The Amityville Horror (1979 film)

Fabricated or not, definitely a creepy movie, one of the first about an evil spirit filled house. The owners later claimed that it was a hoax, but it doesn't matter because stuff that happened in the movie could have really happened. I am glad that they had the heart to go back for the dog at the end.

4k movie came in excellent time and condition. Very pleased

...but for whatever reason, The Amityville Horror resonates with me as a fine horror movie. Whether or not the actual story is true is irrelevant; it works as more of a slow menacing type of horror back from the days when it wasn't all about gore, blood, and guys. I like the performances all around, but Margot Kidder is really gorgeous here back in her physical prime.The part that I find most horrific, though, is Lalo Schifrin's haunting score: From the opening titles alone with only a static image of that evil house, only the original Alien has been able to equally give me such a sense of dread just by the music alone. Forget about Jody the pig.And speaking of the house, if you look closely through those "evil eye" windows, you will see some boards there where giant eyes are painted on, which works on a subliminal level, and was never noticeable (to me, at least) until high definition.One of my favorite horror movies of all time.Now...GET OUT!!!!

This film is a great little haunted house story. I particularly like to see Margot Kidder in it which was filmed only a few years prior to her becoming Lois Lane in Superman the movie. It's a story of a possessed house who also goes into the mind of the husband George Lutz who eventually tries to kill his family as was done many years before in that same house. It is reminiscent of Steven King's story "The Shining". It's a good movie--not all that scary, just an entertaining couple of hours. This is supposed to be based on a true story but it's always hard to know how much is true and how much is Hollywood. You would have to do the research yourself. I have not because I really don't care. I just want to enjoy the movie. By the way, I would not worry about the sequels because they are not worth the time or money it takes to watch them. Also, stay away from the remake. This is the real-deal.

When you have a creepy story it's always good to have a creepy cast. Let's look at some other "true story" movies with a creepy cast. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Blair Witch Project" for instance. Both are "true" stories with creepy casts and both of those movies really work. In "real life true stories" it is also good to have a creepy cast of characters. Let's look at Sandy Hook. Gene Rosen (very strange), Wayne Carver (the medical examiner - nice press conference??), Robbie Parker (big belly laugh seconds before a press conference the day after his daughter was shot to death and promotes a facebook donation page? Can't get more creepy than that!), Scarlett Lewis (her murdered genuis 6 year old child scrawled on a chalk board "Nurturing, Healing, Love" the day before he took a bullet to save his classmates?), the Hubbards (Question: "Your 6 year old girl getting shot to death 11 days before Christmas must have made Christmas dificult for you - didn't it?" Answer: "Well, yes and no." Really?), the McDonnels (one of the weirdest televison interviews I've ever seen - you'd have to see for yourself) the Pozners (little Noah was killed in 2012 and in a Pakistan school shooting in 2014 as well. Noah was 6 years old in 2012. How old is Mrs. Pozner? 52?) and a long list of happy, smiling parents of murdered children who say the most absurd things to the press just days after the "event." Even Adam Lanza himself is really strange (bug-eyed, photoshoped looking pictures, nobody had seen him for 3 years before the "event", weighed 112 pounds and carried 50 pounds of ammunition and guns while wearing a heavy bullet proof vest through a hole he made with a gun through bullet-proof glass and shot 26 people to death in less than 7 minutes? WOW - this guy should have been in the military!). Now that's gonna be a really weird "true story" movie someday. Whoops, I went off topic.The Amityville Horror works for me mostly because of how weird James Brolin and Margot Kidder are. Margot's top lip sometimes looks like she just had a shot of novacaine. Her weird outfits, her sometimes inappropriate times for screaming and the weird shape her forehead skin makes when she screams definitely adds to the weirdness of the movie. James Brolin's red eyes, low speaking voice and his obession with the axe and the firewood are all very creepy as well. Rod Steiger (the priest) gives another over-the-top performance which is what I love about him. The Nun is really, really weird too. Hell, the soundtrack is weird too (by Lalo Schifrin - is this the soundtrack Wiilliam Friedkin threw out the window for "The Exorcist?"). The babysitter, the realtor, the brother, the hippie preist, the kids, even the dog, they just all seem strange.I love weird "true" stories. I don't believe them but I still love them. This story is a load of horse s*** but The Amityville Horror is a great, fun, weird, "true" movie. The other movies and the "event" I mentioned are good for really weird entertainment as well. Life is strange. Enjoy!

The "behind the scenes" interviews are as interesting as the novel. You'll love Kidder's personality, off screen, as she describes some of the acting processes and her interaction with her co-stars. Brolin does a great job of recounting his early days. All in all, a good "edition" of the film to have. Now, on to the film:The fact or fiction faction of this film has nothing to do with the film. Nor should the "truth" about what truly happened should be of no concern to the horror fan.The facts about this film are:1. Brolin's performance is flawless and riveting.2. Kidder's performance is genuine and provoking.3. Steiger's performance deserved an Academy nod.The film begins it's haunting feel from the get-go. A great job by all involved. A perfect film for the horror genre. Just keep telling yourself: what if? what if.....

Perfect condition. : )

Package was sealed and undamaged. Container was dry.