(22 votes, average: 3.27 out of 5)
Loading …Rent Movie.com movie reviews presents The Amityville Horror movie review a 2005 film starring Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George and directed by Andrew Douglas A family is terrorized by demonic forces after moving into a home that was the site of a grisly mass-murder. George & Kathy Lutz and Kathy’s 3 children are moving into an elegant Long Island home. What they don’t know is that 6 gruesome murders were committed there the year before - Ronald DeFeo Jr., the oldest son in the family, murdered his parents, his 2 brothers & 2 sisters by shooting them with a .35 caliber in November of 1974. No sooner are the Lutzes moved into the house than they begin seeing horrible things - the ghost of Jodie DeFeo, horribly disfigured bodies - and hearing ghostly voices throughout the house. George seems to notice it the most, and it isn’t long before he becomes a danger to those around him. When the local priest, called in to bless the house, comes charging out in horror after being swarmed by flies, he issues a dire warning to Kathy - ‘Leave that house’. But will they be able to escape before the house and its vengeful spirits take control of George - and make him into a deadly menace? Most horror movies establish an atmosphere of normalcy, which they gradually rupture with spooky or creepy or stomach-churning images. The Amityville Horror–a remake of the 1979 movie about a possessed house that torments the family that moves into it–tosses normalcy out the window in the first five minutes, unleashing a nonstop barrage of unsettling camera angles, decaying wood and stained wallpaper, half-glimpsed shadows in motion, fast edits of grotesque ghosts, and dozens of other horror-movie devices. Whether you like the movie will depend on whether you like feeling slightly nauseated and cut off from any semblance of reality–for many people, that’s why they go to horror movies. Others won’t be able to suspend disbelief that anyone but an actor would spend the time necessary to develop Ryan Reynold’s insanely buff physique, prominently displayed as he runs around wearing nothing but a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms. In addition to Reynolds (Van Wilder, Blade: Trinity), the movie also features Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia) and Melissa George (Down With Love). –Bret Fetzer
Comment by slave2moonlight
# January 1, 2007,
At 3:15 a.m. on November 13th, 1974, in a lavish home in the suburb of Amityville, New York, 23 yr. old Ronald Defeo, Jr. brutally murdered his father, mother, and younger siblings as they slept, claiming as his motive that mysterious “voices” instructed him in his actions. The following year, newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz moved into that same house with Kathy’s three children from a previous marriage. To the Lutzes, the bargain-priced home was a dream come true, despite the tragedy they knew had taken place there before. They were eager to start a life together in their new home on Ocean Avenue, but their dreams would soon be shattered by an evil that seemed to possess the very heart of the house itself. The events of their 28 day stay have come to be known as “the Amityville Horror.”
While the real Lutz family may justly dispute the film’s “Based on a true story” header and slanderously false depiction of George himself, thanks to the Hollywood exaggerations and inventions woven into their story for this and the original 1979 film, they stand by their original allegations of their nightmarish experiences in the house at 112 Ocean Avenue. In other words, popular claims that the family `fessed up to a colossal hoax are completely untrue. This fact, thankfully, leaves the legendary mystery of the Amityville house intact. And, while we no doubt feel compassion for those who suffered and died in that possibly evil home, the knowledge of some basis in truth is what really makes the Amityville story so fascinating.
The original film, while it was no doubt sensationalized, was probably a closer account of the Lutzes’ own story than the new version starring Ryan Reynolds as an unbelievably ripped (did people take personal fitness to THAT level in the 70s?) George Lutz, and the beautiful (but forgets to dye her eyebrows to match her hair) Melissa George as his wife, Kathy. In this 2005 retelling of America’s most famous haunting, a variety of story changes result in what still adds up to be an enjoyably chilling experience, even for fans of the original movie. The folks at MGM have cooked up a remake with some real scares here, possibly among the best I’ve ever seen. The theme of the Lutzes’ struggle to hold together throughout the events remains intact (if a bit overly brutalized), though the strong focus on the family and the house makes for such a small cast and so few locales that an almost low budget feeling seems to loom. The original film still feels like the better one, most likely because of memorable elements like the highly superior “Get out!” scene, the much more disturbing pig incarnation of “Jodie,” and the repeated use of that spine-tingling theme music. I can’t even recall if the classic theme was used in this remake. It also had a stronger atmosphere, and much more believability, in part, I’m sure, because it was so much more real. The actors did not look like models in the 70s, and this is one reason horror films of that time are so frightening compared to the eye-candy flicks of today. Everything nowadays is perhaps a bit too crisp and perfect, including the actors and actresses. Great to look at, but not easy to relate to. On the other hand, the performances were excellent, and the horrific imagery used in this remake is truly blood-curdling. They really hit the nail on the head with the scares in this flick, even if they botched the “Get out!” voice that was so frightening in the classic. The new film also provides an eerie new back story, something sorely lacking from the original film. There’s also a great revision of the babysitter sequence, featuring either the worst babysitter in history, or the best, depending on who you are in the household.
“The Amityville Horror” remake maintains itself throughout, and is more than worthy of viewing and eventually owning. Not as good as the first as an overall movie, but visually more frightening than anything I can remember seeing offhand. Should please the typical horror movie fan. Also highly recommended for fans of demonic haunted house tales, the direct to DVD feature “Dead Birds.”