A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Dimension Films, Dir. Andrew Douglas - Starring Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett, Chloe Moretz, Rachel Nichols, Philip Baker Hall, Annabel Armour, Rich Komenich, Danny McCarthy
*takes deep breath, gives an exasperating sigh*
It gives me great pleasure to say that one of my guilty pleasures of horror movies, 'The Amityville Horror', has been given a satisfactory remake. The first thing I said when I came out was 'Man, what a tangent they drew', but the more I think about it, the more I like it. If the original had been remade frame-by-frame, potential audiences would probably have been bored out of their skulls. The New York tragedy has been a facelift, but one not too far away from the proposed story - and with a campier edge to the horrors. Director Andrew Douglas has given 'Amityville' a set of modern elements to the story, such as the obligatory dead little girl who haunts people in the house, the jolt-scares, and the erratic ending. But for once in the year, the scares don't feel formulaic at all - it's briskly paced and actually frightening. Ryan Reynolds gives a newer and more refreshing turn to the character of George Lutz, and Melissa George is an excellent dingbatty Kathy. Together, they never seem obliged to be scared by the house, but the script allows them to slowly be driven crazy by the Long Island mansion. It's a horror movie done right for a change.
In 1974, Ron DeFeo Jr. was apparently 'moved' by demons to kill the rest of his family members one night, at his house on 412 Ocean Avenue, Amityville New York. The murders were widely publicized within the state, but eventually the house was left abandoned and put up for sale. A year later, the newly married George (Reynolds) and Kathy (George) buy the house and move in with Kathy's three children from another marriage. They learn of the tragedies that took place there, but they willingly put the thought out of their mind in order to fulfill their American dreams. But as time passes, George begins to suffer the sharp downfall, to which he cannot explain. He continues to feel a cold chill, has an urge to chop wood, and finds disdain with the others. Eventually, the couple learn of the house's even darker past, that involves Native American asylums and torture chambers - all which in their campy goodness, wind up in a climatic finale.
Ryan Reynolds is a great counterpart to Brolin's original portrayal of George Lutz. He's a bit snappier, and has a lighter edge to his character rather than the bland and slightly unmotivated Brolin version. This refreshing turn is probably just set for today's audiences, but it also shows the different reprecussions of George Lutz when played by a different actor - his spiralling insanity fits seem more maniacal rather than just angry. This is no longer the old Van Wilder (ugh) that we all remember, this is a more mature and intelligent Ryan Reynolds, who I hope to see more of in the future. Melissa George, who I've never seen before in a movie, has the same amount of cheery charisma that Margot Kidder had to nail the dingbatty Kathy Lutz in 1979. And on a totally unrelated note, Kathy died last year of health conditions. Philip Baker Hall reprises a shorter role of the local priest, but with a name change and no seperate plotline. He's a good follow-up for the future, but methinks Rod Steiger really put the effort into the role originally.
Andrew Douglas likes to use jolt effects, but not constantly - he relies more on basic human scares for the movie, and this unconventionality really impressed me. One scene of note is when Chelsea Lutz (Moretz) is standing on the edge of the house's roof to meet her friend Jody - the audience is naturally frightened to see a 7-year-old girl standing tiptoes at the edge of the Long Island house. Simple points of emotion and fate used in horror movies today show that directors really can rely on the basic necessities, and not on popular shocks. The tangent on the Indian burial grounds underneath is something really harped upon by the screenwriters, but it adds a campy mood to the atmosphere. We are given a ghostly nemesis, a Reverend Ketcham, who murdered insane Natives under the house years ago - but there's no direct contact between our characters and this villain. Instead, a battle between the paranormal and reality takes place - the effects are much cooler.
'Amityville Horror' is a scary movie in several dimensions, without the excessive gore and vulgarity. It's shocking, but more within the 'creepy' boundaries than anything else. Certainly, it's the best movie for horror fanatics and people who like cheap frights these days.
