'The Amityville Horror' feels really definitive, it is is basically the templet for the whole 'Shit, we moved into a haunted house' sub-genre. Based on allegedly true events, this is highly disputed, of a family's experience upon moving into a house where a young man had murdered his entire family some years prior.
James Brolin is the husband, slowly being driven mad, Margot Kidder the wife (and I don't think she's ever looked more attractive then she does in this) and Rod Steiger the priest who tries to warn them. Murry Hamilton is also in this, Father Steiger's superior who does his 'Jaws' Mayor shtick and tells him to essentially ignore the problem.
There really isn't a lot to this movie scare wise, but the three primary leads play it straight and do their best to sell the thing, and the movie works very much as 'type'. It's well crafted and the pacing punctuated by telling you at the begging of the film that the family only stays in the house for 28 days, and reminding you throughout how long is left until the climax by periodically putting the day number on the screen.
'The Amityville Horror' was the second highest grossing American film release of 1979, after 'Kramer vs. Kramer'. The film cost $4.7 million to make and made $86.4 million at the box office. It was the biggest release in the history of American International Pictures, best known for making Vincent Price horror films and beach party movies in the 60's, still the studio would fold the following year. Not critically well received at the time of it's release, it is more apricated now and has earned something of an iconic status. ***
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