Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Amityville: A New Generation Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 9, 2019

For the seventh entry in the “Amityville Horror” saga, the producers are forced to best previous selections for the central cursed object, trying to top a lamp and a clock with a mirror for 1993’s “Amityville: A New Generation.” The ways of a reflective nightmare are presented a little slower this time around, as director John Murlowski isn’t interested in creating a pulse-pounding descent into madness. He goes for a pokier viewing experience, trying to milk suspense out of mirror-based madness while screenwriters Christopher DeFaria and Antonio Toro make moves to connect the material to “Amityville Horror” origins, restoring some of the family shooting panic that’s been lost to supernatural threats.

Instead of a domestic disaster in suburbia, “A New Generation” moves bad news to the city, where Keyes (Ross Partridge) is gifted a strange mirror, bringing the object to his artist loft, which he shares with a few creative residents (including Julia Nickson and Richard Roundtree) and his landlord (David Naughton). Of course, the mirror starts to raise hell, manipulating lost souls with seductive imagery, gradually picking off the artists while Keyes struggles with memories of his dark past. Murlowski doesn’t skimp on mirror-based hauntings, but the general flow of “A New Generation” is character-based, with the script trying to get to the bottom of Keyes’s trauma, not offer a steady stream of gory encounters. It’s a little deflating, but certain scenes do the trick, especially when the artists are targeted by the object, turning their work into a psychological prison.

Amityville: A New Generation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a 4K scan from the original 35mm camera negative, providing viewers an opportunity to survey the feature's technical achievements in full. Clarity is terrific, presenting distinct skin particulars on the cast, which also highlight makeup effects. Interiors are open for inspection, with a sharp view of art displays and domestic decoration. Costuming is also textured to satisfaction. Colors enjoy a period-led bump, with bold primaries helping to secure the mood of the picture. Clothing also provides a varied sense of style. Skintones are natural. Grain is fine and film-like. Delineation is communicative. Source shows no signs of major damage, but scratches are present.

Amityville: A New Generation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does reach some age-related limitation, offering slightly fuzzier highs as violent activity begins to swell. Dialogue exchanges are enjoyable, grasping personal performances, securing a clear understanding of voices. Scoring also does the trick, with a defined synth push throughout. Sound effects are direct, giving horror some punch.

Amityville: A New Generation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director John Murlowski.

• "Through the Looking Glass" (13:08, HD) returns to Murlowski, who recounts his childhood interest in making movies, growing up in Minnesota. Making his way into the industry, the young man developed his style through commercials and music videos, giving him the filmmaking education required to make "Amityville: A New Generation." Preparation was critical to the interviewee, who discusses his work with storyboards and hiring of eager professionals, including now-famous cinematographer, Wally Pfister. Practical effects are examined, with Murlowski working hard to give the effort an old-fashioned appearance, avoiding CGI to create haunting imagery on-set, and dedication to makeup effects is highlighted. To capture the professional event, Murlowski kept a camera rolling during production, giving the featurette plenty of interesting BTS footage. The conversation closes with Murlowski's advice for young directors, including the necessity of having opinions on everything and wearing comfortable shoes.

• "Malevolent Reflections" (4:32, HD) reunites with co-writer Christopher DeFaria, who shares the Republic Pictures mandate to get this "Amityville" out of suburbia, inspiring the producers to turn to the artist loft as a proper playground for evil. DeFaria describes the process for choosing the cursed object for the film, and he covers the pressures of the short shoot (24 days), though he only has happy memories of the job, delighted with the technical achievements of the effort.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Amityville: A New Generation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those in search of a more hard-charging "Amityville" experience aren't going to be wowed by "A New Generation," but the feature has a few macabre highlights, along with an ever-so-slight "Nightmare on Elm Street" vibe as unreality pushes the characters into dangerous situations.