Terror em Amityville

George and Kathy Lutz are looking for a place to anchor down and raise a family. The Lutz's and their children (Kathy's from a previous marriage) settle on an impossibly cheap, large and beautiful shore house. But 28 days later the macabre and scary happenings force them to leave…leaving all their earthly possession behind. During the course of those 28 days, the family goes through all kinds of hell a room full of flies, demonic voices and a pig with glowing red eyes. What kind of past does that house have that would make everything horribly wrong. Based on a true story.

Real or hoax, you decide but "The Amityville Horror" has all the trappings of an excellent haunted house story. Too bad that the filmmakers falter a bit with a lack of character development that also ends up stifling the actors in the film, that would have helped out immensely. A creepy music score (the one rejected for "The Exorcist") and several good set-pieces help out but the end of the second act kind of gets stale. A good supernatural thriller.

Over the years, I have truly enjoyed "The Amityville Horror," a 1979 haunted house flick that has been critically, and unfairly, bashed. Since it's based on a true story, the critics have found that they dislike the movie based on their knowledge of the movie's inspiration. Now, here's my opinion: fiction or non-fiction, Stuart Rosenberg managed to make a fun, campy, and all around creepy horror film that resonates as one of the most famous haunted house movies ever created.

Everyone knows the legend about that house in Amityville, New York, the Dutch Colonial on 112 Ocean Avenue. The movie begins in 1974, when Ronnie DeFeo Jr. murdered his family in the house at 3:15 am, shooting them all in their sleep. A year later, George and Kathy Lutz bought the house and moved in with their three children and their dog, Harry. Aware of the tragedy that occurred in the home, George and his wife planned to fix it up and start a new life after their recent marriage. After all, "houses don't have memories." But then, things went wrong. Horribly wrong. And after 28 days, the family left the house and fled Amityville, never turning back.

Of course, Jay Anson's novel was a bestseller. I've personally read it myself, and it's written well. But there are several different variations on what happened during those 28 days, even with George and Kathy Lutz. So, for those of you who know the story before you watch the movie, it's hard to distinguish what is and isn't true. Some of you may not believe it at all. However, I am one of those people that believe in this account of a suburban haunted house, after watching rather truthful and intelligent interviews with the Lutzes and other paranormal investigators. But aside from that, what matters most about "The Amityville Horror" is how it works as a movie.

First of all, the setting means everything. Filmed in New Jersey, and not actually filmed in Amityville, the house is a particularly creepy abode to look at, especially during night scenes. Those two windows become a character all their own. They stare out into the night, and give the viewer the horrible feeling that they're being watched.

Also, there is definitely enough paranormal activity going on to keep you interested. However, the ghostly phenomenon doesn't start right away. In fact, it builds sporadically, creating a wonderful sense of dread. If you can appreciate a good build-up without much special effects(until the dynamite ending), then you will probably like the movie.

James Brolin and Margot Kidder are a joy to watch as George and Kathy Lutz. They are not perfect performances by far(there are moments when their performances go a little too over the top). But there are great things to see here between Brolin and Kidder. They have sincere moments together as husband and wife. Other times when things get frightening, their shock and fear comes off naturally. Then we are scared for George and Kathy. Basically, Brolin and Kidder give mostly good performances.

We also have Rod Steiger's performance as Father Delaney to judge. Sandor Stern's script has limited this character, and therefore, Steiger is not in the movie too much, but he makes the most with the screen time he has. In fact, he makes the role larger, and we're not just scared for the Lutz family, but for him also.

Obviously, some events in "The Amityville Horror" are slightly exaggerated when you compare them with the book's events or the perspectives of others who have experienced the haunting. But that doesn't make the movie any less entertaining. I look past its flaws, and embrace it for what it is: a cult classic that has gotten some damn good attention over the years. It's not a masterpiece, but I continue to love and believe in "The Amityville Horror."

What makes The Amityville Horror such a classic even to this day is its sense of tone. Minimalist music, jarring sound effects, and creepy sets do way more for a horror atmosphere than gore and gimmicks. I can't say I was engaged the entire time, but I can definitely see why this is such a revered horror classic.

After a gruesome mass murder takes place in a big house in a nice neighbourhood, the house is sold for a very affordable price to the Lutzes, an average stepfamily of five. Soon after moving in, strange things start occurring: doors, windows and furniture move by themselves, strange sounds are heard and the family members start behaving oddly. Especially George (James Brolin), the stepfather, becomes sullen and brooding over a couple of weeks, upsetting his wife Kathy (Margot Kidder) and her kids. A local priest (Rod Steiger) also notices something gravely wrong about the house, but doesn't seem to be able to help the Lutzes despite his efforts. As the eerie incidents keep getting more and more distressing, how will the Lutzes cope with the situation?

Based on Jay Anson's book about the experiences of the real-life Lutzes, the movie maintains a somewhat down-to-earth approach to the supposedly true story. It begins so slowly that I was already becoming quite disappointed with it, even though I'm generally supportive of creeping atmosphere in cinema. However, after a while it becomes obvious that it's actually better seen as a character study as opposed to horror: George's menacing change of nature can be seen as a reaction to the stressful life situation he's going through: raising a family, running a business, moving into a new house and getting the bills paid. The bearded James Brolin captures George's emotions very effectively, essentially carrying the whole film with his performance. Rod Steiger's character Father Delaney goes through an even more drastic phase of anxiety and Steiger plays the role with all the necessary intensity, especially during his desperate call for help in a degrading church. Margot Kidder's character receives less attention, but she does her job decently too.

The film quickly leads thoughts to other religious horrors of the era, such as The Omen and The Exorcist, but also bears a resemblance to The Shining, even though the latter only came out after it. A theme of a family man slowly losing his mind and, more obviously, an axe-swinging finale are more fascinatingly handled in Kubrick's film, but The Amityville Horror reaches a decent amount of suspense at its best too. The music by Lalo Schifrin is perfectly in tune with the atmosphere and when it finally starts in the last minutes of the movie, the action looks OK as well. The very ending comes across as rather abrupt though, even though the last shot of the family's car from afar suits the mood well.

In summary, I think The Amityville Horror is a watchable movie, but more so as a character study than a flat out horror. What the film loses in action and gore, it wins back in the actors' performances and music. When watched with this in mind, it may prove out to be an enjoyable experience, even if it's not ultimately quite as great as the horror classics mentioned in the previous paragraph.

I went to HMV one day and decided to buy a horror movie. I had heard all about Amityville Horror. It was always on TV, but I never had the interest to watch it. So I bought the 2000 MGM DVD for $9.99. The movie is about a couple that moves into a new house, but little do they know, it is haunted. All of this was apparently a true story. Wonderful acting by Rod Stieger. This movie is not really a horror movie. It does not have the chills of a horror movie. The reason I never watched it was because I heard it was a bit of a bore. This movie is not what you may think it is. Don't go buying this if you think you will get a really scary movie. The DVD has a great picture. Probably a step up from the VHS version. If you are interested in the story of Amityville, then go out and get it. Do not expect a movie with blood and gore, because this movie is almost free of it. The 2000 DVD version is a bit of a disappointment in terms of features. Only the trailer is included. There are 8 sequels.

6/10