AMITYVILLE II-THE POSSESSION (DVD/WS-1.85/FS/1982/ENG-FR-SP-SUB) DVD

Amityville II: The Possession
Delving into the horrific history of the infamous Long Island haunted house, this prequel to 1979's popular chiller The Amityville Horror is loosely based on the DeFeo murders but is at heart a straightforward horror-exploitation film with an Exorcist twist. When the violently dysfunctional Montelli family moves into the rustic abode (claimed to have been built on an Indian burial ground), the standard haunted-house clichés (bleeding walls, swarms of flies, bubbling black goop) give way to a more direct demonic attack on the eldest son -- who develops an unhealthy interest in his nubile younger sister, followed by a much more lethal attraction to dad's shotgun. In a desperate attempt to purge the evil, the local priest tries to perform an exorcism...with unexpected results. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Cast Burt Young as Anthony Montelli Rutanya Alda as Dolores Montelli James Olson as Father Adamsky Jack Magner as Sonny Montelli Diane Franklin as Patricia Montelli Andrew Prine as Father Tom Leo Cimino as Chancellor Brent Katz as Mark Montelli Erika Katz as Jan Montelli Moses Gunn as Detective Turner

Crew Ray Recht - Art Director Damiano Damiani - Director Sam O'Steen - Editor Bernard Williams - Executive Producer Lalo Schifrin - Composer (Music Score) John Caglione, Jr. - Makeup Pier Luigi Basile - Production Designer Franco di Giacomo - Cinematographer Stephen R. Greenwald - Producer Dino de Laurentiis - Producer Ira N. Smith - Producer Glen Robinson - Special Effects Glen Robinson - Sound/Sound Designer Kim Ornitz - Sound/Sound Designer Tommy Lee Wallace - Screenwriter George De Titta, Jr. - Set Decorator Hans Holzer - Short Story Author

Amityville II: The Possession
One of the strangest sequels in horror film history, Amityville II: The Possession is a wildly disturbing and over-the-top retelling of the original DeFeo murders that occurred in the infamous Long Island house in 1974. The first thing to notice is that it's very obviously set in the 1980s, complete with '80s automobiles and demonic walkmans. The second thing that'll catch one's eye is the severely dysfunctional family, headed by Burt Young (Paulie from the Rocky series) as the crazy abusive dad in a household of overacting dimwits that includes a neurotic mother, two cornball child actors as the kids whose idea of fun is putting plastic bags over their heads (followed by the "just kidding!" line), plus a messed-up twentysomething-year-old son and his near-nubile younger sister, played by Diane Franklin (Monique from Better Off Dead). Directed by Italian maestro Damiano Damiani from a script by John Carpenter alumni Tommy Lee Wallace, the sequel is a hoot of a horror film that pulls no punches with the blood and black goo, yet still manages to be an outrageous slice of schlock cinema that confounds its viewers at every step. Whether it's the extravagant Evil Dead-style camerawork or the shocking scenes of incest and bloody murder, the film would be reprehensible if not for the campy performances and utter disrespect for the real-life story. By the time the movie skids into a blatant and hysterical Exorcist rip-off mode in the third act, either the tortured viewer is ready for anything the flick's got to dish out or they've already tuned out. With an uncredited rewrite by Dardano Sacchetti (another Italian veteran who has collaborated with Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, and Dario Argento!), Amityville II is known in some circles as a near-masterpiece that was reportedly an inspiration for Ringu and, subsequently, most of the J-horror fad. Whatever camp one finds themselves in, there's no doubt that by the time the house literally blows up at the end, the audience's mind has been as well. Severely overlooked for too many years, The Possession eclipses the original in guts, gore, and downright shocking material that somehow through the years has gelled into one ridiculously fun time at the movies. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: none specified DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 104 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Pan and Scan 1. Main Title [7:51] 2. Secret Room [4:14] 3. Family Drama [9:26] 4. Our Father [5:50] 5. Home Alone [10:54] 6. Brotherly Love [6:06] 7. Bloody Blessing [8:09] 8. Bad Birthday Boy [6:11] 9. Nightmare Realized [1:07] 10. Terrible Discovery [6:24] 11. Demon Child [5:50] 12. The Ugly Truth [5:32] 13. Problem of Possession [3:04] 14. Passion of the Priest [6:30] 15. Soul Swapping [5:42] 16. End Credits [9:33] Side #2 -- Widescreen 1. Main Title [7:51] 2. Secret Room [4:14] 3. Family Drama [9:26] 4. Our Father [5:50] 5. Home Alone [10:54] 6. Brotherly Love [6:06] 7. Bloody Blessing [8:09] 8. Bad Birthday Boy [6:11] 9. Nightmare Realized [1:07] 10. Terrible Discovery [6:24] 11. Demon Child [5:50] 12. The Ugly Truth [5:32] 13. Problem of Possession [3:04] 14. Passion of the Priest [6:30] 15. Soul Swapping [5:42] 16. End Credits [9:33]