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The title of the film is AMITYVILLE 3-D, but you won't find the third dimension on this DVD. Released theatrically in polarized (clear glasses) 3-D back in 1983, the US DVD is presented in flat format only.

At least the disc restores the film to the correct 2:35 to 1 widescreen ratio, and a teaser trailer I'd never seen before is included too.

They COULD and SHOULD have included a field sequential 3-D version (for use with LCD shutter glasses) on the DVD as well as the modified flat print. That would at least approximate the theatrical experience at home. It's easily done, even a low budget film like THE CREEPS is now available in that format!

Don't be sorry they didn't include a terrible red/blue anaglyph conversion like they did on the recent British DVD release; that looks awful and nothing like the original 3-D anyway. Better to watch it flat than in the inferior anaglyph form.

Buy the box set; you'll also get parts one and two and a disc of documentaries, plus a ticket to see the new Amityville remake.

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This wonderful, underrated haunted house/ghost story has been lost to time owing to the fact that it is a. a (second) sequel, b. a sequel in a not very good film series (based on supposedly true events that everyone always pretty well knew weren't true at all), and c. a gimmick movie. But it's much better than that, and deserves a fresh look.

Supernatural debunker Tony Roberts and his girlfriend Candy Clark, who run a magazine devoted to exposing charlatanry, obtain the notorious haunted Amityville house. Roberts refuses to recognize signs of genuine paranormal activity going on around them, but accedes to having scientific ghost phenomena researcher Robert Joy give the house a going-over after two of his loved ones die and a third loses her mind because of the house.

The production on this movie is really top-notch. It has very little jump-out-of-the-dark scare in it, more in the slow and sensually horrific mode. Though the finale goes a little over the top, virtually the entire film is handled like an adult version of Tobe Hooper's more childish Poltergeist. The supernatural phenomena are relatively realistic, for the most part. People hallucinate; they have accidents; voices are heard, or things are seen, but there is no obvious attribution to anything supernatural or demonic the phenomena simply are, that's all, and some people don't handle them well and end up coming to harm. And yet, there is an underpinning of evil to the entire proceedings that is quite effectively realized.

The cast are all terrific. Tess Harper is Roberts' estranged ex-wife, who loses her marbles quite convincingly as a result of her exposure to phenomena in the house. Lori Loughlin is their adorable daughter, whose best friend is a young and racy Meg Ryan. Veteran director Richard Fleischer keeps things moving nicely, without ever sacrificing the rich atmosphere.

The 3-D effects actually don't "fall flat," so to speak, in 2-D they still communicate pretty well, with clever camerawork that creates illusions of perspective in creepy fashion. The music score and cinematography are perfect the film has a dark look and feel, and the score is slow, low and eerie.

All in all though with occasional lapses a haunted house movie for the thinking adults. Well worth a watch.

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You ever want to have a little Halloween cheer, but you're absolutely pressed to get the house tidied up, or wash dishes, or do taxes? At ease, my friend: you've found the right horror flick in "Amityville 3 in 3-D", occasionally subtitled "The Demon". If you've pressed on through the series, then you may as well don your battle armor and go hand-to-claw with the vicious undead, if only to see a very young Meg Ryan with a ouija board.

This half-hearted 1983 follow-up to its degenerate 1982 predecessor isn't half the monster "Amityville 2" is, but it's amusing if you're drunk or bored or busy, and it will put you in the Halloween spirit, guaranteed---and unlike "Amityville 2", it won't make you feel guilty for watching it afterward. Numero 3 in the trilogy of the nasty Long Island real-estate bargain introduces us to ghost-buster John Baxter (played by Woody Allen regular Tony Roberts, who plays along but still seems baffled to be here), who picks up that wicked colonial by the sea for a song after busting a fraudulent seance-ring (yeah, they were grasping by the time #3 came along). Despite the misgivings of colleague and sometime sweetie Melanie (Candy Clark, who lends dignity to the proceedings), Baxter buys the house lock stock & smoking barrel, despite the fact that the over-eager real estate agent dies soon after the deal is consummated, evidently from fly asphyxiation. Hey, if it's a steal on the East Coast---with a boat dock and a pool house, by God----you've gotta move on it!

Surprisingly, soon after demonic possession and other creepy shenanigans ensue, with innocent daughter Susan (Lori Laughlin, a bore but doing what she was paid to do) paying the price and a very young Meg Ryan (Lisa) getting to enjoy the ride. Will you enjoy it? If you're easily amused (like I am) and can be bribed with a bug-eyed gollum-esque demon, a nasty incineration death, and a spooky well/porthole-to-hell, then you'll be in good hands. And let's face it: director Richard Fleischer is an old Hollywood hand, a steely-eyed veteran director, who knows what he's doing---for Crom's sake, he directed "Soylent Green", "Doctor Dolittle", and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"---this guy is the Winston Churchill of Directors! Trust him! Ultimately, though, Fleischer was in his autumn years, and after this flick he was lucky to helm "Red Sonja" and "Conan the Destroyer". I'm not kidding.

When it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road, "Amityville 3: The Demon" is a decent little horror movie, and will certainly occupy you (occasionally) while you double check the tax forms. Best of all, you can go on a munchies run and not miss much. Ah true, there's a ghoulish, shivery little sequence where Tony Roberts dreams his daughter is confined as a demonic mermaid in the well beneath the house, and that's shivery---truly, nightmarishly shivery. And did I mention "Amityville 3" is a shameless rip-off, particularly when it comes to lighting, of the far superior "Poltergeist"? If you know these things going in, though, you should enjoy yourself.

And more than anything, you'll know this: if the real estate agent promises something that sounds too good to be true, it's probably demon-possessed.

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Hello all I normally don't complaint about my orders from Amazon but this one really upset me I was planning a pajama party for my daughter and thought having 3-d movies will be a cool item. Received my movie and comes to find out the movie wasn't in 3-d format. To make a long story short the company needs to get into details letting their customers know that the movie isn't really in 3-d.

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As a collector of 3-D movies that really work, this one is a total rip off!! Do not waste your time or money if you expect a 3-D experience. Movie was a bit out of focus, no viewing glasses included what so ever, and did not even work with any of the many different types of 3-D glasses that I own. Was not even worth the bother of returning it, so I threw it in the trash, do not believe everything you read! This DVD was totally misleading in its description.

BEWARE!!!

The Amityville Horror Trilogy Reviews

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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.

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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.

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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.

Honest reviews on The Amityville Horror Trilogy

Great set, that does have a 3D version, if you are into that. Love the set and got a fantastic price of $25.99 on amazon.ca for today's deals. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I found this set a little pricey when it first came out, and perhaps that's why the price of this dropped so drastically now. If you can get a good deal, it's worth it. 5 out of 5

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its great to now have all the first three movie,s and best of the lot in the series now on bluray, scream factory has done a good job with this set, part two come,s with a lot of special features on the disc and the movie is of a good looking picture, and the sound is there too with the dts 5.1 master, i think this movie amityivlle 2 is one of the best horror,s of all time, and with this new disc even more so, part three is 2d and 3d bluray on the same disc, its nice to now see it has it was made for 3d back in the day, and in most parts its got some good pop out, but can be heavy on the eye,s too, as for the first movie it look,s really good and also has some very good features on the disc, all in all its a nice set to now have, so for me it was a good buy.

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The Amityville Horror Collection is a nice little DVD box set. You get 3 movies: The Amityville Horror / Amityville II: The Possession / Amityville 3-D, and a Bonus Disc Amityville Confidential. Now nothing can compare to the original Amityville Horror as the newer ones got a bit out of hand. Im here to focus more on the DVD collection rather than the movies. This Collection will truly be appreciated by fans of the Amityville movies. You get a lot of great stuff with this collection. First you get a choice of either a High Definition, 16x9 Widescreen version of the film or a regular Full screen version. You also get great 5.1 Dolby Digital sound that brings new life to these films along with a choice of a regular mono track. The movies also include subtitle options in English, Spanish, and French. The amazing clarity makes the movies look like they just came out yesterday. These are HUGE improvements when compared to the old VHS versions of these films. Some of the other extras on this collection are: Audio Commentary by Dr. Hans Holzer, Ph.D. in parapsychology, "For God's Sake, Get Out" documentary, Radio spots, and the Original theatrical trailers. You get to see the theatrical trailer for THE AMITYVILLE 2005 remake which (in the bonus disc) they say the new movie is more based on the book than the original movie, and with the technology now days they can do more things from the book that they cound not do in the original film. You even get a free movie ticket to see The Amityville Horror (2005) staring Ryan Reynolds. Last but not least you get an awesome BONUS DISC called The Amityville Confidential.

On the Bonus disc you get 3 great features:

1. On Location: A short little behind the scenes making of The NEW Amityville Horror (2005 Remake) which is released in the U.S. Apil 15, 2005.

2. The History Channel documentary Amityville: Horror or Hoax?

3. The History Channel documentary Amityville: The Haunting

What can I say this is a great DVD Collection with some great stuff. I encourage anyone who appreciates these movies to get this great collection. This is well worth the money for all that you get!

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PLOT:

I. The Amityville Horror (1979): The film begins on the night of November 13th, 1974 in Amityville, New York. Ronald Defeo Jr. has just murdered his parents and four siblings with a high powered rifle while they slept in their beds. There was no apparent motive. He claimed that voices he heard in the house made him do it. A year later, the Defeos' gorgeous lake house is sold to George and Kathy Lutz (James Brolin and Margot Kidder) and their three children. Immediately the Lutzes notice strange things happening in the house, such as a swarm of flies in the house during the winter time and strange black fluid secreting from the toilets. A local priest named Father Delaney (Rod Steiger) senses that the house is haunted and that the Lutzes may be in great danger. It turns out that he is more right than he knows.

II. Amityville II: The Possession (1982): This prequel begins with the infamous Amityville house of horror being purchased by an Italian-American family named the Montellis. They are a very dysfunctional family led by an abusive father (Burt Young.) The family, especially their oldest son Sonny (Jack Magner), start noticing strange things going on in the house. They call upon local priest Father Adamsky (James Olson) to bless the home. He notices strange things right away, especially with Sonny. Could Sonny be possessed by some sort of demon?

III. Amityville 3-D (1983): This direct sequel to The Amityville Horror begins with skeptical journalist John Baxter (Tony Roberts) interested in buying the infamous Amityville house of horror. He knows all of the ghost stories but he doesn't really believe in them. The asking price of the house is so low that the owner is practically giving the house away; it's an offer he can't refuse. Baxter, recently divorced, buys the house for himself, but welcomes his daughter Susan (Lori Loughlin) to make a room for herself for whenever she feels like getting away from her mother's home. Not long after buying the house, people that come into contact with Baxter and the house meet with a shocking fate. Is the house really haunted?

IV. Amityville Confidential (2005): Was the Amityville house of horror really haunted or was it all a hoax. These documentaries will take you deep into the true story of the Amityville Horror.

COMMENTS: The infamous Amityville series is based on the true story of a haunted house in Amityville, New York. Even people who haven't seen the movies or read the books will still recognize the appearance of the infamous Amityville house of horror, with it's eyelid like windows that seem to stare at you. The house was owned by a dysfunctional Italian-American family called the Defeos. Their oldest son, Ronald Jr. (nick-named Butch), murdered his whole family on the night of November 13th, 1974. He shot all of them with a high powered rifle while they were asleep in their beds. Weird enough is that none of the neighbors heard a sound. In court, Ronald claimed that he murdered his family because voices told him to do so. A year later, the house was purchased by George and Kathy Lutz and their three children. They only lived in the house for 28 days. They claimed that the house was haunted. Whatever it was, it scared them enough to make them leave without taking "any" of their belongings with them. The house became the study site for several paranormalist investigators, including world-famous demonologists Ed & Lorraine Warren. Several families have owned the house since 1976, but none of them have ever claimed in public that they believed the house to be haunted. The Lutzes later tape recorded their story of their 28-day stay in the house. Author Jay Anson later used this story for his fictionalized novel "The Amityville Horror." The film version was based on both the true story and the novel, but it was more faithful to the true story. Many people claim to this day that the Lutzes are liars and that they made up the whole story to make a profit. The Lutzes claim to this day that everything that they have said about their stay in the house was the honest-to-God truth. Even local priest Father Ralph Pecoraro claimed that he was slapped in the face by an invisible force when he came to bless the home after being summoned by the Lutzes. He also claimed that he heard a strange, disembodied voice tell him to "Get Out!" As far as making a profit, they made very little royalties off of the novel and the film. They are not nor have they ever been rich. While this film version may not be a classic, it is still a fine horror film. The second film, Amityville II, is based on the true story of the Defeos and Dr. Hans Holzer's book "Murder in Amityville." However, this film has been highly fictionalized. They even changed the names of the Defeos to the Montellis. The film also borrows a lot from "The Exorcist" (1973) in that it depicts the Ronald Defeo Jr. character of Sonny Montelli as a young boy who murdered his family because he was possessed by a demon. The filmmakers also gave him demonic makeup that resembles Regan from "The Exorcist." This film is quite good as well and some people feel that it is better than the original. The third film, Amityville 3-D, came out during the early `80s revival of 3-D movies, along with "Jaws 3-D" (1983) and "Friday the 13th Part 3-D" (1982). This is the first Amityville film that was not based on true events. The special effects are really cheap and the film is so bad that it's hilarious. Unfortunately it is presented in a flat-screen format. I don't understand why they couldn't just release it with 3-D glasses like the DVD release of "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" (1991). 3-D movies look ridiculous when presented in flat-screen. Amityville 3-D was followed by several other bad fictional sequels (not included on this set) including "Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes" (1989), "The Amityville Curse" (1989), "Amityville 1992: It's About Time" (1992), "Amityville: A New Generation" (1993), and "Amityville Dollhouse" (1997). A remake of the first film also came out in 2005 starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George as the Lutzes; it was quite good. The remake is more faithful to the novel than the true story. The true gem of this collection is the 4th disc, Amityville Confidential. It is a bonus disc that includes two History Channel documentaries (Amityville: The Haunting / Amityville: Horror or Hoax?) and a short on location look into the making of the 2005 Amityville Horror remake. This whole box set is a nice little collection that I would recommend to any horror fan. All of the films have been completely remastered and are presented in the original widescreen theatrical ratio. Amityville's II and III are also viewable in full screen. The Amityville Horror also features Audio Commentary by parapsycologist Dr. Hans Holzer, radio spots, theatrical trailer, and "For God's Sake, Get Out!" documentary. The other two films only contain the trailer.

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I kind of took a gamble on this boxset. I had very little to no memory of Amityville 2 and 3 but decided to take a chance because the set has a very reasonable asking price. What I came away with are mixed feelings and some questions.

Amityville Horror: 5 stars

Despite the lukewarm extras I still say this is one of the best horror movies ever made. It baffles me to no end that people either think it's too "slow" or (even worse) like the 2nd movie MORE! In fact, I like it because it's slow. IT lends a true credibilty. The way Kidder and Brolin present their characters are like very ordinary people, and that is something I've always liked. The chemistry just works for me for all the cast members, and that is just a rarity. The kids do NOT ham it up or ruin the movie like many a child actor has done, hell, even the the small bit parts like the "babysitter" just seem to have been perfectly cast.

And who can forget the soundtrack? I'll admit it practically makes the movie. Not to take anything away from the actors but the soundtrack really lays the groundwork for everything else, and that's the way it should be. Amityville in this regard is no different than many of the classic horror movies like the Exorcist or Halloween.

The only disappointing aspect to this movie is the rather anticlimatic ending. I'll admit it, it gets rather tedious when George returns into the house to retrieve Harry, not only that, but I'm suspecting this is an event that actually DIDN'T happen.

Extra's: Well, I'm rather disappointed Brolin and Kidder were not on the commentary. I learned more in the 20 minute "interview" with them than I did with the real commentary. Note to DVD makers: Never have commentaries with people who had NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MOVIE!! It is nice though to see Brolin and Kidder in the interview though, although I was surprised Brolin indicated he felt he was a bit over the top in parts of the movie, I thought he did an excellant job.

Amityville 2: 1 star

Oh boy. Where to start? I have heard time and again people liking this movie more than the original and it took a LOT for me to even sit through this mess. The acting was atrocious! The pacing tried so hard it became comical to constantly have some sort of supernatural event happening ALL THE TIME. This movie is almost like a parody of the first, I think of it as an Amityville For Dummies. My one star is for the soundtrack; an interesting re-imagining of the original.

Amityville 3: 2.5 stars

Having heard this was the worst I went into it with very low expectations. Well, it's really not too bad. Although it's not too good either. Actually, it's a decent "ghost" movie set in a house that looks like the Amityville house though the movie just doesn't feel like an Amityville movie. The acting is better than Part 2, but sadly the subject material just seems like a generic ghost story. Heck it doesn't even have the Amityville soundtrack!

Amityville Confidentital:

Amityville: Horror or Hoax? 3.5 stars

This is a pretty good History channel look into the subject matter and let me tell you, the Hoax side did little to sway me. I'm a believer. The people who were so focused on this being a Hoax never explained why the Lutz's left all their stuff behind or how they passed a lie detector test. I mean, why in the world would you leave all your stuff behind and hope that "somehow" your story can make millions. I mean, what are the odds? It just doesn't make sense to believe anyone would go to these lengths, unless of course something DID happen.

The only problem with the documentary is they seem to recycle the same pictures through the 40 minute show.

Amityville: The Haunting: 4 stars

A VERY in depth and informative look into not only the Lutz's trials but also the Defao murders AND a general history of the house. I do wish they would have just included this disc as a bonus disc with the first movie that way I could have avoided watching Parts 2 and 3 altogether. Then again, I'm glad I at least took a chance on them. I had been a Karate Kid fan (first movie) for years and I just suspected Part 2 and 3 would be TERRIBLE but much to my surprise (after buying that box set) they were fairly decent, it could have happened again, but... it didn't.

It's hard to tell you whether to buy this or not. I am pleased with my purchase but not entirely blown away either. Had the first movie had commentaries by Kidder, Brolin, and maybe even the kids I would be estatic, but this set just seems to be lacking the knock out punch. It could definitely use tighter packaging, slim line cases for people like me who are running out of space is the way to go, now I have a bulky boxset and half of it isn't worth watching.

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This is a fun collection for mostly the die hard fans. It includes the first AMITYVILLE which has some genuine scare. The number two film is prequel and based loosely on the tragic Defeo massacre, this particular flick has many chills and subversive elements. Film number three is the reason this collection only got a 4 star rating. Its awful it was originally released in 3D and has nothing to do with anything. The collection is redeemed by AMITVILLE CONFIDENTIAL, which includes behind the scenes of the remake and two compelling HISTORY channel documentaries HORROR OR HOAX and HAUNTING. They both pretty much leave the viewer to decide or not if they believe. This a handsomely packaged collection at a great price.

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Amityville Horror is undoubtedly the classic in this pack, and whilst it is not up to the scare quotient of the other two, or even some of the others not in this pack, it is quite a watch if you have also read the book by Jay Anson. The opening scene setters are quite noteworthy in that the principal from BACK TO THE FUTURE is in these.

Some Notes about the film:

The visual transfer is excellent. The only time it breaks up is during the bikeride by george where the visual breakup ( bad film stock??) is quite evident.

Other ghostly forces affecting Kathleen are not articulated well in the film per se, however, the new audio mix allows for sub woofer tones that are very ominous.

When the demonic eyes appear, the audio is superlative.

In this remix ( ?? apparent remix... anyways the audio is crystal) Rod Steigers voice is clearer when done through Helen Shaver.

The visual clarity shows up in the FX shots like the Axe Attack against Kathleen, where a dummy head is very clearly split; There is a very clean shot of Jody, as opposed to the previous DVD transfers. Also the Age makeup is very clear on Kathleen.

In the climactic sequence, there is an amazing improvement in the clarity of the audio, makes for a superb experience in 5.1

HOLZERS COMMENTS: Covers lots oF ground. Holzers comments are very enlightening about a great deal, and should be listened to for material about AMITYVILLE HORROR as well as the extras disc. Also, Holzer denies some details about The AMITYVILLE HORROR 2005. In talking about Holzers writing, he says "I write everything except Big Cheques".

Also, James Brolin has a great line with "We make the best movies in our head".

Great extras... good radio spots as well.

AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION

Based on the book by Hans Holzer "MURDER IN AMITYVILLE": so you have to take this with a grain of salt, since it can mean anything from "we faithfully stuck to the books story", to " we threw the books narrative away and kept the title". Anyways, the books is alleged to be a prequel. The key thing from Holzers standpoint is at least by the time Jay Ansons book is out, Holzers calims to have the reason why the events occurred... listen to Holzers commentary on the first film, and all is explained.

This film has a very horror based line, right from the arm in the brickwork scene right up to the sequences and set pieces after sonny is possessed, so many cliches, but I must admit to thoroughly enjoying the film. In the final scenes, the possesed sonny Morph looks like the same type of morph sequence in CAMERONS CLOSET. Also note... The Warren's are listed as demonology advisors in the film credits.

No Extras, and it really needed that.

AMITYVILLE 3D

Brilliant Sound. The Great Transfer shows all the subtle FX. Some shots are clearly done for 3D set pieces. There are some very good FX shots for the period. In at least one Scene, wires are very clearly visible... a shortcoming in clean ups of this period, since they could have done some digital wire removal.

The House is destroyed at the end of the movie... kind of odd. The 3D transfer has some "fudge" areas, however there are lots of movement for a 3D film... some amazing places that this story could go if you based it more solidly on Holzers work.

The Fourth disc is called AMITYVILLE CONFIDENTIAL

Contains 3 sections, two of which are renamed HISTORIES MYSTERIES Shows , and one is a worthless preview of the 2005 film.

The Disc Lists 3 "Exhibits".

A. "AMITYVILLE THE HAUNTING", 40 mins.

Histories Mysteries sreies. Claims that the Site is a Power Spot are put forward. Various explanations are put forward. Ed Warren says an exorcism was done. Hans Holzer comments some more, and basically says the exorcism of the site is to no avail. Overall the show has a broad picture, and is a sort of intro to the Amityville story.

B. AMITYVILLE:HORROR OR HOAX

A HISTORIES MYSTERIES show, 40 mins.

A Fairly detailed investigation. Some Spooky details, some not so spooky details, and an all round mess as a story.

There are some great spook photos, including the man on Horse Picture in front of Holzer; Holzer claims specifically that it is not a haunted house, the grounds are haunted. The Show details factual errors in Jay Ansons' book. In story accounts of this kind, testimonies will almost always vary... I doubt that the factual errors are enough to discredit the book as a whole. The Interview with Jay Anson is very VERY Eerie.

C. ON LOCATION: THE AMITYVILLE HORROR

"SNEAK PEAK. What a waste of tape. No wonder the real George Lutz was angry.

OVERALL: Great Box Set. Neat Presentation, good discs. If you would like a good set of books about this area, Read Jay Anson's book as a really neat treat, and Hans Holzers works, whilst a bit fringe, are quite neat. You might be lucky enough to find some Skeptic work on the area... especially the one where a Psychic has a fit out on a lawn and they are miles from the house.

ENJOY.

Also, I bought this set in time to redeem the free ticket, but the offer was off the cards well before the expiry date, and I was not happy about it. The movie money groupw that provides these vouchers will be having a number of offers in the next 6 months or so... don't buy this set, or similar ones for the free ticket offer as part of the reason for getting any sets.

[ One reason I waited so long to write a review is that the number of review of box sets done before they have been released, or even before the person has viewed them, is getting out of hand; if you review, at least have watched the disc that are being sold. ]

Reviews of Amityville Horror (2005)

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There's alot of bad reviews for this movie, and I'm not too sure why. Yes it isn't original, quit complaining, it's a remake and it isn't trying to be original. It's better than the original in my opinion, this is one of the most disturbing horror movies to come out in a long time. The atmosphere is extremely dark and terrifying, the visuals are INCREDIBLE, the images are some of the most disturbing you will see in a long time. It's new, and that shouldn't take anything away from the movie itself, the creativity and imagination of the people who created the set is beyond belief. The use of blood in the film is really great and the acting couldn't have been better. This is one of the best horror film remakes ever, and if you're going to watch it, do so with an open mind and ignore any review good or bad and judge the film for yourself. It isn't exactly based on a true story, the people were murdered in the house but no paranormal events occured, if you don't believe me do some research on the internet, but still it makes for a good movie.

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I went to go see this movie in the theaters with my three best friends. I can say this is the only scary movie that scared the living crap out of me. I even cried at one part along with one of my other friends. The part where George Lutz kills the family dog in the boat house. Being an animal lover, I couldn't stand to see an animal being killed, even my friend. I remember coming out of the theater shaking and looking pale. But I could still not get this movie out of my head, IT ROCKED! I cant wait till it comes out on DVD.

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With all the bad reviews, I wasn't too hopeful for it, so maybe my low expectations made the movie a little better for me, but I thought it was better than average. (Average being something like "the grudge"). The movie played out more like the remake of "the Shining" than Amityville. They guy kept dragging around an axe like Nicholson. Unlike others, I like the idea that people are revamping these old classic horror films (I'm waiting for someone to redo the original Hellraiser, It's alive, the original exorcist, clockwork orange, or maybe even bloodsucking Freaks!!!) Anyway, I thought it was better than I anticipated, but I must mention the audio. Just like all other newer horror movie (the ring, the grudge, and boogeyman) this movie relies heavily on deafening volumes for its scare tactics. When will these directors and producers realize that this is more annoying than anything else. It doesn't scare anyone (other than your teenyboppers) excluding the annoying noises, your left with a decent horror movie. It had some decent gore in it as well. I should also mention, I do not understand why anyone would go to this movie expecting it to be "real" or a documentary based off the real killing that happened in Rhode island. It's a horror movie folks, take it for what it is. BUT if you must have them, here is the REAL FATCS:

The house was built on an Indian burial site in Rhode Island, it is still there to this day. Many strange things have happened at the house. Defeo was a real person who murdered his family. He was sent to jail for life and he claimed he didn't remember any of it. The family that moved into the house after the Defeo's (the Lutz) claimed to have seen chairs move, things being thrown, and hooded spirits. They also claimed to have been levitated while sleeping, and seen red eyes in the house. There has been no further reports of Paranormal activity to this day. Some skeptics say the Ghost story was fabricated by the owners to increase the sale value of the house, and to promote tourist. The house also looks nothing like it does in the movie (of course it has been modified by the owners)

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This remake has it's pros and cons. The acting in this movie is a little better than the original. When Ryan Reynolds quits acting like an idiot and makes an effort he can act pretty well. The suspense level is also pretty high. The 1 thing I think is lost in this remake is the scary factor. Like many horror remakes this one isn't as dark. The mood in the older version is darker and more sinister. Even though the video quality is better in this version I definitely think the original is scarier, and that's what's important in a horror movie I guess.

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This had a lot of potential. Had a good atmosphere to it. Ryan Reynolds was actually pretty good here as well. The rest..ahh. What you have here is a very forced and silly movie that just doesn't live up to all it could have. The changes were all for the worse. Whats with the whole secret Indian Cave area? Don't you think someone would have noticed that at some point? Like ever? According to George Lutz that isn't what happened..yep one of those lets add crap for the sake of adding crap. THe whole Lutz story may or may not be a crock, but you could at least adapt their story and not make up some crap..very disappointing. Overall one of those bigger budget and updated look and feel don't make a better movie..Don't get me wrong the original isn't a masterpiece, but at least it was true to The Lutz's story and not a crock...