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The Amityville Horror

  • 20052005
  • RR
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
111K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,214
43
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Ryan Reynolds in The Amityville Horror (2005)
We quiz 'The Adam Project' star Ryan Reynolds on his most NSFW moments from 'Just Friends' to 'The Amityville Horror' and more.
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Ryan Reynolds Guesses His Most NSFW Moments
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Horror

Newlyweds are terrorized by demonic forces after moving into a large house that was the site of a grisly mass murder a year before.Newlyweds are terrorized by demonic forces after moving into a large house that was the site of a grisly mass murder a year before.Newlyweds are terrorized by demonic forces after moving into a large house that was the site of a grisly mass murder a year before.

IMDb RATING
5.9/10
111K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,214
43
  • Director
    • Andrew Douglas
  • Writers
    • Scott Kosar(screenplay)
    • Jay Anson(novel)
    • Sandor Stern(earlier screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Ryan Reynolds
    • Melissa George
    • Jimmy Bennett
Top credits
  • Director
    • Andrew Douglas
  • Writers
    • Scott Kosar(screenplay)
    • Jay Anson(novel)
    • Sandor Stern(earlier screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Ryan Reynolds
    • Melissa George
    • Jimmy Bennett
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 579User reviews
    • 141Critic reviews
    • 33Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos3

    Ryan Reynolds Guesses His Most NSFW Moments
    Clip 3:05
    Ryan Reynolds Guesses His Most NSFW Moments
    Which Roles Has Ryan Reynolds Been Considered For?
    Clip 3:44
    Which Roles Has Ryan Reynolds Been Considered For?
    The Amityville Horror
    Clip 0:49
    The Amityville Horror

    Photos128

    Ryan Reynolds in The Amityville Horror (2005)
    Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George in The Amityville Horror (2005)
    Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George in The Amityville Horror (2005)
    Philip Baker Hall and Melissa George in The Amityville Horror (2005)
    Ryan Reynolds in The Amityville Horror (2005)
    Kathy Lutz's (MELISSA GEORGE) dream home becomes a house of horrors in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.
    MELISSA GEORGE stars as Kathy Lutz in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.
    MELISSA GEORGE tries to save her daughter from falling off the roof in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.
    The evil in the Lutz house leaves a frightening message for Kathy (MELISSA GEORGE) in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.
    George Lutz (RYAN REYNOLDS) discovers a secret room in the basement in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.
    George Lutz (RYAN REYNOLDS) descends into madness in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.
    RYAN REYNOLDS stars as George Lutz in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR.

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ryan Reynolds
    Ryan Reynolds
    • George Lutzas George Lutz
    Melissa George
    Melissa George
    • Kathy Lutzas Kathy Lutz
    Jimmy Bennett
    Jimmy Bennett
    • Michael Lutzas Michael Lutz
    Jesse James
    Jesse James
    • Billy Lutzas Billy Lutz
    Chloë Grace Moretz
    Chloë Grace Moretz
    • Chelsea Lutzas Chelsea Lutz
    Rachel Nichols
    Rachel Nichols
    • Lisaas Lisa
    Philip Baker Hall
    Philip Baker Hall
    • Father Callawayas Father Callaway
    Isabel Conner
    Isabel Conner
    • Jodie Defeoas Jodie Defeo
    Brendan Donaldson
    • Ronald Defeoas Ronald Defeo
    Annabel Armour
    Annabel Armour
    • Realtoras Realtor
    Rich Komenich
    • Chief of Policeas Chief of Police
    David Gee
    • ER Doctoras ER Doctor
    Danny McCarthy
    Danny McCarthy
    • Officer Greguskias Officer Greguski
    Nancy Lollar
    • Librarianas Librarian
    José Taitano
    José Taitano
    • Stitchas Stitch
    Lenore Thomas Douglas
    Lenore Thomas Douglas
    • Nurse Fulleras Nurse Fuller
    • (uncredited)
    Wojciech Fry Lewis
    Wojciech Fry Lewis
    • New York State Trooperas New York State Trooper
    • (uncredited)
    Marie Joelyn
    • Store Patronas Store Patron
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Andrew Douglas
    • Writers
      • Scott Kosar(screenplay)
      • Jay Anson(novel)
      • Sandor Stern(earlier screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz along with their three children move into an elegant Long Island house. What they don't know is that the house was the site of a horrific mass murder a year before. They decide to keep the house and attempt to keep the horror in the past, but are now haunted by a murderous presence. This is until, George starts to behave weirdly and their daughter, Chelsea starts to see people. What follows is 28 days of sheer, unbridled terror for the family with demonic visions of the dead. Based on the true story of George and Kathy Lutz, The Amityville Horror remains one of the most horrifying haunted house stories ever told - because it actually happened. —Film_Fan
    • haunted house
    • murder
    • basement
    • priest
    • paranoia
    • 117 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • What happened over the next 28 days has never been explained.
    • Genre
      • Horror
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for violence, disturbing images, language, brief sexuality and drug use
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ryan Reynolds chose not to become close with his on-screen children. He was not mean or rude to them, just very distant. So distant in fact that the children often confided to those on the set that "Ryan doesn't like us!" Reynolds said that he did not want to "fall in love" with the kids. He did this so that when George Lutz started changing, he would have no trouble easing in to the verbal and physical abuse.
    • Goofs
      (at around 7 mins) The actual address of the house when the Lutz family moved in was 112 Ocean Avenue. When George and Kathleen visit the house for the first time, the address is 412 Ocean Avenue. This is because not only is the movie not meant to be historically accurate in any way, but for legal reasons they were unable to use the house's original address. For the same reasons, the children's names have been changed from the original Lutz family names.
    • Quotes

      Father Callaway: You know the doll with one eye that your daughter is holding?

      Kathy Lutz: Yes, well...

      Father Callaway: Well, that belonged to the little girl who lived here before you.

      Kathy Lutz: Yes, it was left here.

      Father Callaway: No, Mrs. Lutz, it was not left here.

      Kathy Lutz: Father, what exactly are you trying to tell me?

      Father Callaway: I knew the DeFeo's very well. I presided over their funeral. Jodie DeFeo was buried with that doll.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: House of D/Down and Derby/Palindromes/Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room/The Interpreter (2005)

    User reviews579

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Decent enough for Amityville and haunted house film fans, otherwise approach with caution
    A remake of the film by the same name from 1979, which was based on Jay Anson's book about a supposedly "true" haunting, Amityville Horror begins in familiar territory by showing us Ronald DeFeo, Jr. (Brendan Donaldson) murdering his family. A year later, newlyweds George (Ryan Reynolds) and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George), with three kids from her previous marriage in tow, buy the vacant house at a steal, although they hesitate a bit once they learn why it's so cheap. Strange occurrences begin not long after they settle in. George becomes increasingly impatient and hostile, daughter Chelsea (Chloe Moretz) begins seeing the dead DeFeo girl, and so on. The film recounts their very brief but tumultuous stay at the home the Lutz's believed would be their dream home, but which turned into a nightmare.

    After seeing the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), which had the same production team, principal scriptwriter and visual effects team, and which I loved--I gave it a 10--I was completely psyched for the Amityville Horror remake. After all, unlike my view of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), which I also gave a 10, I think the 1979 Amityville has more than its share of problems. I like the original in spite of that, but producer Michael Bay and crew had plenty of opportunity for improvement. Unfortunately, although some aspects of this remake are better in my view, it suffers from a host of new problems. Like the first, the assets are good enough to transcend the flaws so that it squeaks by with a very low "B", or an 8.

    In my view, there are two primary problems, with at least one a bit ineffable. The more effable problem is that relative newcomer director Andrew Douglas (his previous effort was 2003's relatively little-known documentary Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus) instructs cinematographer Peter Lyons Collister to shoot the film using way too much close framing. I repeatedly felt the urge to take a couple steps back so I could better discern the action, the settings, the staging of scenes, and so on.

    The second problem lies more in the realm of writing and editing--the film just doesn't seem to flow right. The transition from scene to scene often feels almost arbitrary. Even though Reynolds does a great job in his transformation as George Lutz (and the acting is superb all around), there was a sense of buildup in the original that this remake is missing. Further indicative of the transition problems, although seemingly minor, is the fact that the date, or the day of the Lutz' stay at the home, is sometimes given as a title and sometimes not. It seems like they just forgot to add the day titles for half of the scenes. Overall the final cut gives an impression of being hastily put together.

    And that's a shame, because there is a lot of potential here. The house itself is impressive, as it needs to be, and the overall style of the film is nicely atmospheric. I was also impressed with the production design by Jennifer Williams, which among other assets tends to have the period setting spot-on. For example, I was a huge Kiss, Alice Cooper, etc. fan during this era (and I'm still a fan). Williams has a number of Kiss and Cooper images in the film. She very carefully ensures that none are anachronistic.

    Even though scriptwriter Scott Kosar disappointingly expressed a lack of enthusiasm for Anson's book and the original film, he reintroduces a number of elements from the book that work well, but which were left out of the original film. He also introduces new scenarios that in some cases are among the best material of the film--such as a breathtaking sequence on the roof of the home, and the extension of the mythology behind the "haunting". He also greatly improves on sequences such as the babysitter. But on the other hand, he inexplicably changes core elements of the story, like the kind of being that Jody is.

    Anyone frustrated with the typical horror style of the later 1990s and early 2000s may find this remake troublesome. As one might expect with Michael Bay producing, Douglas is encouraged to use "MTV-styled" cinematography and editing. There are a number of extended techniques that have become somewhat clichéd in recent years. Douglas has characters do that fast headshaking movement ala Jacob's Ladder (1990). There are sections shot in a cinema vérité style. There are instances of quickly changing film stocks and processing methods, and so on. Even though I usually love all of that stuff, and I'm actually a fan of Bay's work, I have to agree that it's not exactly the most natural fit in this case. But for me, it's not something I would subtract points for either.

    Maybe the most surprising fact is that this version of Amityville Horror is so close, structurally, to the original. There is nothing here that is a big surprise, and anyone who has seen the 1979 film a number of times will know exactly what's coming next, or close enough to it. Whether this is positive or not depends on your opinion of the original film, and just how highly you cherish originality for its own sake. Big Amityville fans and big haunted house film fans will probably enjoy the film enough. Everyone else should approach with more caution.
    helpful•79
    41
    • BrandtSponseller
    • Apr 25, 2005

    FAQ4

    • What is 'The Amityville Horror' about?
    • Is 'The Amityville Horror' based on a book?
    • Is this movie really based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 2005 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official website
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Ngôi Nhà Rùng Rợn
    • Filming locations
      • 27618 Silver Lake Rd., Salem, Wisconsin, USA
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • Dimension Films
      • Platinum Dunes
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $65,233,369
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $23,507,007
      • Apr 17, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $107,516,369
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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