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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR25029 - with Comparative  (2005), R [R*]The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. More than 950 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(This section may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Dimension Films, Radar Pictures Inc., Platinum Dunes Distribution (US): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Dimension Films, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation Director(s): Andrew Douglas Producer(s): Michael Bay, David Crockett, Randall Emmett, Ted Field, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, George Furla, Paul Mason, Steve Whitney Writing Credits: Jay Anson (novel); Sandor Stern (earlier screenplay) Scott Kosar (screenplay) Cinematography/Camera: Peter Lyons Collister Music: Clay Duncan, Steve Jablonsky Film Editing: Roger Barton, Christian Wagner Casting: Lisa Fields Production Design: Jennifer Williams Art Direction: Marco Rubeo Viewed at: HREF="http://www.driftwoodonline.com" Target="_Blank">Driftwood Theater 6 I am sorry that these analysis reports keep getting later and later (this film was viewed on April 14 and it is now end-of-the-day April 17), but until donations are enough that my wife can quit and stay home with the seven kids it is likely these delays and will continue and will likely get worse. The Amityville Horror of 1979 on DVD (114 minutes) was 17% longer than this 2005 film edition (95 minutes). The shorter 2005 version was stuffed with much more extreme gore, horror and evil than the 1979 version which relied more on talents and downright honest imagination than the modern techno-rifics of the 2005 version. Evidence of this is the comparison if only by the CAP Influence Density figures of the two films: 1.68 for the 1979 version and 2.74 of the 2005 version which was nearly twice as dense in horror-antics than the 1979 version. Following is the comparative data display for the two versions of The Amityville Horror:  The 2005 version was more graphic -- much more -- than the 1979 version due mainly to modern technology. There were actually fewer examples of graphic-orror, gore-ifics and evil in the 2005 version than the 1979 version But each individual example of graphic gore, horror and evil in the 2005 version was much more extreme than in the 1979 version. Thus the 1979 version was less horror-ible than the 2005 version. In the 1979 version, The Lutz family relocated to Amityville, Long Island, New York to make a go at owning their first house. Little did the Lutzes know that one year before they moved into the house a deranged father shot and killed his entire family then himself in that house. This horrendous and evil deed seemed to imprint on the house. Or rather, the house was evil and imprinted on the father. George Lutz, played by James Brolin, relocated his contractor business to Amityville with the help of his new but previously married widowed wife, Kathy (Margot Kidder) and her three kids Amy (Natasha Ryan), Matthew (Meeno Peluce) and Gregory (K.C. Martel). Twenty one days after moving in, the Lutzes moved out because of nearly every kind of horror imaginable was making life miserable for them. As George and Kathy were terrorized by evil from left and right, little Amy, the youngest of the Lutz family, was being terrorized in her own way -- by her imaginary friend, Jody, the youngest of the murder victims from one year ago. And apparently only Amy could see the dead girl. Except maybe Kathy who saw two red glowing eyes outside Amy's bedroom window after Amy said Kathy scared Jody out the window. "I see dead people" (from Sixth Sense) would be an understatement for this 2005 remake of the 1979 version of this horror classic of the same name. While it was Amy who saw her dead imaginary friend Jody in the 1979 version, little Chelsea (Chloe Moretz) saw Jody in this 2005 version. Jody had a round hole in her forehead, offset slightly to her left, but only in the 2005 version. Jody had also decayed a bit in the 26 years since the first time she was murdered in 1978. As an imaginary friend, Jody might have been simply an episode of fantasy for little Chelsea but Jody seemed bent on talking Chelsea into doing things like walking off the end of the highest roof apex of the three-story $80,000 Amityville, Long Island, New York Dutch Colonial fixer-upper at 412 Ocean Avenue. Eighty-thousand dollars instead of $120,000 because of the history of the house. There were 21 days of horror in the 1979 version. There were 28 in this version. Kathy had no brother getting married in this version. Fifteen hundred dollars did not mysteriously disappear in the 2005 version. George did not have to climb out of a pit of black ooze in this 2005 version. The babysitter in the 1979 version was much, much more wholesome and did not try to repeatedly sexually entice the 12 year old brother Billy (Jesse James - a good namesake for the caliber of character played). George Lutz (Ryan Reynolds) is a great deal more vicious and brutal in this 2005 version. But hey! This is 00's! (Maybe there is more to that "00's" than is obvious, morally speaking anyway.) The basement was not a gateway to Hell in the 2005 version but was a instead dungeon of torture and murder from 1692 where an evil preacher tortured and slaughtered American Indians. There was none of George's business partners in this version. While George only buried his axe in the floor next to Kathy's head in the 1979 version, George succeeds in burying his axe in Kathy's solar plexus in his dreams in this 2005 version. And the priest, Father Delaney (Rod Stieger) in the 1979 version, Father Callaway (Philip Baker Hall) in this 2005 version, was not called to bless the house until after evil made itself known. Father DeLaney had flies all over his face in the 1979 version but Father Callaway was knocked off his feet by them. By the way, holy water is sprinkled on the house in this 2005 version which boiled like acid on the surfaces it touched, but not in the 1979 version. These are just a few of the examples of difference between the 1979 and the 2005 versions. The 2005 version might as well have been retitled or produced without advertised connection with the 1979 version. The story base is nearly the same but many of the character and plot devices and tools are different if only to add more gore and horror. The strongest loss of points in this 2005 version of The Amityville Horror was ... err ... it is not possible to say what was the strongest loss of points since five of the six investigation area scores were each zero out of 100. Only Drugs/Alcohol had any points left at the end of the show. The Wanton Violence/Crime (W)investigation area found a child wlaking atop a three-story building at the enticement of a dead girl, an axe killing of a dog. physicalk abuse of a man's wife, a man chasing his family with a shotgun and more. [Prov. 13:2, Jon. 3:8, Ps. 7:16] The Impudence/Hate (I) investigation area found not only many uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary but many uses of the most foul of the foul words [Col. 3:8, Prov. 22:11, Is. 2:17] plus several instances of aggressive adolescent disrespect and arrogance toward parental authority. [Exod. 20:12] The Sexual Immorality (S) investigation area found intercourse with nudity, provocative dress as well as enticing a minor child with sexuality/sensuality. [Rev. 22:15, Luke 17:2, Matt. 18:10] The Drug/Alcohol (D) investigation area found only a few instances of the abuse of controlled substances but they included illegal drugs. [Eph. 5:18] The Offense to God (O) investigation area found tons of material offensive to His holy Word and Will, material of the most unholy nature such as the dead communicating with the living and evil having the power to control the living and life. I can hear it now: "Duh! It's a horror flick!" That my good friends does not excuse desensitizing the people with such. [1 Cor. 15:33, Phil. 4:8, Deut. 18:10 - 11]. Nor does "acting" excuse the numerous uses of God's name in vain. [Deut 5:11] The Murder/Suicide (M) investigation area found six brutal and graphic gunfire murders and multiple repeat scenes of the murders plus a graphic gunfire suicide. [Rev. 22:15] SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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(The heart of the CAP Analysis Model)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
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| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our more than eight years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
| In the name of Jesus: Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God. Tom Carder President ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture 100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support |  |
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