Amityville Horror, The (2005) MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 Content: -2 1/2

This horror film begins with a true story that happened Nov. 13, 1974. Police received a call that led them to the Defeo residence in Amityville, Long Island, the scene of a grisly murder in which both parents and four children were shot to death. It was later discovered that Ronald Defeo killed both his parents and siblings, saying voices in the house told him to do it. A year later, George (Ryan Reynolds) and Kathy (Melissa George) Lutz and their three children find the buy of a lifetime when they discover the Amityville residence. A bit skeptical about the homes low price, they inquire further and learn about the murders. But they decide to go through with the deal, move in and begin almost immediately to notice strange happenings. In less than a month, theyre ready to abandon the house.

Before the 1974 murders in the home, the basement apparently was used as a torture chamber. Images of tortured, bloody bodies are shown. The use of young children in this film is particularly disturbing. An eight-year-old girl talks to a murdered child with a bullet hole in her who is seen walking around on a roof and then jumps. Shown early in the film is a book entitled Evil Is Proof That There Is a God. When a Catholic priest comes to bless the house, voices and a swarm of flies frighten him off. The film takes a more Biblical view in suggesting that the presence in the house is demonic as opposed to ghosts of the deceased. But the father repeatedly says that there is no such thing as an evil house, only evil people, and a 12-year-old boy says that prayer does no good since his father died despite his prayers. Due to disturbing violent images, bad language and a brief seen of sexuality, youll want to avoid The Amityville Horror.

Preview Reviewer: Alan Boyer
Distributor: MGM