The Amityville Horror (2005)

   
Directed by: Andrew Douglas

Written by: Scott Kosar
Jay Anson (book)

Starring:


Ryan Reynolds .... George Lutz
Melissa George .... Kathy Lutz
Jesse James .... Billy Lutz
Jimmy Bennett .... Michael Lutz
Chloe Moretz .... Chelsea Lutz
Rachel Nichols .... Lisa
Philip Baker Hall .... Father Callaway

Release Date: Theatrical: April 15, 2005

 

 

Rating:

 

A young man named Ronald De Feo (Brendan Donaldson) kills his family in their new house down in Long Island New York as something told him to do so and the last family members he kills is his sister Jodie (Isabel Conner).

A newlywed couple look for a new house that's a little bigger than their old house since the wife named Kathy (Melissa George) has three children and her first husband passed away. All the houses they see is out of their price range but they spot one that is big and affordable. Their landylady sweet talks them into buying it butr tells them about the DeFeo's that once lived there but assures them that it has been forgotten so they buy it.

The oldest son named Billy (Jesse James) has a hard time adjusting to his stepfather George (Ryan Reynolds) but has a rougher time later on as the days go by George behaves more aggressive and also feels chilly living in the house.

George and Kathy have an evening out and hire a lustful babysitter named Lisa (Rachel Nichols) who tells the kids about what happened in the house they're now living in and about the little girl named Jodie who fired her for her babysitting job as she babysat the DeFeo's as well. The daughter of the Lutz's named Chelsea (Chloe Moretz) formed a friendship with Jodie. Jodie locks Lisa in the closet and scares her half to death and Lisa is taken away in an ambulance.

George is close to killing his whole family after he discovers a secret room in the house but not only that, Chelsea is doing suicidal events which Jodie is making her do since Jodie tells her that she has a way of seeing Chelsea's dead father.

 

Take this one with a grain of salt as it is nothing like the book by Jay Anson.
The characters are completely different. But it goes to show you that most non fictional movies are not true in alot of scenes which you have to read the book first as the facts usually come from there and when a movie is made after the book as the producer's like the exaggerate a film.
Yet this film is very scary and will make you jump with noisy effects. But however, the Lutz family were more pleased with this remake as they said it was more based on what really happened to them than what happened in the original film and insisted that they did this one so what do I know?
It was cool to see a child loving the group Kiss with posters hung and him wearing their shirts bringing the picture a total 70's feel to it.

The acting is very good. Vancouver actor Ryan Reynolds is on his road to fame as he knew his part inside out at first acting like a charming newlywed and then behaving aggressive, obnoxious and evil while living in the house bringing great intensity to his part.
Melissa George
really brought her motherly love to the screen quite well too having a passive attitude along with terrific crying and screaming emotions when things really stir up.
Jesse James
was good as a kid with attitude going through a phase and having a hard time adjusting to his new stepfather. He really drew his part as a bratty pre-teen.
Also, Chloe Moretz is convincing too and can get more work as at first I mistakened her for Dakota Fanning having a nice personality to her role and knew how to act like a mischievious little girl of the family.
Rachel Nicols
truly brought her skanky and lustful behavior to life along with her stunning looks too making you reminding of a lousy babysitter you never wanted back and totally looked like a 70's groovy chick too.
P
hilip Baker Hall really showed a great serious attitude as a precher with a good deep voice too which really carried as he spoke.

There is suggested sex and close to brief nudity.

There is alot of blood when the DeFeo's are shot.
George sees a hallucination of himself with his skin stripped off his back.
A zombie image of Jodie occurs in many scenes with a bullet hole in her head.
A dog is butchered with an axe but the scene is quick and dark.
A guy is hung with hooks to his chest and other gruesome events in that same scene.

The directing is incredibly suspenseful and will make you jump during many moments by Andrew Douglas as he knows how to direct something suspenseful and shocking.
We have many fast shots on bit part actor Brendan Donaldson as Ronald DeFeo using a rifle and going on a shooting spree. Along with a good shot on supporting child actress Isabel Connor as Jodie in a corner of a closet looking innocent and fearful and then a good close up shot on Donaldson looking teary telling him he loves her very weakly and then pointing his shotgun.
We spot a nice dialogue between Ryan Reynolds and Jimmy Bennett as stepfather and stepson acting silly towards one another.
My favourite direction of his is when he directed Reynolds, Melissa George and Annabel Armour's scene when Armour's character as the realtor shows them around the house but is too scared to go in the rooms and then tells them the tragedy that has happened there showing good fearful words.
We spot a good dialogue between Jesse James not adjusting to his new stepfather and having an attitude with Melissa George trying to act sympathetic towards him.
There's a good shot on both George and Reynolds having a sex scene and then from a corner Connor acting hauntingly as it looked very spooky.
There's a good moment with Bennett getting out of his bed and too scared to go to the bathroom alone along with a camera shot on the vent with sounds coming through. Plus there's good shot on him walking in the hallway to the bathroom in which the setting looked dark and haunting like. There's good close up shots on him trying to turn on the sink water with a ghostly presence happening. He showed good energy running back to his bed thanks to Douglas' work on him doing all this.
James
does a good job showing attitude towards Reynolds about not wanting a babysitter with a good shot on supporting actress Rachel Nicols acting sexy as the babysitter entering the house and taking off her coat along with a good surprised look on James.
We spot a great suspenseful moment with Moretz walking on the top roof of the house and George trying to go up there and safely trying to get her off and a good susepnseful struggle happens with all of the directions surrounding it. George does well losing her mind towards Moretz about Jodie as well as crying and screaming towards her.
We have a nice lustful reaction on Nicols lying on a bed in a room spotting some Kiss posters and imitating Gene Simmons with her tongue and discussing it which looked kinky as well as her talking about what happened at the house which was also well directed. We also spot a good moment with Chloe Moretz warning Nicols that Jodie is gonna get angry if she goes in a closet that's supposedly possessed and Nicols gets attitudish about it.
Nicols was terrific with her bad ass aggressions when she's locked in the closet along with a good approach by Connor towards her and good blocking with her grabbing her arm and getting her to point Nicols' finger to her head with a bullet shot exposed, then Nicols losing her sanity about it.
There's a good quarrelling with Reynolds towards everyone and acting really intimidating with both Bennett and James telling him about the house being evil and getting upset about it which looked like a believeable dysfunctional family.
There's a good moment with Philip Baker Hall trying to bless a house and a bunch of flies come out of a vent and attacks him.
We have a terrific evil aggression and shots on Reynolds chopping wood and manipulating James to put another piece of wood on in which he does well crying about it.
There's many terrorising directions with Reynolds trying to come after everyone with a shot gun and him trying to shoot the ceiling with good shots on George, Nicols, Bennett and James climbing up the roof in a rain storm.
We have a perfect aggression with George towards Reynolds with a shotgun and whacking him with it giving it a nice brutal feel to it.
He directed Reynolds terrifically when his character slowly gets possessed showing his nasty emotions and temper nmaking it truly scary and real.

The music was composed by Steve Jablonsky and is terrific with it having the rusty sounds and the low beating music with the echoey piano and classical music with some low trombone playing and the sad violin music too. Clay Duncan composed the additional music.

Jodie Defeo: What's wrong, Ronnie?
Ronald Defeo: I love you, Jodie.
[raises the shotgun and shoots her in the head]

Michael Lutz: Do I have to call you Dad, George?
George Lutz: You can call me whatever you want.
Michael Lutz: Um... Stupid?
George Lutz: Sure.
Michael Lutz: Stinky?
George Lutz: Of course.
Michael Lutz: Crap-monkey-fart?
George Lutz: [laughing] Okay, that's where I draw the line!

Billy Lutz: [after tasting George's scrambled eggs] This sucks!
George Lutz: You aren't kiddin'.

Realtor: So, are we happy?
George Lutz: [pointing to Kathy] She's happy. I'm broke.

George Lutz: Houses don't kill people. People kill people.

Michael Lutz: We're *rich*!
George Lutz: Rich off of somethin', but it ain't money.

Kathy Lutz: [Eating at dinner table, George spits out his food, making a scene] Is this discipline, or torture?
George Lutz: I thought it was meatloaf...

Father Callaway: Your house frightens me, Mrs. Lutz.

Billy Lutz: Hi... I'm Billy.
[Lisa talks to Kathy and George]
Billy Lutz: Hi... I'm Billy.
Lisa: Yeah, I got ya the first time.

George Lutz: [to Billy] I thought you said you didn't need a babysitter.

Lisa: It's kinda sick that you sleep in their beds. Actually, it's fucking sick.

Jodie Defeo: Look what Ronnie did to me, Lisa.
[moves her hair away from her head so can see, she has a hole in her head made by the gun]

Kathy Lutz: What were you thinking?
[after Chelsea walks across the roof of the house]
Chelsea Lutz: I just wanted to see Daddy.

Father Callaway: There was recently a family in the area that had a similar problem.
Kathy Lutz: The DeFeos.
Father Callaway: Yes, you've heard of them?
Kathy Lutz: I'm living in their house.

Father Callaway: You know the doll that your daughter was holding?
Kathy Lutz: Yes, well...
Father Callaway: That doll belonged to the little girl who used to live here.
Kathy Lutz: Maybe it was left on the property?
Father Callaway: No Kathy, you don't understand what I'm saying, that doll was buried with Jody Defeo when she died.

Father Callaway: Mrs. Lutz, get you and your family out of that house. Right now!

George Lutz: [to Kathy] How did you get so fucking stupid?

Kathy Lutz: No-one dies today.

[last lines]
Jodie Defeo: Nooooooooo!