The Amityville Horror

Starring:James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud, Murray Hamilton, John Larch, Natasha Ryan, K.C. Martel, Meeno Peluce, Michael Sacks, Helen Shaver, Amy Wright, Val Avery, Irene Dailey, Marc Vahanian, Elsa Raven, Ellen Saland, Eddie Barth, Hank Garrett, James Tolkan
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Most horror movies establish an atmosphere of normalcy, which they gradually rupture with spooky or creepy or stomach-churning images. The Amityville Horror--a remake of the 1979 movie about a possessed house that torments the family that moves into it--tosses normalcy out the window in the first five minutes, unleashing a nonstop barrage of unsettling camera angles, decaying wood and stained wallpaper, half-glimpsed shadows in motion, fast edits of grotesque ghosts, and dozens of other horror-movie devices. Whether you like the movie will depend on whether you like feeling slightly nauseated and cut off from any semblance of reality--for many people, that's why they go to horror movies. Others won't be able to suspend disbelief that anyone but an actor would spend the time necessary to develop Ryan Reynold's insanely buff physique, prominently displayed as he runs around wearing nothing but a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms. In addition to Reynolds (Van Wilder, Blade: Trinity), the movie also features Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia) and Melissa George (Down With Love). --Bret Fetzer

Description

From Michael Bay, the producer of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," comes the true story of Amityville. In November 1974, a family of six was brutally murdered. Now, a year later, an unsuspecting young couple, George (Ryan Reynolds, "Blade: Trinity," "The In-Laws") and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George, TV's "Alias"), and their children move into the house that was the site of the horrific event and is now haunted by a murderous presence. What follows is 28 days of unimaginable terror. With demonic visions of the dead and relentless screams of terror, this is the haunted house story that isn't just a movie - it's real.

Customer Reviews:

Good.......2007-07-01

I came into this film with low expectations and walked away enjoying this movie very much. Ryan Reynolds really impressed me with his acting ability and I really did buy into and got into the storyline. The ending seemed kind of weak, but made sense. There was a build up, and a fizzle ending, but it still didn't hurt the overall film. So, I don't know if you will enjoy the movie if you expect a lot, but if you come in with low expectations-you can only go up from there. A real enjoyable movie that worth watching at least once, but I don't know if I'd want to see it more than that.

Same space, newly renovated.......2007-06-09

I watched the original of this movie a few weeks before this new one came out, and it was even worse and cheesier than I anticipated. I was hoping the remake would be fairly decent, and you have a the necessary element there--i.e. creepy house--and I hoped that they would throw out a lot of the "adherence to the facts" that made the original such a bore and retool it to make it actually scary. But no. What's most disappointing about this movie is how, even though they changed the events, it remains pretty much the exact same movie, just turned up a notch.

I was not bored or unentertained during the 90 minutes I spent in the theater, but for me, there's nothing here that's scary. What horror [the genre] has devolved into as it becomes more popular--essentially a bunch of empty "Boo!" scares--just isn't scary to me. But for a film to have an effect it has to have TIME to build an effect [not to mention atmosphere or thematic resonance] and this is not possible in a country that increasingly has no attention span. Here some face or creepy something appears onscreen with a crashing noise every five minutes, lest anyone get "bored."

But... aren't you BORED with those idiotic scares?

I won't go on too long here, as there's no point. If you like these kind of scares, you get what you deserve.

Incredibly, there's not even any interest to be had in comparing the two versions.

The only point of interest to the film is the way they've redesigned the house. They added an entire floor to the bottom that is a glassed-in porch [I was thinking "Jeez... and I never have time to wash my THREE windows"], which doesn't accomplish much and is used to no purpose, but it does make the house taller and narrower. The exteriors and the interiors do not really match, as they've made the house so tall and narrow to emphasize its scariness. The interiors are also designed to be unusually tall and narrow. This isn't much, but at least it's a kind of clever cinematic sleight-of-hand, and truly is the only clever thing about the entire film. It is most noticeable when the dippy little girl goes out on the roof for no other reason than that we need a sequence of peril; you can see that the roof is pitched at a very steep angle that doesn't match the interior at all. Whatever, at least they tried something somewhat interesting.

On the last day the family spent in the house, the wife is at the library before it opens in the morning, does some research, visits the priest, but by the time she goes home [seemingly around noon] it is the dark of night, because the climax has to happen at night. Huh. Ghostly forces, I guess.

Mildly entertaining, like cinematic potato chips, not scary, not interesting, devoid of subtext. The only interest this movie can drum up is the way it signifies one more beat in the continual death knell of the Horror film.

An opportunity wasted..........2007-04-08

I saw the Amityville remake last night. I absolutely loved the original even if it didn't age well over time. I think what made the original so good was that the characters who played the leads really looked frightened e.g. James Brolin ,Margot Kidder and Rod Steiger really conveyed fear in their eyes. The newer version stars Ryan Reynolds, who is more renowned for comedy and Melissa George, an Australian actress who started her career in daytime soaps. Philip Baker Hall plays the priest Fr Callaway. It would be unfair to describe the acting as incompetent, it isn't. My main problem is with the plot and the way the film unravels.
The opening sequence shows the massacre of the DeFoe family by Ronnie the son who goes mad. This is quite a creepy sequence and uses similar imagery to the film Se7en. It sets the scene nicely. Then we cut forward to the Lutz family who snap up the property and are told of the house's history. After initial reluctance, they decide to move in and give it a go. Then the weird things start to happen like the apparition to the Lutz daughter of Jody Defoe, the girl who was murdered by her brother a year before. There are one or two jump out of the seat moments after this but I consider the film to be a wasted opportunity overall
The film turns into a budget version of The Shining , concentrating on the declining sanity of George Lutz played by Ryan Reynolds. This insanity builds up until the end of the film where he comes to his senses and the family escape the house. In the original, the insanity of the Lutz father is only one of several episodes to befall the family in the house. Gone is the appearance of the demon pig, the secret room behind the fireplace painted in blood and other such episodes. Most disappointing was the brief appearance of Philip Baker Hall, an actor who is normally excellent at conveying distress (remember him as the dying quiz show host in Magnolia ?).I expected lots more from his appearance in the house than the swarm of flies attacking his face ?
I suppose one of the main problem with the film is it's brevity. It clocks in at under 90 minutes in runtime.

What starts out as a very eerie film ends up another shlock horror zombie film. It could have been so much better really.

NOT GREAT BUT GOOD.......2007-03-22

FOR SOME UNEARTHLY REASON NOW ADAYS WE SEEMS TO BE BOMBARDED WITH REMAKES OF GREAT CLASSIC FILMS. I COULD UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD MAKE A MORE UPDATED VERSION OF CLASSICS LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET AND O, WHICH IN MY OPINION WERE WONDERFUL MOVIES. BUT I JUST DONT GET WHY WE R SEEING CLASSIC HORROR BEING REMADE, WE UNDERSTOOD THE FILMS THE FIRST TIME AROUND, UNLIKE SHAKESPEAR WHO I REALLY DID NOT GET TIL I SAW MOVIES I COULD UNDERSTAND AND RELATE TOO...IM PRETTY DISGUSTED WITH MOST OF THE REVAMPED VERSION OF PURE AND TRUE CLASSICS...TXS CHIN SAW MASS, HILLS HAVE EYES, ETC....BUT I HAVE TO HONESTLY SAY I ENJOYED THIS ONE, ITS ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL...GREAT ACTING AND GREAT SUSPENSE! ALL I AM GOING TO SAY IS DONT EVEN THINK TO REMAKE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, THAT WOULD JUST BE PLAIN WRONG AND UNGODLY!

Don't waste your time.......2007-03-08

What conceivable reason could there be for making this movie? We all basically know the story and we all know that the "true story" behind it is bogus. Moreover, the movie isn't all that long--about 80 minutes not including the credits. This is basically enough to skim through the story without any real depth or development. The acting is fairly mediocre--the babysitter being the exception--and can't say much for the dialogue either. In the end, not all that frightening, and not really worth the time.

Average customer rating:

A Classic
Plenty of buildup horror
The "Amityville" Horror
GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Amityville Horror (1979)

The Amityville Horror
Starring: James Brolin , Margot Kidder , Rod Steiger , Don Stroud , and Murray Hamilton
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Amityville II: The Possession
The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)
The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition)
Poltergeist
Carrie (Special Edition)

ASIN: B0008191WO
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

Based on a bestselling, allegedly nonfiction book about haunted goings-on in a Long Island house (The Amityville Horror Conspiracy), this rather cheesy horror movie is more silly than unsettling. James Brolin and Margot Kidder star as newlyweds who move into the empty home and are gradually affected by the legacy of a murder committed on the premises. Rod Steiger is a priest who can tell what's up and gets dispatched in a rather ugly way. Director Stuart Rosenberg can't lift the action above a certain level of tawdriness, and the audience ends up watching the horror from a distance instead of feeling involved. In the wake of The Exorcist, this 1979 spooker seemed like a no-brainer knockoff--and still does. --Tom Keogh

Description

There's no place like home...for bloodcurdling horror! James Brolin, Margot Kidder and Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Rod Steiger fall prey to the powers of darkness in this spine-tingling tale ofa house possessed by unspeakable evil. One of the most talked-about haunted-house stories of all time, The Amityville Horror will hit you where you live. For George and Kathy Lutz, the colonial home on the river's edge seemed ideal: quaint, spacious and amazingly affordable. Of course, six brutal murders had taken place there just a year before, but houses don't have memories...ordo they? Soon the Lutz dream house becomes a hellish nightmare, as walls begin to drip blood and satanic forces threaten to destroy them. Now the Lutzes must try to escape or forfeit their livesand their souls! *1967: Actor, In the Heat of the Night

Customer Reviews:

A Classic.......2007-01-09

I was only 12 the first time I saw this movie (now I am much, much older). It is still one of my favorite horror movies. I still can't watch when the red eyes appear in the window.

Plenty of buildup horror.......2006-12-19

The Amityville Horror tells the story of a family moving into a possessed house, and builds up in the familiar way, where everything seems great at first, till slowly, things get worse and worse, as the father begins to lose some of his self control. Good performances, a classic horror tale, where walls bleed, chandeliers sway and doors creak open. And yes, there's something in the basement. It's not as exciting as some other haunted house horrors, but it is a required classic for any true haunted house movie collector. Now I'm waiting for the DVD release of the sequel, part 2.

The "Amityville" Horror.......2006-11-23

I'm a 12 year old boy that has the movie. It's loosely based on the true story, but, however, it still tells the story in the way the team did it.
Sadisticly, the sequels that go with the film, make the Amityville Horror look like a piece of trash...I like the Amityville House says, "Get Out...
GET OUT!!!"

If you like Scary Movies, never go the house...

GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-10-04

Relying on a horrifying story supposedly based on true events and a very creepy atmosphere that builds throughout the movie, The original "Amityville Horror" is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, haunted house movie ever made. Critics consistently point to the lack violence and overt action in the movie but, perhaps, what the "Amityville Horror" does not do is indeed the very same thing that makes it an effective ghost story/haunted house horror movie.

So many of today's films attempt to create manifestations of demons, ghosts, and the like...the result is usually something laughable or just pathetic. A brilliant case in point is the remake of "The Haunting". The manifestations created there, while imaginative, are entirely ineffective at creating horror, and resulted in a disaster of a movie by the movie's conclusion. In the original "Amityville Horror", the filmmakers do not try to do too much with the movie. Thus, the saying, sometimes more is less and vice-versa. What you do have in the original "Amityville Horror" is a classic haunted house movie, a great story supposedly based on true events, and a very true murder that happened at the Amityville house so many years ago. Please see the "City Confidential" Amityville for an excellent treatment of that murder.

The makers of the original "Amityville Horror" knew that the fact that several people were actually murdered in the Amityville house was unsettling enough for the audience. So, the trick was to accentuate that horror by employing the Lutz's story (which they claim is based on actual events witnessed by them when they lived at the Amityville house) along with the house's morbid history to somehow convince the audience that the house is haunted, and that the house is evil. I think the filmmakers of the original "Amityville Horror" were largely able to pull that off, but such a task does present difficulties of selling it to the audience.

Basically, the original "Amityville Horror" (notice I say original because there has been a remake...look for my reviews on the remake and the sequels to the original in subsequent reviews) is about a family that moves to the Amityville house after some absolutely brutal murders take place at some point in the house's past. After moving into the house, strange things begin to happen which are indeed rather small and pedestrian when considering the reputation of modern day horror movies. However, the makers of the original "Amityville Horror" were able to create a scary atmosphere which is absolutely essential to any horror movie's success and effectiveness, especially a horror movie based on a haunted house. It is this atmosphere present in the "Amityville Horror" that gets the viewer's imagination working. Of course, the manifestations e.g. floating pig with red eyes, that are employed in the "Amityville Horror" do help in my opinion to accentuate the horror and the resonance of the scary atmosphere which is clearly present in this movie.

Finally, the filmmakers' use of the story itself (which, as viewers' we should be skeptical of the Lutz's motives here) helps in the creation of the horror which is clearly evident in this movie. The actual story of the Amityville house is presented and driven home to the audience quite well by the quality acting that is present in this movie. Frankly, Margot Kidder and James Brolin do a hell of a job in this movie, as does the supporting cast. The question remains however, whether the filmmakers did enough to this movie to make into the best horror movie it could be. I would argue that they did for the very reason that the story itself has limitations, and therefore the movie has limitations as to how great an effective the movie can be as a horror movie. I would argue that the original "Amityville Horror" is a very good horror movie, and that no horror movie fan's collection is complete without a copy of this DVD, mainly because the original "Amityville Horror" and probably "Burnt Offerings" are two of the very best haunted house movies ever created, if not the best, period. I would argue that it is very difficult to make a movie like this work, but clearly the original "Amityville Horror" does work quite well, notwithstanding its obvious limitations (lack of manifestations of the evil entities).

Perhaps the most effective criticism of "Amityville Horror" is its lack of violence within the heart of the movie. Clearly, the audience gets a good picture of the brutal murders that occurred prior to the Lutz's moving in, but that is in the beginning. Beyond that, there is not much violence in the movie at all, but that is because the filmmakers were trying to sell the original "Amityville Horror" as a TRUE haunted house story. Now, whether they pulled that off or not is for the viewer to decide. That being said, I do recommend the original "Amityville Horror" to any serious horror movie fan as one of the best haunted house horror movies ever made.

The Amityville Horror (1979).......2006-08-01

In 1979, the most terrifying haunted house movie came our way. The haunted house film was entitled, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. This film is based on the true events of the DeFeo murders, where Ronald Butch DeFeo, Jr. murdered his parents, two brothers, and two sisters, while the slept. This film is definitely the most horrifying haunted house story to have ever been told.

In November of 1974, Ronald Butch DeFeo, Jr. murdered his parents and four brothers and sister in cold blood. He claimed during the trial that he heard the voices of evil spirits telling him to do so. A certain evil spirit, as Ronald claims, had possessed Ronald. But the town of Amityville, New York, is too smart to let him get off that easy. In 1975, a year after the massacre, the DeFeo's beautiful colonial house, located at 112 Ocean Ave. in Amityville, New York, is now up for sale. GEORGE LUTZ (played by the outstanding James Brolin) and his wife, KATHLEEN "KATHY" (played by Margot Kidder), come across the house, with a major interest in buying it, despite the news they've heard about the house's previous tenants. "Houses don't have memories", claims the couple, where they go on with buying the house. A month later, George and Kathy finally move in with their three childre, AMY (played by Natasha Ryan), GREG (played by K.C. Martel), and MATT (played by Meeno Peluce).

On the first day, while Kathy and George are out in the back having some fun with the kids, the local priest, FATHER DELANEY (played by Rod Steiger), drops by to bless the house. He does not see Kathy or George, but he decides to bless the house anyway. He goes into one of the rooms, and is ready to bless the house, when a sudden mess of flies surround Father Delaney. They continue to surround him until the bedroom door suddenly opens, where an evil voice demands that Father Delaney, "Get out..." "GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (This particuarly scene made me crap myself). Father Delaney gathers up his belongings, as well as his energy, and runs out of the house.

Over the course of the next few weeks, say around 12 days, things become very strange for the Lutz's. On such occasion, Amy has been talking to an invisible girl named, Jody. Kathy happens to get a glimps of Jody, where she sees a horrifying pig's face, with evil red glowing eyes, complete with an evil pig's grunt. The walls all ooze blood, the toilets spill a strange black ooze, the door is ripped off its hinges one night. One more thing, George Lutz, is suddenly not feeling very well. Every night, he awakens at 3:15 am. Why?, you ask. Because that is the time that Ronald had killed his entire family, single-handedly. While at a bar with his friend and co-worker, JEFF (played by Michael Sacks), the bartender serves George, but when he gets a good look at George, the bartender becomes startled from fright, for he claims that George looks exactly like...Ronald DeFeo. Jeffery's wife, CAROLYN (played by Helen Shaver), is sort of a medium. They accompany George to the house, where they all plan to go out for a few hours, but Carolyn is drawn to the cellar, for she feels the evil presence within the house. She, George, and Jeff break down the wall that the Lutz's dog, Harry, has been clawing at. The wall reveals an ancient Indian burial ground that contains that of the spirits that were slaughtered there around the 1600s or the 1700s. On the 28th day, all hell breaks loose. George and Kathy gather up the kids and Harry, where they make a run for their lives. They make it out of the house without any problem, where they drive off to safety. The family never returned to claim the house or their personal belongings.

This film is the scariest haunted house film I have ever seen in my entire life. I sat up one night to watch it and I was scared out of my wits. Now, as I said, this film is based on true events. The DeFeo murders did actually take place at 112 Ocean Ave. in Amityville, New York. The hauntings that the Lutz's experienced were not at all to this extent, but I have heard that they did experience some pretty spooky stuff. I just would like to point out that the DeFeo family that was murdered by their oldest son, Ronald, are in no way, shape, or form, relatives of mine. So, please do not send me any e-mails or IMs asking me any questions you might have.

Average customer rating:

Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989)
Amityville strikes back
another cool amitysequal
Fourth Amityville film hits the small screen
My favorite Amityville of them all!

Amityville, Vol. 4: The Evil Escapes
Starring: Patty Duke , Robert Alan Browne , Gloria Cromwell , Richard Crystal , and Aaron Eisenberg
Director: Sandor Stern
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Amityville - It's About Time
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ASIN: B0001XOLII
Release Date: 2003-05-01

Customer Reviews:

Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989).......2006-08-02

In 1989, after a six-year hiatus, a fourth Amityville came our way. This fourth installment is entitled, AMITYVILLE 4: THE EVIL ESCAPES. Grant it that this also was not the greatest in the franchise, but it was a whole lot better than that of AMITYVILLE III: THE DEMON (aka AMITYVILLE 3-D). As it would turn out, this was the first of the Amityville films to be a straight-to-video release. From this sequel down to the eighth Amityville installment were all straight-to-video releases.

This film starts off with a whole slew of priests entering the Amityville house (continuity was not an option to the producers, writers, and directors on this film, for the house was originally blown up in the third film), trying to rid the house of its evil spirits. All the evil is then transported into a hideous looking lamp. When all the chaos stops, the priests seem to be satisfied. The next morning a yard sale is held in front of the sinister house. A harmless old lady sees the lamp in the selection and decides to buy it as a gift for her sister, ALICE LEACOCK (played by Jane Wyatt). As she looks at the lamp, she accidentally cuts her finger on it, but goes on ahead with her decision to buy the lamp.

That afternoon, the woman who bought the lamp ships off the lamp to her sister, but her finger is looking terrible. But she dismisses it. Flash from New York to California, a woman named NANCY EVANS (played by Patty Duke), and her three children: AMANDA (played by Zoe Trilling), BRIAN (played by Aron Eisenberg), and JESSICA (played by Brandy Gold) are driving to Nancy's mother's house, where they'll be staying for awhile, since Nancy's husband (the children's father) had sadly passed on. Nancy's mother is...Alice Leacock. Her sister would be Nancy's aunt, and the children's grand-aunt. The arrive at her house at the same time the lamp arrives. But as Alice plugs in the lamp, everything begins going chaotic. For instance, Alice burns her hand on the tea kettle. No one turned up the stove, but an unseen force has. The next morning, Alice's parakeet suddenly dies. And Jessica seems to not be feeling well. Later on, it is found out that Alice's sister, who shipped the lamp over to Alice, had died from that cut on her finger. That's exactly would happen when you cut yourself on something, and not bother getting a tetnis shot.

Over the course of the next few days, everything goes from bad to worse, as the plumbing decides to become a little funky. The plumber comes out to fix it. As he tries to fix it, his hand gets lopped off by the garbage disposal. The toilet and sinks begin oozing something black and gooey. Nancy cannot take this no more. She decides it's time to get help from FATHER KIBBLER (played by Fredric Lehne). He climbs onboard to help the family out. He accompanies Alice and Nancy to their house, where they discover that all the evil from the lamp is controlling Jessic. With the help of Father Kibbler, they put the evil to rest.

This film, as I had stated, was not the greatest in the franchise, but it was better than AMITYVILLE III: THE DEMON (aka AMITYVILLE 3-D). There were quite a few moments that scared me, but the whole film could have been a lot scarier.

Amityville strikes back.......2005-10-09

It's hard to imagine that the Amityville name could continue on to a venerable future after the horrifyingly bad Amityville 3, but after a 5 year hiatus, that's exactly what happens in Amityville: the Evil Escapes. Taking the evil out of the house that took the windows are the eyes of a house to new terrifying heights was certainly no small task, but the moviemakers did their best to make the story work in spite of the lack of the original house. Some decent scares are present, and the acting is much better in this outing than in Amityville 3, but ultimately, it's difficult to imagine an Amityville without that infamous house. More potential for the affect that this could be a real occurrence would have been the key to this movie paralelling the original, but it still is a watchable Amityville feast if you don't expect too much.

another cool amitysequal.......2005-07-07

I had second thoughts of buying this when i picked up the box set, and im glad i did this is a great horror film, a good part 4.

Fourth Amityville film hits the small screen.......2005-05-31

After three theatrically released entries into the haunted house franchise, and after a six year hiatous, the series returns but this time debuting on the small screen. Yes, Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes was made for television. I generally am not big on made-for-TV movies, but Amityville 4 isn't too shabby. It definitly lacks the production values that were present in the first three films, but it is still watchable.

The film opens with a rag-tag group of priests storming the alleged Amityville house (Even though the house got destroyed at the end of Amityville 3-D, but somehow I don't think continuity was on the filmmakers minds) in an attempt to drive the evil out. The evil actually retreated into a horrid looking lamp. The lamp is bought by a unknown purchaser and the horror begins.

I think the biggest downfall was that the movie doesn't take place in the popular huanted house. Like the subtitle says....the evil escapes. This idea would also affect all the sequels to come. The Amityville Curse has possessed furniture, Amityville 1992 has a possessed clock, Amitvyille [7]: A New Generation had a possessed mirror, and Amityville [8]: Dollhouse had a possessed...uhh...dollhouse. If you can accept the idea of the Amityville evil being able to escape in various objects then Amityville 4 might be watchable for you.

The DVD itself also isn't anything to get excited about. Full screen with ok picture quality. It was released with two seperate DVD covers, but neither of them are very good.

Even though the DVD or the movie itself are nothing to get too excited about, you can usually find this movie real cheap which makes it worth picking up. This DVD would be perfect purchase to go along with MGM's Box set the includes the first three films in the series. Now only if we could get Amityville 5 on DVD as well...

My favorite Amityville of them all!.......2004-07-22

Amityville 4 the evil escapes is the best one out of all the movies (even if it was a tv movie). The acting was great, the story was better than the first one, and the lamp is just straight creepy! I remember watching it as a kid when I was 9, and I could'nt remember which Amityville it was that had the lamp in it. About a week ago, I was in a retail store and finally found it for $7.99! I would have to say it's one of my favorite horror movies (even if there was'nt that much gore). If you are curious about Amityville movies, then you should watch Amityville 4 The Evil Escapes, but you should also watch the first one before it just to get the storyline. I highly recommend this movie to late eighties horror fans!

Average customer rating:

Sleazy prequel to the original film
Snore
A Brutally Scary All-time classic based on a true story with a brilliant mixture of realism and pure evil.
quite pleasing
Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

Amityville II: The Possession
Starring: James Olson , Burt Young , Rutanya Alda , Jack Magner , and Andrew Prine
Director: Damiano Damiani
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00079Z9X2
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Description

Before the residence at 112 Ocean Avenue became infamous in The Amityville Horror, its supernatural legacy of terror had already begun. Inspired by a true story, this chilling prequel is a bloodcurdling, special-effects-laden encounter with all-powerful, all-consuming evil. Although the Montellis are not exactly the "perfect family," at least they've found the perfect home. And even though a liquid that looks like blood gushes from the kitchen faucet and every window has been nailed shut, it still qualifies as their dream houseuntil all hell breaks loose! A local priest tries to rid the house of unclean spirits, but what he doesn't yet suspect is that teenage son Sonny Montelli has been possessed, body and soul, by a murderous demon bent on total destruction.

Customer Reviews:

Sleazy prequel to the original film.......2007-05-11

When "The Amityville Horror" arrived on screens across the country in 1979, the movie was a smash hit. People obviously bought into the weird goings on that supposedly really occurred (Really!) in the creepy looking house in Amityville, New York as described by George and Kathy Lutz, the occupants of aforementioned home who fled into the night after witnessing extremely evil supernatural phenomena. As the years went on, and we learned that the Lutz clan fabricated the whole story, people soon forgot the real tragedy that happened in the house a few months before George and Kathy concocted their elaborate con. Meet the DeFeo family, specifically father Ronald DeFeo Sr and his son Ronald Jr. The two never really got along, largely because the father was a jerk and the son was a heavy drug user. On the night of November 13, 1974 Ronald DeFeo ran into a tavern claiming that someone had killed his parents. Sure enough, the cops found Ronald Sr and his wife Louise in bed with two holes in their heads. Then they found Ronald's four brothers and sisters dead, also shot in the head. DeFeo eventually confessed to murdering his entire family and went to prison for the rest of his life.

There you go. We have a gruesome mass killing without any supernatural origins whatsoever. That's not good enough for Hollywood. They want you to believe that an evil spirit possessed Ronald DeFeo, drove him insane, and manipulated him into killing his family. Exhibit A in this argument is Jay Anson's book "The Amityville Horror," which posits that the DeFeo killings stemmed from supernatural evil. Exhibit B is Damiano Damiani's 1982 prequel to the first film, "Amityville II: The Possession". Where the first film looked at the misadventures of George and Kathy Lutz, "Amityville II" examines the events leading up to the DeFeo murders. Mostly. Actually, only the first part of the movie looks at Ronald's carnage. The second part devolves into an "Exorcist" ripoff. Of course, the movie doesn't refer directly to the DeFeo family. Here, we meet the Montelli clan, headed up by abusive father Anthony (Burt "Yo Paulie!" Young) and his neurotic wife Dolores (Rutanya Alda). Along for the ride are eldest child Sonny (Jack Magner), daughter Patricia (Diane Franklin), and rug rats Jan (Erika Katz) and Mark (Brent Katz). As the film opens, we see the family moving in and checking out their new digs. Fun stuff.

Several things become readily apparent. One, Rutanya Alda camps it up in a way that makes later stage Bette Davis look mild in comparison. Two, something evil lives in a slimy crawlspace beneath the house. Three, Anthony Montelli seems awfully proud of his firearm collection. Four, and lastly, the first part of the film essentially consists of Tony beating the tar out of his loved ones. The end. O.k., not really. Actually, that something in the basement seems to lock on to Sonny like a cruise missile. In no time at all he's walking around like the living dead, causing all sorts of problems for everyone. In one horrific scene, he does something with his sister Patricia that should massively disturb the viewer. Eventually the murders take place. Then we come to the second part of the film, which centers around one Father Adamsky (James Olson) and his attempts to uncover the reasons behind Sonny's rampage. He does a lot of research in the library, uncovers a few nasty little secrets stretching back through the centuries, and has his own problems with Sonny. I won't spoil the ending for you except to say, or rather scream at the top of my lungs, THE EXORCIST!

It's tough not to like "Amityville II: The Possession". As another reviewer noted elsewhere, you simply must adore a movie that shows someone shotgunning Paulie to death. The film earns an extra star just for that scene alone. Too, the movie picks up bonus points for ratcheting up the sleaze factor. I'm not sure if this picture had a theatrical run, but I can only imagine the disgust the audience felt when that scuzzy scene involving Sonny and Patricia unfolded in all its nauseating glory. I'll bet people walked out after seeing that. It's even tougher to watch because Diane Franklin is such a pretty, vivacious young lady. O.k., she's gorgeous. That knowledge sort of puts the male viewer in a bad place. Anyway, once that scene fades into memory we're left with the second part of the film, which is actually pretty ridiculous and, as I said earlier, a ripoff of the much better "The Exorcist". Still, the special effects seen as Sonny morphs into something very hideous aren't that bad. The problem I had while watching this part of the movie is that I know the DeFeo story quite well. I'm pretty sure Ronald didn't change into a demon in the attic of the house.

"Amityville II: The Possession" arrived on DVD because a remake of the original 1979 film came out in 2005. You know those savvy marketing people in Hollywood! Too bad they released a film to disc with only the original trailer as an extra! Bummer. The one saving grace is the nice audio and the quality widescreen picture transfer. As a final note, I found it extremely interesting that Damiano Damiani directed the film. He's one of those Italian directors that made films like the spaghetti western "A Bullet for the General" and crime dramas such as "Confessions of a Police Captain". In other words, he's made a lot of great movies exploitation cinema fans adore. How he got this gig, however, remains a mystery to me. He did a pretty good job with what he had to work with, I must say, although the movie really is a ripoff of other, better flicks. If you don't mind watching something this derivative, go right ahead and enjoy the mayhem!

Snore.......2007-03-10

I saw this as a kid, but couldn't remember anything about it. I understand why it was so forgettable now. What a boring movie. I was trying hard not to fall asleep during this thing. It just seemed to drag on. Nothing about it was scary. No build up. No suspense. Nothing.

A Brutally Scary All-time classic based on a true story with a brilliant mixture of realism and pure evil........2007-03-05

When I was about 12 years old, I caught "Amityville II: The Possession" on the television late one Saturday night when my parents were asleep. It was so scary, so disturbing and so horrifying that I literally could not finish it. Years later, I decided to watch it all, and it still packed a terrifying punch of horror.

As a horror movie lover and aficionado and/or connoisseur of the genre, it is rare to find a sequel that is better than the original. Such is the case with "Amityville II: The Possession". Sadly, this movie does not get the credit it deserves as a horror movie for some reason or other. Perhaps this is because it is a sequel or maybe because some people erroneously view this movie as a sort of rip off of "The Exorcist" because there is the element of possession in this movie that "Amityville 2" employs to implement cinematic horror. This horror is brought crashing home to the audience in a perfect blend of supernatural and realistic terror.

"Amityville II: The Possession" is not a pure sequel in the traditional sense, but is in reality, a prequel to the original "Amityville Horror". With that being said, it is quite significant to the audience that "Amityville 2" takes a true occurrence of cold blooded murder and mixes it with the evil and supernatural element so inherent with the Amityville house and the end result is a masterpiece of cinematic horror that will stay with the viewer forever.

The creators of "Amityville II: The Possession" brilliantly use a mixture of dark reality with incredible evil to bring the audience into a world of pure horror. Although clearly not to the level of "Psycho", the creators of "Amityville 2" deliver the audience a scene of unspeakable evil and horror that the audience is never quite prepared for, unless the viewer knows something of the history of Amityville murder case and even then, the murder of the family is simply shocking. "Amityville II: The Possession" starts out innocently enough as what appears to be a family moving into the Amityville house. Of course, the viewer knows that this is not a comedy or a drama because the Amityville house symbolizes evil and horror as is clearly illustrated by the original "Amityville Horror". It does not take very long for the viewer to see that nothing is right with this family. The father, played brilliantly by Burt Young (Pauly in "Rocky"), is a violent man with a terrible temper. The father abuses his kids for all intents and purposes, and this early fact sets the tone for a evil much worse that reveals itself later in the film.

Despite the family's obvious problems, the mother of this family is a Christian and is the glue that keeps the family together. There are two small children, a teenaged girl and then there is Sonny who becomes troubled early in the film as he seems to become ill, but in reality, something far worse is happening to dear Sonny. Indeed, Sonny becomes possessed by a most malignant force that begins to tell Sonny things, bad things. A tension between the father and Sonny becomes apparent from the beginning of the movie and only becomes worse as the movie progresses. However, it is ultimately Sonny that provides the unspeakable horror that is the signature of "Amityville 2". The only force that can stop this evil or make things right if you will is a reluctant or scared priest who must find the strength to do battle with an unspeakable evil before not only this family is lost forever but also Sonny's soul. After the brutal murder of Sonny's family, the priest must ultimately do battle with the demon that possesses Sonny at the Amityville house, and this is actually a horrifying prospect to the attentive viewer of this fine film. If a criticism can be made of "Amityville II: The Possession", it is the way in which the film goes over the top when the demon is actually exorcised from Sonny by the priest. Clearly, the shedding of the demon was quite unrealistic and unnecessary. Still, this movie is highly effective and creating an absolutely horrifying atmosphere that even the most seasoned horror movie fan will appreciate.

The reason that "Amityville II: The Possession" is such a great horror movie is that it mixes and captures the elements of realism, truth, darkness and pure evil to perfection in this brilliant horror movie which is (much the same way as "Damien: The Omen II" as far as underrated sequels go) deserving of more credit than it is actually assigned. The result is a perfect blend of cinematic horror. The makeup on the possessed Sonny is brilliantly done as the audience gets a terrific look at evil incarnate. The idea of possession is done quite well in this movie, and this is very hard to do given that "The Exorcist" set the standard for movies on possession. "Amityville 2" is clearly competent in this regard although by no means does it come close to the brilliance of "The Exorcist". That being said, the beauty of "Amityville 2" is that it does not need to be as good as "The Exorcist" on possession because "Amityville 2" implements these other ideas of realism and truth in the movie. "Amityville 2" is realistic because people murder their families all the time and for no apparent reason. Just take a look at Jeffery McDonald in the novel and made for T.V. movie "Fatal Vision". The same kind of irrational violence can be seen in "Amityville 2", same principle I mean.

"Amityville II: The Possession" is also very loosely based on a true story as well in that a man did murder his family one night for unclear reasons. The perpetrator claimed that the devil made him do it. Well, for those of us skeptics, we do not accept this as a logical explanation. However, "Amityville II: The Possession" poses the rhetorical question, "what if some kind of malevolent entity did possess this man to commit such a heinous and evil crime?" The creators of "Amityville II: The Possession" paint a horrifying picture of horror for the audience that clearly surpasses the original and remains to this day as a classic piece of cinematic horror that is also one of the best horror movies of all-time. "Amityville 2" is a dark and disturbing horror movie which illustrates pure evil at its worst. This movie is very scary, and will stay with you for a long time if not forever. The acting is very good in "Amityville 2" and I cannot recommend this movie highly enough for the horror movie lover. If you would like to learn more about the crime that actually occurred at the Amityville house, I recommend the "City Confidential" documentary on A&E which can also be purchased with the "Amityville Horror" collection of movies which I proudly own I might add.

quite pleasing.......2006-10-17

I found this installment quite better than the first.In this flick,Sonny Montelli and his family move into the old house on Amityville road.The family immediatly begin to experience weird things,such as mysterious drawings on the walls and the silverware that flies out the rack.But none so disturbing as what progressively happens to Sonny as a vengeaful demon begins to take control of him and murder his entire family.Now,it's up to a priest to force the demon from Sonny before he is taken over completely.Full of mind-boggling make-up effects and gross transformations,Amityville II is a sure win over the first film.

Amityville II: The Possession (1982).......2006-08-02

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR was released to a worldwide audience back in 1979, and it pretty much scared the living daylights out of moviegoers all over. But the story was not about to end there. In 1982, AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION was then released. This sequel is actualy a prequel, showing you what had happened where the evil had originated. This film shows us what had happened to the DeFeo's and what they had experience, up to their tragic death. You see, the Lutz's have escaped with their lives, but the house's previous tenants were not so lucky.

The Montelli family (the name was changed from DeFeo to Montelli in order to keep Ronald DeFeo, Jr. from getting any kind of pay from this movie) were not exactly the perfect family, but they figured they could try to become the perfect family after they bought the perfect house in Amityville, New York: 112 Ocean Avenue to be exact. The Montelli consists of ANTHONY (played by Burt Young, who I can only see as good ole Paulie from ROCKY), his wife DELORES (played by R utanya Alda), and their four children, SONNY (played by Jack Magner), PATRICIA "TRICIA" (played by Diane Franklin), JAN (played by Erika Katz), and Mark (played by Brent Katz). While helping Delores unpack some of things that belong in the basement, one of the movers finds another room that is the back of the basement, but he discovers the room to be to messy and muddy, and advises that Delores and her family stay away from that part of the basement.

Later that night as the family sits down to their first dinner in their new home, the mirror suddenly falls off the wall as Delores begins to say Grace over their meal. While everyone is getting ready for bed, Mark and Jan witness two or three paint brushes paint a hideous picture of a demon on their wall. This was done by an unseen force, leading into an unseen force wrecking havoc in the room. Anthony yells at the children and is ready to whip them with his belt, until Delores steps in and fights with Anthony. He continues to hit Delores until Sonny, without thinking, suddenly pulls the gun on his own father. That night, while listening to his headphones, Sonny's cassette player stops, where a deep and horrifying voice comes in saying, "...Why didn't you pull the trigger? Why didn't you kill that pig?"

The next afternoon, Delores has FATHER ADAMSKY (played by James Olson) to stop by and bless the family's home, but as Mark and Jan are getting a glass of water for Father Adamsky, everything in the kitchen breaks and crashes to the floor by unseen force. This happens as Father Adamsky is introduced to Sonny. Anthony yells out the children terribly, where Father Adamsky leaves. He approaches his car to find that just about every page in his copy of The Bible is ripped to shreds. What is going on? Well, sit tight, because there is more to tell.

Delores informs Anthony to drive down to the Church to apologize to Father Adamsky in front of both his wife and children. Sonny stays behind, for Sonny is not feeling well. As he sits around doing nothing, he hears some noises that don't belong. He heads down to the basment, with a rifle in hand, and heads into that small room the mover had discovered. What Sonny finds is not pretty, for it is an evil spirit, which suddenly possesses Sonny. Sonny approaches Tricia's room, hours after the family has returned. Sonny begins...flirting with his own sister, where the two distgustingly go "all the way" (Ewwww!!!! give me a bottle pepto, will ya?)

They next day, while Anthony is not around, Delores has Father Adamsky come by again to bless the house. All seems well until he blesses the Montelli's bed, where blood begins pouring out. But Delores and Father Adamski have only hallucinated...or did they? That afternoon, the family throws a party for Sonny, all seems well, until Sonny stands there looking at his parents, and two sisters and brother, where he then hears that same voice again, "Look at them. Their pathetic. It'll be better when you kill them". Shivering yet?

That night, it finally happens...Sonny, fully possessed, kills his entire family with a shotgun rifle. The next morning, after dreaming something terrible, Father Adamsky races to the house, and finds the entire family dead, with Sonny still alive, as well as being the obvious suspect. But this is not his fault, for Sonny is under demonic possession. Weeks go by, where Father Adamsky, who already knows that something evil is in that house, finds out about the evil that is in the house, and does all he can to save Sonny. He pulls Sonny out of the psychiatric ward and tries to bring him to the Church, but Sonny bashes Father Adamsky over the head and disappears. Father Adamsky knows that Sonny will only go to one place: 112 Ocean Ave. He heads there and finds Sonny, with the Demon's full face in view. Without the approval from the Church, Father Adamsky performs an exorcism, where the exorcism goes off successfully, for Sonny is free of the unclean spirit, but Father Adamsky is now infected with the Demon.

Just like the first film, this sequel scared the ever-loving crap out of me. I pretty much slept with the covers over my head. And just like its predecessor, AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION is a film that no horror fan wants to miss. This is the second installment to the AMITYVILLE films, and you better watch out for the next six films that will be around for my reviewing.

Average customer rating:

A Classic
Plenty of buildup horror
The "Amityville" Horror
GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Amityville Horror (1979)

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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Amityville II: The Possession
The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)
The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition)
Poltergeist
Carrie (Special Edition)

ASIN: 079284677X
Release Date: 2000-09-05

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Customer Reviews:

A Classic.......2007-01-09

I was only 12 the first time I saw this movie (now I am much, much older). It is still one of my favorite horror movies. I still can't watch when the red eyes appear in the window.

Plenty of buildup horror.......2006-12-19

The "Amityville" Horror.......2006-11-23

GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-10-04

The Amityville Horror (1979).......2006-08-01

The Amityville Horror Collection (The Amityville Horror/Amityville II: The Possession/Amityville 3-D/Bonus Disc - Amityville Confidential)

Average customer rating:

The Amityville Horror Collection
An excellent horror collection.
WAL-MART IS CHEAPER
Lots of fun,scares and camp.
A Wow of a box Set

The Amityville Horror Collection (The Amityville Horror/Amityville II: The Possession/Amityville 3-D/Bonus Disc - Amityville Confidential)
Starring: James Brolin , Margot Kidder , Rod Steiger , Don Stroud , and Murray Hamilton
Director: Stuart Rosenberg , Richard Fleischer , and Damiano Damiani
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Amityville Horror (Widescreen Special Edition)
Amityville - It's About Time
Amityville, Vol. 4: The Evil Escapes
Amityville Dollhouse
Amityville - New Generation

ASIN: B00079Z9WI
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Description

Bonus Disc - Amityville Confidential

Customer Reviews:

The Amityville Horror Collection.......2006-01-01

This product is a clash between scary(The Amityville Horror,disturbing(Amityville 2: The Possession,and PG horror effects (Amityville 3-D.
The Amityville Horror
Good story although the giant pig (Jody)is extremely hard to beleive and Comical in a way.James Brolin without a doubt brings more of a passion to the character of George Lutz Than Ryan Renolds in the Remake (The Amityville Horror), Vise-Versa with The character of Kathy Lutz.
Amityville 2 : The Possession
One of the most disturbing pictures at that time the movie almost seemed like a rip off one the 1973 clasic The Exorcist.They changed the name of the family that moved into the house before the Lutz's.Last But not least Anyone could understand that the walkman was not around the year the Murders took place,the whole story abot the voices is not true as I have read in a interview with Ronald Defeo Jr. , there were also no dead Indians in the house.
Amityville 3-D
Stupid and cheesy, how can you make a good horror movie and also have it rated PG. Not very good anybody who has a brain would get
The Amityville Horror , Amityville 2 : The Possession. Only Recomended to Die Hard fan.

An excellent horror collection........2005-08-27

PLOT:
I. The Amityville Horror (1979): The film begins on the night of November 13th, 1974 in Amityville, New York. Ronald Defeo Jr. has just murdered his parents and four siblings with a high powered rifle while they slept in their beds. There was no apparent motive. He claimed that voices he heard in the house made him do it. A year later, the Defeos' gorgeous lake house is sold to George and Kathy Lutz (James Brolin and Margot Kidder) and their three children. Immediately the Lutzes notice strange things happening in the house, such as a swarm of flies in the house during the winter time and strange black fluid secreting from the toilets. A local priest named Father Delaney (Rod Steiger) senses that the house is haunted and that the Lutzes may be in great danger. It turns out that he is more right than he knows.

II. Amityville II: The Possession (1982): This prequel begins with the infamous Amityville house of horror being purchased by an Italian-American family named the Montellis. They are a very dysfunctional family led by an abusive father (Burt Young.) The family, especially their oldest son Sonny (Jack Magner), start noticing strange things going on in the house. They call upon local priest Father Adamsky (James Olson) to bless the home. He notices strange things right away, especially with Sonny. Could Sonny be possessed by some sort of demon?

III. Amityville 3-D (1983): This direct sequel to The Amityville Horror begins with skeptical journalist John Baxter (Tony Roberts) interested in buying the infamous Amityville house of horror. He knows all of the ghost stories but he doesn't really believe in them. The asking price of the house is so low that the owner is practically giving the house away; it's an offer he can't refuse. Baxter, recently divorced, buys the house for himself, but welcomes his daughter Susan (Lori Loughlin) to make a room for herself for whenever she feels like getting away from her mother's home. Not long after buying the house, people that come into contact with Baxter and the house meet with a shocking fate. Is the house really haunted?

IV. Amityville Confidential (2005): Was the Amityville house of horror really haunted or was it all a hoax. These documentaries will take you deep into the true story of the Amityville Horror.

COMMENTS: The infamous Amityville series is based on the true story of a haunted house in Amityville, New York. Even people who haven't seen the movies or read the books will still recognize the appearance of the infamous Amityville house of horror, with it's eyelid like windows that seem to stare at you. The house was owned by a dysfunctional Italian-American family called the Defeos. Their oldest son, Ronald Jr. (nick-named Butch), murdered his whole family on the night of November 13th, 1974. He shot all of them with a high powered rifle while they were asleep in their beds. Weird enough is that none of the neighbors heard a sound. In court, Ronald claimed that he murdered his family because voices told him to do so. A year later, the house was purchased by George and Kathy Lutz and their three children. They only lived in the house for 28 days. They claimed that the house was haunted. Whatever it was, it scared them enough to make them leave without taking "any" of their belongings with them. The house became the study site for several paranormalist investigators, including world-famous demonologists Ed & Lorraine Warren. Several families have owned the house since 1976, but none of them have ever claimed in public that they believed the house to be haunted. The Lutzes later tape recorded their story of their 28-day stay in the house. Author Jay Anson later used this story for his fictionalized novel "The Amityville Horror." The film version was based on both the true story and the novel, but it was more faithful to the true story. Many people claim to this day that the Lutzes are liars and that they made up the whole story to make a profit. The Lutzes claim to this day that everything that they have said about their stay in the house was the honest-to-God truth. Even local priest Father Ralph Pecoraro claimed that he was slapped in the face by an invisible force when he came to bless the home after being summoned by the Lutzes. He also claimed that he heard a strange, disembodied voice tell him to "Get Out!" As far as making a profit, they made very little royalties off of the novel and the film. They are not nor have they ever been rich. While this film version may not be a classic, it is still a fine horror film. The second film, Amityville II, is based on the true story of the Defeos and Dr. Hans Holzer's book "Murder in Amityville." However, this film has been highly fictionalized. They even changed the names of the Defeos to the Montellis. The film also borrows a lot from "The Exorcist" (1973) in that it depicts the Ronald Defeo Jr. character of Sonny Montelli as a young boy who murdered his family because he was possessed by a demon. The filmmakers also gave him demonic makeup that resembles Regan from "The Exorcist." This film is quite good as well and some people feel that it is better than the original. The third film, Amityville 3-D, came out during the early `80s revival of 3-D movies, along with "Jaws 3-D" (1983) and "Friday the 13th Part 3-D" (1982). This is the first Amityville film that was not based on true events. The special effects are really cheap and the film is so bad that it's hilarious. Unfortunately it is presented in a flat-screen format. I don't understand why they couldn't just release it with 3-D glasses like the DVD release of "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" (1991). 3-D movies look ridiculous when presented in flat-screen. Amityville 3-D was followed by several other bad fictional sequels (not included on this set) including "Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes" (1989), "The Amityville Curse" (1989), "Amityville 1992: It's About Time" (1992), "Amityville: A New Generation" (1993), and "Amityville Dollhouse" (1997). A remake of the first film also came out in 2005 starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George as the Lutzes; it was quite good. The remake is more faithful to the novel than the true story. The true gem of this collection is the 4th disc, Amityville Confidential. It is a bonus disc that includes two History Channel documentaries (Amityville: The Haunting / Amityville: Horror or Hoax?) and a short on location look into the making of the 2005 Amityville Horror remake. This whole box set is a nice little collection that I would recommend to any horror fan. All of the films have been completely remastered and are presented in the original widescreen theatrical ratio. Amityville's II and III are also viewable in full screen. The Amityville Horror also features Audio Commentary by parapsycologist Dr. Hans Holzer, radio spots, theatrical trailer, and "For God's Sake, Get Out!" documentary. The other two films only contain the trailer.

WAL-MART IS CHEAPER.......2005-06-30

BUY THIS AT WAL-MART FOR 24.83!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHEAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good movies, EXCELENT quality.

Lots of fun,scares and camp........2005-05-26

This is a fun clloection for mostly the die hard fans. It includes the first AMITYVILLE which has some geniuine scare. The number two film is pre-equal and based loosely on the tragic Defeo massacre, this particular flick has many chills and subversive elements. Film number three is the reason this collection only got a 4 star rating. Its awful it was originally released in 3D and has nothing to do with anything. The collection is redeemed by AMITVILLE CONFIDENTIAL, which includes behind the scenes of the remake and two compelling HISTORY channel documentaries HOOROR OR HOAX and HAUNTING. They both pretty much leave the viewer to decide or not if they believe. This a handsomely packaged collection at a great price.

A Wow of a box Set.......2005-05-13

Amityville Horror is undoubtedly the classic in this pack, and whilst it is not up to the scare quotient of the other two, or even some of the others not in this pack, it is quite a watch if you have also read the book by Jay Anson. The opening scene setters are quite noteworthy in that the principal from BACK TO THE FUTURE is in these.
Some Notes about the film:
The visual transfer is excellent. The only time it breaks up is during the bikeride by george where the visual breakup ( bad film stock??) is quite evident.
Other ghostly forces affecting Kathleen are not articulated well in the film per se, however, the new audio mix allows for sub woofer tones that are very ominous.
When the demonic eyes appear, the audio is superlative.
In this remix ( ?? apparent remix... anyways the audio is crystal) Rod Steigers voice is clearer when done through Helen Shaver.
The visual clarity shows up in the FX shots like the Axe Attack against Kathleen, where a dummy head is very clearly split; There is a very clean shot of Jody, as opposed to the previous DVD transfers. Also the Age makeup is very clear on Kathleen.
In the climactic sequence, there is an amazing improvement in the clarity of the audio, makes for a superb experience in 5.1
HOLZERS COMMENTS: Covers lots oF ground. Holzers comments are very enlightening about a great deal, and should be listened to for material about AMITYVILLE HORROR as well as the extras disc. Also, Holzer denies some details about The AMITYVILLE HORROR 2005. In talking about Holzers writing, he says "I write everything except Big Cheques".
Also, James Brolin has a great line with "We make the best movies in our head".
Great extras... good radio spots as well.

AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION
Based on the book by Hans Holzer "MURDER IN AMITYVILLE": so you have to take this with a grain of salt, since it can mean anything from "we faithfully stuck to the books story", to " we threw the books narrative away and kept the title". Anyways, the books is alleged to be a prequel. The key thing from Holzers standpoint is at least by the time Jay Ansons book is out, Holzers calims to have the reason why the events occurred... listen to Holzers commentary on the first film, and all is explained.
This film has a very horror based line, right from the arm in the brickwork scene right up to the sequences and set pieces after sonny is possessed, so many cliches, but I must admit to thoroughly enjoying the film. In the final scenes, the possesed sonny Morph looks like the same type of morph sequence in CAMERONS CLOSET. Also note... The Warren's are listed as demonology advisors in the film credits.
No Extras, and it really needed that.

AMITYVILLE 3D
Brilliant Sound. The Great Transfer shows all the subtle FX. Some shots are clearly done for 3D set pieces. There are some very good FX shots for the period. In at least one Scene, wires are very clearly visible... a shortcoming in clean ups of this period, since they could have done some digital wire removal.
The House is destroyed at the end of the movie... kind of odd. The 3D transfer has some "fudge" areas, however there are lots of movement for a 3D film... some amazing places that this story could go if you based it more solidly on Holzers work.

The Fourth disc is called AMITYVILLE CONFIDENTIAL
Contains 3 sections, two of which are renamed HISTORIES MYSTERIES Shows , and one is a worthless preview of the 2005 film.
The Disc Lists 3 "Exhibits".
A. "AMITYVILLE THE HAUNTING", 40 mins.
Histories Mysteries sreies. Claims that the Site is a Power Spot are put forward. Various explanations are put forward. Ed Warren says an exorcism was done. Hans Holzer comments some more, and basically says the exorcism of the site is to no avail. Overall the show has a broad picture, and is a sort of intro to the Amityville story.

B. AMITYVILLE:HORROR OR HOAX
A HISTORIES MYSTERIES show, 40 mins.
A Fairly detailed investigation. Some Spooky details, some not so spooky details, and an all round mess as a story.

There are some great spook photos, including the man on Horse Picture in front of Holzer; Holzer claims specifically that it is not a haunted house, the grounds are haunted. The Show details factual errors in Jay Ansons' book. In story accounts of this kind, testimonies will almost always vary... I doubt that the factual errors are enough to discredit the book as a whole. The Interview with Jay Anson is very VERY Eerie.

C. ON LOCATION: THE AMITYVILLE HORROR
"SNEAK PEAK. What a waste of tape. No wonder the real George Lutz was angry.

OVERALL: Great Box Set. Neat Presentation, good discs. If you would like a good set of books about this area, Read Jay Anson's book as a really neat treat, and Hans Holzers works, whilst a bit fringe, are quite neat. You might be lucky enough to find some Skeptic work on the area... especially the one where a Psychic has a fit out on a lawn and they are miles from the house.

ENJOY.

Also, I bought this set in time to redeem the free ticket, but the offer was off the cards well before the expiry date, and I was not happy about it. The movie money groupw that provides these vouchers will be having a number of offers in the next 6 months or so... don't buy this set, or similar ones for the free ticket offer as part of the reason for getting any sets.

[ One reason I waited so long to write a review is that the number of review of box sets done before they have been released, or even before the person has viewed them, is getting out of hand; if you review, at least have watched the disc that are being sold. ]

Average customer rating:

It's In 3-D!!! But You Ain't Gonna See It!!
3.35 STARS: Certainly not great but does not get the credit it deserves.
Nowhere near as good as the UK version.
Meg Ryan, Haunted Houses, Killer Flies, and 3-D
Amityville III: The Demon (aka Amityville 3-D) (1983)

Amityville 3-D
Starring: Tony Roberts , Tess Harper , Robert Joy , Candy Clark , and John Beal
Director: Richard Fleischer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00079Z9W8
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Description

The home of unspeakable evil is back to torment all who cross its threshold, as Dino De Laurentiis and legendary director Richard Fleischer (Soylent Green) present "a horror picture of considerable class and polish" (Los Angeles Times)! Packed with bone-chilling special effects, this third rendezvous with terror in Amityville stars Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, Robert Joy, Candy Clark and Meg Ryan. To debunk the Amityville house's infamous reputation and take advantage of a rock-bottom asking price, skeptical journalist John Baxter (Roberts) buys the place and settles in to write his first novel. But as soon as the ink on the deed has dried, people who have come into contact with him Â- and the house Â- begin to meet with a shocking fate. Is it coincidenceÂ...or is this house really the gateway to hell?

Customer Reviews:

It's In 3-D!!! But You Ain't Gonna See It!!.......2007-06-16

I'd really like to say some good things about Amityville 3-D, but who am I kidding? It sucks. Now, I understand that Part 3s must be an awful thing for a director to sign on for. Inheriting an film series must be pretty tough, and by the time you get to a Part 3 of something, you're most likely gonna be going over ground covered before...and covered better at that. And in dealing with a series that involves a haunted house, your options are quite limited. I mean really, what can you do? Well, why not do it in 3-D? That's really the only thing this movie has going for it, and it's not even available on this dvd. I don't mind a plot being rehashed(if I did, I certainly wouldn't own the Friday The 13th box set), but if you're gonna do it, you should at least put some flair in it. In this film, Woody Allen regular Tony Roberts plays a reporter who likes to expose fake psychics and hauntings. This is to assure us that we're really dealing with skeptical man who's gonna be tough to break. He winds up buying the Amityville house coz it's cheap, available and no one wants it(kinda like alot of chicks I've dated). After he's moved in, we get the usual Amityville shenanigans, but without any creepiness or zip. Hell, even if it were so bad it was funny, at least that could be something worthwhile. Problem is, it's just bad, period. Boring too. This time around, the house actually attacks people and kills them. This is a first in the series(possessing the kid in part 2 doesn't count). Plus, it seems to be able to kill people away from the house. How about them apples? There are a few decent scenes that spark a bit of hope, but it's all too little, too late. A ghostly apparition of Lori Loughlin(remember? Uncle Jessie's chick from Full House?) walking through the house while she actually lies dying outside is okay. And the grand finale where a rubber demon jumps out of the glowing well in the basement and spits fire into Robert Joy's face is a bit of silly fun(the demon is the coolest thing in the movie and you see it for about 4 seconds). Joy's scream is priceless. Plus, I do remember the old vhs box for this film having a cool looking cover with a demon hand coming out at you from the house. Otherwise, you'd do well to leave this one alone. Unless you're a hardcore Tony Roberts fan, that is, and who isn't? Still I'd think about it.

3.35 STARS: Certainly not great but does not get the credit it deserves........2007-03-19

After the brilliant sequel to this series, "Amityville 3" is clearly a step down and a big one at that. However, "Amityville 3" is not as bad as some people would make it out to be. In fact, "Amityville 3" succeeds on an important level where so many horror movies fail in creating an effective horror movie atmosphere conduicive to a good movie about a haunted house. There is no question that "Amityville 3" is not nearly as good as "Amityville II: The Possession", but the movie picks up the haunted house theme quite well and provides the viewer with a nice little horror movie experience.

In "Amityville 3", Tony Roberts stars as an agnostic journalist who unwittingly decides to purchase the Amityville house and live in it notwithstanding the house's dark history. Roberts' character does not believe in the house, but the Amityville house will make a believer out of Roberts' character by the end of the movie. Clearly, it is Roberts' character's disbelief versus the evil that resides in the Amityville house that drives this film. Roberts' character must pay a hefty price for his naivety and close-mindedness.

"Amityville 3" a/k/a "Amityville: The Demon" solidifies the idea that something evil resides deep within the Amityville house, and presents this theme to the audience quite effectively. In fact, "Amityville 3" seems to pick up on the idea developed by "Amityville II: The Possession" that a demon actually dwells within the Amityville house walls which obviously is a "pathway to hell", perhaps the same demon that possessed Sonny in part two of this series. At any rate, Roberts' character confronts the Amityville house head on and bad things start to happen, and people start to die as well. Can Roberts' character stop the evil from inside the Amityville house before its too late? Will Roberts' character realize the evil that lurks within the basement of the Amityville house before he loses everything?

"Amityville 3" is no classic by any stretch of the imagination, but this movie stays within itself and does not try to do too much as the creepy atmosphere, some unexplained horrible deaths and the reputation of the Amityville house itself are quite enough to keep a serious horror movie fan interested. One thing that is characteristic of the Amityville house is its evil essence which only works to propel the action and suspense of "Amityville 3". The only criticisms with this movie are with regard to the acting which is average for this type of flick and the ending which I did not like as I thought it was rather unimaginative and cliche-esque for lack of a better term, but, nevertheless, the viewer should be free to draw his own conclusions and opinions regarding the ending of the film. All and all, this is a relatively solid horror flick and a worthy sequel which compares rather favorably to today's garbage that Hollywood calls "horror movies".

Nowhere near as good as the UK version........2006-09-25

There was a version released in the UK and it includes an excellent 3-D DVD extra disc