In what’s probably the best of the original Amityville movies, Tony Roberts stars as a writer who moves in to the Amityville house and people start dropping like flies.  When his daughter drowns, he hires a parapsychologist played by Robert (Land of the Dead) Joy to investigate.  The home video and TV versions don’t preserve the excellent theatrical 3-D effects.  I remember seeing this in the theater as a kid and loved seeing flies, a flaming Candy Clark, and fire breathing basement dwelling demons in glorious 3-D.  This third installment has nothing to do with Jay Anson’s best selling book and was not based on any so-called “facts”, so anything goes.  (It owes more to Poltergeist than the original movie.)  Since it’s solely a work of fiction it doesn’t have to adhere to the rules of reality and actually frees up director Richard Fleisher to cut loose.  I mean in the end the house blows up!  Co-starring Tess Harper, Lori (Full House) Loughlin and a young Meg Ryan (who talks about having sex with a ghost).  Fleisher next directed Conan the Destroyer for producer Dino De Laurentiis.  This was the last Amityville movie to receive a theatrical release.  (Until the 2005 remake that is.)  

AKA:  Amityville:  The Demon.

This prequel starts off promising enough by showing how the Amityville house drove its former occupant to murder his entire family with a shotgun.  Unfortunately after the murders, it becomes a third rate Exorcist rip-off.  I think Sam Raimi and company saw this before making Evil Dead because this movie features a guy in a buttoned down blue shirt with a shotgun being chased by the POV camerawork of a spirit that possesses his hand.  Hmm…  The incest subplot is a lot ickier than the actual possession.  Burt (Rocky) Young takes the acting honors as the alcoholic father.  Written by Tommy Lee (Halloween 3) Wallace.   The next sequel was in 3-D. 

After doing an unnecessary remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre producer Michael Bay set his sights on a new Amityville.  It’s actually better than the original and has some atmospheric scenes.  Ryan Reynolds sheds his usual smartass image and is pretty intense as George Lutz.  He slowly goes nuts, kills the family dog, and tries to chop up his wife and kids with an ax.  Okay, so it’s more like The Shining than Amityville, but it’s still entertaining.  Melissa George also stars, as well as a subdued Phillip Baker Hall in the Rod Steiger role.  Director Andrew Douglas showcases his music video roots in the torture dungeon sequence.  Screenwriter Scott Kosar also wrote The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake.  Bay now wants to remake The Hitcher.  Is anything sacred?

This was a big hit and was based on Jay Anson’s “true” best seller, but it’s not very scary or memorable.  James Brolin is good though as George Lutz, who is slowly driven crazy by the haunted Amityville house on Long Island, New York.  Margot (Superman) Kidder has the thankless role of his wife Cathy.  If black goop running down the walls and a swarm of flies gives you the heebie jeebies, then this flick is for you.  On the plus side, there’s a cool “demon face” in the house’s famous windows, and Rod Steiger gets to act pretty crazy as the priest who tries to bless the house.  Followed by several sequels and a 2005 remake.  Directed by Stuart (Let’s Get Harry) Rosenberg.