Horror
1 hour and 57 minutes
Rated R
Written by: Sandor Stern
Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg
Produced by: Samuel Z. Arkoff, Elliot Geisinger, and Ronald Saland
Cast:
James Brolin
Margot Kidder
Rod Steiger
Don Stroud
Murray Hamilton
Houses Don't Have Memories.
One of the most discussed and studied motion-pictures within the horror genre, The Amityville Horror has obtained notoriety for being "based on" a shocking and terrifying story. Regardless of what you choose to believe, the film itself has deserved all of the buzz surrounding it.
Are its scares gimmicky? Absolutely. But one has to understand, other than perhaps The Haunting, The Amityville Horror was one of the very first successful haunted-house-based horror films. Its story is simple, its scares are simple, but goddamn it - they work. Viewers need to grasp that this is the film that has gone on to spark a legacy of other motion-pictures based within the subgenre.
The film itself is a quintessential 1970s-horror film. In fact, I would go as far as to argue that it follows more of the template for European horror films of the 1970s. By this I mean, the plot isn't the most important factor. Let the atmosphere, the characters, the special effects, and the setting drive the storyline - and if they don't, well that's okay because the story wasn't the most important thing to take away from the movie. Amityville is no exception to this. Although the story is tangible, it kind of gets lost in its many layered subplots, and by the time the surrealistically colorful finale, that even the likes of Argento and Coscarelli can be proud of, rolls around one is so distracted by the visuals that the story is the furthest thing from their minds.
The majority of the performances within the film are handled well enough, and are believable, no doubt about it. But it is the performances of two actors that really stand out within the film. First, and most obviously, is that of James Brolin. The makeup for Brolin was done terrifically, but it could only drive his character so far. Brolin's performance as a man driven to the brink of insanity due to the spirits within the house is so convincing, one has to wonder why this isn't ever discussed as being a stand-out performance within his career. (Perhaps its the social taboo that surrounds horror films). Along with Brolin, Rod Steiger delivers an incredibly powerful performance as a Catholic priest who is simultaneously being tormented by the spirits within the house. Steiger steals the best scene within the film, where his character attempts to convince several other priests that Brolin's family is in serious need of help from the church. His pleas fall upon deaf ears, and his frustration is so tangible that it remains the one scene within the film that really stays with you.
Amityville is not without its flaws, however. I don't know if people are afraid to, or if they just don't notice it, but there are some pretty blatant similarities between this film and Stephen King's novel The Shining. One being, the storyline itself. A man, his wife, and their children move into a haunted location and the man is tormented to the brink of insanity and eventually attempts to kill his family. The kids talk to imaginary friends, and the father even tries to axe down a door of a bathroom that the children are hiding in. Good thing the wives are able to stop their demented husbands in both stories. I'm not positive when this script was written, but I think it's safe to say that Sandor Stern was a fan of Stephen King's novel. (I'm not sure what happens in the book version The Amityville Horror, but if these Stephen King similarities are there too ... something is fishy).
The atmosphere of the film is what drives it the most. The score as well as the cinematography are one hundred percent reminiscent of Polanski's film Rosemary's Baby. I'm not saying they stole from that film, more or less used it as inspiration. Like most 1970s horror films, one comes away feeling unsettled after viewing Amityville but can't really put their finger on why. The short answer to this feeling is the film's atmosphere. A slow build with creepy intervals added in until the big, trippy, and frightening finish comes along.
The Amityville Horror, while suffering from a few creativity issues, is an outstanding motion-picture that has earned its right as being called one of the better horror films of not just the 1970s, but of all time.
7.5/10
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