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Movies / On DVD / The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror

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The Amityville Horror (2005)

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Reviews Counted:155

Fresh:37

Rotten:118

Average Rating:4.2/10

Consensus: A so-so remake of a so-so original.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for violence and terror, sexuality, language and brief drug use.

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:15-04-2005

Synopsis: This frightening remake of the 1979 horror classic from producer Michael Bay (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) delves deeper into the supposedly true story of supernatural events that occurred in a... This frightening remake of the 1979 horror classic from producer Michael Bay (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) delves deeper into the supposedly true story of supernatural events that occurred in a Long Island, New York home in the '70s. When George and Kathy Lutz (Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) come across a beautiful river-front colonial home being sold for a steal, they suspect a catch. Once informed that the home was the site of a grisly mass murder, they decide to buy the house anyway and eagerly move in, bringing with them Kathy's three children from a previous marriage. While no one can deny that the house is rife with spooky sounds, the family members try to put their fears at bay. But over time, strange occurrences start happening, becoming more and more frequent, and these events start to have a transformative effect on several family members. Kathy's daughter starts to act bizarrely, ending up in a variety of life-threatening situations, led by her new, not-so-imaginary friend Jody (one of the children slaughtered in the house years before by her older brother). Likewise, something strange seems to be happening to George. His usually sweet demeanor is replaced with a hostile one, and he starts cruelly taking out his aggression on Kathy's children. Kathy's original assumption that a house cannot be evil is challenged as she watches her husband transform into the sort of man that just might be capable of murdering his family. Faster-paced than the original, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with quick editing, suspenseful music, and moderately graphic violence. The two leads give quality performances, and seem to inhabit the decade in which the story is set despite the film's slick, contemporary production. [More]

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jimmy Bennett, Jesse James

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jimmy Bennett, Jesse James, Chloe Grace Moretz, Philip Baker Hall

Director: Michael Bay

Director: Michael Bay
Screenwriter: Sandor Stern, Scott Kosar
Producer: Andrew Form, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller
Studio: MGM/UA

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Reviews for The Amityville Horror

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Reynolds is well cast in the lead - it's genuinely upsetting as the house starts to chip away at his Nice Guy persona. He also spends a huge amount of the film either half-naked or dripping wet, if you like that sort of thing.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
05/14/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

An efficient, schlocky remake from the guys who disinterred The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Amityville Horror is actually slightly better than its 1979 inspiration.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
05/14/05
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I can't escape the feeling that if you were to put me in a room with an editing machine, the raw footage, and a collection of sound effects, I could have made a better film.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
05/14/05
Scott Andrews
Scott Andrews
FilmFocus

That it's based on true events makes it much more fascinating, even though the filmmakers have bent the story to fit the structure of a horror film.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
04/18/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

This is a slightly better-than-expected remake of the 1979 film of the same name.

Full Review Source: Cinefantastique | comment Comment
03/10/09
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
Cinefantastique
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

Less frightening than just unpleasant.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Against the odds, the remake rivals the original for sheer mediocrity.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

the original wasn't really that great, nor did it have a substantial cult following to justify a remake. So, unusual as it may be, this remake is a much, much better film.

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
09/10/06
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

The best thing I can say about Andrew Douglas's remake of The Amityville Horror is that it gave me a reason to track down the original film.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/01/06
Peter T. Chattaway
Peter T. Chattaway
Christianity Today

The movie's only aspiration is to be a jacked-up re-jiggering of a name-brand horror 'classic.' It sets out to be not just schlock, but pre-chewed schlock.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
02/07/06
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

The Amityville Horror is just another decidedly bland, but mildly entertaining, horror film churned out in the rush to cash in on the reemergence of horror in Hollywood.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Heidi Martinuzzi
Heidi Martinuzzi
Film Threat

... The Amityville Horror is the best horror movie of the year so far. Faint praise, to be sure, but at least it's R-rated.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat

Douglas logra varios momentos de tensión en los que, si se va al cine con la suficiente intención de disfrutar la película, llega a generar uno que otro buen susto.

Full Review Source: Moviola | comment Comment
11/28/05
Jorge Avila Andrade
Jorge Avila Andrade
Moviola

out-fakes the first film ups the dosage.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/03/05
James Brundage
James Brundage
Filmcritic.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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