The Amityville Horror (1979) - In this "based on a true
story" movie, George and Kathy Lutz move into their dream home where six people were
murdered one year earlier. Before they have unpacked flies congregate upstairs, black ooze
flows from the taps, their daughter starts talking to a new friend Jodie, and weird noises
fill the house. To top it off George starts to become a little nutty, spending most of his
time sharpening his favourite axe. The Amityville Horror has its moments (the
discovery of the red room), but ultimately it’s too long and not much happens. The
huge climactic moment of the film involves the family trying to go downstairs. It’s
not thrilling and it’s not scary, but it does have some great campy moments including
over the top performances by Rod Steiger and James Brolin. (** out of 5)
Amityville II: The Possession (1982) - This prequel, also based on a true story,
revolves around the family who was murdered before the Lutz family moved in. The oldest
son, possessed by some evil spirit, grabs a shotgun and wipes out his family only to deal
with an intense priest who wants to exorcize his demons. It’s the filmic equivalent
to throwing up all over the graves of these people. I’m sure the real family had a
lot of problems, but the movie treats them as cogs in some freakish ride, and a fictional
incestuous subplot between two of the siblings is incredibly unsettling. I’m not one
who usually cries out against bad taste in movies, but in this case it’s hard to look
past the fact that victims of a terrible crime are being exploited to cash in on a name
brand! (* out of 5).
Amityville 3-D (1983) - My personal favourite of the three movies
(although unfortunately not shown in 3D) forgets about the "true" story aspect
and focuses on telling a fun ghost story. A skeptical writer buys the haunted Amityville
house because the price is right and starts to experience weird phenomena. Trying to prove
once and for all whether or not the house is haunted the writer calls in a group of
scientists to debunk the myth. It’s not great filmmaking, but it’s refreshingly
upbeat compared to the depressing first two movies. Also, not obligated to any form of
realism, director Richard Fleischer creates an exciting finale with bizarre creatures from
Hell, a swordfish of death, freak indoor weather patterns, and quite a few explosive
surprises. (**1/2 out of 5)
The new DVDs are very well done starting with the impressive video transfers. The films
look good and they sound great as well, with the spooky sound effects pounding forth from
the speakers. Although Amityville 2 and 3 has no special features on them,
the first movie contains a revealing documentary For God’s Sake Get Out that
talks about some of the on set turmoil. As well there is an audio commentary by Dr. Hans
Holzer - a PH.D. in parapsychologist who was involved in the aftermath of the Amityville
case. He believes 100% in the Lutz’s tale and it’s fun to hear some of his more
out there theories (especially his philosophy on the afterlife). The real star of this box
set however is the fourth bonus disc that contains two documentaries from The History
Channel about the haunted house. Personally, I found these documentaries to be scarier
and more interesting than any of the Hollywood movies. There is also a look at the remake,
coming to theatres in April, which will hopefully be an improvement on the original. Since
there is a free movie ticket included in the box set I intend to find out.
