AMITYVILLE II : THE POSSESSION (uk dvd)
collector's edition

The catholic Montelli family move into the Amityville house, but trouble is already brewing. A strange room is discovered behind the cellar, the very bowels of the house. Eldest son Sonny (Jack Magner) is in conflict with his father, who is in turn a violent drunk. He turns on the small children whenever poltergeist-like activity results in items being destroyed in the house.

Sonny soon starts to hear voices through his walkman, slowly becoming possessed. Father Adamsky (James Olson) comes to be convinced that an exorcism is needed, as Sonny's behaviour gets worse, leading to a homicidal urge...

[DVD Cover blurb]

dvd review
The original Amityville Horror was a surprise hit when released in 1979. Purporting to be the true story of the experiences of the Defoe family, critics have come to argue that the story is in fact an alegory for the troubles of starting a home badly in need of repair, and the financial drain, and stress associated with the move.

Amityville II: The Possesion is a prequel to the events of the original film. Based loosely on real-life events, this is the story of the mass-murder preceeding the Defoe's move to the house.

Expecting very little from the film, I was pleasantly surprised. The lack of star names (James Olson was never an A-list player, and I'm only familiar with him myself from Hammer's Moon Zero Two) means its easier to accept the performances. The bulk of the film centres around Sonny and his sister Patricia (Diane Franklin), and their peculiar relationship.

Unusually for the genre, it is the son who channels much of the supposed 'evil'. We are disturbed by the incest (and a scene that goes further than most directors would permit), horrified not just at the possession, but Sonny's daring. Early on the spirit commands him to "dishonor thy father", a man who is himself irrationally violent, ready to accuse all around him of causing harm (attacking his youngest children for defacing a wall, which they did not do). We are left with little empathy for the boy. Is the evil really in the house, or is it in Sonny? He comes onto the screen speeding his car, smoking and disrespecting his elders. We have to ask whether the whole thing is not just made up (remembering this is supposedly based on a true story), to cover his violent actions?

The house, sinister in appearance, is a centre around which events can take place. The supernatural occurances are downplayed sufficiently to allow us to question events. Whilst the conclusion takes inspiration from William Friedkin's The Exorcist (actually, there are a number of references to Friedkin's film throughout), the rest of the film concentrates on the mind of a murderer, and the splitting of a family from within.

Competant, and interesting. Certainly very watchable. Just keep the lights down low.

transferPerfectly fine transfer. The scope ratio is preserved, whilst the sound is served by an original 2 channel mix, and a 5.1 surround. The latter track gives a bit more depth, and atmosphere.

extras
A special collector's edition, with enough supplements to support the modest price tag. For the review, I have only seen a copy of the disc, so unfortunately I can't comment on the paper supplements, which sound worthwhile in themselves. I mention them below, without further comment for this reason.

Commentary Track: British film/horror writers/critics, Kim Newman and Stephen Jones have been brough on board for this release. Kim gets everywhere in the genre press in this country, and Stephen (according to the press notes accompanying this release) has over 70 books to his credit.
So well versed they should be. Their comments provide an entertaining divergence. There is much appraisal and contextualising of the film in the genre and period. There are comments on the personnel involved, and the making of and reception to the film. If I have any criticism, it is that their speech is quite fast (though obviously enthusiastic), and the sound is a little tinny, which isn't terribly pleasing to the ear.

Extended 'Lost Souls' scene: Erm, well, kind of. I was looking forward to this, but its really made up of lots of stills to some music. I don't get it. Why don't we see the scene extended properly, instead of some stills of missing shots?

Image Gallery : Rare Stills & Publicity Shots: Around 30 stills in an easy to use gallery. Some behind the scenes stuff, and scenes cut from the film.

Cast and Crew Profiles, with Trivia Info: This is a nice little section, with biogs on the main players in cast and crew. There are a few extra trivia points here and there too. Informative.

Collectors Lobby Cards and Booklet: Its a shame that as a reviewer I'm not getting the chance to see these, because they are a big part of the package. There are five "unique lobby cards" with the set, and "a collectable booklet - with a forward by Ric Osuna (author of 'The Night the DeFoe's Died' and featuring actual crime scene photos from the DeFoe murders)."
Sounds pretty good.

RJES

PURCHASE R2 DVD

DISC:
Release Date: 27 September 2004 (UK)

Feature length: 108 mins
Year of 1st release: 1982
Rating: 18
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
No of Discs: 1
Region code: 0
Catalogue no: SVE3071
Distributor: Sanctuary Visual Entertainment
Price: £15.99
Cast: Jack Magner, Diane Franklin, James Olson
Director: Damiano Damiani

SPECIAL FEATURES:
* Subtitles : English
* Commentary with Kim Newman & Stephen Jones
* Extended 'Lost Souls' scene
* Image gallery
* Cast and Crew profiles, with trivia info
* Collector's lobby cards and booklet

see left for full details