I have to agree a bit there. Saw was great on its own, but what made it one of my favorites was the ending, and considering movies tend to have a great thing going and then ruin it with an ending, I think Saw still deserves to be praised.

Eh.

It's better than the original, actually. However, as makeshift said, there are some problems in the second half (ugh. and that's the pivotal part, too). That actually indicates, to me, a failure on the filmmakers' part. If you have a great build up and you can't deliver in the second half (well, if the second half is just awful), it indicates a sort of unconsciousness (unless they WANTED to make it bad!) and inability to master the flow. If I HATED the second part but loved the first part, I'd go for something much much lower than a C+ just because I'd consider inconsistency, lol.

The best thing about the new version is that it isn't a documentary slash entertaining horror film. It knows where it belongs. Had it adopted the flow of the first but added the high tech/music video-like effects that we've all agreed on, the result would have been laughable...

The second best thing is the acting. I'd take Reynolds over Brolin any day, actually. While the scenes where he becomes possessed are sometimes ridiculous, Brolin was far far far worse. George was good. Of the new MTV-ish, stylish horror flicks, the acting here was "plus"-par! The kids could've been better (eh, not as bad as what's his face in The Ring Two. He was annoying AND bad. Here, the kids were just bad. )

I haven't decided on a grade yet but it'd be around a B or B-, I think. It made me jump in parts and it's a good remake considering the suckiness of the original.

movies35, you're a hypocrite.

I saw THE AMITYVILLE HORROR today and found it to be a very creepy, well-made and scary film. I don't know why, but I just found myself interested all the way through. Both of the leads were very likable and you didn't want anything to happen to them. The babysitter sequence was undoubtably my favorite part. It was very scary and disturbing. I thought Ryan Reynolds did a good job here and I look forward to seeing more from him. Same goes for Melissa George, who serves as the film's real heart. I know many call the ending anticlimatic but I thought it worked and it didn't bother me. I did, however, dislike the final scene (like Horror Whore). It seemed out of place and wasn't scary at all. It came off as lame instead of creepy. Overall I thought this was an excellent horror film. It's definitely one of the better ones to be released this year and I enjoyed it more than THE RING TWO. It's not nearly as good as TCM, but it is still a fun and terrifying ride that is worth seeing.

8/10 (A-)

I have nothing to complain about in this film. There's nothing wrong for me with the second half at all! I think it accomplished anything and everything that it could accomplish, and that's great in my book. Grade: A (Second favorite of the year, after Sin City).

Glad you liked it Thompson, I knew you would!!

You don't think that it kind of slowed down...?

The first half of the first half was, seriously, better done than many dramas (*cough* Radio *cough* Cold Mountain *cough*). After the babysitter scene (hippie galore), it becomes more like the original. Perhaps it's that the babysitter scene was sooo good that it was simply misplaced (could anything in the movie possibly be better). A second viewing might help judge scenes fairly, even though a film should be judged on the build up and how it transitions.

Once Reynolds becomes a mad man, though, the film becomes ridiculous. These parts weren't (even if they "happened") developed enough (why? because he's possessed and he can't think? unless they're trying to make a point about Lutz himself (basically - you're a loony!), these are out of place) with the scenes with Jodi and every other strange occurence in la casita.

My other qualm was with the screenplay. It could've been good but the filmmakers wasted that opportunity!

I'd still give it a B. The second half wasn't awful and it was nice to look at (style counts for something). However, we all know how bad some of those MTV videos are and those have vivid and elegant camera work (let's forget about whatever Lil' Jon or 50 Cent wears or does on screen and focus on the lighting and shots. what they wear clearly isn't elegant, heh). The 86 minutes look like an extended music video and that's enough to keep eyes glued. This isn't a heady movie but more a leave-your-brain-at-the-door type. I'd recommend Amityville as a good way to spend some hours but while posting here I'm judging on its actual merits. I don't intend to slap on a high grade (now my grade should be lower, damnit) just because I enjoyed it...

However, for the future - you guys (and gals) should know that I'm like a little lemming when it comes to makeshift. I'll go out of my way to somehow find his points in the film (or music, although, I've got a little more dignity than to just give in to emo) and then convince myself I agree with him. I should probably click the Ignore button so it doesn't become a sick thing that eventually overtakes my life, as the house did (obviously! didn't you guys see? it sooooo happened in real life!) in Amityville Horror. Three cheers for self-deprecating shtuff.

I liked that the last half was like the original AMITYVILLE. The remake is an improvement on the original but it's nice to see they didn't completely forget that the flick exists.

It would have been better if they forgot the original. Following the original only leads towards Lucifer's world.

If I like a film, good grade. Hate a film, bad grade. Love a film, great grade. Despise a film, horrible grade. I'm not a film critic, so I'm not going give a film a B if I really enjoyed the time I spent. And, I don't really get why so many people compare all these horror films to extended music videos. One person says it, and everyone agrees. Same with reviews on here. I felt ashamed to have read all the reviews, good or bad, and then started to overanalyze the second part to death because of what a few people said on here. I enjoyed it, and that's all that matters. No one takes me seriously anyway. :wink: And Torrino, this isn't directed at you, I just got mad at myself for reading your review or makeshift's review, and thinking that there was something wrong with me for liking it. Hey, it's just differing opinions, and that's all!

I ramble too much...

Not if you like the original :wink:

B is better than C+. I just tend to focus on the bad just to waste BKB's hand strength...

I guess there might be some unconsciousness that makes me dismiss any Amityville film that defends Lutz. I can't believe in these theories. You know - we all preach how, when someone disses a film we like (say, The Passion) that we should judge it on its artistic achievement, but when we're the ones affected, and when we're the ones who don't like it, all that conversation about judging it as a movie means nothing. However, I wasn't annoyed (I didn't have my fist in the sky, threatening to throw popcorn at the projectionist or anything) watching it.

There's nothing wrong with liking a film. If you liked the ending, so be it. If you hated the beginning, props. It's an opinion and while I hope you enjoy (er...continue is more like it) arguing and discussing, if you'd prefer to say your bit and not be left looking like a fool (because in the end I'll definitely prevail. You knows it), I'll respect it.

Grades to me reflect, well, real grades. You wouldn't give a paper an A, even if you love one sentence in between each paragraph that holds your attention, if the paper as a whole is riddled with grammar mistakes and the ideas aren't developed.

I just took two minutes of your time saying next to nothing.

One more thing (don't you ever wonder why I can't just write in one single paragraph?): There's a difference between arguing that something looks like an extended music video and arguing that it's meant for the MTV generation. Everything in Amityville (the sound, the shots) is flashy. It's the polar opposite of 2001: A Space Odyssey. While the audience the filmmakers are most likely striving to bring in is b/w 14 and, say, 29, and it does have the appeal to that group, I wouldn't say that the style necessarily does. It's just a typical example of style over substance and no one's arguing that Kill Bill was meant for the MTV generation.

I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU! GO away! :wink: Just kidding, Torrino. I know what you mean. I just figure that this doesn't affect the filmmakers or the moviegoers in any way, since if there's anyone here basing their movie-watching experiences solely on my reviews, then they might need help. Would I put more thought into the movie if I was a professional film critic? Probably. Would my grade change? Probably not. It's all a matter of perspective. I'm not getting paid to write a review, or go more in-depth, nor does my day revolve around what someone else liked or disliked, and how I can argue that. So, I'll leave my review at an A, and that's that.

Umm... that sounded harsher than I was intending, but you bring that out in me, whorino. You cheeky monkey you. :wink:

The Amityville Horror is a very well done horror remake. And although I don't think it really does follow in the same vein as the original, it is still a very fine film and a freaky one at that. The writers in this one put their own spin on what htey think could have happened in the Lutz house. While the original was more atmospheric, this one has many more flat out chills and frighteneing scenes. Ryan Reynolds as Goerge Lutz, is quite awesome and his descent from loving husband to raving lunatic is very well done and Mellissa Geroge is quite engaging as Kathy Lutz. I like how the writers decided to further the interpretation of George's madness by including actual ghosts in the house. And one scene has to be mentioned. HOW THE HELL DID THEY DO THE SCENE ON THE ROOF WHERE CHELSEA IS WALKING ON THE ROOF? That part just freaked me out. I know about cgi and wires and such, but seriously, what an incredible scene in the movie.

Amityville Horror is a scary and freaky film and although it will alienate fans of the original, it is a film that is updated nicely for a 2000's audience.

7.5/10

This is the best horror movie of 2005. Following the great remakes Dawn of the Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre this is a great horror flick. I thought it would be another bad horror flick, but this surprised me as it ended up actually being scary. I love Plantium Dunes. (They have given us two great horror remakes in a row!) A/A- (not sure yet)

Awesome movie. Reynolds gave a damn great performance. It was never boring and I was pretty scared the entire movie. A big positive surprise.

A

I thought the pacing was damn near perfect. It never moved slow, or got boring. The scares weren't executed very well, but I was entertained throughout the entire movie, so that is all that matter. All of the actors were well above average as well.

B+

I'm glad you liked it! Have you ever seen the original? I'm not sure if you would like it but you should definetely check it out!

No, I have never seen the original, but I've heard it is horrible.

Surely you could give it a chance, it was almost like the remake.

I will give it a chance, but only for you. :razz:

Yay! You should see LILYA 4 EVER first though :wink:

i saw The Amityville Horror last sunday. and the movie was good. the scary level was great enough. i enjoyed the movie very much. although i don't really like the cast. but still a great movie. i give it an A

The Amityville Horror

HOLY CRAP!!! This is for sure the Best Horror movie of the year so far, the pacing was great, i didnt find it boring at ANY time, the movie is surprisingly well acted!
IMO, Far better than the original

It wasnt all that scary, mostly spooky, i did jump a few time

its great

A-

B+


Now that was a well-done horror movie that lived up to its hype and satisfied me almost fully. It is not perfect, but I didn't expect it to be either. The film is slick and stylish at times, but at others it is also a throwback into the haunted house movies of the 80s with some nice and gritty style to it. This is the best horror movies released in the USA so far this year and the third-best horror film I have seen this year (behind The Descent and Shutter). It delivers on almost all levels that a horror movie should deliver on. The acting all-around is decent, but Ryan Reynolds stands out,. He's really great in his role of a tormented and possessed family father. Who'd have thought that Van Wilder is capable of that?!

The movie is well-filmed. The pacing is a little uneven, but that be easily overlooked. The scares are almost all predictable, but most of them work very effectively, especially the one when Reynolds' character sees this girl hanging on a rope while having sex with his wife, heh. The technicals are all above-average as well. Good cinematography, a decent score and good editing all add up to a good cinema experience. The final quarter of the movie when Reynolds goes mad at last is a bit of a let-down as it is not scary whatsoever and the very ending is pretty anti-climatic, but considering that it was based on "a true story" I guess that should have been expected. Still that kind of let the movie down to me a bit.

Some things in the movie didn't make much sense, some things were just too predictable, but overall it was a good and partially scary high-profile horror movie.