The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition)
From Michael Bay, the producer of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," comes the true story of Amityville. In November 1974, a family of six was brutally murdered. Now, a year later, an unsuspecting young couple, George (Ryan Reynolds, "Blade: Trinity," "The In-Laws") and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George, TV's "Alias"), and their children move into the house that was the site of the horrific event and is now haunted by a murderous presence. What follows is 28 days of unimaginable terror. With demonic visions of the dead and relentless screams of terror, this is the haunted house story that isn't just a movie - it's real.
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
The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition) Accessories
 The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Unrated (Special Edition)
House of Wax (Widescreen Edition)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Amityville Horror
The Ring (Widescreen Edition)
The Ring Two (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)
Boogeyman (Special Edition)
The Grudge
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning - Unrated (New Line Platinum Series)
The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition) Reviews
I didnt expect to be so spooked. The story is good also, love the cast. It's incredibly surprising because it's scary. Just lovely
There's no cliffhangers or overly complicated mystery that never gets explained. In fact, I would say this movie has one of the most petrifying ghost scenes ever.(The boy in the bathroom).The costumes/makeup were really good too. I thought his quirky style was a perfect complement to the cast.
My advice: Don't see the 1979 version first, don't think about it too hard, pretend it's not based on the "true story", and just enjoy this great horror film. Also, I loved Ryan Reynolds in a scary movie. It's just 89 minutes of very frightening ghosts popping up and some surprisingly appropriate acting. He makes a smooth transition from Van Wilder to Blade 3 to Amityville because he seems to just be himself.
It may not be a timeless classic, but its fun. The thing I liked best about this one is that everything makes sense.
It's difficult to feel any empathy for the characters, and the special effects don't really showcase the amazing technology present in modern day film making. There's plenty of information out there which goes into the details about what happened and what was fiction. First off, if you don't already know, the supernatural myth surrounding the Amityville House is a hoax. I just found it hillarious that MGM is still trying to push this as a "based on a true story" thriller. Nonetheless, the film is way too short and appears to have been pieced together. The story lacks any real development and the acting is two-dimensional. If I'm not mistaken, there's some sort of litigation that took place between the Lutz family and the producers of this remake.
But sadly, to suspenseful scenes in a pile of garbage does not a good movie make. It's shamelessly weak, barely noticable, and utterly forgettable. You don't have to believe in ghosts to make an effective ghost story, but if you're making one that is based on a true story, you should at least hire a director who believes the story to be true. But sadly, after viewing the movie, I realised this was only a minor flaw. The original also finds redemption in Lalo Schifrin's creepy and memorable score.
That's fine. By his own admission he doesn't believe in ghosts. However, Steve Jablonsky's score is anything but creepy and memorable. He just doesn't seem to care about the story nor the charachters.
This so-called remake has little to do with the original, and even less to do with the book and the reported facts of what happened. These scenes are brilliantly edited and handled with suspense and tension.
But at least it sticks fairly close to the novel and the reports of what happened. I am huge fan of the original, but I do realise that even the original has it's share of flaws.
The only reason why this excuse for a horror movie even merrits one star is due to two nicely executed scenes: The babysitter in the closet, and the little girl on the roof. What is the point of claiming the movie is based on a true story if you make up 98% of the movie.
The first mistake was getting Andrew Douglas to direct. My first objection is that they didn't use the original house, instead opting for a house which lacks the sinister charachteristics of the original.
Douglas directs the movie with an utter lack of passion and interest.
I wasn't sure what to expect with the latest remake to come out of Hollywood with Amityville, but I did hope for a little more than what we got. Don't worry no spoilers.while the movie moved along at a nice pace, with scares and action all along, the ending just sort of peters out.there was no final kick in the gut that you kept waiting for.it just sort of ends. I think the thing that bothered me most about the movie, was the weak ending. Ryan Reynolds does a really good job portraying a man being driven insane, and the film does have a few white knuckle scares mixed in, but I was really hoping for a great ghost story.
I did like the movie, but I don't know if I would recommend dropping the dough to go and see this in the theater. Unfortunately, no one has ever done a really good job translating the scares found in the book to the big screen. Still I have seen worse ghost stories this year."Ring 2" anyone.and for a rainy Saturday,Amityville Horror would do just fine.
I don't think there will be much lost waiting for the DVD release and watching it at home. If you ever get a chance, read the novel these films are based on. It is one of the scariest books this side of Steven King, and will truly raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
|
