Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Amityville Horror’ (1979)

Written by Scott Edwards 

There are once in a lifetime opportunities that you should never let pass you by. If it is in the housing market, you may be left to question why a house is so cheap when all of the surrounding homes are going for close to double than the one you are looking at. But even if you hear a story of something that went on in the house, would it be enough to scare you away from buying it, as you are trying to make your own memories and this house could be the one that you can get them started in.

George and Kathy Lutz are recently married and are looking for a home to start their new lives in together. With Kathy’s three kids from her previous marriage joining them along on their life journey, the couple need to find a house that is big enough to accommodate everyone in their price range. As luck would have it, a large house has come on the market, but it does have a tainted past, as a family was killed there in the middle of the night while they slept years before. But this is the only house that has everything that the couple requires and is the only one in the price range.

George signs the papers and makes this, their first new home as a family. Even though the children are not his, he will do anything to make them feel comfortable around him while trying to fill the big role. But he is having a problem while in the home, he can never seem to get warm enough. Spending most of his days chopping wood to keep the fire stoked, George seems to lose track of time and his other responsibilities. When Kathy tries to call him out on this, he only gets angrier and even though he loves her very much, he gets a threatening look in his eyes.

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The children all seem to get along fine in the house, and the youngest Amy has made a new friend. Knowing that all kids go through the phase of imaginary friends, Kathy does not pay much attention to it, but when the couple comes back home to find the babysitter locked in the closet and Amy doing nothing to release her, Kathy knows that there is something wrong. As the days pass by, Kathy is feeling less and less secure in the house, but when she tries to tell George about this, he will not listen to one word she says. But when his business partner comes over to the house with his wife to take care of the kids for a much needed night out, George finds that there is a hidden room in the basement that houses much more than rancid smells, but pure evil.

A disturbing movie to say the least, as it is supposedly based on true events. With all of the horror movies I have seen over the years, I know that it is hard to scare people with drawers opening on their own and flies in a bedroom, so it has to be ramped up just a bit. But this movie does not take it over the top as some others have done in the past and present. But the main story is not about the scary things that happen around the house, it is about the family that is trapped inside the walls. Watching as George changes from a loving step father to a man that gets more distant from his responsibilities by the hour is a great character piece. 
 
While the priest is trying to help this family, he is stopped by the church, along with the house for letting the family know what lies ahead for them. Then the kids are just a treat, as none of them know what to do when they are not able to tell their protector what is happening to them, since he is more concerned about his own problems, rather than theirs. One of the things I really enjoy about older horror movies is that they can bring a complete story to life, and even though this one has a couple of jump cuts to add the scares, it does not depend on them to carry the story. Stay Scared.

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