DVD Review: The Amityville Horror (1979)

(aka The Haunting of the Brawny Man.)
Release Date: July 27th, 1979.
Country: USA.
Rating: R.
Written by: Sandor Stern and Jay Anson.
Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg.
Starring: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, and Don Stroud.

We're perfectly willing to call this 1979 Haunted House flick a classic, despite the fact that it's far from perfect, because along with other Genre efforts like The Exorcist, Halloween, Alien, TCM, and Dawn of the Dead, The Amityville Horror is an iconic part of 70's Horror. An imperfect one, but one none the less.

*This review is a re-do of one we did back in 2008. It needed an update.

Newly-married couple George and Kathy Lutz have just found the real estate deal of a lifetime on Long Island; a reduced-price Haunted House! Since knowing that a family was slaughtered there only 13 months earlier doesn't bother them in the least, and they just can't pass up a good bargain, they gather up the kids and movie in, ensuring that plenty of haunted chaos will ensue.

"MASS MURDER? WE'LL TAKE IT!"

George Lutz becomes handy around the house (ala chopping a metric ton of wood), and since he looks like the Brawny Paper Towel Guy, he also finds himself picking up tough spills that other paper towels just can seem to handle. He also starts getting really mean, which just isn't like him.
 

I SURE WOULDN'T AXE HIM WHAT'S WRONG. ZING!

All sorts of creepy things start happening to the family; the house starts screaming at people, chairs rock by themselves, blood drips from the walls, Margot Kidder gets naked... the tension is pretty much non-stop. 28 Days Later (very clever, Danny Boyle), the supernatural hi-jinks become too much for the family to bear, and they attempt to leave their dream home...

THIS LOOKS PERFECTLY NORMAL, SO WHY LEAVE THE HOUSE IMMEDIATELY?

Can the Lutz family ever hope to escape the Haunted House before they die? Does the dog get left behind? Does Barry Gibb sue James Brolin for hair-copyright infringement? I'll ruin nothing for you here, save to say that it certainly looks as if Barry Gibb has a solid case.

THE 70'S... WHEN A MAN'S HAIR MEANT SOMETHING.

This movie, although looking and feeling a bit dated, is an all-time classic. Whether or not you believe the claims that this is a true story (it's not), the atmosphere in this one is just downright creepy. If you don't get chills when the Demonic voice tells the priest "Get out!" then I don't know if there's anything that will ever scare you.

Haunted House flicks don't come much more effective than this.

EASY, MARGOT. YOU'RE OVER-ACTING.

Margot Kidder's acting. Also, swarming flies are gross. Also, what in the hell took them so long to leave?!?

HE SHOULD HAVE BLESSED THE HOUSE FROM THE OUTSIDE.

Just leave the damn dog behind and go!

THIS IS ONE GUY YOU DON'T WANT TO CROSS. ZING!

There's not a lot of blood or gore in this one, but there is at least a bunch of disturbing imagery throughout.

WAS IT ULCERATIVE COLITIS?

Margot Kidder gets semi-topless for about three seconds in this one.

WHAT'S WITH THE FLOWER?

Buying a home where multiple murders have taken place is seldom a wise investment, even if the price is right; if it sounds too good to be true, ghosts will surely try to kill you.

GHOST OR JAMES BROLIN... ONE OF THEM WILL TRY TO KILL YOU.

The Amityville Horror is a classic flick that needs to be seen by all who call themselves fans of Horror. As we mentioned before, it feels a bit dated in places, and it's lost a bit of its luster after three and a half decades, but it's still effective as hell in the creepy department.

A

The Amityville Horror is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD.

Once upon a time, Margot Kidder was pretty hot. True story.