avalonjoyous Unlike some reviews here I never really thought this film was horrendous.Yes the acting is mostly laughable no question and yes the end of this film is incredibly insensitive,disturbing,and shocking to say the least.But the movie was creepy to me anyways and it put a chill up my spine seeing a young man killing his entire family and this includes small children which was the most disturbing and shocking thing of this entire film.It wasn't perfect by no means but for me it was an alright horror film.I do not think of this as having anything to do with the real story more as a typical horror movie considering so many things regarding this film do NOT follow what actually happened in real life.Especially the fact that in the real case the family was asleep when they were murdered not wide awake as everyone was in this film.The gratuitous violence at the end of the movie is to this day something that still stays with me it was incredibly shocking to watch to say the least.

Wizard-8 There are some good ideas in this prequel to "The Amityville Horror", but unfortunately the filmmakers weren't able to make all of them gel together. We get a crumbling family drama, we have a possessed house drama, and we also get a good rehash of "The Exorcist". The movie might have worked if one basic theme was settled on. Actually, there is a bigger problem with the movie. Despite the varied plot, as well as a good dash of exploitative elements ranging from gore to incest, most of the movie plays out in a surprisingly drab manner. Director Damiano Damiani simply doesn't put in enough juice for the most part to really draw in the viewer. There are some good touches by Damiani here and there - for example, some of the camera-work is impressive, and there are some nifty old school special effects - but it's not enough to save the whole package. I've seen a lot worse, I admit... but I have also seen a lot that is better.

AaronCapenBanner Loose prequel to the original tells the story of the previous family to inhabit the cursed house on 112 Ocean Avenue. The Montellis(renamed from the DeFeos) move in with high hopes but are doomed by a demonic voice that speaks to Sonny, the troubled son, who strikes back against his brutish lout of a father, nearly killing him with a rifle. The evil in the house torments him further, and creates much poltergeist activity before driving Sonny to murder his whole family, then after he is arrested, the family's priest(played by James Olsen) performs an exorcism on him when he returns to the house.Truly appalling film ignores the facts of the case in favor of lurid, crass exploitation, which also shamelessly rips off other horror pictures, mainly "The Exorcist". Good cast cannot salvage this junk.

nealnels Let's start off with some boring facts. I know no one wants to read them, but they must be faced. Although this film is based on Hans Holzer's supposedly non-fiction book about the DeFeo Family tragedy, it is, in fact, screen-written by Tommy Lee Walace (hold your applause until the end please) and not to be taken so damned seriously. I can understand the realism confusion here. If this movie is based on a factual event and book (very much so promoted that way too, like its counterparts), then why change the names and what really happened? I'll tell you... It's An Embellished Fictional Re-Telling. In other words, much more interesting to watch than if they'd made the real story. Not to mention we wouldn't want anyone suing over misinterpretation, including Ronny DeFeo. If he's even still with us?It's a horror movie folks. It's made to be scary and entertaining. In my opinion it does both of those in spades. Creepy as hell, at least in the first hour. The pacing is break-neck, for this type of film, again, in the first hour. And what happened to Jack Magner. I know the old standard is you're only as good (or wanted) as your last film. And I think that's what it is. Mr. Magners performance should have been based on his part, but ended up being based on how much the audience seems to hate this movie. I also love how his character's name is Sonny instead of Ronny (off, literally by the next letter in the alphabet).This is one of those movies I pick to watch on a stormy night that makes my skin crawl. Keep in mind I own 4,000 DVD's and half of them are horror movies, so I have plenty to choose from. It's a film full of dread, a quality newer horror movies have forgotten about, and I truly miss and appreciate. Remaining truthful here, I kinda wish the credits would have rolled about 70 minutes in, instead of 105. The last half hour just seems tacked on to make it longer, and give the special effects people more to do. It's also a study in how guilty can we make the priest feel. Who, by the way, does come off as gay with another priest as his boyfriend. Although the ghost of the daughter that was killed by her brother confronts the priest at the end by asking if he wanted to have sex with her in the confessional. You'll note he never answers this question, he just sort of winces in angst as if wanting to tell her, NO, I"M GAY!" If that wasn't a spoiler this certainly is: I believe that after the priest asks the possessing demon to come into him, and it does (we know this because of his pulsating veins) he should have shot himself after asking God for contrition. They could have done it as a sound bite when the camera does its last pull-away from the house. It's not like this character gets used in future sequels. And I'm not sure a priest would want to live possessed by a demon. You'll also notice he was given a gun by the detective before taking Sonny out of the prison.So, if not taken too seriously and one lets the beginning creepiness just wash over them... and one doesn't base this movie on the supposed truth, one could truly enjoy this horror movie. You can't truly tell me that the disgusting trap door in the basement and the ghost POV doesn't effect the hairs on the back of your neck!