It's incredibly surprising because it's scary! I didnt expect to be so spooked. The story is good also, love the cast. Just lovely

My advice: Don't see the 1979 version first, don't think about it too hard, pretend it's not based on the "true story", and just enjoy this great horror film. It may not be a timeless classic, but its fun. The thing I liked best about this one is that everything makes sense. There's no cliffhangers or overly complicated mystery that never gets explained. It's just 89 minutes of very frightening ghosts popping up and some surprisingly appropriate acting. In fact, I would say this movie has one of the most petrifying ghost scenes ever.(The boy in the bathroom!)The costumes/makeup were really good too. Also, I loved Ryan Reynolds in a scary movie. I thought his quirky style was a perfect complement to the cast. He makes a smooth transition from Van Wilder to Blade 3 to Amityville because he seems to just be himself.

First off, if you don't already know, the supernatural myth surrounding the Amityville House is a hoax! There's plenty of information out there which goes into the details about what happened and what was fiction. I just found it hillarious that MGM is still trying to push this as a "based on a true story" thriller. If I'm not mistaken, there's some sort of litigation that took place between the Lutz family and the producers of this remake.

Nonetheless, the film is way too short and appears to have been pieced together. The story lacks any real development and the acting is two-dimensional. It's difficult to feel any empathy for the characters, and the special effects don't really showcase the amazing technology present in modern day film making.

My first objection is that they didn't use the original house, instead opting for a house which lacks the sinister charachteristics of the original. But sadly, after viewing the movie, I realised this was only a minor flaw. What is the point of claiming the movie is based on a true story if you make up 98% of the movie? This so-called remake has little to do with the original, and even less to do with the book and the reported facts of what happened.

The first mistake was getting Andrew Douglas to direct. By his own admission he doesn't believe in ghosts. That's fine. You don't have to believe in ghosts to make an effective ghost story, but if you're making one that is based on a true story, you should at least hire a director who believes the story to be true. Douglas directs the movie with an utter lack of passion and interest. He just doesn't seem to care about the story nor the charachters.

I am huge fan of the original, but I do realise that even the original has it's share of flaws. But at least it sticks fairly close to the novel and the reports of what happened. The original also finds redemption in Lalo Schifrin's creepy and memorable score. However, Steve Jablonsky's score is anything but creepy and memorable. It's shamelessly weak, barely noticable, and utterly forgettable.

The only reason why this excuse for a horror movie even merrits one star is due to two nicely executed scenes: The babysitter in the closet, and the little girl on the roof. These scenes are brilliantly edited and handled with suspense and tension. But sadly, to suspenseful scenes in a pile of garbage does not a good movie make.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the latest remake to come out of Hollywood with Amityville, but I did hope for a little more than what we got. Ryan Reynolds does a really good job portraying a man being driven insane, and the film does have a few white knuckle scares mixed in, but I was really hoping for a great ghost story. If you ever get a chance, read the novel these films are based on. It is one of the scariest books this side of Steven King, and will truly raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Unfortunately, no one has ever done a really good job translating the scares found in the book to the big screen. I did like the movie, but I don't know if I would recommend dropping the dough to go and see this in the theater. I don't think there will be much lost waiting for the DVD release and watching it at home. I think the thing that bothered me most about the movie, was the weak ending. Don't worry no spoilers....while the movie moved along at a nice pace, with scares and action all along, the ending just sort of peters out....there was no final kick in the gut that you kept waiting for....it just sort of ends. Still I have seen worse ghost stories this year..."Ring 2" anyone?.....and for a rainy Saturday,Amityville Horror would do just fine.