The Amityville Horror (1979)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Sandor Stern (screenplay)
Jay Anson (book)

Release Date:

27 July 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

"For God's Sake, Get Out!"

Plot:

Newlyweds move into a house where a murder was committed, and experience strange manifestations which drive them away.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Evil | Real Estate Agent | Murder | Cult Favorite

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 6	8:00 PM	AMC
Tue. July 7	1:00 AM	AMC
Tue. July 7	12:15 PM	AMC

Cast

James Brolin	...	George Lutz
Margot Kidder	...	Kathy Lutz
Rod Steiger	...	Father Delaney
Don Stroud	...	Father Bolen
Murray Hamilton	...	Father Ryan
John Larch	...	Father Nuncio
Natasha Ryan	...	Amy
K.C. Martel	...	Greg
Meeno Peluce	...	Matt
Michael Sacks	...	Jeff
Helen Shaver	...	Carolyn
Amy Wright	...	Jackie
Val Avery	...	Sgt. Gionfriddo
Irene Dailey	...	Aunt Helena
Marc Vahanian	...	Jimmy

Also Known As:

Amityville, la maison du diable (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
A Amityville, a Mansão do Diabo (Portugal) [pt]
Amityville Horror (West Germany) [de]
Amityville Horror (Italy) [it]
Demonene i Amityville (Norway) [no]
Horror Amityville (Poland) [pl]
Huset som gud glömde (Sweden) [sv]
Kusku (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Luojan tähden, paetkaa! (Finland) [fi]
Spøgelseshuset (Denmark) [da]
Terror en Amityville (Spain) [es]
Ti nyhta pou gennithike o tromos (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
To exohiko spiti tou mystiriou (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Netherlands:16 | USA:R (No. 25653) | South Korea:12 | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Iceland:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Stars James Brolin and Margot Kidder visited the real Amityville house as part of a publicity junket.

Goofs:

Continuity: Lightning smashes through one of the attic windows (during the axe attack), but subsequent exterior shots (the escape) show both windows still intact.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Cop at the House: Jesus Christ, it gets worse all the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Married with Children: Kelly Takes a Shot (#9.15)" (1995)

OLD FASHIONED HORROR!

Excited about the remake I decided to go out and just but the original Amityville Horror. Being a huge horror buff, I just had to and besides I had only seen some of it's absurd sequels. hearing mixed reviews from friends and critics from terrifying to hilarious I turned it on with my boyfriend at the time and prepared myself for something scary. I must say that I was quite impressed. And although slightly disappointed in some of the films scenes ultimately I must say this is one old fashioned scary flick! I can hugely recognize the appeal it had in it's it's hey day. With the exception of Texas chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead, the Omen and some others I rarely see what people did in their horror classics nowadays. Like The Exorcist, pretty damn boring and funny in my opinion. But getting back to this film. It builds a creeping mood filled with fright inducing suspense. The effects are simple but effective and the performances are somewhat over the top but necessarily wacky. The film's overall lasting appeal has little to do with the film's apparent campiness. it has more to do with the real terror inducing legend that inspired it. Like the Chainsaw remake the new ones looks to amp up the horror and intensity which would be greatly welcomed. Although a great horror classic Amityville's finale is somewhat anti climactic and after a long and impressively scary build-up it fails to deliver the end goods. But whoa some of the scenes from the imaginary friend Jody flying out the window, to the visitor at the door, to the voice in the house and just everything in the basement this film is all about delivering some authentic chills. 8/10