Amityville 3-D (1983)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 18, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 19, 2021
Release Date - November 18, 1983
Synopsis:
A skeptic reporter moves into the Amityville house as he refuses to believe in the supernatural phenomena surrounding the house but he must soon face the evils that besiege everyone around him.
Directed by - Richard Fleischer
Written by - David Ambrose
Produced by - Stephen F. Kesten
Cinematography - Fred Schuler
Music by - Howard Blake
Distribution Company - Orion Pictures
Cast:
Tony Roberts - John Baxter
Tess Harper - Nancy Baxter
Robert Joy - Dr. Elliot West
and Candy Clark - Melanie
John Beal - Harold Caswell
Leora Dana - Emma Caswell
John Harkins - Clifford Sanders
Lori Loughlin - Susan Baxter
Meg Ryan - Lisa
Neill Barry - Jeff
Pete Kowanko - Roger
Run Time - 1 hr. 33 min. Rated - PG
Budget - $6 million Gross - $6.3 million
Review:
"Third times a charm" is definitely not the case with Amityville 3-D (1983), the third installment of the Amityville franchise that was one of several horror 'threequels' released using 3D gimmickry in the early 1980s, others included Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982) and Jaws 3 (1983). This time around we have a skeptical reporter who moves into the Amityville house because he adamantly denies any possibility of the supernatural, his main career focus is exposing supernatural frauds as evidenced by the film's opening in which he and a colleague expose an elderly couple and their fake seance. This story line was very loosely based on Stephen Kaplan, who in real-life had tried to prove that George and Kathy Lutz's experiences while living at the Amityville house, were nothing more than a hoax. The entire movie is just dull and uninteresting including the characters and the cast is just not given much to work with. Tony Roberts is ultimately unlikable in his refusal to believe those around him of supernatural events and only Candy Clark manages to be especially memorable in the film as Roberts' colleague who quickly comes to believe in the supernatural powers of the home. The rest of the cast is just uninteresting including early appearances from both Lori Loughlin, as Tony Roberts' daughter, and Meg Ryan as one of Loughlin's friends. The special effects in the film are hokey and unconvincing, the score is forgettable and the cinematography is downright bad a lot of the time as the images often appear fuzzy or blurry most likely a result of the 3D filming process. Despite the fact that Amityville 3-D proved to be both a critical and financial disappointment, the Amityville film series would continue as a string of made-for-TV and direct-to-video films.
My Score: 55
Plot - 5 Cinematography - 5
Attraction - 6 Editing & Special Effects - 5
Theme - 5 Sound & Music - 6
Acting - 6 Directing - 6
Dialogue - 6 Enjoyability – 5
Trivia:
Also released as Amityville III: The Demons in some markets. Some home video releases also use this title.
As with both prior films the exteriors of the house were shot at a similar. but modified, home in Toms River, New Jersey.
The character of John Baxter was very loosely based on Stephen Kaplan, a parapsychologist, who at the time was investigating the real-life Amityville house in an attempt to prove that George and Kathy Lutz's story was a hoax.
This was the film debut of Lori Loughlin, though she had appeared on several TV shows, most notably on the soap opera The Edge of Night (1980-1983).
Originally the film ran 1 hr. 45 min. but all of the home video releases in North America run just 1 hr. 33 min.
Availability:
Blu-ray Box Set - contains the first 3 Amityville films
Watched on October 17, 2021
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