Review of Amityville II: The Possession (1982) by Stuart E — 23 Aug 2007
Some films simply don't get the recognition that they deserve and 'Amityville II The Possession' is no exception to that fact. Being a sequel tends to hinder critical praise from the outset for most films but the fact that this motion picture is actually a prequel seems irrelevant in this case.
Director Damiano Damiani (Once upon A Time In Italy) uses the forces of evil to recreate the true story of a family murdered within their own home.
The Montellis, an Italian-American family, move into the infamous house with attic windows for eyes. What follows is torture and torment as the eldest boy Sonny is possessed by the Devil forcing him into all kinds of sadistic temptations, one example being the seduction of his own sister. Eventually he plots the slaughter of his whole family one by one.
This is a shocker as good as any other and still proves difficult to watch today. You can see the blatant influences of 'The Exorcist' but how many horrors were released around the late seventies and early eighties that weren't influenced by William Friedkin's groundbreaker?
An outstanding performance by the brilliant Burt Young as Sonny's rigorous father helps pump an aura of reality into this supernatural chiller. Tommy Lee Wallace, frequent collaborator of horror master John Carpenter, manages to deliver a very eerie, suspenseful and at times heart-stopping screenplay that rivals any of it's contemporaries.
Stuart Evans.
Copyright © Conflict Scripts 2004.
This review of Amityville II: The Possession (1982) was written by Stuart E on 23 Aug 2007.
Amityville II: The Possession has generally received mixed reviews.
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