The Amityville Horror is a 2005 American biographical horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name which itself was based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson, which documents the alleged experiences of the Lutz family after they moved into a house on Long Island which had been the scene of a mass murder committed by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. who shot six members of his family there in November 1974.
On November 13, 1974, at 3:15am, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. shot and killed his family at their home, 112 Ocean Avenue inAmityville, New York. He killed five members of his family in their beds, but his youngest sister, Jodie, had been killed in her bedroom closet. He claimed that he was persuaded to kill them by voices he had heard in the house.
George and Kathy Lutz and her three children from a previous marriage, Billy, Michael and Chelsea move into what they believe will be their dream home, 112 Ocean Avenue situated on the waterfront in Amityville. When George questions the asking price, which is well below market value, the realtor confesses the house was the scene of a brutal murder. Despite some misgivings, George acquiesces to his wife’s wishes and purchases the property. Almost immediately, the family is plagued by a series of unexplained and apparently supernatural happenings…
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‘It’s rare to discover a remake that’s better than the original since, by design, they are commonly viewed as inferior products. But in the case of this more polished revision of ‘The Amityville Horror (2005),’ the filmmakers have done a surprisingly better job in the scare department than Stuart Rosenberg’s 1979 version. Even more surprising is that the movie comes from Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes, a studio practically dedicated to furnishing older horror titles with a fresh perspective, especially when they’re not needed. In this instance, a remake happens to be justified because the original is somewhat weak and boring. In other words, this ‘Amityville’ is better at delivering the horror about a possessed house.’ High-Def Digest Blu-ray Disc review
‘The 2005 remake of The Amityville Horror was a somewhat surprising commercial hit. Despite grossing over $100 million worldwide, the modestly budgeted fright flick didn’t trigger a rebirth of the franchise. Watching the film on the newly released two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, it isn’t hard to see why. There are a handful of effectively creepy moments and a nice change of pace turn from Ryan Reynolds. Otherwise there aren’t many reasons to recommend this.’ Blogcritics.org Blu-ray Disc review
Buy The Amityville Horror (2005) on Blu-ray Disc + DVD from Amazon.com
Categories: 2000s, adaptation of a novel, paranormal, remake, supernatural
You hear about Amityville as you’re growing up, the mythology of it grows in your mind and somehow it gets elevated to the levels of stuff like The Exorcist. But in actual fact the best thing about the film is the extras about the real house and its inhabitants on the DVD (especially that picture of the kid with the glowing eyes!). I enjoyed the remake a lot more as the original is a lifeless trudge but even the remake is pretty middle of the road with a few effective thrills: although Reynold’s departure from goofy good guy is a minor success.