In this day and age remakes are common place; with original thoughts receding from our imaginations like a glacier. Most of the time these remakes do little to no justice in regards to the original, especially to classics. Well sometimes re-imaginations give us an opportunity to enjoy characters in a whole new light (i.e. The Dark Knight or Casino Royale), so while the characters are the same it’s a whole new plot and direction. Then there are remakes like The Amityville Horror that initially have me feeling sceptical. I ask myself how can you take a plot that simply revolves around a house and its horrific effects on a family, and keep its original intensity while offering something new to bring viewers in.
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Originally a book in 1977 of the same name by author Jay Anson; The Amityville Horror was told to be based upon true events. Since then this claim has been refuted countless times leading to debate and even lawsuits. While I’ll leave the verdict up to you; enough people were convinced by the book as two years later Stuart Rosenberg released the film based upon the “true” events. Becoming a huge success financially the film spawned a second book and countless film sequels. But after nearly thirty years the studios decided to remake this horror classic starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George and directed by Andrew Douglas.
November 13, 1974; Ronald DeFeo Jr brutally murdered his entire family inside their home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. Apparently the voices from within the house had persuaded him to do so.
Before long the house is on the market and George and Kathy Lutz belive they are moving into the house of their dreams with her three children. Hesitant when first hearing about the murders the two decide the low asking price is something they just can’t refuse. But almost immediately after moving into the home supernatural occurrences begin happening. Things mysteriously being moved, George becomes obsessed with the basement, and the daughter Chelsea begins a relationship with the murdered DeFeo daughter Chloe. Through various means the family tries to deal with the demonic home, but the ultimate tension begins to mount when George starts turning on his family and showing signs of psychosis. Will the Lutz’s share the same fate as the DeFeo’s or can they escape the cold grip of this mysterious home?
If you don’t already know the answer to the aforementioned question, I suggest you find out. As I previously mentioned I am usually sceptical about remakes and while The Amityville Horror remake wasn’t the best rendition I’ve seen, it surly surpasses the quality of most modern day horror films. There are enough spooky moments to keep you intrigued and the characters are interesting enough to keep intent on discovering their fate.
However, there isn’t much done to the original plot that keeps this film fresh. The story is essentially the same with some slight variations that keep you on your toes. But in essence this is the kind of movie that appeals to a younger generation. While I thought this movie was quite spooky and while played, I don’t think it will have the same appeal to an older audience that holds the original in high esteem. But this probably boils down to nostalgia so I can say without any qualms that The Amityville Horror remake gets my nod.
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Presented in 1080p 2.38:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG-4, The Amityville Horror comes to Blu-ray with some sensational video results. From the beginning of the film, detail and color hues were extremely vibrant while maintaining a realistic look.
The more gruesome scenes involving blood and gore utilize the sharp and clear resolution to full effect and really took me back. There are also a few scenes where Ryan Reynolds is shirtless and I must say he looks even better in high definition.
This will likely be the best The Amityville Horror will ever look and should be taken a look at by fans of the film.
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MGM has included a 5.1 DTS HD track with this release and it does a great job of presenting the movies given material. Throughout the entire movie there are subtle and sometimes not so subtle horror cues that really keep you into the suspense.
To be completely honest this audio track could have been a complete dud and been front heavy. Instead the rear channels and base create a superb atmosphere, actually enhancing the movies dialogues and themes.
Overall I couldn’t ask for anything more from this audio transfer. It does an extremely good job of creating an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere which is more than I could have asked for.
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Unfortunately there are no special features found on the Blu-ray disc. Instead the features found from the original DVD release are found on the DVD disc included.
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As far as the film itself goes, The Amityville Horror is a good horror. Yes, the story is recycled and not a whole lot of scenes are added to the original story board, but you can’t help but feel the tension and thrills. The acting is great by horror movie standards, and Reynolds and George help drive this production, having us hope for their family’s salvation from the horrors of 112 Ocean Ave. While the movie itself manages to hold its own, possibly the highlights of this release are the audio and video quality, which are both spot on rather intense. The features themselves offer nothing new to previous owners of the film, but what we get is rather decent and worth a viewing. In the end I recommend this film not only to horror fans, but to anyone looking for a decent thrill.
