THE AMITYVILLE HORROR
1979 ** 118 mins.
1979 ** 118 mins.
This film gets points only for its intriguing storyline and decent performances from the two main actors, James Brolin and Margot Kidder. Otherwise, though, this film is complete crap that absolutely does not do Jay Anson's source novel justice. I've read the novel twice, and while it may not be the best book in the world (I'd probably rate it ***1/2), this film is just rubbish in comparison. Mainly due to how it's shot and edited and the fact that it's a very bit cheesy. The voice shouting "Get out!" is just so . . . stupid, not scary at all. The cinematography is poor, even for a B-movie, and the editing is just sloppy. Once scene in particular, near the beginning, sticks out in my mind. As the main couple is walking up the stairs with a woman who is showing them the house, the image freezes in mid-sentence for a few seconds before it cuts to a flashback. I'm sure that those few seconds of the still image were not supposed to be there because the sequence is has a few of the flashbacks, and none of the others are like that. I'm also well aware that the video I watched was a poorly adapted full screen version in which the image was stretched out to fit the screen. That was very annoying. I tried to take that into consideration, though. After all, I originally watched David Lynch's Lost Highway in full screen, and I still gave it five stars.
Basically, a newly married couple and their children (his through marriage) move into a house that is known to have had a family murdered in it the previous year. Twenty-eight days later, they flee from it, leaving everything behind (except the dog, not to spoil anything, understand). The film centers around all the odd happenings that occur to all those in and around the house.
Rated R for scary elements, language, and sexuality.
Based Upon the Book by
Jay Anson
Screenplay by
Sandor Stern
Directed by
Stuart Rosenberg