Double Creepfest!

I don't remember seeing the original version of "The Amityville Horror" in 1979. If I did, though, I have long forgotten about 'cause for sure, I've watched it when I was in my young age. With that being said, I wouldn't be able to compare the two films in terms of their developments.

"The Amityville Horror” remake is a decent horror flick that would make you realize that "ghosts" still have the shock-you effects that they gave in "The Sixth Sense". They still manage to scare the hell out of you with just the right project and story. However, that was it. This film is "decent" enough to pass as a horror movie. It has a background story, it has enough creep-out scenes, and has enough suspense that'd make you watch it till the end. Not that great but not so good either.

Technically wise, the movie adapted a 70's feel to it since it was a story from the 70's. The film was old-ish, grainy, and quite dark. I have no problems with it except that they have adapted a 70's style of writing, as well: scare, talk, talk, scare, talk, talk, talk, scare, and so on and so forth. The scary scenes has no continuity and don't hold much grip on the people whose watching it. I hope that they just did an entire movie on the Reverend rather than re-made this one.

For some interesting stories re the Amityville haunting, visit this one.

Hmm... A movie that stars Paris Hilton. Sounds exciting? NOT! In fact, Paris would be the factor that'd either draw out an audience or not. However, with or without Paris, "House of Wax" could stand alone. (That's not to say that this movie is excellent.) Her presence didn't even matter much. It's a good thing that she died because she really couldn't act at all! Ooops... Spoiler alert! My apologies. But who needs acting when you could be your plain "whore-y" self in the movie, right?

I appreciate it that this remake of the 1953 original movie tried to create a back story and conflicts to the lead characters (Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray) and somehow connects them with the main protoganists. But then, does anybody care? The audience just came to see the film to creep themselves out and not sympathize with the actors or cry while their guts were spilling out. Not to mention that the so-called story only slowed the pace of the entire film. Besides, the characters are stupidly written that wouldn't care whether they die or not in the most gruesome ways as possible. Death served them right for trespassing on other people's properties, if I may say so!

Were the movie able to deliver the goods? Yes, it has some shock-you moments but they weren't able to sustain themselves long after the movie was over.

Recommendations: 2002's remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Wrong Turn" are two of the best shock-and-creep-you-out kind of films that I saw in recent years. Better rent them out than see "House of Wax".