Amityville

                                                               

 

                 "I have a family in my parish that's at great risk, they are in real

                        danger....."

 

It is a dark, windy night and we are witness to gunshots coming from a large, intimidating house – and we are told that on November 13th 1974 a mother, father and four children were murdered.

A year has passed since that dreadful night and the house which witnessed this brutal night is back on the market and a couple who have recently married, George and Kathy Lutz, are taken aback at how cheap such a big place is. They are aware of the murders that occurred but still decide to go ahead and buy it, and before long both the couple and Kathy's three kids have moved in and all is well. We know that something sinister is going on in that house, and when the local vicar, Father Delaney,  is locked in a room and covered in flies, and finally told by a voice to 'get out', we know that the house is evil and has something terrible in store for the Lutz's.

We first notice the house affecting George, he is constantly cold, irritable and moody...yet when away from the house he feels better. Their daughter has an imaginary friend, Jody, and when put to bed the rocking chair starts to rock on its own. Further strange things start to happen which begins to tear the family apart, yet Father Delaney knows that the family are in danger, and seeks help from the church. However the focus is very much on the actions of George, whose behaviour is spiraling out of control, and it seems to be the house itself, or the spirits within, who are controlling the behaviour of the man. There is something evil in this house and it doesn't want to let the Lutz family leave.....Whilst this film is a little dated and is not packed with all of the effects we see in the remake, it is far more atmospheric and well worth watching with the lights turned off and the surround sound turned up!!

 

 

          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
Produced by Samual Z. Arkoff,
Elliot Geisinger,
Ronald Saland
Written by Jay Anson (Book),
Sandor Stern (Screenplay
Starring James Brolin,
Margot Kidder,
Rod Steiger,
Don Stroud,
Murray Hamilton
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Distributed by 1979-1981
American IP
Orion Pictures Corporation
Metro-Goldwyn-Mr
Release date(s) July 27, 1979 (USA)
Running time 117 min.
Language English

 

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