Horror

The Amityville Horror

- For God's sake, get out!

George Lutz, his wife Kathy, and their three children have just moved into a beautiful, and improbably cheap, Victorian mansion nestled in the sleepy coastal town of Amityville, Long Island. However, their dream home is concealing a horrific past and soon each member of the Lutz family is plagued with increasingly strange and violent visions and impulses.

Release Date : 1979-07-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : American International Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : George Lutz

Original Name : James Brolin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kathy Lutz

Original Name : Margot Kidder

Gender : Female

Character Name : Father Delaney

Original Name : Rod Steiger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Richard Bolen

Original Name : Don Stroud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Ryan

Original Name : Murray Hamilton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Nuncio

Original Name : John Larch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Amy

Original Name : Natasha Ryan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Greg

Original Name : K.C. Martel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Matt

Original Name : Meeno Peluce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jeff

Original Name : Michael Sacks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aunt Helena

Original Name : Irene Dailey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Carolyn

Original Name : Helen Shaver

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jackie

Original Name : Amy Wright

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jimmy

Original Name : Marc Vahanian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Townsend

Original Name : Elsa Raven

Gender : Female

Character Name : Agucci

Original Name : Eddie Barth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Hank Garrett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Coroner

Original Name : James Tolkan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy

Original Name : J.R. Miller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sgt. Gionfriddo

Original Name : Val Avery

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newspaper Clerk

Original Name : Peter Maloney

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

_**That iconic creepy house on Long Island**_ A newlywed couple moves into a shoreline house on Long Island with their three little kids. The house was the scene of a mass killing a year earlier but the parents (James Brolin & Margot Kidder) didn’t think it mattered and, besides, it enabled them to purchase the homestead at a much reduced price. Then strange things start happening. "The Amityville Horror" (1979) was arguably the best haunted house movie up to that point in time and was hugely successful at the box office, inspiring a gazillion sequels, remakes and documentaries. There are similarities to "The Shining" (1980): Both movies were based on books published in 1977, but the film version of "The Amityville Horror" was released a year prior to “The Shining” and was based on the supposedly true story of what happened to the Lutz family whereas Stephen King’s novel was purely fictional. The 2005 remake with Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George deviates even further from the book and is a brisker, more modern version of the story. Yet this classic version still works as a moody and mysterious drama with horrific touches. Unlike the remake, the movie takes its time to establish and develop the characters and I appreciated this; for instance, Mr. Lutz's employee (Michael Sacks) and his spiritually curious girlfriend (Helen Shaver), as well as the two priests (Rod Steiger and Don Stroud). Gene Siskel criticized it on the grounds that it wasn’t enjoyable. Seriously? Since when are horror flicks supposed to be enjoyable? This is a realistic drama with some creepy paranormal things thrown on top, based on an allegedly true account. I don’t think the filmmakers were shooting for “enjoyable.” That said, underneath the darkness the picture has a good, warm heart. Was the actual Lutz’s account true or not? They seemed to have experienced some troubling things at the house during their month-long stay and passed a Polygraph by two top polygraph experts but, assuming their story wasn’t concocted for profit (which many believe was the case), the events were certainly amped-up for the book & movie for the purpose of an entertaining tale. By the way, the large Dutch Colonial house still stands in Amityville, albeit the exterior was remodeled and hence the two distinctive windows appear standard. The film runs 1 hour, 57 minutes and was mostly shot in New Jersey as follows: Toms River (house), Point Pleasant (church), Georgian Court University in Lakewood (meeting with the hooded priest), Ocean County and Scotch Plains; as well as indoor scenes done at MGM Studios in Culver City, California; plus some shots done in Long Island, Connecticut and Glendale, California. GRADE: B