The Amityville Curse
(religous/possession/house/curse)                           5*****skulls

*Blood* *Not Particularly Violent* *No Strong Language* *No Nudity*  *No Sexual Situations* *Not Gory*

1989/Color/92 Min./Vidmark Entertainment & Allegro Films/Canada/
Rated R

Director.............Tom Berry
Screenplay.......Michael Krueger & Norvell Rose & Doug Olson
Music................Milan Kymlicka
Producer.........Franco Battista
Executive Producer.....A.B. Goldberg & Tom Berry
Special Make-up Effects by Patrick Shearn
Based on the Book "The Amityville Curse" by Hans Holzer

Dramatis Personae
Frank..............Kim Coates (The Club, Red-Blooded American Girl)
Debbie............Dawna Wightman
Mrs. Moriarty...Helen Hughes (The Incubus, The Peanut Butter Solution)
Marvin............David Stein
Bill.................Antony "Dean" RubŠs
Abigail...........Cassandra Gava
Priest.............Jan RubŠs (Blood Relations, D2: The Mighty Ducks)
Detective........Norris Domingue
Thin Boy.........Scott Howard

Critique: By the time the house started rattling, we were so eager to see anything happen, that we were finally happy to see a house rattle for the first time in several decades. Yet, we were not completely happy. Faceless characters remaining in a not very haunted house of their own free will is not a good formula for a scare. The story of the church's bastard son is a good idea and the hanging kid is a sure-fire hit, but he and his sad tale are relegated to the distant background of this even sadder one. In addition, we thought that only in an art film could there be such poor editing. Here's a hint, when you go to a cut, accomplish something. Only the bags of money spent on production values saved this one from getting a four.

Plot Summary: When Mrs. Moriarty catches a rat and scares the wits out of Father, that's nothing to what he does to her when she finds his bloodied corpse in the confessional. 12 years later, out for a real estate killing, Deb tells Marvin to turn right on a premonition. There's a big one for sale and this is Ammityville. Next thing we know the house is Marv's who moves in with some other couples. But wasn't there a thin guy with that black dog a second ago? As per formula, the house is in need of repairs, as Debbie's foot goes through the kitchen floor. There's an evil smell coming from the bathroom fixtures, too. However, this seems to excite the newlyweds as it seems to incite them into attempting a sexual situation. As the gathered dwellers toast the house, a glass breaks and blood drips on the photo of Abigail's new groom. Some of the new inhabitants are concerned that there's something wrong with the house, but Marv thinks it's just a cat. Deb is still concerned and goes for a late night prowl. Just at three AM the fire place springs into a roaring blaze for no apparent reason. Next thing you know the ceramic crucifix shatters on the ground. In the basement Debbie hears the muttering of demons and decides the best thing to do is investigate. But then she finds a cat and everything seems all right, that is until something tries to claw its way out of what looks like a confessional...something's grabbed her...but it's just a dream. The next day, old Mrs. Moriarty is proudly passing around her glass eye--she's still full of whimsy--but there's a tempering weirdness to her as well. Apparently finding the priest in a pool of blood has left her a bit darkened. But she says she can help them. Other than Deb, no one thinks they need help. She produces a handsome crucifix for Deb, which comes in handy in staring down a rabid shepherd that almost puts a damper on the renovation work. Abigail is still bleeding from her wine glass wound, but the real problem is that a very fancy scepter is found by one of the boys, and when he pokes the confessional booth, we have a shutter banging moment. Marv still the skeptic, thinks all the activity was basement drafts. It's decided that what they need is to go out for a beer. We thought so too, we were getting tired of the house banging. But there's Mrs. Moriarty again buying them a nice pitcher of beer and dispensing warnings. Some of the old timers get to talking about the house with Marv--they say it's got a soul. When Marv attempts to dispute this, it is generally agreed that he knows naught. It appears the whispers are back that plagued Frank in his youth. Deb dreams of a hanging, and then begins writing maniacal Latin as well as some parallel lines. A date? The parallel lines show up on the fogged up shower mirror, which then cracks. Mrs. Moriarty, whom they haven't gotten around to hitting with a ..... order, is skulking around again. She feels father around. Someone is hanging outside again. That, at least was visually stimulating unlike this interminable sequence of occult incidents. Unfortunately, Mrs. M takes a tumble. The cops show. They say that Mrs. M. was a church secretary. After the murder, the church closed and the confessional was brought here. A half wit kid was blamed for the murder, and he hung himself the next day, closing the case. This doesn't please Deb who's been having visions of this all along. Something is trying to communicate to her about the crime. Abigail is taking a bath, and finds that worms are now coming out of her wound, but then it's healed. That's it, she's ready to go. Deb's dreaming of the priest again, and someone is smoking in the confessional. She dreams of the events leading up to the murder, of the murderer accusing the priest of sin. There were Latin phrases written by Deb in her somnambular state. They look to be fragments of a rite of exorcism. They say "honor thy father". The theory is Deb's developing marital problems. A likely hypothesis seeing as the torpid Marv is her husband. But she's having dreams of the murderer who's also on the father thing. What had the priest told mother? Out comes the rhetorical question from the confessant: that he would fill her with the burning love of God? Meanwhile, Frank has become a truly dark presence. Marv goes down to the room with the confessional, finds the candles all lit and gets closed into it by someone. Deb goes down and finds Marv's the main character in the confessional scene of twelve years before and Frank's down there looking darker still. Amidst hot wax in the face and crushed fingers in doors the chase is on. The possessed Frank, now nicely blistered from the wax gets a circular saw blade in the kneecap. Next she gets hold of a nail ram set. Abigail is initially disappointed at the effect Deb has had on her husband Frank until Frank starts his until death do us part routine on her as well.