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The Amityville Horror | Year: 1979 Directed: - Stuart Rosenberg Actors/Actresses: - James Brolin - Margot Kidder - Rod Steiger - Helen Shaver 4 BD 1 BA 1 Demonic Spirit There is a lot of controversy surrounding the truthfulness of this supposed "true story". While a horrible crime did happen here, what is presented in this movie, and the book, seems to be, or what many believe to be, a complete and total hoax. On November 13, 1974, 23 year old Ronald DeFeo Jr., took a shotgun and murdered his entire family. His parents, both 43 years old, and his four siblings. Two sisters, 18 and 13, and two little brothers, 12 and 9. He later said that he heard "voices" telling him to do it and that many were trying to make the people believe that he was possessed(which would figure into the story for the sequel), and was just a convenient excuse for his case. George and Kathy Lutz(here played by James Brolin and Margot Kidder), moved into the house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, N.Y., with her 3 kids, and after 28 days(although they originally said they were there for 10 days, which already makes you doubt their story), they moved out saying that the place was haunted and strange things happened. Things like weird smells, opening and shutting windows, glowing eyed pigs that levitated, a demonic pit in the basement, slime and blood from the walls, an abundance of flies, and urges to re-enact the DeFeo murders. George also seems to become possessed by the house's demonic spirit. While the publicity afterwards seemed to totally reak of "hoax", it has never actually been proven. Although, if you know the story and the details, you would never believe that any of this was ever true. It has been stated that the family moved in with a relative because of feeling unhappy living in the house, and this so called relative suggested that they exaggerate their "feelings" into a good ghost story. Right there tells you that this was nothing more than a grand hoax to fool the world, and it apparently worked. It was something made for a good ghost story, and it turned out that way. Some people, because of the scam factor of the "haunted" story, thought that the real murders were fake as well. That nothing ever happened at this house. The murders were real. The DeFeo's were real. The movie itself is quite in-effective, and is never as ghostly or scary as it tries to be. The book it's based on is much creepier and more worth your time than this movie, if you are interested in the story at all. The acting is mediocre, with Brolin hamming it up, and Kidder just going through the motions. Rod Steiger also appears as a priest here, and it's a pretty one dimensional role. The effects are pretty cheesy and cheap looking, and the so called "scares" offer very little in that regard. There is an undeniable creep factor to it thanks to the scary windows and the decent musical score, but that is about it. It is a rather uneventful movie and it moves like molasses. What would be interesting is to have an actual movie about the real "Amityville Horror". The life of the DeFeo's and what brought Ronald Jr. to that fateful early morning on November 13,1974 "GET OUT!" It gets two stars for that scene alone! YIKES! I don't know, maybe it was because I read the book first that made me dislike this film so much. The book by the way is down right creepy - highly recommendable! If you haven't seen the movie yet, rent it first and then go from there. It's fairly disappointing but worth checking out. The House Knows What Scares You It's your typical fixer-upper: slight problems with the plumbing, doors and windows with a mind of their own and a bit of an insect problem. It's also got a bit of a grisly history (the house's former residents were killed in their sleep by one of their own), but the Lutzes (played by Brolin and Kidder) are undeterred and soon find out exactly why the house was sold for a song. This here is your typical haunted house movie (not as good as some, but better than others) and while it comes with the prerequisite scares assosciated with a haunted house story, it also generates enough energy to make the film somewhat unsettling. It should be noted that the film is based on the supposed "true story" of the Lutzes and their terrifying 28 days of residency. Whether or not you believe their stories of hauntings at the Dutch Colonial house, it is documented fact that the home was the sight of a real-life horrible tragedy in the mid-70's. Ronald DeFeo, murdered his entire family there and, when apprehended, claimed that "voices in the house" told him to do it. Herein lies the main unsettling nature of the film. It's not so much about the Lutzes or the bizarre happenings, but about the house itself. In fact, the film does an unnerving job of making the house the central character (what with it's half-crescent windows, it does seem as though the house is staring at you). The movie is filled with several not-so-very special effects, but also has enough tension in certain scenes to make it worth watching. Brolin and Kidder do an adequate job as the unsuspecting couple targeted for the house's wrath while Steiger wildly overacts in his role of Fr. Delaney, the priest who knows who the house's real owner is. Again, while the stories of the hauntings have been widely proclaimed a hoax, it is unnerving enough to imagine a new family moving into a place filled with such bad memories. This edition is sorely lacking in special features (surprising considering the incredible success of the film upon it's intial release and subsequent re-releases), but does feature an appropriately creepy menu design (which may seem silly to say, but owners of the DVD know what I'm talking about). All in all, it's worth a look whether you believe the stories or not and it does feature an incredibly well-done score courtesey of Lalo Schifrin (yes, the same composer responsible for the Mission: Impossible theme). Although "Poltergeist" would redefine the haunted house genre later in time by adding state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects, "The Amityville Horror" works mostly for it's sense of foreboding and the sincere sense of dread that the house elicits not only from it's characters, but it's viewers as well. I've seen the film several times and, while dated, it still works on some visceral level. Due, I would suppose, in large part to the house's actual history (documented here in the macabre prologue to the film). Technically adequate in the sense of direction, production and a Buy The Amityville Horror at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Amityville Horror Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Amityville Horror This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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