Sam Raimi is a superstar in the world of horror, and after making a name for himself with the Evil Dead series he decided to jump ship for a while and make some standard Hollywood fair. Films like For the Love of the Game with Kevin Costner weren't bad, but nothing spectacular. Other films like A Simple Plan and The Gift were great standalone films, but Raimi's signature touch was always missing. Now he has answered the prayers of horror fans worldwide with the release of this film, and for those of you who haven't seen it, I can guarantee you an amazingly fun and scary good time because our buddy Sam is at the wheel.

This intense roller-coaster ride (yes, I did use that clichéd phrase) starts when Christine Brown (played by the lovely Alison Lohman, who replaced Ellen Page for the role) shows up for work. She is up for a promotion to Assistant Manager, but is fighting it out with a cocky Asian guy named Stu, who also happens to be new, but is kicking her ass in loan applications. She asks her boss if he's made a decision, but he says he's still deliberating. He just wishes that she could be a little tougher with her clients, and she promises that she can be. Who should walk in after that promise than the end of Christine's world as she knows it. Her name is Mrs. Ganush, and she is a hideous, old gypsy woman whose dilapidated house is being repossessed by the bank. She goes to Christine for help, and Christine is certainly sympathetic. She tries to see if her boss will give the old, creepy woman an extension on her loan, but he assures her that he cannot and leaves it up to Christine to decide. She realizes that she is being tested to see how tough she really is, so she goes back and denies the phlegm-spewing old bat an extension. Mrs. Ganush drops to her knees and begs, but Christine pushes her away.

Feeling shamed, the disgusting old woman is dragged out of the bank by the guards. That night, as Christine walks to her car, she is attacked by the crazy, and remarkably spry and powerful, Mrs. Ganush. What follows is five minutes of the most intense, unique, and wild fighting to ever happen inside a locked car. This is total Raimi, and it is impossible not to love every second of it. Christine manages to defeat Mrs. Ganush, sort of, but the old woman has one last trick up her sleeve. She pulls a button off of Christine's jacket and curses her.

Her boyfriend, Clay (played enjoyable by Justin Long, who made Live Free or Die Hard even more fun) takes her out to dinner shortly after, to help her relax, and as they walk back to the car she stops in front of a psychic shop for some unknown reason. She is compelled to enter and have her fortune read. Here we meet Rham Jas, a money-grubbing psychic charlatan at first, but soon he uncovers that a curse has been put on Christine and that a dark spirit follows her around, and we know he's for real. It isn't long before we get to meet the dark spirit that is supposed to torment its victim for three days before dragging them to hell. The invisible beast does everything from rattling pots to throwing her around her room like a rag doll. The film grows in intensity and scares, but never loses its sense of fun, which makes the film such a surprising joy to watch and often laugh-out-loud hilarious.

The events start to wear her down and when she has the goriest nose bleed in movie history at work, she realizes she is cursed and she has to do something to stop it. She returns to Rham Jas and begs for help. He tells her she should offer an animal sacrifice, and all she can think of is her cat, but that does not appease the demons. She will need to be exorcised and the third act of this film is so insane and shock-packed that I feel I should stop here before ruining anything. What I will say is that the last twenty minutes packs in a late night visit to a graveyard, flying guys, evil handkerchiefs, possessed goats, a wicked mud bath, and a fucking fantastic EC comics-style twist. Lohman and Long are great as the leads, but the supporting cast is just as wonderful. Dileep Rao as Rham Jas is perfect, and not only becomes the film's exposition-spewer but spiritual center as well. But no one can take the crown from Lorna Raver, who turns Mrs. Ganush from a frail, disgusting old woman to an unforgettable demon hag from the very bowels of hell itself. Oh, by the way, the car from Evil Dead makes an appearance...see if you can spot it, Raimi fans.

This has everything we could have hoped for from Raimi and more. I'm not just saying that because I wanted it to be good, it really is damn good. This film does something that horror hasn't done in a while, it takes the audience on a fun ride and it isn't afraid to let you laugh every once and a while. Most modern horror films are dark and depressing torture movies that only serve to creep out the audience and make them feel like they need a shower. This movie creeps you out alright, but at the same time you keep wanting more and more and you're laughing all the way to the ferocious finish. The two main ingredients that make this film as wonderful as it is is obviously Raimi's touch and, most important of all, the sound design. There are moments in this film that go from stark silence to blaring violence and it adds to the mood of the film by unnerving you, keeping you on the edge of your seat and on your toes. The music by Christopher Young is fantastic, too. It mixes gypsy-influences with a traditional score and the end product is both beautiful and haunting. Mr. Raimi, thank you, this is truly what you promised. You have returned to true horror and I can't remember the last time I had this much fun at a horror movie.

- Jose Prendes