“Amityville Dollhouse” (1996) offers a cheeky addition to the “curse” spinoff series. Following a lamp, a clock and a mirror, now we have a dollhouse version of the original Amityville abode that functions as a supernaturally powered voodoo house. It does something on its own, and that’s mirrored in the full-size house of the unfortunate Martin family.
This eighth film in the saga is an upgrade from “The Evil Escapes” (the lamp one) and “A New Generation” (mirror), but not as good as “It’s About Time” (clock).
“Dollhouse” is a hodgepodge of professional and amateurish work. The score by Ray Colcord got a soundtrack release, unusual for a direct-to-video film. It’s too slow-moving and predictable to be worth recommending, but the narrative and character arcs hold together. Writer Joshua Michael Stern and director Steve White know what they want to do, which is different from the entries I rank lower.
“Amityville Dollhouse” (1996)
Director: Steve White
Writer: Joshua Michael Stern
Stars: Robin Thomas, Starr Andreeff, Allen Cutler
On Tuesdays this summer, RFMC is looking back at selected films in the “Amityville” series.
A proactive approach
We see the problems in the Martin house, but rather than merely waiting for someone to destroy the dollhouse, a sister and brother-in-law of the main character (Lenore Kasdorf’s Marla and Franc Ross’ Tobias) take assertive action. They recognize the dollhouse as the Amityville house and know they need to destroy it. When it delivers an electric shock to Marla, they research in old tomes, “Buffy” style.
Robin Thomas, who you’ve seen in something even if you can’t remember what, is a solid lead as Bill – like one of those primetime dads on a teen drama. Starr Andreeff, whose name is spelled wrong in the credits in the fashion of cheap horror franchises, plays wife Claire. If there was ever an actress who lost roles to both Sela Ward and Denise Richards, she’s the one.
Three offspring in this blended family range from unlikable to bland, a big blow since the newly built house and the parents make me think of Nineties teen dramas. They are self-centered oldest son Todd (Allen Cutler); daughter Jessica (Rachel Duncan), gifted with the dollhouse; and absurdly whiny youngest son Jimmy (Jarrett Lennon).
Clayton Murray steps in with strong behind-the-prosthetic work as Jimmy’s zombie father, a Freddy Krueger type. More strong practical effects work comes when we briefly visit the hell dimension and see some demons. In this way, “Dollhouse” gets closer to specifics about the demons than the 1979 original or previous sequels.
Formula is becoming shopworn
That said, I don’t get the sense that White and his team want to do anything substantially new – or are allowed to do anything new. It’s cheeky, goofy fun when the dollhouse burns up in the fireplace, and we see the real house catch fire in the same way – and it too is a model, in the real world of cinematic trickery. I’m not sure if that’s a wink at the audience, or standard filmmaking procedure that I noticed because I was looking for it.
If you watch one film among the four “curse” entries (oddly, the other film outside the original trilogy is called “The Amityville Curse,” but it’s about another house, not a household object), it should be “Amityville 1992: It’s About Time.”
“Amityville Dollhouse” is the second-best, which is damning it with faint praise. I’m tired of the cursed-object premise, and excited to get back to professional, big-budget filmmaking with the next entry, the 2005 remake.