Review of Amityville II: The Possession (1982) by Jillian R — 01 Jul 2010

This is a prequel to the original Amityville Horror and is loosely based on the only story of that damn house to which we know is certain; The DeFeo Murders. This entry took no time in getting started.

The hauntings began pretty much the first day the family moved in and I appreciated that bold turn. Though I can fully respect a slow build up (like the original pulled off), it was a welcomed change.

And haunt it did! The crazy shit that happens here took no steps back when it came to displaying some dark themes. Child abuse, incest and bloodshed were just some of the messed up scenarios and I appreciated that a horror movie did what it set out to do for once; shock the audience.

Damiano Damiani (wtf?) kept it dark, drawing me in with his many pannings. It almost made me think I was watching a really f*cked up stage play. What happened to this guy? James Olsen was pretty decent as the good-hearted priest with some lame lines.

Jack Magner had a lot to carry in this one and I'm glad he pulled it off... very well at that. Burt Young also did well. I know it sounds terrible but I actually rooted for him in parts, what's wrong with me? Rutanya Alda was nominated for a Razzie for this movie and while she did overdo it in her more "breakdown" moments, I don't think she was that terrible.

Diane Franklin was great as the most sympathetic family member. The film's biggest failure was the same I had with the original movie. The family just wouldn't leave the freakin' house at the first sign of something being obviously wrong.

Also; the last third of the movie went in a completely weird direction and messed up big time. It went from engaging to cheese on me, just like that! Bad lines, non-sensical plot devices and me rolling my eyes (a lot) ensued.

However, for some reason, it didn't ruin my enjoyment for this one (when it probably should have). While I give this sequel the same rating as the original, I dig this one slightly more. Probably my favorite chapter in the series (I haven't seen many) and well worth the watch if you're in one of those moods I guess.

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