The Amityville Horror [DVD] [2005]

I went to see this remake of the Amityville Horror back in June at the cinema, before seeing the original 1979 film. I didn't know what to expect and as horror films go, the new Amityville Horror will keep you on the edge of your seats. Fans of the original may have a different reaction however, as the storyline has been changed slightly to suit the modern day audiences with familiar modern horror traits. The original was much more in keeping to the "true story" and the house in the 1979 classic was virtually identical to the real house on 112 Ocean Avenue.
If you don't know the Amityville story, it is basically about the Lutz family who move into the house in Amityville, Long Island in 1975. Two years previously there had been 6 gruesome murders in the house as Ronnie DeFeo had shot his parents, sisters and brothers with a shotgun at 3.15am. At his trail, Ronnie said "voices in the house" had told him to do the shootings and it becomes apparent that the Lutz have the same feelings about the house. The film builds up to the dramatic climax on day 28 of the family living there, when after one terrific night of horror, the family flee the house, leaving all their possessions.
The 2005 version has a completely different house, more traditional gothic looking "haunted house" than the original. Compared to the original film, there is a lot more gore, and graphic images.
The original film is a classic and fans of haunted house films must see it. The remake actually stands up remarkably well against its original however (unlike other recent re-makes) and is a very enjoyable watch. It is more of an edge-of-your seat horror with lots of jumpy parts.
An identical remake it may not be, but the 2005 Amityville Horror will certainly open a whole new generation to the compelling "true story"

What do we want these days? We seem to have built up incredibly high expectations for horror movies - based I guess on past classics. I've seen some pretty bad reviews for this film, and having seen it, I can't believe the writers watched the same movie. It is extremely scary. Watch it on your own, turn off the irony on your remote control, and prepare for some real shocks. Indeed if you like the jump cut terror of movies like Ju-On and Ringu, I think you'll love this film. There are sudden moments of utter fright that match these films, and other moments that recall the kind of shock tactics of Kubrick's The Shining. Okay, it is a bit stupid in places, but even classic horror films often are. I don't mind remakes. I'm old enough to remember the first Amityville (leave off the keyboard grandpa, etc)and this is a scarier film. No question. If this had been released twenty years ago or more, folk would have wanted it banned. Thirty years ago and we'd have had the whole fainting in the aisles saga of The Exorcist. Now I'm not saying it's life-changing (hence 4 stars), but it is a great horror movie. Our expectations, as I say, are very high these days. Compare the intelligence of this film to some others around, and I think it rates highly. Oh yes, and watch it in the dark.

I am, as it were, a horror nut and I can thouroughly recomend this film. After seeing the previous Amityville Horrors I wasn't sure how this one would rate as the first one appeared to be true strictly based on the true story and therefore un-scary, and the others were stupidly unbelievable. This film tops them in shocking horror whilst trying to stick to a semi-realistic storyline. It also goes more into the reason why the house is as haunted as it seems.
Without giving too much away this film has several very frightening bits which surpass many horrors of modern times. The lingering image of the little girl and the daemonic faces which haunt the familly are a great touch. The ending is good but seems to leave you wondering what happens afterwards.
This may not hold greatly to the true story but it is a fantastic supernatural thriller. A must see for any horror lovers.