Day 20: A great remake
The Amityville Horror. No doubt. There have been some remakes I have really enjoyed, but most have been so different from the original that they avoid comparison (the Dawn of the Dead remake being the prime example), whereas Amityville is very similar to it's 1979 counterpart in terms of general story and plot points, except it improves and adds to every single aspect. There is nothing about the remake that isn't superior to the original. It was just the other day when I was explaining a problem I had with the original Amityville Horror, which I feel exploits a real life tragedy, so feel I am in a bit of a moral dilemma with the remake, as it treads the same ground. The way I feel a bit more ok with it? The film is cinematic, definitely a film. There is no doubt this thing is a Hollywood product. There is a star in it (in Ryan Reynolds, who is awkward in the father role, but to the characters benefit). Michael Bay produced. The Indian burial ground subplot is brought to the forefront. In essence, this film is more inspired by what are said to be true events, as opposed to based on, which is quite a difference. Plus the Hollywood shine puts a major distance between the viewer, the screen, and reality.
So, moral quandaries aside, this is a remake that surpasses the original in every respect, taking what I consider a piss poor, lagging and cheap haunted house film and injects it with the Michael Bay steroids it needed to be engaging, scary, and a decent flick.
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