate to the audience that with the curse his
body has also been effected.
Props – The key props in the opening of the horror film is the silver neckless that the boy stole from the gypsy. This relates and
represents a sin which is code and convention of horror films where the victim has indulged in one or multiple sins.
Movement of actors - The boys movement is quite fragile this shows the audience that he has been effect by the curse, this is shown by
the boy making himself smaller on screen and because of the fact he is being carried. The medium moves quickly and her facial
expressions change when she is told about the curse this prompts the audience to believe that the boy is in true danger.
5. CameraThe opening shot of the film is a establishing shot of a large estate the movement of the camera tilts down steadily. This may
also be a jib shot. In the shot a car can be seen moving within the frame from the right. This cuts into a wide shot which tracks
the mother until she reaches the door and someone comes out. In the shots following after the medium come out the house
the camera looks up to the medium that has just come out of the estate. The first noticeable shot is a low angle over the
shoulder shot looking up towards the medium. This is showing the audience that the medium has power over the family and
is their only hope. This also shows the family being in a weak state and without any power within the situation. This is also
shown as shot reverse shot as the medium looks down on the family.
A close up of the sliver neckless is used to show importance to the object in this horror opening. A cut away from the scene
reveals a rotating close up of the boy. This may be to show that he his disorientated and is being effected by the curse. This
same movement also transitions to the next show where it a shot of the estates roof mirror is being shown and when demonic
hands can be seen touching the window, the use of motion shows that there is a direct correlation to what the boy can see
and the curse. A surprise jump scare is used through the use of a low angle mid shot of the medium and in the back the
doors suddenly burst open. Jump scares are commonly seen within most horror films and is a simple technique to get people
on edge.
A tracking mid shot that becomes a canted angle shot of the boy suggests that something unnatural is following him this is
because the character looks to the camera as it starts to become a canted angle shot. Canted angles are not frequently used
and therefor looks unnatural. The camera uses this naturality to give an effect of a pov shot from the perspective on the
invisible entity. There is a bird eye view of the boy when he lands on the ground floor, this shows his weekend state and he
lays flat on the ground, there is symbolic meaning as there is a mid shot if the boy trying to get up and there being a religious
alter behind him. As the boy is being dragged to hell the camera tilts up from him passing the religious alter and becoming a
close up of the medium, this mat have represented that even someone who possesses greater power is weak against the
curse.
6. Sound
There is a use of strong sound effects within the horror opening, this Diegetic sound
helps to build the world. We can see that there is various over exaggerated sound
when it comes to action, when the mother of the boy is hit by the invisible entity a
strong slapstick sound is used, this may be for comedic effect as one of the sub genres
of the film is comedy. The use of whispers are also used when the boy is seeing the
demonic hands tapping, this adds the effect of paranoia and that only the boy is
hearing theses sounds as he is the one who committed the sin. Non-digetic sounds
are also used to help set the scene with the use of music and there is atmosphere
created when using music.
7. Editing
The editing pace of the opening of the horror film Drag Me to Hell starts of slow as the
location is set up, soon the threat and danger are revealed in the opening conversation , the
build up of pace helps to establish how the characters feel within the situation and the severity
of it. The editing pace starts to get quicker however no fast as that is saved for when the
family are attacked by the invisible entity. This change in pace builds extra atmosphere when
the couple get attacked. The pace determines the speed of the action going on in the scene.
In the horror opening there is an arrange of practical effects and CGI used. An example of
practical effects is when the boy looks up to the glass ceiling and there seems to be demonic
hand tapping on the glass. This was done by using practical effects (prosthetics) and lighting.
While CGI was used when the boy was being dragged to hell as it would have been to
complicated to create with practical effects.
9. Genre and Purpose
The genre of the film Drag Me to Hell is a horror film and the sub genre of the film is
comedy as it has comedic moments and over exaggerated tropes of horror.
The purpose of the film to me is to mock the state of current horror films as it was
marketed as a pure horror film ,this can be seen from the trailer. I believe that he film
is taking shots at annual horror films that take them selves to seriously by marketing
the film as a pure horror film, this subverts the audiences expectation of the film as
they are expecting the film to truly try at terrifying them but there is an overall blend
of comedy with the horror seamlessly. The opening is short but it grabs the
audiences attention by keeping the plot short and simple and yet open by not giving
much away from the plot.
10. Generic Conventions and Characteristics
The use of the concept of sin in the film is used where the victim had indulged in one of the seven sins, in
the opening the only character whom loses their life is the child because he had committed the theft of
stealing a sliver necklace from a gypsy. The supernatural and cult themes are also presented within the
film through the use of the iconography, an example of this is the use of the colour red and lava which
represents the Christian idea of Hell. Within the Text the family are represented as immigrants, this is
shown from the lack of English spoken and the mise-en-scene seen from the clothing. This is a
stereotype used in the opening of the film. This stereotype may miss represent migrants as thieves, this
is a bad depiction. The iconography linked to the opening tries to suggest that the time that he scene is
set is linked to the past this is from the clothing, vehicles and lack of technology within the scene. A key
part of the iconography is the use of the silver necklace the pattern and style give the hint of the occult.
Another key iconographical telling of the genre is when the family and medium has a exorcism of some
sort to remove the demon from the boy which is a staple of the supernatural horror genre.
11. Narrative Structures including application of
narrative Models andTheory and use of
Characterization
The narrative model that is being used in the opening is Linear which is a
narrative that moves from beginning middle and end. This is also a single
stranded plot where all the characters experience the same events and are
within the location when the events happen, even though perspective
switches from the boy to the medium the narrative being used is still single
stranded.
12. Audience Expectations and Interpretation
The target audience for the film is female, because the main character is female which means that the character will
be more relatable for that gender. The age range would be 15-21 this is because the film has more of a B horror film
aesthetic when it came to marketing which would appeal to a young adult age range. The social economic group that
would have been targeted is the group E which would mean they are part time working or unemployed and that they
are a causal or lowest grade worker and re dependent on family and welfare for income. Within the Rubicams 4’s the
target group would be from the mainstreamed , this is because this horror film is trying to target casual or
mainstream audiences. One of the films sub genre is comedy, this is only shown in the opening when there was the
use of slapstick violence and overexaggerated violence when the family is attacked by the invisible entity the added
sound effect made it more comedic. This was a subversion of my expectations and of the audiences. This does not
follow the traditions and expectations of the horror genre as it does alter and change the expectation of the whole
film. This is because slapstick violence is never used within a horror film. The use of unexpected scares or jump scares
are used through out the opening of the film, some of the unexpected jump scares that are used does scare the
audience however the general horror for example when the boy is being dragged to hell is not effective and
impactful. As the text is from a horror opening this means that it Is expected that most of the characters seen will die,
as the boy had committed a sin this had meant that the boy will die, even though that children are seen as innocent.
However the boy was the only person to die which is strange because most characters who are shown are expected to
die within the opening.
