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CANNES - One of the oddest moments at the recent Cannes Film Festival - or indeed, the festival's history - has got to be when American director Sam Raimi was asked what he thought of Lars Von Trier. The Danish auteur had just done an over-the-top art house horror film, "Antichrist".
A reverent hush fell inside the press conference room as everyone wanted to hear what Raimi had to say.
Raimi's response: "I'm sorry, who?"
That's probably because auteurs be damned, Raimi, the successor to the crown of B-movie comedy horror schlock after George Romero, was in the house for his movie, "Drag Me To Hell".
Raimi may be known for helming the three blockbuster "Spider-Man" movies, but before that, he was the man behind the "Evil Dead trilogy: The Evil Dead" (1981), "Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn" (1987) and "Army of Darkness" (1993). The cult horror comedy series about protagonist Ash, who confronts demons straight out of the Necronomicon, turned actor Bruce Campbell into a cult hero for B-movie fanatics.
But now that Raimi's taking a break from superheroes, he's returning to what he did best in his pre-web crawler days: Horror and comedy in equal proportions. In "Drag Me To Hell", his "comeback" horror film, we follow the trials and tribulations of hottie loan officer (Alison Lohman) who turns down a gypsy woman's mortgage extension. Said gypsy, in turn, gets pissed off about it. Really pissed off. Which results in the blood and mayhem that only Raimi can dream up.
But hey, why not let the man explain it for himself?
Don't you find it weird being in Cannes, being asked about your opinions on art flicks and showing a horror film?
I first came here in 1981 to the film market to try and sell my first film, "Evil Dead". No American distributor would touch that film with a 10-foot pole. But once it was shown here and the audience loved it, suddenly people in America wanted it too.
I never expected to come home to this fancy house, but I'm honoured to be here. It says a lot about the artistic parameters of the festival committee that would even recognise artistic merit in what some might consider a "lowly" horror film.
After three "Spider-Man" blockbusters, how did it feel going back to your roots as horror director?
It's been great to work in "Drag Me To Hell" because there's a very small cast - it was very intimate. I love the "Spider-Man" character and working with the technicians and artists on those films, but it's not intimate. It's more like conducting a symphony orchestra. This film is like playing with a jazz quartet. It reminds me how to live the music and not just tell others how to play it.
It's great to just work with these actors and let them create the characters. It's an original creation. It's refreshing.
Does making something as big as "Spider-Man" hinder your creativity?
In some ways you can consider it mitigating your vision as a film-maker. But it just so happens that I think I can direct a picture if I know the character. And I so know the character of Peter Parker. I feel like I've really known him after reading him for years and years and years ... I feel like I even know him better than I've been able to put in the pictures so far.
Did you have to re-teach yourself how to do horror films?
I didn't really re-teach myself the rhythms of horror. When I was first making my first three horror films, I was learning the craft of horror. And I feel like I'm still learning it. I don’t really know it well enough to re-teach myself.
It's a film about a bank worker who refuses someone's request for a mortgage extension - with bad consequences. Would this be the first credit crunch horror movie?
The story is based on a true story - it actually happened! (Laughs)
No, we didn't base it on the existing bank crisis that's happening around the world right now. We just wanted to tell the story of a person who makes a simple choice out of greed for their own betterment at the expense of somebody else and pays the price for it. It's a simple morality tale about how greed leads to destruction.
And even though the banking crisis was just a coincidence, I think that stories are written by writers out of what they're feeling and being a part of society. And our society is riddled with greed.
Are you remaking "Evil Dead" again and using Bruce Campbell?
I don't know when we're gonna make that remake. I did talk about it a couple of years ago but then "Drag Me To Hell" came along and I was so busy writing, storyboarding, casting and directing the picture, I just never pursued that. One day I would like to, though.
Do you believe in spirits or ghosts?
I definitely believe that there's a lot more out there than we're aware of or understand. And sometimes, people, when you talk to them, they drain your energy after an hour with them. You just feel like you've been with a vampire. Other times, you're with people and they have a very positive glow and you're energised and super-charged with them.
There are definitely things that can't be measured by science.
Drag Me To Hell opens June 11. - TODAY/fa
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