What it’s about?: Christine has a doting boyfriend, a good job and much promise until she refuses to extend the overdue home loan of Mrs. Ganush, a strange one-eyed Gypsy woman who literally begs to keep her residence of 30 years. The ambitious Christine doesn’t budge and the woman unleashes the horrendous curse of the Lamia on the unsuspecting banker turning her life into hell on earth. When she goes to a psychic to reverse the curse, her entire existence is turned upside down, becoming a living nightmare with no light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Who’s in it?: As Christine, Alison Lohman gets to chew the scenery like there’s no tomorrow. Living an actor’s dream, Lohman gets under the skin of this wickedly cursed girl and gives it her all in one harrowing sequence after another. Justin Long has the standard thankless role of her understanding, but perplexed and confused boyfriend. Playing it straight, he basically stands on the sidelines watching his girlfriend go slowly mad. As Christine’s boss, David Paymer is all business, while Dileep Rao, as the all-knowing seer Christine, turns to in her most dire time of need, is quite effective in a handful of scenes. Stealing the show lock, stock and barrel though is unquestionably the veteran TV character actress Lorna Raver. Aptly named Mrs. Ganush, she is stark-raving mad. The character is blissfully over-the-top (and then some), and Raver, under mounds of scary-as-hell makeup, hits it out of the park.

What’s good?: Returning to his celebrated roots in horror, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) is clearly in his comfort zone as he delivers one of the best examples of the genre seen in many years. Although some CGI trickery and puppetry is employed to full effect, Raimi manages to get his best jolts with expert use of camera angles, creeping shadows, blowing wind, strong visual flourishes, amped up sound effects and a brilliantly vivid musical score from Christopher Young. Raimi shows today’s purveyors of “torture porn” you don’t need graphic violence to scare the crap out of an audience – just talent. Hitchcock would have approved.

What’s bad?: The PG-13 rating probably forced Raimi’s hand in turning on the juice and REALLY dragging us through hell in a couple of scenes so we’re hoping there’s an uncut DVD special edition coming along eventually.

Favorite scene?: There are many to choose from including a classic dinner scene with the boyfriend’s parents. But for pure intensity, the initial bank and parking garage encounter between Lohman and Raver has lots of teeth (so to speak) and is still sending chills down our spine. Also, the creepy use of a ‘‘nosey’’ fly pays dividends through the entire film for the ultimate audience freakout.

Netflix or multiplex?: Drag yourself to a multiplex. A fright flick that is this much fun deserves to be seen in a packed theater.

Bottom line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

What it’s about?: Pixar makes it 10 gems in a row with this enchanting animated story of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen, a recent widower who decides to fulfill his (plus his late wife’s) lifelong dream of tying thousands of balloons to their house and floating off to a mountaintop in South America. But he soon discovers a stowaway in the form of Russell, a precocious eight-year-old “Wilderness Explorer” whom he reluctantly allows to accompany him on his journey. Together the unlikely pair embark on the adventure of a lifetime, encountering Kevin, a rare, 13-foot-tall, flightless bird; Dug, an overly-friendly talking pooch; and Charles Muntz, a once-famous adventurer who now lives alone in a massive airship, surrounded by a pack of attack dogs.

Who’s in it?: Sticking to their general custom of casting actors, not big stars, in key voice roles, Pixar assembled a superb cast for Up, led by veteran TV star Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) as the aged Carl, who takes flight in his house and finds there is a lot to learn about life even as you near death. Asner’s grumpy delivery provides the perfect counterpoint to nine-year-old Jordan Nagai’s Russell, a bright and optimistic kid who proves an invaluable assistant to Carl throughout their journey. Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music) is authoritative and intriguing as the obsessed Muntz and John Ratzenberger (Cheers) extends his streak of Pixar films to 10 as a construction engineer who tries to convince Carl to sell his house. Bob Peterson does delightful double duty as two of the key dog voices, lovable Dug and the menacing Alpha, head of the pack.

What’s good?: Like Pixar’s previous Oscar-winning masterpiece Wall-E, Up is a ’toon that is not content to explore the same places we’ve seen in previous animated blockbusters. Centering an action comedy around a 78-year-old man isn’t a strategy you’ll find in the youth-obsessed Hollywood recipe book, but it pays great dividends here with a moral that life’s greatest adventure is the one you share with someone you love. The non-humans – particularly Kevin and Dug – are hilarious and unique, and a silent sequence detailing the courtship and marriage of the Fredricksens is a sweet touch that could have come straight out of a Charlie Chaplin movie.

What’s bad?: With a string of critically acclaimed hits that includes Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-E and now Up, Pixar is ruining it for everyone else. There is simply no way it can be topped when it comes to pushing the boundaries of animated movies. Bad for other studios. Good for us.

Oscar watch?: Could Up, which just became the first animated film to open the Cannes Film Festival, also become the first to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar since Beauty and the Beast in 1991 (before the Animation category was even established)? At this point in the year, it’s actually a good bet. Whatever the case, expect Up to earn several nominations come Oscar time.

Favorite scene?: A swashbuckling swordfight across the skies between two near-octogenarians? It’s the best action scene in a summer full of ’em.

Netflix or multiplex?: Oh, pleeeeeease! Get to a theater fast. Up is also available in 3-D at select locations. Either way, it’s a must-see.

Bottom line: Hollywood.com rated this film 4 stars.