Sam Raimi

CHICAGO – It’s been some time since HollywoodChicago.com’s beloved Blu-ray Round-Up column made an appearance to highlight a few recently released HD titles that may have slid just a bit below your radar while you were busy seeing “Toy Story 3” this weekend. We try but can’t devote the time for a full-length review to every title but we wanted to make sure you knew these potential purchases were out there, waiting for your hard-earned paycheck.

CHICAGO – Just as Edgar Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead” was a wonderful homage to the work of George A. Romero, I feel like Tommy Wirkola’s highly-buzzed Nazi zombie film “Dead Snow” is an ode to the work accomplished by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell in the films of the “Evil Dead” series.

CHICAGO – There are a number of choices for your Halloween movie dollar this season including “Saw VI” and “Paranormal Activity” in theaters and new Blu-Ray editions of “Audition” and this year’s “Orphan” and Sam Raimi’s great “Drag Me to Hell”. Universal has packaged Raimi’s glorious return to the genre that made him a star with a gorgeous video and audio treatment but lackluster special features. The movie deserves a bit better.

CHICAGO – John Woo, whose mastery of the action movie was once compared by director Sam Raimi to the suspense mastery of Alfred Hitchcock, premiered his new film, “Red Cliff” at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 9th.

CHICAGO – It’s always nice to see world-famous filmmakers raising awareness about work from their lesser known peers. Where would Eli Roth be without Quentin Tarantino, or Neill Blomkamp be without Peter Jackson, or Danny McBride and Jody Hill be without the better half of Hollywood’s comedy titans?

CHICAGO – Universal is getting an early jump on the annual wave of horror-themed titles that usually hit stores in the week before Halloween with new Blu-Ray editions of three horror-comedy classics and, well, one stinker that surely looks good in HD if nothing else. Add “An American Werewolf in London,” “Army of Darkness,” “Shaun of the Dead,” and “Van Helsing” to your collection.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – The gleefully gory Sam Raimi who made “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn” and “Darkman” is back in close to prime form with this week’s thoroughly enjoyable “Drag Me To Hell,” a horror thrill ride almost certain to satisfy any audience member willing to choose a movie with “Hell” in the title over the latest Pixar offering.

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Writer/director Sam Raimi on the set.

CHICAGO – This 25-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Drag Me to Hell” starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, and Adriana Barraza. The film, written by Sam Raimi & Ivan Raimi and directed by Sam Raimi, opens on May 29th, 2009.

CHICAGO – I’m flummoxed. I know “Smart People” was supposed to be comedic drama with a splash of romance. Instead, I have been misled. It’s not a comedy. It’s not a tragedy. It’s not even a tragicomedy.

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