I hope Sam Raimi's CURSED!

I've been following the reports of Sam Raimi's new horror film "Drag me to Hell" with great interest. It looks like it's been quite a roller-coaster ride as Raimi tries to wedge this film in before the potential SAG strike and his next Spider Man opus.

Ellen Page was named as the lead in the low-budget horror film at the height of her Juno Oscar buzz.

Then Page dropped out and Allison Lohman was given the role. Justin Long is also cast, and according to imdbpro they're shooting.

All along, I've wondered if it's the same Raimi script I read on the job named "The Curse." I've finally confirmed it is in fact the same script, if Latino Review is to be trusted, that is, as they posted a scathing review of the screenplay.

Firstly, I hate the practice of posting "screenplay reviews" online for movies that are going into production, as we all know how much can change before the final cut is locked. And who knows what draft this "spy" has been slipped?

With that said, Latino Review absolutely tears it apart, basically calling it a cliche mess that's sure to bomb. But here's the deal...

I loved it.

I gave it a Recommend back in the day when I read it for Dimension Films.

And I maybe gave five Recommends in 8 years on the job as a Reader. Maybe.

It's important to understand some context here -- I was covering this script for the company that was currently riding high on the Scream franchise, which were horror comedies with a young female protagonist. "The Curse" was a horror comedy with a female protagonist, and it was written by a filmmaker with a proven following in the genre. This was pre-Spiderman Sam Raimi, when he was mostly known for films like Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness.

So it seemed like a slam dunk. But not just for commercial reasons, but because it was a damn good read. It was a horror comedy that was truly scary AND funny. That's a tall order, and it was executed with craft, skill, and a love for the genre that was palpable.

Now, maybe it's gone through some rewrites since then and been mucked up, but based on the Latino Review article, it's the exact same story.

And a good script's a good script.

So give it a chance, huh?

Besides, this gives us all hope that we can resuscitate those old scripts in our desk drawer that never went anywhere, right? Yes, it's possible, they WILL see the light of a camera!

Doesn't hurt to be the director of one of the biggest films of all time, of course, but I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, the point is I'm feeling positive that one of the best pieces of material from my Reader days is finally going to get produced and released, because too often they just disappeared into the ether once I sent in my coverage, never to be heard from again.

My fingers are crossed.

And I'm hoping to find my coverage on "The Curse" and post it here, soon, but it's going to be a dig. I'll keep you posted.

In closing, if ANYONE can get me a copy of the "Drag Me To Hell" script I'd appreciate it greatly! It will be fun to revisit it, see what's changed. I can swap you something good for it.

Here's to intelligent, scary and funny genre films...

-Dan Calvisi

www.thewritersbuilding.org

www.actfourscreenplays.com