Not a good one. -Not at all.This installment revolves around a descent of the original murderer inside the Amityville home who must face his past to rid himself of the nightmarish terror of Amityville itself.It's basically nothing. My bet is that this film was made for some extra fast-cash to buy a boat or something... because this one's just ridiculous... Thankfully, it doesn't kill or ruin the series, but it just has no effect on the series at all.I'd have to say that just the fact that it is constantly referenced to the old, infamous house is probably the only thing that makes this one slightly more bearable than "The Amityville Curse".

Amityville: A New Generation marks a different take on the Amityville saga- focusing on the personal history and demons of our main character, the likable floppy-haired Keyes Terry played by Ross Partridge, rather than focusing solely on things that go bump in the night. In this sense Amityville: A New Generation is a more thoughtful film that its predecessors, and a bit of a slow burner.It certainly won't win any awards but it does try something different- time is taken to introduce us to characters, in this case a group of struggling artists very much in the 90210/ Melrose Place mould of attractive, living in amazing apartments but supposedly broke and angst ridden. It's endearing in its own way- right down to the fashion. The occasional self importance regarding the "artwork" can lead to some unintentional humour, all of which adds to the odd charm of this film.It is nice to see appearances from an older David Naughton (the male lead David Kessler in An American Werewolf in London) and a younger Terry O'Quinn (who plays the enigmatic Locke on the television drama Lost) Overall though the film is unlikely to set anyone's world alight it does draw you in, and you will find yourself caring for the lead. However as I've said before, expect a different pace and style from the earlier Amityville horror films. Like 1992 its focus is as much on characters changing as supernatural happenings. So be aware of what to expect if you're thinking of picking this one up.

Okay, maybe I'm a little bit too harsh on this movie, since I worked on it and got stiffed on the Credits for SFX... But, I hadn't seen it in about eight years, and when I recently managed to track down a Laser Disc version of Amityville: a New Generation,(yes, the older, really BIG Laser Discs, that you have to stop and flip over to side B, just when a movie gets really interesting...) I was disappointed by how "dated" and bland it seemed to be. It kinda' reminded me of a time when I sat down with some friends to watch my video collection of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and I had to keep explaining the jokes to everyone...Oh, well, at least the nudity never gets old, (kinda' like that girl in the bikini on Laugh-In...)

There isn't enough space to explain the many ways this movie is a disappointing mess. Silly special effects and an incomprehensible plot are the least of this movie's problems. The film looks like it was conceived in the mid-eighties and just stewed until it could finally be made in the early nineties. The mullet-headed "hero," (complete with fashionable "Miami Vice" three-days shadow beard), the ham-fisted slams at Ronald Reagan, it would be funny if it didn't take itself so seriously. As it is, the movie is just pathetic. I actually feel sorry for the poor actresses who wasted their fine nude scenes in this awful movie.