The Amityville Horror (1979)
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A middle-class couple moves into a home haunted by combative supernatural forces following a brutal mass murder.
The story
In the early morning hours on November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murders his entire family at their home in Amityville, New York. One year later, middle-class newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz move into the house with Kathy's three children. Despite George's irreligiousness, Kathy requests a Jesuit priest, Father Frank Delaney, to bless the home. Delaney's visit is interrupted by hostile voices and a swarm of flies. As the family settles in, their domestic life begins a sharp decline, marked by George's volatile behavior, Kathy's disturbing nightmares, and a series of unexplained paranormal incidents, including missing cash and a babysitter being locked in a closet.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the 1974 mass murder of the DeFeo family in Amityville, New York, newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz move into the residence with Kathy's three children. After Father Frank Delaney is driven away by supernatural forces and Kathy's aunt falls ill, the family experiences a terrifying decline. George becomes abusive and obsessed with the house's temperature, while Kathy suffers nightmares and the children encounter malevolent entities. Strange events include missing money, a babysitter trapped in a closet, and a child's imaginary friend appearing as a pig. Carolyn, a friend with psychic abilities, discovers a hidden room in the basement, which she claims is a passage to Hell. Father Delaney, attempting to intervene, eventually loses his sight and falls catatonic. Kathy discovers the house was built on a burial ground and that a Satanic worshipper once lived there. The haunting culminates during a rainstorm when blood oozes from the walls and a possessed George attempts to kill the children with an axe. After George falls into a pit of black sludge while rescuing the family dog, the family flees the house forever.
- First release year
- 1979
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stuart Rosenberg
- Writers
- Sandor Stern · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- James Brolin · George Lutz; Margot Kidder · Kathy Lutz; Rod Steiger · Francis Delaney; Murray Hamilton; Natasha Ryan · Amy; K. C. Martel · Greg
- Genres
- supernatural horror; ghost; psychological horror; thriller
- Themes
- financial anxiety; homeownership; domestic violence; supernatural horror
- Tone and mood
- chilling; tense; dreary; depressing
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted house; based on a true story; demonic possession; mass murder
- Source material / true-story basis
- Jay Anson's 1977 book of the same name
- Franchise connections
- Amityville Horror film series
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film was a major commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing independent films of all time and one of the highest-grossing horror films in cinema history. While it received largely unfavorable critical reviews at release, it has warmed over time and is considered a classic of the horror genre and a seminal entry in the haunted house sub-genre.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 33% · review count: 48; Metacritic · score: 28 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · Best Original Score · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Score · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Actress · nomination
- Production trivia
- The producers originally intended to shoot the film in the actual DeFeo residence, but the owners denied them permission.; The film was initially conceived as a television film, which Jay Anson adapted himself.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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