The Amityville Horror (1979)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1979
Running Times: 118 mins
Length: 10648 ft
Format: colour
Ratio:
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: AIP/Cinema 77/Professional Films
Executive in Charge of Production: Jere Henshaw
Executive Producer: Samuel Z. Arkoff
Producers: Elliot Geisinger, Ronald Saland
Unit Production Manager: Russ Saunders
Production Coordinator: Barbara Pieters

SCRIPT
Script: Sandor Stern
Book: Jay Anson

DIRECTION
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
1st Assistant Director: Ed Vaughan
2nd Assistant Director: Benjamin Rosenberg

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Fred J. Koenekamp
Camera Operator: Michael Benson
Assistant Camera: Edward Morey III
Gaffer: Eugene Stout
Key Grip: Johnny Murray
Lab: Movielab, USA

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Robert Brown
Additional Editor: Etter 'Dee' D'Orazio
Associate Editor: Stanley Frazen
Assistant Editor: Dennis Galling
Apprentice Editor: Barbara Gandolfo
Post-Production Supervisor: Salvatore Billitteri
Negative Cutter: Bill Berry

MUSIC
Music: Lalo Schifrin
Scoring Mixer: Aaron Rochin
Music Editor: Ken Hall

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Maury Harris
Boom Operator: Chris Ramsey
Sound Re-Recording Mixers: John Wilkinson, Richard Tyler, Robert W. Glass
Sound Re-Recording: Glen Glenn Sound
Creative Sound Services: Neiman-Tillar Associates

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Stephen Abrums
Hair: Christine Lee
Mens Wardrobe: Richard Butz
Womens Wardrobe: Cynthia Bales

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Delwyn Rheaume

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: William Cruse
Titles and Opticals: Pacific Title

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Kim Swados
Set Decorator: Robert Benton
Property Master: Donald B. Nunley

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: Mary Ann Newfield
Production Accountant: Gary Gillingham
Location Auditor: Steve Warner
Production Secretary: Susan Anker
Animal Trainer: Karl Lewis Miller
Religious Supervisor: Reverend Thomas Bermingham
Transportation: Johnny Dias

LOCATIONS
Locations: Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA; Scotch Plains, New Jersey, USA; Toms River, New Jersey, USA

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Roger Creed
Stunts: Richard D. Seaman, Brian Bruderlin, Bruce Paul Barbour, Conrad E. Palmisano
Stunt Double For Don Stroud: Conrad E. Palmisano

CASTING
Casting: Jane Feinberg, Mike Fenton, Judy Taylor

CAST
James Brolin (George Lutz)
Margot Kidder (Kathy Lutz)
Rod Steiger (Father Delaney)
Don Stroud (Father Bolen)
Murray Hamilton (Father Ryan)
John Larch (Father Nuncio)
Natasha Ryan (Amy)
K.C. Martel (Greg)
Meeno Peluce (Matt)
Michael Sacks (Jeff)
Helen Shaver (Carolyn)
Amy Wright (Jackie)
Val Avery (Sergeant Gionfriddo)
Irene Dailey (Aunt Helena)
Marc Vahanian (Jimmy)
Elsa Raven (Mrs Townsend)
Ellen Saland (Bride)
Eddie Barth (Agucci)
Hank Garrett (bartender)
James Tolkan (coroner)
Carmine Foresta (cop at the house)
Peter Maloney (newspaper clerk)
Charlie Welch (carpenter)
J.R. Miller (boy)
Patty Burtt (girl)
Michael Hawkins (New York State Trooper)
Richard Hughes (2nd New York State Trooper)
Jim Dukas (neighbour)
Baxter Harris (cop 2 at the house)
Michael Stearns (policeman)
Jack Krupnick (dead father)

George and Kathy Lutz and their children move into a new house on Long Island to start what they hope will be an idyllic new life together. They learn that a brutal murder took place there some year before and that the place is haunted by an evil force. The Lutz's call in a priest to perform an exorcism – but that will be enough to save the family from the evil?

At the time, this was a much-hyped effort following in the wake of a sensational bestseller purpotedly telling a true story. It was all guff of course and the film version, robbed of whatever allure the alledged true-story angle may have given it, emerges as simply a rather lame ghost story. Poor performances, uninspired direction and a plodding script are the chief faults and there are no real assets to speak of. Dull, dull, dull...

Australia
Video Distributors: CEL Home Video; Star Video

Canada
Theatrical Distributor: Ambassador Film Distributors

UK
Theatrical Distributors: ITC

USA
Theatrical Distributor: AIP
Video Distributors: GoodTimes Home Video; MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc; Warner Bros.
Laserdisc Distributor: Vestron Video
DVD Distributor: MGM Home Entertainment (1000974)

Argentina
Rating: 18

Australia
Rating: M

Chile
Rating: 18

Finland
Rating: K-18

France
Rating: -12

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X; 15

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 16

1980
Academy Awards, USA
Best Music, Original Score (Lalo Schifrin) - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Original Score - Motion Picture (Lalo Schifrin) - nominated

1979
July
24: USA - press screening at the Goldwyn Studio, Hollywood, California
27: USA – theatrical release

1980
February
13: Sweden – theatrical release

July
18: Finland – theatrical release

1982
May
8: USA - television broadcast

July
30: Norway – theatrical release

1984
August
6: UK - television broadcast (on ITV (Thames Television))

1998
December
17: UK - television broadcast (on ITV (Carlton Television))

2000
August
5: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 5)

September
5: USA - DVD release (MGM Home Entertainment (1000974))

"For God's Sake, Get Out!"

The best-selling novel about a haunted house... has became real!

Amityville Horror – Italian/ German title
A Amityville, a Mansão do Diabo – Portugese title
Amityville, la maison du diable – French title
Demonene i Amityville – Norwegian title
Horror Amityville – Polish title
Huset som gud glömde – Swedish title
Luojan tähden, paetkaa! – Finnish title
Terror en Amityville – Spanish title

SEQUELS
Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
Amityville 3-D (1983)
Amityville: The Evil Escapes (1989)
The Amityville Curse (1990)
Amityville 1992: It's About Time (1992)
Amityville: A New Generation (1993)
Amityville: Dollhouse (1997)
History's Mysteries: Amityville 2000 (2000)

SEE ALSO
Scary Movie 2 (2001)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Architectural Design vol.70 no.1 (January 2000) pp.36-41 (UK)
illustrated article (Evil Residence - The house and the horror film by Bob Fear)

Cinefantastique vol.9 no.2 (Winter 1979) pp.30-31 (USA)
review (by Steven Dimeo)

Film Bulletin vol.47 (August - September 1978) p.29 (USA)
note

Film Bulletin vol.48 no.5 (July 1979) pp.10-15 (USA)
illustrated production notes

Film Score Monthly vol.7 no.8 (October 2002) p.33 (USA)
illustrated soundtrack review (by Stephen Armstrong)

Film World June 1979 p.8 (Canada)
review

Films and Filming vol.26 no.1 (October 1979) pp.36-37 (UK)
credits, review (by Julian Fox)

Hollywood Reporter vol.254 no.20 (1 December 1978) p.10 (USA)
credits

The Listener vol.103 no.2645 (17 January 1980) p.89 (UK)
review (by Gavin Millar)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.47 no.552 (January 1980) p.3 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review (by Tim Pulleine)

Music From the Movies no.37 (2003) pp.26-27 (UK)
illustrated soundtrack review (by Mikael Carlsson)

Photoplay vol.31 (January 1980) pp.23-25 (UK)
illustrated review (The horrors of Amityville by Dave Smith)

Screen International no.172 (13 January 1979) p.13 (UK)
illustrated article (Shake, rattle and roll is not for Stuart Rosenberg by Quentin Falk)

Screen International no.198 (14 July 1979) p.6 (UK)
illustrated note (Amityville gets a $6m send-off by B.J. Franklin)

Screen International no.216 (17 November 1979) p.22 (UK)
review (by Marjorie Bilbow)

Variety 1 August 1979 p.20 (USA)
credits, review (by Har)

KEYWORDS

ambulances, axes, bars, book into film, boathouses, children, churches, crosses, curses, dogs, faked true story, fireplaces, flies, haunted houses, motorcycles, nuns, priests, real estate agents, rivers, shotguns, stairs, the supernatural, toilets, vans

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008