"The Amityville Horror Remake" - A Review by MovieMaven

Read on freaks, cause it's storytime with the deadman.

"The Amityville Horror Remake" Review - by Moviemaven 

Okay kids, settle in because this could be a long ride. I have a lot to say. I went to the theater today hoping that I would be wrong about the involvement of Michal Bay in this much anticipipated remake. The Amityville Horror is one of my favorite ghost stories so naturally I had high hopes. Twenty or so minutes into the film I caught myself thinking that I had been wrong. The beginning of the film was very good and did an excellent job of covering the original murders of the DeFeo family as well as portraying George Lutz as a loving and funny family man. I always had reservations about that in the original because James Brolin seemed a little short-tempered to begin with.

Ryan Reynold's version of George allowed us to clearly see the changes that were made in the man by living in that house for twenty-eight short days. I was actually prepared to post a public apology to Michael Bay and everyone involved because I had been wrong. But then, some horrible things began happening. Several key points from the actual events were either glossed over or left out completely in favor of some things that were totally made up. I understand that it is sometimes necessary to add events for dramatization but this real story is plenty scary all by itself. What we got instead of true events that are eerily unexplainable was a mish-mash of untrue events and completely unnecessary gore. I have no difficulties with gore when it adds to a film, but there were long sequences of dripping goo and evisceration that were uncalled for. Of course the original left out some details as well. Most true stories do. But they managed to nail the important aspects of this real life horror.

I want to avoid going into too much detail about this version so that I don't give it away. But I will say that there are a few things I want to research on my own because I don't recall them from the book. Jay Anson's book was a detailed account of terrifying events that nearly ended the idyllic family life of the Lutzes. I feel that this version of the story took the trials of a real family and treated them with an utter lack of respect and disregard. Their horrific days in the house on Ocean Drive were turned into nothing more than fodder for an unimaginative gorehound. As a film in its own right, it could have been entertaining, but as a remake based on actual events they blew it.

The Acting (8/10):   Here is where I have to give props to the magnificent cast. Ryan Reynolds is a wonderful actor that pulled off the George Lutz mood swings with ease. And he is welcome to come over to my place and go swimming in his pajama pants anytime. ;) Melissa George gave a heart-wrenching performance as a woman finding herself stuck between her children and the man she loves. The children were played to perfection by Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett, and Chloe Grace Moretz. And Phillip Baker Hall's appearance as the priest was very good if far too brief.

Special FX (6/10):   Visually the special FX were very well executed but far overdone. The finger in the bullethole was just WAY too much. The overall amount of gore in this film was over the line. I haven't seen this much blood since the remake of The Texas Chaindsaw Massacre. Hmmm...

The Directing (3/10):  Andrew Douglas seems to be a very talented director who gets what he wants from his crew. But I feel that his style is far too aggressive for what should have been a subtly creepy ghost story. There was an overabundance of jumpy scares and wild camera movements. And I have NO idea what he was thinking when he shot the end of the film. I won't spoil it but I think he already did, anyway.

Camera Work (7/10):  The shots of the house were breathtaking as were the shots of the surrounding lake and neighborhood. They almost nailed the proper feel for the film and the suffering of the family before they went way over the edge.

Sound & Audio (7/10):   The overall sound was great and the music chimed in just right at the proper times. And many scenes should be grateful for that because I wouldn't have been scared at all without it. All in all I found this remake disappointing to say the least. If you want to be truly frightened, my suggestion is to turn down the lights and read the book. Truth is so much scarier than fiction.

Final Rating:  (4/10)

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