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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 critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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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

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

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

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

Click to read the article

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

Click to read the article

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

Better than the original and scarier than The Grudge or The Ring 2.

Full Review Source: FilmsInReview.com | comment 1 Comment
04/13/05
Victoria Alexander
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

Why take an old. ugly lump of cheese and make it into a bigger, uglier, and smellier lump of cheese?

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
04/13/05
Boo Allen
Boo Allen
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

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

Douglas rushes through everything, building a monotonous, anxious hum without mixing it up or giving the audience a break.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
04/21/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

So full of false beats, heavy-handed staging and unnecessarily overblown effects -- and so lacking in suspense and character involvement -- that it's about as scary as a Toyota commercial.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
04/14/05
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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

... routine remake of a 1979 horror classic.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
05/14/05
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Adequately marking time until the next inevitable (and pointless) horror remake comes along.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
04/15/05
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly

In a ghost story, the narrative doesn't have to be a model of originality or coherence, but it needs to support the scares. In The Amityville Horror, the writing is so bad that it detracts from the 'boo!' moments and creepy interludes.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
04/15/05
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

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

Punchy, frightening, and far slicker than the original - but for all the refurbishment, something's still not quite right with this haunted house.

Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
05/14/05
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette

OK, I admit it: movies about demonic houses scare me a little. I mean, we've all, at one time or another, stared long and hard at the attic and/or basement door, haven't we?

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
04/14/05
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com

out-fakes the first film ups the dosage.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/03/05
James Brundage
James Brundage
Filmcritic.com

I've seen episodes of Sesame Street that were more frightening than this generic junk.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
04/21/05
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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