The Amityville Horror

The Amityville Horror (1979)

Runtime: 117 minutes

Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg

Starring: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud

From: AIP

This is a film I watched via the Encore On Demand option I have via my cable provider. 

I'll start this off by saying that I am amazed this turned into a loosely-connected franchise where most of the films have nothing to do with the allegedly true story aside from haunted objects that were from 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. They still keep on making those movies; there's 11 in all!

As for how this is allegedly a true story... I've known about it for many years and from all I heard, I am 100% certain the story told by George and Kathy Lutz is a bunch of poppycock and not true. The only true aspect is that before the Lutz family moved in, a horrific mass-murder happened as Ronald DeFeo, Jr. killed his parents and siblings while high on booze and heroin, and allegedly money was also a motive for the killings. There have been many controversies and contradictions concerning the alleged true story and between that and many people living in the house since then and there being no reported problems... it's BS. This website explains a lot about how the story is hogwash; basically, the family soon had reservations about living in such a place so they concocted that preposterous story, and to think it entered American legend and became so well-known...

Now, onto the IMDb plot description: “Newlyweds move into a house where a murder was committed, and experience strange manifestations which drive them away.”

After I saw the movie, the first thing I have to say is... what a magnificent head of hair and beard James Brolin had here. Actually, that's not the main thing, but it is true. I say that despite some chills and fine to good moments, I laughed at the movie more than anything else. 

You can blame it on the allegedly true story for the outlandish elements it introduces, such as doors being blown off the hinges, black flies in a certain room of the house, black sludge in the toilets, Brolin's character turning into a real A-hole, him having “bedroom problems”, him chopping wood often as he feels the house is always cold, etc. I laughed quite a bit throughout. Such things as an imaginary friend for the little girl of the family that she can see (yeah, Paranormal Activity 3 ripped it off) did work, at least. I don't even know what to say about Steiger's overacting, especially in one particular scene. I was also greatly amused by that. You even get to see more of Ms. Kidder than I was expecting... not that I'm complaining!

I suppose I have to rate the movie as average overall, although when things get really preposterous, I was especially entertained and really, I was entertained overall and that was the most important thing. I'll return tomorrow night.