List Price: $69.97
Sale Price: $49.21
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
better than the 2005 MGM Boxset if you have this then try to sell it or throw it out
and buy this new Blu-ray box set of the Amityville Horror film series
incredible box set Definitely worth the money
this box set released by Scream factory which is part of shout factory
contains all 3 Amityville movies on blu-ray each Disc has their own case
and the artwork is excellent plus the Discs have artwork to (Pictured Discs)
if you're a new fan of this film series i'll tell you a bit about the plot of all 3 films
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR released in Theaters 1979 which is based on the novel of the same name is an incredible piece of work
a really Good supernatural chiller, very creepy, along with that is Great Acting by James Brolin and Margot kidder
and also well Directed by Stuart rosenberg
it's about the Lutz family that move into this particular house that happens to be haunted by Evil spirits
and they experience alot of Supernatural events through out the whole film, Unexplained events, Ghosts etc
after the first 30mins the film starts to get very creepy and bizarre at the end of the film the Lutz family were very lucky
not to get possessed by the Evil spirits in the house and the Lutz family fled the House and never returned for their property
if you believe in the supernatural you'll get a real kick out of the film, if you don't then you might not find it scary, you might find it boring
so it depends who's watching it really.
the film is very well Directed and well Actored so i found it scary regardless
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is Widescreen, the picture quality looks excellent, it's beautiful Blu-ray transfer with High Definition Audio
the surround sound quality is pretty Good for an old film like this, scream factory really did make an effort to enhance the picture and audio in Blu-ray quality
Definitely better than the MGM DVD release from 2005
AMITYVILLE II-THE POSSESSION released in Theaters 1982 which is based on the book Murder in Amityville by Hans Holzer who's a supernatural investigator/Ghost hunter
this sequel is actually a prequel set 1 year before the Lutz family moved into the house
this sequel which i think is just as frightening at the original classic has brilliant Directing by Damiano Damiani
Burt young as the controlling father steals the film aswell as Rutanya Alda who plays the mother
the 2 kids get Abused and bullied by their father, the mother gets slapped around alot
the Eldest son gets possessed by the Evil spirit in the house and kills his whole family by Shotgun
and that is basically the plot so it's a prequel to the original
this film holds no punches there's tons of suspense and terror from the first scene til the last scene i found some scenes were difficult to watch
cause the Acting made it look so real, Brilliant Actor Burt young and Rutanya Alda
and there's incest overtones by older brother and sister, no sex scenes just a bit of intimacy which was Disturbing.
this film is also presented in beautiful High Definition Widescreen, the picture and audio quality is amazing much better than the 2005 MGM release
and the last sequel AMITYVILLE 3-D released in Theaters 1983 which is actually a sequel/a continuing story from the first film
similar plot to the original classic i'm not going to explain the whole film, you can look it up on wikipedia
but the film is suppose to be in 2-D and 3-D, you need a 3-D player and TV to watch the film in 3-D and i have neither
so i only watched the film in 2-D so i can't review the 3-D version
the film's plot is still scary but not as frightening as the first 2 films in my opinion
again this 3rd sequel is in Widescreen High definition for the first time ever so the picture and audio quality does look better than DVD for sure
now to the Special features, unlike the 2005 MGM Boxset that had no extras at all for the 2nd and 3rd film, the original had a making of Documentary etc
this new blu-ray boxset is the best for any Amityville horror fan
the first blu-ray still has the Making of Documentary with James brolin and Margo kidder plus the Audio commentary by Hans Holzer
there is a brand new interview with Music composer Lalo Schifrin
plus stills Gallery, Theatrical trailer and TV spots
with Amityville II the special features are incredible,
about 90 mins of interviews if you played them altogether but you can't select that on the Menu so you have to watch them seperatly
Interview with Director Damiano Damiani goes for about 5mins
Interview with Tommy lee wallace who wrote the screenplay about 15mins
Interview with Dianne Franklin who played the Older sister in the film, goes for 15mins
Interview with Rutanya Alda goes for 15mins, Andrew prine who played the priest is interviewed for only 5mins
and Alexandra Holzer is interviewed for the longest about 30mins, she talks about her fathers involvement in the Amityville series.
all Great interviews all interesting to watch
Alexandra Holzer does an Audio commentary for this film which i haven't heard it might be interesting commentary or might not.
there's no Behind the scenes featurette/footage unfortunately but there's a still Gallery, Theatrical trailer and TV spots
Amityville 3-D has some special features, it does not say them on the cover art
but there's 2 interviews one with Candy clark who plays Melanie in the film and another interview with another Actor from the film
there's no commentary or Interview with Director Richard Fleisher
which i'm not bothered about cause Amityville 3 is an alright sequel, the first 2 were the best of the series in my opinion
so scrap the old 2005 MGM boxset and definitely get this new Blu-ray boxset by Scream factory definitely worth the money.
the only fault with this blu-ray boxset is the price
amazon have this for $60 which is a bit of a ripoff in my opinion, but if you buy direct from scream factory website you'll only pay $50
and DVDempre has this boxset for $50 aswell so amazon has most expensive price.
but get rid of the MGM boxset and get this Scream factory blu-ray box set, definitely for the fans.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Scream Factory gives the most famous haunted house in America its due with the release of "The Amityville Horror" Trilogy box set. The collection includes "The Amityville Horror," "Amityville II: The Possession," and "Amityville 3-D." It also marks the first time the two sequels have been available on Blu-ray and in 3-D.Everybody knows about the legend of the Amityville House at 112 Ocean Avenue in Long Island, New York. A family moves into the house and the older son murders them all in their sleep. When he's apprehended, he tells the authorities a voice told him to do it. Another family moves in a year later and they're plagued with paranormal incidences. Things get so bad, they abandon the house and never return.
Whether or not you believe the stories are true, the "Amityville" films do provide good times for horror fans. Some want to revisit their childhood fears. Others want the opportunity to share the experience with their children for the first time and scare them to death.
Upon watching the first two films again for the first time in over a decade, I realized a couple things. "The Amityville Horror" isn't as hokey as I remembered it. The last time I watched it, I was disappointed by how tame it was. I found it to be a satisfying watch now. Maybe I've come to appreciate its subtleness in the wake of so many graphic gore fests and torture-porn films.
"Amityville II: The Possession" is the best of the first three films. It really taps into a person's fear of losing control and the supernatural. The whole story just feels more fleshed out than the first.
"Amityville 3-D" was truly cashing in on what producers felt could be a franchise by the time it was released. Not only were they attempting to capitalize on the first two films, but they jumped on the 3-D bandwagon being exploited at the time by other horror series like "Friday the 13th," "Jaws," and others. Filmmakers were so desperate to pull more people in that the movie is even rated PG. Here's the perfect example of a movie where barely anything exciting happens except objects poke out of the screen at you.
Religious folks won't be satisfied with "The Amityville Horror" Trilogy if they're easily offended and take things too seriously. Good very rarely wins over evil in these films. Good usually runs at the last second screaming out of evil's house. Sadly, the powers of the priest never seem able to triumph over the demonic forces they come up against.
The Blu-ray transfers of the film look and sound good. They all manage to maintain their 1970s and 1980s "real" film flavors but look cleaner and clearer. "The Amityville Horror" and "Amityville 3-D" are presented in 5.1 surround sound while "Amityville II: The Possession" is only in DTS Master Audio Mono for some reason. It's still safe to say these Blu-ray versions are most likely the best these movies ever sounded.
As usual, Scream Factory provides great special features for each disc. "The Amityville Horror" includes audio commentary by Dr. Hans Holzer, Ph. D in Parapsychology. It also contains a new documentary entitled "For God's Sake, Get Out!" that features interviews with actors James Brolin and Margot Kidder. A theatrical trailer and radio spots can be found as well.
"Amityville II: The Possession" contains the most special features. There's audio commentary provided by author Alexandra Holzer ("Growing Up Haunted-A Ghostly Memoir"). There are interviews with Director Damiano Damiani and actors Andrew Prine, Diane Franklin, and Rutanya Alda. A theatrical trailer is included as well.
"Amityville 3-D" features a theatrical trailer and the 2-D and 3-D versions of the film. It also contains an interview with actor Candy Clark. I guess you could count early appearances by Meg Ryan and Lori Loughlin as special features, too.
"The Amityville Horror" Trilogy box set has Scream Factory and Shout! Factory doing what they do best again. They're reviving and breathing life into forgotten cinema gems of the horror genre. Not everybody is going to like all the films in this collection, but there are definitely enough enthusiasts out there to merit giving these classics the high-definition treatment they deserve.
Best Deals for The Amityville Horror Trilogy
Shout's first year of releasing horror titles through their Scream Factory brand has yielded numerous treasures for genre fans, giving even B-tier titles like THE AMITYVILLE HORROR TRILOGY their due on Blu-Ray.Never regarded as a classic, even of the cult variety, the original 1979 AMITYVILLE HORROR nevertheless became one of the biggest independent hits of all-time. Produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff's American-International Pictures, the pulpy adaptation of Jay Anson's supposedly-"true story" of the infamous haunted house provides plenty of cheap thrills and a few unintentional yucks to go along with it.
James Brolin and Margot Kidder essay George and Kathy Lutz, who move into the quiet Long Island community of Amityville. Unbeknownst to them, their new home was previously occupied by a family that was slain by their teenage son in a series of brutal shootings. Whether or not the teenager was driven mad by the house (or something in it), the Lutzes soon find themselves being barraged by a variety of haunted house cliches: slime flowing out of toilets, glowing eyes in the upstairs bedroom, invisible play pals of their young children telling them secrets, and George being taken over by some kind of entity from another dimension. Even a local priest (Rod Steiger) fails to clean the house of its inherent evil after giving it the old Father Merrin try.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, "The Amityville Horror" is standard but competent late 70s horror. The performances are solid but the movie has that "plastic" kind of look so many films of its era do. It's like watching an "Eight Is Enough" episode crossed with "The Exorcist." More effective is Lalo Schifrin's score, which unfortunately was copied in so many other genre films (and used in even more trailers) that it's then-unique mix of child chorus and creepy orchestral arrangements also seems well-worn.
Shout's "Amityville Horror" Blu-Ray doesn't merely reprise the already-available MGM/Fox Blu release, adding in extras from an older Special Edition DVD that the prior Blu-Ray lacked. "For God's Sake, Get Out!" is a superb look back at the success of the film, sporting interviews with Brolin and Kidder, who isn't ashamed to admit the movie was her "pay day" following "Superman." Radios spots and the original trailer are also on hand, though the most entertaining extra is a full-length commentary from parapsychologist Dr. Hans Holzer. The late Dr. Holzer may be known to some for his occasional appearances on Leonard Nimoy's old series "In Search Of...," particularly in the Amityville episode where he was a lead investigator. Here, Holzer engages in a fascinating, if not completely off-the-wall, discussion of the actual Lutz haunting, noting where the filmmakers went wrong in making the movie and needlessly messing with the "actual" accounts of what happened in the house. It's the kind of talk one wishes you'd hear more often in a DVD commentary. Shout has also shot new extras for this box-set, though the only new supplement on "The Amityville Horror" is a 10-minute conversation with Lalo Schifrin, discussing his oft-imitated score.
Visually, the 1080p AVC encoded transfer is probably as spiffy as the film is going to appear, and both 2.0 and 5.1 DTS MA mixes are included on the audio side.
The set also includes the Blu-Ray debuts of the series' two theatrical sequels: the tasteless AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION and the entertaining, if not generic, AMITYVILLE 3-D. Dino DeLaurentiis produced both sequels, which Orion released to declining box-office receipts, leading the "Amityville" series to head to the small-screen and direct-to-tape productions thereafter.
"Amityville II" purports to be a prequel showing what happened to the family that moved in before the Lutzes. Tommy Lee Wallace's script, which claims to be based on Holzer's "Murder in Amityville" book, is an unholy rehash of "The Exorcist" and numerous other genre films of the period, exploiting the actual murders that occurred in the house and adding doses of sexuality (including incest!) under the direction of Damiano Diamiani.
Shot in New Jersey (exteriors) and Mexico (interiors), "Amityville II" leaves one with a sour taste, mainly due to its attempt to explain the brutal killings by having the teen son responsible for the crimes being possessed by a demon. The movie has an eclectic cast, with James Olson as a priest who attempts to exorcise the teenager of all evils, Burt Young as the doomed father of the Montelli clan, Moses Gunn as an attorney and Diane Franklin (seen also in "The Last American Virgin" during the summer of `82) as the eldest Montelli daughter. The make-up effects are okay in an `80s gross-out kind of way, but the sequences showing the Montelli son running around, gunning down his family, leave an uncomfortable feeling that no amount of subsequent hocus-pocus can eradicate. (For the movie's defenders, ask yourself if most folks today would enjoy watching an exploitation film about the Newtown shootings with the gunman's actions being explained by him being possessed by a gooey-green monster)
A film that's always carried a notorious reputation for that reason, "Amityville II" makes its Blu-Ray debut sporting the most amount of supplements in Shout's box-set: a 10-minute interview with the Italian director (who passed away earlier this year) is on-hand, as are recent conversations with Diane Franklin and co-stars Rutanya Alda and Andrew Prine, plus writer Tommy Lee Wallace, who was about to make his directorial debut on "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" when he took the assignment to pen the sequel/prequel. There's also a lengthy talk with Hans Holzer's daughter, Alexandra, who discusses her father's work and also participates in a limp commentary track filled with long silences. The trailer, a fresh 1080p AVC encoded transfer and 5.1 DTS MA stereo and mono audio round out the release.
With Richard Fleischer at the helm, the following year's AMITYVILLE 3-D offers a superior viewing experience, seemingly more influenced by "Poltergeist" and similar supernatural tales than its predecessors (the movie was even released with a disclaimer that it was unrelated to either of the previous "Amityville" films). Tony Roberts and Tess Harper play the latest fun couple to move into the Amityville house, just to prove writer Roberts' theory that the hauntings are just a hoax. Unfortunately for them and their daughter Lori Laughlin the Baxters find out the hard way that the spectral scares are indeed real.
William Wales' script and Howard Blake's score are both a cut-above the norm, and while nobody will mistake "Amityville 3-D" with a classic of its kind, the movie is a big upgrade on the second film and even offers one or two eerie moments (particularly after Laughlin drowns). The anamorphic frame also gives the movie the most cinematic look of the entire series, and presented here in its proper Arrivison 3-D dimensions, the movie at last restores its most entertaining element: its stereoscopic effects, which (while blurry around the edges an inherent issue with the Arrivision-shot films of the era) are competently executed by Fleischer.
Shout's 3D Blu-Ray of "Amityville 3-D" enables viewers with 2D sets to enjoy the film as well (the disc will default to either 3D or 2D depending on your set-up), though 3D is clearly the way to go if you have the ability to view its original format. The transfer is like looking at a Viewmaster reel in motion a far cry from most of today's tepid 3D offerings. Extras include a brief trailer and a new interview with Candy Clark, who discusses her work in the film, which like "Amityville II" was shot mostly on Mexican soundstages.
The set utilizes the original theatrical one-sheets for its individual Blu-Ray cases, though as of yet, Shout has no intention of releasing the discs individually.
No comments:
Post a Comment