“There was a family... lived here some time ago. They had a similar problem.”
“The DeFeos…I'm living in their house.”
“The DeFeos…I'm living in their house.”
This 2005 version of Amityville Horror was my first rated R movie I saw in the theaters. Even though there was some gross parts in it the movie holds a special place in my memories haha. I actually went to see this by myself and I can remember sitting there waiting for the pop out stuff (I hold off on saying “scary” because this is not scary in the slightest). I had fun that day going by myself and I remember I did not even get asked for my license. Anyway… this retelling of the classic horror story was really good. This is one movie I do mind watching again and again.
If you are not familiar with the story of Amityville Horror it is begins with the murders of the DeFeo family by the eldest son Ronnie. He shot and killed his parents two brothers and little sister. He claimed he killed his family because the voices he was hearing told him to do so.
A year later George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house with her three children. They only spent twenty-eight days in the house because of paranormal occurrences. In the movie George becomes sick whenever he is around the house because he is possessed with the evil spirits of the house. At the end of the movie the family get out of the house by way of George’s speed boat before the house can kill them. The real Lutz family never went back for their possessions.
I know this version is a remake of the original from 1979. I like that one it was a good cheesy 1970s horror flick. It was filmed in the town I am from so it was fun seeing familiar sights. The 2005 version is so much better even though it is very loosely based off the novel and original story. Screenwriter Scott Kosar gives some explanation as to what possessed Ronnie DeFeo and George Lutz. The explanation is pretty cool as well as creepy and it kind of fits the area where the house was.
The whole reason I even went to see this movie in the first place was because of Melissa George who plays Kathy Lutz. I knew her from when she was on Alias as Lauren Reed the bitch who married Vaughn while Sydney was thought dead!! (wow you think after all these years I would not be so hostile towards the character!!). I learned to like Lauren Reed at this point and really liked Melissa George as an actress so I missed her a lot on Alias and had to see the movie. I have seen the actress in other movies since then and she is such a good actress. George was very good in this movie. I do however laugh a little bit whenever her Australian accent comes through when she says certain words or yells.
Rachel Nichols plays the babysitter Lisa. Nichols was on the last season of Alias. When I realized this I freaked out a little at how awesome it was that new and old Alias characters/actoresses were in the same movie. Her character is a real bitch. The ghost of the little girl tells Chelsea, Kathy’s daughter, that Lisa is a bad babysitter and then Lisa gets tortured.
Ryan Reynolds is shirtless for most the movie and that is fine by me! He was excellent as well (and not just because he had his shirt off). Reynolds seems to always be cast as quirky characters and that little bit of quirkiness in him comes out in some scenes; it does not take away but adds a little humanness to his character. In the scenes especially towards the end when George is possessed by the demons in the house Reynolds is really scary and creepy.
A very little Chloe Grace Mortez plays Chelsea. She was so cute. Watching this it is weird to think of her as Hit-Girl from Kickass. If the kid playing Michael looks familiar he played Captain Kirk as a kid in the reboot of Star Trek.
Amityville Horror is a very good movie. A lot of my friends are horror fans and very picky about remakes but every one of them that I have talked to about this movie say it is one of the only horror remakes they truly enjoyed. Depending on what reviews you read a lot of people are not happy with the way this version turned out mostly because it is totally different from the original movie and plot of the novel and it took a lot of liberty with certain aspects. But I cannot find fault in this one I really like what I see when I watch it. I absolutely hate horror movies because the reasons why the people are being haunted is really stupid but this version of Amityville Horror has a very good and reasonable explanation for the killings and hauntings
No comments:
Post a Comment