Amityville 1992: It's About Time (1992)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 21, 2021
- 3 min read
Release Date - July 16, 1992
Synopsis:
When an architect brings an antique clock home, not knowing it is possessed by the evil of the Amityville house, his family is soon affected by the clock's powers as it attempts to take over its new home and those living in it.
Directed by - Tony Randel
Written by - John G. Jones, Christopher DeFaria and Antonio Toro
Produced by - Barry Bernardi, Steve White and Christopher DeFaria
Cinematography - Christopher Taylor
Music by - Daniel Licht
Distribution Company - FremantleMedia North America
Cast:
Stephen Macht - Jacob Sterling
Shawn Weatherly - Andrea Livingstone
Megan Ward - Lisa Sterling
Damon Martin - Rusty Sterling
Jonathan Penner - Dr. Leonard Stafford
Nita Talbot - Iris Wheeler
Run Time - 1 hr. 35 min. Rated - R
Budget - Unknown Gross - Unknown
Review:
After the ups and down of the previous 3 installments in the Amityville film franchise, it is somewhat surprising that this entry, the 6th in the series, is quite good. The story, though similar in its base concept to Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989) about a haunted object from the Amityville house, is more thought out and the haunted object, this time an antique clock, is much more nefarious in its attempts at possessing this new family while also trying to convert this new residence into the infamous Amityville home. The characters and their surroundings are all well established and there aren't aren't any plot points or characters that feel like they were pulled out of thin air. The cast is very good with the whole Sterling family being introduced as likable characters, so that we really feel the difference when some of them are overcome by the powers of evil in the clock. One scene in particular with Stephen Macht holding Jonathan Penner's character at gunpoint was very well-acted and very tense. Shawn Weatherly as the female lead who is trying to help hold this family together, even though it is not her own, is quite memorable and her final confrontation with the clock was really well done. Nita Talbot, who was Emmy nominated for her appearance on Hogan's Heroes during the 1967-1968 season is also memorable as the eccentric Mrs. Wheeler who is a friend of the family who also happens to be interested in the supernatural. Also appearing briefly is the excellent character actor, Dick Miller as the next-door neighbor. The score while subdued manages to be interesting and the use of various clock noises really works well with the theme of the film. The film looks great and the special effects are handled very well including a pretty nasty wound that Stephen Macht's character is dealing with for much of the film. It's really great seeing that this seemingly tired franchise can still surprise with some fresh and interesting ideas.
My Score: 80
Plot - 8 Cinematography - 8
Attraction - 7 Editing & Special Effects - 8
Theme - 8 Sound & Music - 9
Acting - 8 Directing - 8
Dialogue - 8 Enjoyability – 8
Trivia:
Loosely based on the short stories contained in the book Amityville: The Evil Escapes by author John G. Jones, who also helped write the script for this movie.
The scene with the over-flowing bathtub was shot for real on the second-story of an actual house. This proved ill-advised as the floor became soaked and the tub fell through to the first floor.
Filmed over 25 days.
Dick Miller, a popular character actor known for his appearances in films such as A Bucket of Blood (1958), The Terminator (1984), and both Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins II: The New Batch (1990), has a cameo as next-door neighbor Mr. Anderson.
Final film appearance of Nita Talbot who did make guest appearances on TV shows up until 1997 before officially retiring from acting.
Availability:
Watched on October 20, 2021
Comments