The Amityville Horror

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Myself

Why was it so hard to get an emmbeddable trailer for this? Every single version on youtube it disabled.

Anyway I always liked this one and wanted to have another watch. Out of all the classic horror films I watched when I was really getting into it, this one was probably the only one that actually really scared me. There's just something about it that really works for me. That house is just evil.

I love love love Lalo Schifrin's score. It's an iconic theme, creepily innocent and happy and the way it's woven through with this completely atonal dark brooding bass line speaks wonders of the film you're about to see. On the surface it looks normal but underneath (figuratively and literally in this case) something evil lurks.

There's some neat haunting stuff going on with the house. Also a Shinning like possession of some of the people in it, a slow decent into madness. That AND villainous figure with an iconic silhouette for the climax. And some flies.

Margot Kidder and James Brolin are great. Damn his son looks just like him now. It's a tough thing to sell, going crazy and killing your family. He's not nearly as cartoonish as Jack Nicholson, I think he;s much scarier. Maybe it's the beard. I don't remember how Ryan Reynolds fared in the remake, I haven't seen it since it's release, I do remember that he had buffed up for Blade:Trinity right before this role though, that was much appreciated.

One of the best haunted house movies I think.