The Amityville Horror (2005)

The House With Eyes returns! The incredible story of a family terrorized by evil spirits after moving into a home that was the site of a grisly mass-murder is fantastically re-told by director Andrew Douglas. What sets this new version apart from the classic 1979 The Amityville Horror , is the scare factor. The thought I had immediately following the end of the movie was, "Even the predictable scares were done excellently."

Ryan Reynolds (of "Blade: Trinity" fame)did the most spectacular job of reprising the role of George Lutz. The role of Geroge Lutz was previously held in the minds of horror fans solely by James Brolin, Reynolds surely pleased fans of the original movie putting him side by side with Brolin.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching a relatively new director bring together such a stunning grade 'A' re-make. The plot (whether based on fact or fiction) is true to the story we have all come to love and flows in Douglas' version as well as, if not better, than the original. Not surprising when you note that producer Michael Bay had a hand in blockbusters such as "Bad Boys" "Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor". The special effects (which are superb!)help bring this verison to mastery status. They are courtesy of David J. Barker, who has films under his belt that include "Hildalgo", "Ocean's Eleven" and the hit television series "Angel".

One difference I really liked is how in this version, George never 'sees' the light enough to save his family. It is Kathy Lutz (played by Melissa George) who ends up taking action to get the family away from the house. I also find it interesting as a side note that this so called true story always has changes in the details. Granted it only supposedly based on a true story but as I mentioned in my post on the original 1979 film, there is so much information out there on both sides of the arguement. Well, whatever the case it is afterall just Hollywood.
Or is it? Hmmm, it's 3:15 am....

• Today's Cure song is Charlotte Sometimes from the Standing on a Beach - The Singles CD-(1986) Compilation album of the officially released singles from 1979-1985. According to Robert, this particular song was inspired by the eponymous book by Penelope Farmer.(Okay I had to look the word 'eponymous' up; it means a character in a play,book,song, etc. that has the same name as the title)

"On that bleak track
(See the sun is gone again)
The tears were pouring down her face
She was crying and crying for a girl
Who died so many years before... "

CJ