Amityville - Face of Terror

Being number six in a long line of AMITYVILLE sequels, AMITYVILLE 1992 (well it seems like it could actually be!) was never really going to be any good. Supernatural horror sequels never really seem to work, no matter how much of a classic the originals were. Look how the OMEN series depleted rapidly in quality, gasp as Freddie Kreuger becomes less of the ultimate evil and more like that old geography teacher that everyone used to play up to - vomit as the EXORCIST franchise went from classic to jurassic... Number six just doesn't sound good!

And IT'S ABOUT TIME really doesn't do anything to argue this matter. Some nice ideas are here, don't get me wrong, but the film just lollops along with a pace that starts to feel like time is stopping altogether! The only gratification I got (and the only reason why I held out) was the wonderful scene where the lovely Megan Ward experiences her 'para-sexual' awakening. Great cinema - I can't really complain!

So make of this review what you will - AMITYVILLE is not nearly as bad as some from this genre, and it is not entirely unenjoyable. Just plan something else to do at the same time - this film requires only a fraction of your attention (about 10 minutes halfway through actually!), so your brain might start to drum its bio-rythmical thumbs...

This movie is about a clock that is haunted and evil. It messes with reality and time, cursing the people in a house.

A great soundtrack and some really memorable scenes. The actors and story keep the film from dragging. Shawn Weatherly is attractive and a good leading lady.

If the film had been a little darker and scarier that could have made it even better, but certainly a good one to grab up and add to your vhs collection.

I love B-horror movies. Ones that are not too gory, slightly campy. Amityville 3-D is one of my favorite all time movies.

So when I saw this out on DVD, I scooped it up. I wasn't sure what to expect.

It's actually quite decent.

This guy, the father of a family, brings home this clock. Which came from the Amityville house, but has an older history than that.

The family is a bit odd - you have the father and two children (both teenagers, one a metal-head guy and the other sort of a goody girl) and an ex-girlfriend of his, living with them. She apparently helps take care of the kids while he is a away. And she has a boyfriend, a stereotypical loafer wearing psychiatrist.

Anyway, various haunting type stuff happens. Much of it is time based, since it's focused around the clock. Most of this is pretty cool, actually. Also some stuff from the original movie, the black goo coming out of the ground/pipes stuff. And some stuff seems borrowed from the Omen series. And meanwhile, the father gets possessed. Sort of. But he's not really the focus of the movie. Basically each character gets equal time, with the main focus being the ex-girlfriend.

I really enjoyed it a lot. Not scary, but lots of stuff is different than you'd expect, or think what will happen. Surprisingly intelligent. Much better than the original movie.

A decent straight to video sequel to a "popular" franchise. "It's About Time" centers on a possessed clock that happens to be from the original Amytiville house. A family with intentions to renew their life, move to a beautiful mansion. Unfortunately for them, they buy the possessed clock and that's when things start to get horrible.

This is probably the second best sequel in the franchise, following "The Possession", a sinister sequel. "It's About Time" obviously centers on the possession topic and has the occasional poltergeist scenes provoked by the clock's evil glow.

This movie scared me when I first rented it (I was 8 or 9) because it has a dark, creepy atmosphere. The mansion is scary enough for a movie like this. The f/x are below average but it's normal for a direct to video sequel.

If you are a fan of haunted house or possession flicks, this is a very good option that exploits the greatness of direct to video.

"Amityville: It's About Time" follows a California architect who returns from a business trip in New York, where he acquires an antique clock. Soon after his return, he is in a terrible accident that leaves him bedridden; meanwhile, his family experiences an array of bizarre occurrences in their house. Little do they know, the clock they've brought in was from the Amityville DeFeo house, and is doing more than telling time.

I'll be frank here: none of the "Amityville" films have ever been spectacular—even the original, which, though a good haunted house film, had its flaws. The sequels have been hit and miss, and 1990's "The Amityville Curse" was abhorred by many (I actually somewhat enjoyed it, but that's another story). As the installments in this series progressed, they've tended to sprawl out to the point that each haunting is incidentally connected to the Amityville house via objects rather than geography—this occurred in Part 4 where a lamp possessed evil powers, and would be re-used again in the followup to "It's About Time" in "Amityville Dollhouse." Long story short, the series as a whole is rather silly.

With that out of the way, I do think "Amityville: It's About Time" does have some goods to offer. Where the earlier films in the series were more concerned with suspense, this sequel goes straight for thrills from the beginning, though there is a bit of character building as the film meditates on the disintegration of a family. The clock itself acts as a catalyst in the warped dynamic, and there is a lot of playful writing involving the clock's powers and its relationship toward time.

The film manages to evoke a weirdly oppressive suburban atmosphere, and the performances throughout are better than what you find in most direct-to-video fodder; Stephen Macht's role as the breadwinning architect-turned-madman is decent, and Megan Ward and Damon Martin play convincing enough teenagers. Nita Talbot is a bit of a show-stealer here as a matronly neighbor who uncovers the truth behind the family's turmoil.

Overall, "Amityville: It's About Time," though not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, is one of the better "Amityville" sequels. As silly as the premise may be, there is a decent amount of fun to be had. A few memorable performances plus some appreciable special effects and playful writing render this worth a watch for genre fans. 6/10.