Amityville 1992: It’s About Time Review
Step into the eerie confines of the infamous Amityville house once more. However, there is a twist! A twist that’ll leave you questioning the very fabric of time itself. Amityville 1992: It’s About Time revitalizes the classic horror franchise with a fresh and unnerving perspective. As the clock ticks ominously, director Tony Randel invites you on a journey filled with suspense and supernatural phenomena. Brace yourself for an experience that transcends the boundaries of a traditional demonic possession horror flick.
Plot
In Amityville 1992: It’s About Time, the iconic Amityville house takes centre stage once again. But this time, its malevolent presence manifests through a sinister antique clock. When architect Jacob Sterling (played by Stephen Macht) brings the clock home as a decorative piece, little does he know the havoc it’ll unleash upon his family.
As strange occurrences escalate and time itself begins to warp within the confines of their home, the Sterling family find themselves trapped in a nightmarish battle against forces beyond their comprehension. With each tick of the clock, the boundaries between reality and nightmare blur.
Review
Amityville 1992: It’s About Time garnered a lackluster 40% score on the TOMATOMETER and a modest 4.7/10 rating on IMDb. In my assessment, these ratings are fitting, as the film occupies a middle ground between being outright terrible and genuinely commendable. While it delivers some effective scares, the overall experience is tarnished by subpar acting and story, stilted dialogue, and inconsistencies in the quality of special effects.
One standout issue lies with the portrayal of Doctor Leonard Stafford. Played by Jonathan Penner, this character comes across as gratingly irritating and obnoxious. His eventual demise fails to evoke any sympathy, given his part’s poorly crafted dialogue and characterization. Equally, Rusty Sterling’s lines (Damon Martin) feel contrived and unnatural.
Certain aspects of the film such as the gore effects are executed effectively — including the convincingly gruesome severed German shepherd head and the body melting scene. However other moments fall flat. The visible wire during the door-slamming shot and the dog attack scene, the latter being reminiscent of something out of The Muppets!
The storyline failed to captivate me, feeling disappointingly linear. However, amidst its shortcomings, the film’s exploration of time manipulation introduced a refreshing twist. A twist seldom seen in typical demonic possession narratives. This innovative thematic approach added a layer of intrigue that kept me engaged, despite the otherwise lacklustre plot.
In summary, this is a very average horror film. Amityville 1992: It’s About Time is too good to be classed as an outright B-movie. It is also too flawed to be considered a must-watch. This puts the film in a very difficult category where it will not appeal to aficionados of quality scary films, but lacks the unintentional humour that draws in fans of “it’s so bad, it’s good”. Watch at your own peril! You may be disappointed.