The Amityville Horror (1979)

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Related Movies: Amityville II: The Possession (1982) [sequel] Amityville 3-D (1983) [sequel] Amityville: The Evil Escapes (1989) [sequel] Amityville Curse, The (1990) [sequel] Amityville 1992: It's About Time (1992) [sequel] Amityville: A New Generation (1993) [sequel] Amityville: Dollhouse (1997) [sequel] History's Mysteries: Amityville: The Haunting (1998) [sequel] Amityville Horror, The (2005) [remake]

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External Reviews

While there’s a few moments of moody suspense, for the most part this overlong and quite poor effort is dull and lacking in thrills; however we get to chuckle at Steiger’s hammy performance. Not quite as bad as its reputation, this spawned a slew of imitators in its wake. 

Not a bad ghost film--it's kind of creepy at times, especially if you can get into the idea that it actually happened 58/100

--Jack Witzig (ColdSpot)

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This film is as dull as a Julia Roberts movie. ... This film is weak, not nearly as scary as other haunted house flicks, including "Burnt Offerings" and "The Legend of Hell House," and is ultimately about as missable as you can get.

-- (eSplatter.com)

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All this film really is; two hours of weird occurrences and story threads that don’t go anywhere. Genuine horror works because it mines the depths of human fear and turns it into an entity so terrifying that we can’t stand to watch it, but we can’t make ourselves look away, either. The villain in “The Amityville Horror” is an intangible evil presence that never goes beyond slamming doors and shutting windows. 

-- (Bloody-Disgusting.com)

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Cast

James Brolin Traffic, Catch Me If You Can, The Master of Disguise Margot Kidder Superman, Superman II, Superman III Rod Steiger Mars Attacks!, End of Days, On the Waterfront Helen Shaver The Craft, The Color of Money, The Land Before Time Don Stroud Licence to Kill, Armed and Dangerous, Perdita Durango Murray Hamilton Jaws, The Graduate, The Hustler John Larch Dirty Harry, Play Misty for Me, Written on the Wind [more]

Music By

Lalo Schifrin Mission: Impossible II, Mission: Impossible, Rush Hour

A fascinating basis - an excellent cast - efficient bleakness heavy directing/score and that creepy freaking house. Sure, the flick could’ve been so much more if the screenplay had been tightened up and had taken more chances but I was brought down to the gravel none the less. Watch it alone at night with the lights off and thank me in the morning with a bomb in my mail-box and your sister in my kitchen.  --'The Arrow' (Arrow)