The Amityville Horror (Stuart Rosenberg, 1979)

The Amityville Horror is a horribly written film. In an unexpected preview of writing in the Peak TV era, events shine with such diamond-cased episodicity that they have no bearing on the narrative encasing it. A toilet burbles up with nasty Texas Tea...and we never hear about it again. A craggy, sniffly dude comes to the back door offering a six pack of beer as a welcoming gift...and we never hear from him again. However, the flapping threads actually work in the film's favor. You feel the Lutz family's disorientation as they weather all manner of supernatural foolishness in the notorious murder house. At 118 minutes, it's far too long. And poor Rod Steiger looks totally lost as a beat-down priest. But this improbably popular horror flick, the number two box office champ of 1979 behind, ugh, Kramer vs. Kramer, is much better than I remembered. Trivia: screenwriter Sandor Stern wrote and directed the creepy Pin (1989) and three of his four sons formed the hardcore-punk band Youth Brigade.

Grade: B