...it all seems a bit silly when things easily could have been avoided simply by moving out.
The Amityville Horror (2005)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for The Amityville Horror
The latest in a long line of cheap horror film remakes that combine familiar names and stories with slash-cut editing and computer-generated effects.
The filmmakers have managed to take a mediocre movie and make it worse.
Since Scream poured irony into the mix, it has become mighty hard to write a line of dialogue that doesn't elicit winks and nods. We all know where the mayhem's leading.
Unfortunately, it's not awful in the sort of way that allows it to be dumb fun, nor does it provide any scares or laughs, intentional or otherwise, that might make it watchable.
Not content to remake an old, mediocre horror movie, this Amityville takes its cues from current mediocre horror movies, too. This one is frightening only if you can't remember the last throwaway movie that leaned on all the same tricks.
[B]ehind [Reynold’s] empty himbo stare is a lack of talent that is shocking even in an era in which style is valued over substance...
Adequately marking time until the next inevitable (and pointless) horror remake comes along.
Anyone who would enjoy this garbage probably delights in pulling the wings off flies.
Horror films are not being made as entertainment anymore. They’re scare devices... Getting scared should be the punchline to an exciting ride.
These aren’t things that go bump in the night -- unless 'bump' means knocking you over the head with a sledgehammer.
While director Andrew Douglas tries to generate a few cheap shocks, you may soon join the voices in urging George to 'kill them all.'
There are some scary moments, but 10 minutes after you leave the theatre, the only feeling that's left is a sense of what instant gratification can I get now.
Despite its flaws, The Amityville Horror is good at scaring the popcorn out of your hand.
The only lasting horror in The Amityville Horror is in what it takes from your wallet.
... a creepy crowd pleaser... Ryan Reynolds doesn’t waste his shot to go all Nicholson on a helpless family.
The additional gore and short-attention-span editing might make Amityville more appealing to today’s audience, but the film can’t scare up more than a few frights.
With the new Bay-produced remake of The Amityville Horror, a middling horror film from 1979 has been remade into something truly atrocious in 2005.
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