MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Supernatural Horror/Stars: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud, Murray Hamilton, John Larch, Natasha Ryan, K. C. Martel, Meeno Peluce, Michael Sacks, Helen Shaver, Amy Wright, Val Avery, Elsa Raven, Irene Dailey, Marc Vahanian, Ellen Saland, Eddie Barth, James Tolkan/Runtime: 118 minutes
In the long-ago year of 1975, an event occurred which I am positive is one that we have all heard about happening at some point in our day to day lives and will most likely happen again and again as long as we as human beings reside in something other than the caves that our ancestors occupied. That being a family deciding that a home they had recently moved in to was not for them and so they decided to leave the premises. With that in mind though, this seemingly ordinary incident does have one distinct caveat to it. That being the reason the family in question decided to move out and never look back. No, it wasn’t because the neighbors were too loud, the town too prone to gossip, or even because they didn’t get the home insured with Allstate (or Geico if you prefer). Rather, it was because of a teeny tiny problem that, according to the family, more or less consisted of the fact that the home was not just a home, but rather a conduit for all kinds of ever-escalating and by no means benevolent paranormal activity to occur. Indeed, in case you hadn’t put two and five together yet reader, this home is one located in a quaint little community in New York state known as Amityville and this ever-escalating series of alleged paranormal incidents were what would become known as The Amityville Horror. Of course, it should also come as no surprise to learn that in the immediate aftermath of these events a book would be written about them and, soon after the book’s publication, the land of movie magic (as they are notorious for doing) quickly seized upon the chance to purchase the rights so they could make a feature film adaptation. The result of that effort would become a little slice of cinema from 1979, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally dear reader, known also as The Amityville Horror (there would be a remake made in 2005, but that’s another story). Indeed this is a movie that I happen to have some very fond memories of dear reader and not just because it’s one of the few that actually manages to keep me up long after I’ve watched it every single time. Nor for that matter is it because it’s one that has made me especially leery about buying my own home let alone one in the Long Island area. Rather, it’s because this was one of the first 10 horror movies that my dad showed me growing up since he apparently thought (why I honestly have no idea) that this would be a good movie to show an at that time 6- or 7-year-old version of myself since he himself thought it was a really good movie. Yet while the first half of that assessment might be one to make other parents raise a particular eyebrow, there is no denying that the second half is fairly accurate. Indeed I say that because it might have some issues, but with the aid of capable work on both sides of the camera, The Amityville Horror “79” is definitely one chillingly good haunted house film that is sure to send chills down your spine long after the end credits have begun to roll….
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of a book of the same name by Jay Anson and allegedly based on actual incidents, The Amityville Horror gets its chilling story underway by first taking us back in time to November 13th in the long-ago year of 1974 and to an event that we’d sooner think would show up on something like CSI or Forensic Files. That being the horrific aftermath of a killer’s rampage. In this case, it appears that in the early morning hours someone ran amok through a seemingly picturesque home in a town on the south shore of Long Island and proceeded to butcher at least 6 people inside the home with a rifle at fairly close range. From there though, the film then moves forward about a year and introduces us to our main family in the form of the Lutzes. A group comprised, for what it’s worth, of patriarch George, matriarch Kathy, and Kathy’s three children from a prior marriage Greg, Matt, and Amy respectively. When we initially meet them, we see that this family is currently on the purchase of a new home and, as a result, are currently being given the typical grand tour of one from an infamous member of that distinct community known as realtors. Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that the house they are looking at also happens to be the exact same home where those aforementioned murders occurred. Nor should it really surprise you to learn that, even though they are completely aware of the tragedy that took place under this distinct roof, our quasi-sorta Brady Bunch decides that this is the home for them with the key reasoning being that “houses don’t have memories”. Of course, just because a house might not be able to possess memories that does not by any stretch of the imagination mean it can’t have other things roaming about within its walls unseen to either you, I, or the Lutz family. A fact that soon becomes horrifyingly apparent when we see that it isn’t long after they have moved in and started to attempt to settle in to their new abode that we see this family starts to be on the receiving end of some truly malicious phenomena that, surprise surprise, is a bit supernatural in nature. Thus, with the aid of a local priest by the name of Father Delaney, can the family pull themselves together, get to the bottom of these disturbances, and stop them so they can make the most of their new life or is this one situation where the phrase “Home Sweet Hell” is about to become a terrifying reality and wreck incalculable havoc on both their lives and their sanity? That I shall let you see for yourself…..
Now right off, it should be noted that the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing is definitely one that fits the mold of what I call an old-school horror film. By that I mean this is less a film where what is causing these occurrences and plaguing these poor people is consistently on screen, where blood is spilt at regular intervals, or even that you (without spoiling too much) see a lot happen. Instead, this is a film that is working with the adage of “less is more” and honestly I really dig that about the work done behind the camera as led by Stuart Rosenberg of the iconic Paul Newman movie Cool Hand Luke from 1967 at the helm. This is because by not showing us much if anything they are permitting us and our imaginations to do the work instead. As a result the film is able to ensure that every slam of a door, every time a chair moves, or even just quick cuts to the murders that occurred before the Lutzes moved in among other ingredients are just as terrifying to us as the select few times we actually get a hint of something supernatural in the house like a pair of red eyes peering in through the darkness or when a disembodied voice commands Father Delaney to “GET OUT!” More than all of that though, I think what Rosenberg and his team’s greatest contribution to the film was is the fact that they managed to tap into what made the book such a spellbinding read and made this feel realistic and relatable. As a result, not only are we scared for the Lutz family, but we genuinely care about them as people and are left on the edge of our seat by both the scares and by our worry for this family and their wellbeing. Along with that, I also really dig the heck out of the musical accompaniment to this slice of cinema as provided by one Lalo Schifrin. Indeed not only is there something quite ethereal about it, but I also like how even before any supernatural shenanigans have occurred on screen it has definitely started to make you shiver in both fear and anticipation in equal measure due to how haunting it sounds. I also think praise should definitely be given here to the work done by this film’s cinematography department. Indeed not only do they do a phenomenal job of filming this almost like it’s a home video from the time period, but they also do a spectacular job at shooting and framing the house in such a way that it feels less like simply a place where creepy stuff is afoot and more like it too has managed to become a sinister entity as well right down to a pair of windows that I’d swear are less windows on a house and more like a pair of demonic eyes just glaring at this poor unfortunate family and anyone else unlucky enough to get caught in their gaze. Lastly, I would like to give praise to this slice of cinema’s screenplay as penned by one Sandor Stern. Indeed whether you are the kind of person who genuinely believes the Lutz family’s story or someone who just thinks that maybe their new-home purchase jitters simply went overboard there is no denying that Stern’s screenplay is still to this date perhaps the most faithful adaptation of this particular story which, given the seemingly 50 million follow-ups that came after this, definitely says something…..
Of course, the other big ingredient that helps this film work on the level that it is ultimately able to definitely comes in the form of the undeniably skilled performances given by the cast in front of the camera. This starts with the always enjoyable James Brolin in the role of family patriarch George Lutz and he is terrific here. Indeed this is a role that can be a very tricky one to play because you have to start out as someone who is, for all intents and purposes, a decent guy who is just trying to be the best stepfather/new husband he can be and then, as the film goes on, become less and less of that decent guy all whilst struggling valiantly to hang on to however much of that decency as he possibly can against a force he doesn’t quite understand. Yet Brolin not only sells us as an audience in the beginning in terms of his charisma and affability, but as the movie goes on and events in the house start stripping those elements away from him, he does have moments where he can send a tingle down the spine to be sure yet his character is still worthy of our sympathies to an extent all the same. Suffice it to say that it’s a very intricate tightrope to traverse and I know that Brolin himself has said in interviews that he feels there are moments where he perhaps did go a little too over-the-top, but in the eyes of this writer I feel that his performance was well-done all things considered. Synching up with him in this fairly well is none other than Margot Kidder (Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies) as family matriarch Kathy. Indeed Kidder always was a talented actress and here she does do a good job as a woman who genuinely loves her family and wants them to be happy yet, as the film goes on and the house continually tests that happiness let alone everyone’s sanity, also finds the strength to not only get to the bottom of what’s going on, but also stand up to her husband and give him a piece of her mind when he’s just gone into full-blown jerko mode to her and her children. Far and away though, the performance that is definitely worthy of mention is from screen icon Rod Steiger in the pivotal supporting role of Father Delaney. Yes Steiger was an actor who was often accused of overacting by many a critic and I can see why they would say that (especially after seeing him in Mars Attacks from 1996 or End of Days from 1999). Even so however, the performance he gives here is truly haunting as this veteran priest who finds his toughest opponent from a spiritual perspective not in a person, but in this house which then proceeds to just put him through the wringer and then some. Thus, when you also factor in how serious Steiger was about this material, it’s clear this is one instance of character and actor matching up beautifully. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in top-notch support efforts from such talents as Don Stroud, Val Avery, Helen Shaver, Amy Wright (whose scene as the babysitter in this still spooks the heck out of me), and delightful one-scene appearances from the always enjoyable John Larch and Murray Hamilton (who looks and feels less like a priest and more like the mayor from Jaws in hiding as a clergyman after being run out of town due to the events of Jaws 2) among others it’s clear to me that this film might not be perfect, but the work done by this cast of talent does do its absolute darndest to make up for the film’s shortcomings.
All in all and at the end of the day is the 1979 take on The Amityville Horror a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination? Honestly no though that’s not entirely surprising as seldom few movies in any genre of movie magic can claim to be that. With that in mind however, does that make this the worst slice of horror cinema since one of the later “sequels” that this film inspired or when Margot Kidder decided to appear in, of all things, Rob Zombie’s 2nd so-called Halloween film from 2009? Thankfully I can confirm that is most assuredly not the case either. With that in mind though, I still feel that it should be said that if you are the kind of person who loves their scary movies to contain buckets of blood and gore, cheap jump scares a’plenty, dumb people being butchered left and right by a maniacal killer, or some twisted mixture of all of those things with a few additional ingredients thrown in for good measure then I am sorry, but you will definitely walk away from this movie more than a wee bit disappointed. On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who enjoys it when an entry in the realm of horror cinema is told with a preference on sending a chill down your spine via the overall atmosphere, performances, and other technical aspects present in the film to say nothing of both messing more with your mind rather than your stomach as well as the iconic component known as letting your imagination do the majority of the work for you then trust me when I say that you have certainly come to the right cinematic address. Suffice it to say then that regardless of the validity, or lack thereof as very well could be the case, of the events that are showcased for us here, there is no denying that it might not be the best horror film ever made, let alone the best entry in the haunted house subgenre, but the 1979 take on The Amityville Horror is one that, with the aid of capable work both behind and in front of the camera, is sure to make fans of old school horror smile with glee even whilst they are scrunched up in their chair and have their hands consistently ready to cover their eyes. Just make sure that, should you choose to watch this, you don’t watch it the night you move into a new home yourself. After all you never know who or what might be watching with you…Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Amityville Horror “79” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
