The Amityville Horror (1979)

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Jay Anson (book)
Sandor Stern (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

27 July 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

"For God's Sake, Get Out!"

Plot:

Newlyweds move into a house where a murder was committed, and experience strange manifestations which drive them away.

Plot Keywords:

Dead Children | Demonic Possession | Family In Danger | Paranoid | Ghost

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

James Brolin	...	George Lutz
Margot Kidder	...	Kathy Lutz
Rod Steiger	...	Father Delaney
Don Stroud	...	Father Bolen
Murray Hamilton	...	Father Ryan
John Larch	...	Father Nuncio
Natasha Ryan	...	Amy
K.C. Martel	...	Greg
Meeno Peluce	...	Matt
Michael Sacks	...	Jeff
Helen Shaver	...	Carolyn
Amy Wright	...	Jackie
Val Avery	...	Sgt. Gionfriddo
Irene Dailey	...	Aunt Helena
Marc Vahanian	...	Jimmy
Elsa Raven	...	Mrs. Townsend
Ellen Saland	...	Bride
Eddie Barth	...	Agucci
Hank Garrett	...	Bartender
James Tolkan	...	Coroner
Carmine Foresta	...	Cop at the House
Peter Maloney	...	Newspaper Clerk
Charlie Welch	...	Carpenter
J.R. Miller	...	Boy
Patty Burtt	...	Girl
Michael Hawkins	...	New York State Trooper
Richard Hughes	...	2nd New York State Trooper
Jim Dukas	...	Neighbor
Baxter Harris	...	Cop #2 at the House
Michael Stearns	...	Policeman
Jack Krupnick	...	Dead Father

Directed by
Stuart Rosenberg

Writing credits
Jay Anson		(book)
Sandor Stern		(screenplay)
George Lutz		story (uncredited)
Kathy Lutz		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Elliot Geisinger	....	producer
Ronald Saland	....	producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Brown		(as Robert Brown Jr.)

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Judy Taylor

Art Direction by
Kim Swados

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Makeup Department
Stephen Abrums	....	makeup artist
Christine Lee	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Salvatore Billitteri	....	post-production supervisor
Jere Henshaw	....	executive in charge of production
Russell Saunders	....	unit production manager (as Russ Saunders)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	second assistant director
Edward E. Vaughan	....	first assistant director (as Ed Vaughan)

Art Department
Donald B. Nunley	....	property master (as Donald Nunley)

Sound Department
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	sound effects editor
Robert W. Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Maury Harris	....	sound mixer
Bill Henderson	....	sound re-recording engineer
Christopher Ramsey	....	boom operator (as Chris Ramsey)
Richard Tyler	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John K. Wilkinson)

Special Effects by
Dell Rheaume	....	special effects (as Delwyn Rheaume)

Visual Effects by
Allen Blaisdell	....	visual effects
William Cruse	....	visual effects

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt driver
Brian Bruderlin	....	stunt double
Roger Creed	....	stunt coordinator
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt driver
Richard Seaman	....	stunt driver (as Richard D. Seaman)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Benson	....	camera operator (as Michael Benson)
Edward Morey III	....	assistant camera
John Murray	....	key grip (as Johnny Murray)
Gene Stout	....	gaffer (as Eugene Stout)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cynthia Bales	....	wardrobe: women
Richard Butz	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Bill Berry	....	negative cutter
Dee D'Orazio	....	additional editor (as Etter 'Dee' D'Orazio)
Stanley Frazen	....	associate editor
Dennis Galling	....	assistant editor
Barbara Gandolfo-Frady	....	apprentice editor (as Barbara Gandolfo)

Music Department
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
Aaron Rochin	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Johnny Dias	....	transportation

Other crew
Susan Anker	....	production secretary
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	presenter
Reverend Thomas Bermingham	....	religious supervisor
Gary Gillingham	....	production controller
Connie Greenwood	....	unit controller
Karl Lewis Miller	....	animal trainer
Mary Ann Newfield	....	script supervisor
Barbara Pieters	....	production coordinator
Steve Warner	....	location auditor

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Cinema 77
• Professional Films

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (Canada) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1981) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CEL Home Video (198?) (Australia) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Star Video (198?) (Australia) (VHS)
• UGC Distribution (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• Vestron Video (198?) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Video Diversión S.A. (1984) (Spain) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Orion Pictures Corporation  current copyright proprietor
• Glen Glenn Sound  sound re-recording
• Neiman-Tillar Associates  creative sound services
• New Jersey Film Commission  thanks
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Iceland:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

James Brolin was hesitant when he was first offered the role of George Lutz. He was told that there was no script and that he must obtain a copy of Jay Anson's novel and read it as soon as possible. Brolin started the book one evening at seven o'clock and was still reading at two o'clock in the morning. He had hung a pair of his pants up in the room earlier and at a really "tense" part in the book, the pants fell down from wherever they had been hanging. Brolin jumped out of his chair, nearly crashing his head into the ceiling. It was then that Brolin said, "There's something to this story." He agreed to do the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Father Delaney's car goes out of control, the window is up/down between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Cop at the House: Jesus Christ, it gets worse all the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "CSI: NY: Boo (#4.6)" (2007)

Not Necessarily Bad, But Definitely Over-Hyped.

"The Amityville Horror" is a typical haunted house movie with the 'based on a true story' claim branded on it, which may be the largest reason for it's success. The film concerns George and Kathy Lutz (James Brolin and Margot Kidder), both newlyweds who decide to buy a grand Dutch colonial house in Amityville, Long Island, New York. They are aware that a year earlier, the savage slaughter of an entire family took place in the house, but they try to push that aside and make the house their own. After moving in, strange things begin to happen, and George becomes increasingly violent with both Kathy and her children, and the evil entity dwelling within the house begins to consume the family's lives. The terrified family ends up fleeing their house after only spending twenty-eight days there.

While the large popularity for this film more than likely rests with it's claim that it was supposedly based on an actual haunting, "The Amityville Horror" is a slightly above-average (but really not by that much) haunted house film. I've heard people claim this film to be one of the horror greats, but in all honesty, I just didn't find this film to be anything quite so mind-blowing. It was decent and just a minimal notch above average, but it was very far from perfection. The story is based on Jay Anson's novel, and while the book itself is fairly well-written (yes, I have read it), this film adaptation is a little choppy. The main idea gets across, but there are many little things that the audience feels the need to pick-up on, only to have them receive no explanation afterwards. The strange happenings in the house turn out to be related to something to do with an Indian burial ground, but that's all we really know, because none of it is ever elaborated on, and things begin to become a little too meandering.

It isn't all bad though, it has some redeeming qualities. There is a handful of really spooky and memorable scenes and some nice cinematography to be seen. While the script has some holes, the main story is actually very scary. The 'true story' claim may be real truth or just plain fiction, I'm not really sure what the think about it, but things like this tend to spook me so I found the entire premise to be fairly creepy. The acting in the film is decent overall, but not anything award-worthy. James Brolin's performance becomes a little silly during his morphing stage in the film, and is very clearly overacting in quite a large amount of the movie. Margot Kidder does this as well, shouting her lines quite often, but I liked her performance better. Rod Steiger plays the role of the priest rather well, probably turning in the best performance of the film.

Overall, "The Amityville Horror" has it's pluses and minuses, but I can't give it an overly high rating. It's a decent but flawed haunted house film, and it's a "classic" by popularity. If the film wasn't supposedly based on actual events, I don't think that it would have received the hype or status that it did. It's not a horrible film and I'd recommend it to horror fans, but it's not great either. Just a tad above average, but worth seeing at least once. 6/10.