Amityville 1993 - Votre heure a sonné

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...

"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.

I'm binge watching the Amityville titles I haven't seen before and am being reminded that all in all this is a poor franchise.

It's About Time otherwise known as Amityville 1992 begs the question what would happen if an item from the infamous house was relocated to another? The answer is a pretty bad movie will happen.

A man buys an antique clock that came from the Amityville house, before you know it strange things are happening and himself and other family members seem to have been possessed by something evil.

This did at least feel like an Amityville movie and reminded me a lot of Amityville: Dollhouse (1996) A passable watch for fans but as a standalone movie it's really not great.

The Good:

Amityville vibe

The Bad:

Another cheating antagonist

Pets getting killed in every damn horror film is overkill

Flawed confusing story

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Amityville is a major contender for the most butchered franchise in movie history

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.

It's certainly about time that this series had a hit, and with Amityville 1992: Its About Time, we have one!

This sixth entry ignores whatever The Amityville Curse was doing and continues the theme of the fourth film which involves cursed items from the infamous house being sold off to new owners. Here we have a possessed clock which has been purchased by the head of the family named Jacob . Once Jacob brings the clock into his house, we start to see the Amityville evil take over him and other members of his family.

Jacob gets bitten by a rabid neighbourhood dog which is when he starts to become possessed and physically dangerous to everyone around him.. After the clock kills a few people and possesses family members, it's up to Jacob's girlfriend Andrea to try and figure out what is happening and how the clock plays into how everything around her and the family is falling apart.

The acting is very well done by all. Stephen Macht and Shawn Weatherly are absolutely terrific as the dysfunctional couple. Macht has the job of playing the possessed abusive male lead and he certainly is terrifying! Shawn Weatherly as Andrea is a wonderful heroine which I rooted for to survive the entire time. Jonathan Penner provides comic relief in the later half as Andrea's side piece, trying to adapt to the craziness happening around him.

This film also gives us some really effective special effects, including a very realistic dog bite and a melting face to name a few stand out moments. It provides scares in a very fun way, some predictable stuff but entertaining nonetheless. The director likes to trick the audience numerous times in thinking that one horrific thing is happening when in fact it is not.

Amityville 1992: It's About Time is for sure my favourite sequel of the series. It provides scares, pretty decent special effects, and a story that connects this film to the original two while also making viewers entertained throughout.The evil clock has the ability to move time forward and backwards at a rapid pace which I found really well done, and it starts to control time in the home. I definitely recommend this one to any horror fan. It's a fun sequel that doesn't disappoint on the fun and cheesiness meter.

7/10