Movie Maniac added 1 item to Terror Blurbs! Part II (An Ever-Expanding List) list
Plot: Before the events of The Amityville Horror, the house's previous inhabitants undergo their own troubles.
This prequel immediately sacrifices character work, buildup, and atmosphere in exchange for spectacle and poorly executed cheap thrills. Built on a weak foundation that superficially resembles the dynamics of the real world DeFeo family (or a version of them, anyway), the flick is more concerned with going for the jugular to ever let any of it feel remotely engaging. Worse of all, its attempts to sow in the supernatural only end up feeling forced and result in an third act that insultingly apes "The Exorcist" to resoundingly eye-rolling results. Throw in bad acting, poor direction, gratuitous effects, and zero concern for decent continuity and you have yourself a wretched stinker.
2 years, 5 months ago
2 years, 5 months ago
Movie Maniac added 1 item to Terror Blurbs! Part II (An Ever-Expanding List) list
Plot: The Lutz family opts to move into a house with a recent history of murder to ease the financial stress, only to find out that there are worse things to worry about.
Critically slammed and oft maligned, "The Amityville Horror" certainly deserves a better reputation than it has. Though it never reaches the heights of contemporaries like "The Exorcist" or "The Omen", it does manage to build a certain palpable atmosphere and credible tension that hurls one into a bleak and hopeless culmination. A memorable score and solid acting elevate the material which might otherwise be taken less seriously. It might not do much for modern audiences anymore and some might balk at the "true events" that it purportedly presents but, "The Amityville Horror" works as a straightforward supernatural chiller.
2 years, 5 months ago