The Amityville Horror (2005)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 26, 2021
- 3 min read
Release Date - April 15, 2005
Synopsis:
A newlywed couple and their children are terrorized by the demonic forces within their new home which was the site of a mass murder just a year prior.
Directed by - Andrew Douglas
Screenplay by - Scott Kosar
Produced by - Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller
Cinematography - Peter Lyons Collister
Music by - Steve Jablonsky
Distribution Company - MGM Distribution Co.
Cast:
Ryan Reynolds - George Lutz
Melissa George - Kathy Lutz
Jesse James - Billy Lutz
Jimmy Bennett - Michael Lutz
Introducing:
Chloë Grace Moretz - Chelsea Lutz
with Rachel Nichols - Lisa
and Philip Baker Hall - Father Callaway
Run Time - 1 hr. 29 min. Rated - R
Budget - $19 million Gross - $108 million
Review:
After a total of 8 films, the Amityville franchise was finally rebooted in 2005 under director Andrew Douglas and the results aren't half bad. This film is definitely much darker than the original 1979 film, especially the story-line of George Lutz becoming possessed and turning against his family which was touched on towards the end of the original but it becomes the main focus of the story this time around. Several side characters and sub-plots are ditched in this version creating a much faster-paced film that delves straight into the scares and there is definitely a bigger scare factor in this movie. Some things were a little off with the priest character greatly reduced and stuffed into the final third of the movie unlike Rod Steiger's priest in the original who appeared throughout the movie. I was also not impressed by the inclusion of a definite reason behind the evil spirits within the house and this reveal felt a little too far afield from the original story and was really unneeded. The concept of an evil house that had led to the murder of the previous residents was a good enough backstory and we didn't need further development of that story. The cast does a great job here with Ryan Reynolds really shining in his darkest role by far, he really pulls off a crazed and scary performance which is very different than his usual fun and carefree characters. Melissa George is very likable as Kathy Lutz but is ultimately overshadowed by Reynolds' performance and the child actors all do a great job and are more integral to the story than the children in the original film. The cinematography is very atmospheric and the score is haunting and creepy. The special effects also work very well and there's quite a bit more blood and violence when compared to the original. Overall it's not a perfect film but it is better than most remakes, especially when compared to the glut of horror film remakes in the 2000s most of which were far from good.
My Score: 78
Plot - 7 Cinematography - 8
Attraction - 8 Editing & Special Effects - 8
Theme - 8 Sound & Music - 8
Acting - 8 Directing - 8
Dialogue - 8 Enjoyability – 7
Trivia:
This was the feature film directorial debut of Andrew Douglas who had previously directed music videos.
James Van Der Beek was offered the role of George Lutz but turned it down. The role was ultimately given to Ryan Reynolds who was known mostly as comedic actor at the time.
This was the film debut of actress Chloë Grace Moretz who was just 8 years old in the film.
Megan Fox auditioned for the role of Lisa the babysitter but lost out to Rachel Nichols.
The exteriors of the Amityville house were shot at a residence in Salem, Wisconsin which was modified to add the iconic "eye" windows. The design of this house is significantly different than the houses used in the previous films. The entire movie was filmed in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Just prior to the beginning of filming the body of a fisherman who had been murdered washed ashore near the house.
MGM claimed that this remake was based on new events supplied by George and Kathleen Lutz, however George Lutz claimed that no one involved with this film ever spoke to them. As a result Lutz attempted to sue the studio but the case went unresolved as George Lutz died in May of 2006. Kathy Lutz, who was no longer married to George Lutz, had passed away in 2004 around the time that the remake was filming.
Availability:
Watched October 26, 2021
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