User Reviews

After a very good sixth sequel released a year before this, the series takes a slight step back in the 7th film - Amityville: A New Generation. We continue the theme of possessed items from the original house being evil and having the power to kill people. This one is an evil mirror which has the power to show a person how they'll die - and then makes it happen!

The film begins with a young photographer named Keyes who is given a seemingly innocent antique mirror by a homeless man. We quickly learn that the mirror is cursed and was an item in the infamous house on Long Island. Once Keyes puts the mirror up in his loft, many of his roommates and friends start dying off in pretty creative ways by staring into the mirror. There is also a bit of a backstory with Keyes as we learn that he once lived in the Amityville house as a child and that his family murdered by his possessed father, connecting this sequel to the first two very nicely.

I really liked that they took us back to the original story and tried to integrate Keyes into that plot of the possessed man killing his family. The movie itself though isn't all that scary. The mirror's power to kill people was creative, but not all that terrifying. That is the core problem with the series at this point with the theme of possessed items. No one is scared of lamps or mirrors or dollhouses.

In the acting department, Amityville 7 gives us horror heavy hitters David Naughton and Terry O'Quinn. Both of which are known for 'An American Werewolf in London' and 'The Stepfather' respectively. In addition, Ross Partridge does well as the lead male character. Everyone else is pretty much background to the overall story.

Amityville: A New Generation, like its predecessor, manages to at least be an entertaining watch. It isn't a terrifying film, and the second half falls apart, but if you are a fan of the series it does tie in to the original story of the DeFeo's and their deaths at the infamous Amityville house. It isn't nearly as fun as Amityville 1992, and drags on way too much, but manages to be a competent entry. I'd check it out at least once.

5/10

Here we go again, another mediocre entry to the Amityville franchise that seems to get less interesting the further along it goes. I don't know, but I do miss the ominous house itself which featured prominently in the first three films. Sure it has connections and even the image of it appears in the haunted antique mirror which came from infamous Long Island house, but it's just not the same. The straight-to-video fare "A New Generation" is the seventh film, where the terror scraps suburbia for an urban apartment building filled with budding artists who one-by- one fall to the evil entity.

An antique mirror is given to a photographer by a homeless man. Soon after accepting the gift, the man starts having haunting visions of a killing spree which might just have some relevance to him. But he's not the only one who's been affected by the demonic force within the mirror, but those living in his studio building begin to find themselves possessed/or infatuated by these dark forces.

The plot tries to tie in a little more to the history of the Long House island, especially with the main character's (an affable Ross Partridge) connection to what's actually happening. So most of the time is spent with Partridge's character trying to uncover the truth and dealing with flashbacks. Didn't make it any more interesting though. Predictable and interchangeable. The imitating special effects do have its moments, but there's a real lack of atmosphere and thrills. Sure it's slickly directed, but feels vapid and flat. There's a good supporting cast featuring Terry O'Quinn, Richard Roundtree. Julia Nickson-Soul and a very twitchy David Naughton that do enliven things.

Hardly terrible, but rather uninspired.

'A New Generation' is the third Amityville entry to base its plot around writer John G. Jones's premise of an item taken from the Long Island house that causes spectral misery and death for its new owners. First a lamp, then a clock, and now a mirror. However, this is also the first Amityville since 'The Possession' to directly tie in to the real- life events that started the whole series. This time around, Keyes Terry (Robert Partridge), an artist, is given a macabre-looking mirror by a homeless man one day. Soon enough, people around him start to die, eventually leading to his discovery that the mirror once hung in the Amityville house - indeed on the very night a man named Franklin Bronner (Sonny Montelli in 'Amityville II') murdered his entire family. Unfortunately for Terry, his discovery of the mirror isn't entirely coincidental, and he soon learns the truth about his past a truth he's kept buried since childhood.

This 7th installment in the often worn-out franchise is something of a disappointment for me. Things were starting to pick up with the silly and uneven, yet entertaining 'It's About Time', and given how much this film tries to draw upon its roots - not the first episode, but the source material itself - it should have been better than it was.

However, three trips to the same well with yet another evil artifact from the Amityville house with yet another explanation for the malign paranormal visitations is wearing on me, to say the least. One of the biggest weaknesses of the Amityville franchise is the steadfast determination by each set of producers to completely ignore every other episode in the series. On the one hand, it's perfectly reasonable that they don't want to be tied to someone else's continuity, but at the very least, they could maybe acknowledge story lines that have already been done and just possibly *not repeat them over and over again*.

There's also something rather plodding about the way in which the story unfolds, doubtless due to the inevitability this repetition-fest brings. Since you already know what's going to happen, the carefully-paced build-up is simply slow and tedious. Or maybe it's just tedious anyway. Director John Murlowski probably could have done more to heighten the tense atmosphere associated with the mirror rather than simply having it flash red and emit chattering 'evil' voices, which lacks any kind of subtlety. There were times when characters seemed fairly unfazed by its otherworldly qualities. If they don't take it too seriously, why should we?

Which is a shame, because 'A New Generation' has a more-than-capable cast. I was going to hold off on watching this until I saw the name 'Julia Nickson' in the credits. She captivated my attention just as she always does, and if anything, I was annoyed her part wasn't more extensive. Terry O'Quinn was equally charismatic and again, underused. Partridge himself in the lead role clearly fits the early 90s over-coiffed lumberjack-shirted square-jawed hero type, and while I'm not sure he really gave it the gravitas needed, it's not as if anyone here is performing Ibsen.

The sets are also worthy of note, from the dramatic artwork filling Suki's room, to the claustrophobic corridors featured in flashback/supernatural sequences. Getting the look of these right is especially important given how certain sequences are repeated throughout the film to simulated fragmented memories. Clearly, Murlowski is more of a visual director rather than either an actor's director or one of horror. Unfortunately, it is meant to be a horror film, after all.

'A New Generation' sees the same race being run for the third time in 4 years. Add to this the lack of direction where it was really needed and the whole effort fails to stand as tall as it should. However, it should be acknowledged for its strong ties with the source material and some good actors in not necessarily their finest hours. Honestly, the ideal person for this is someone who hasn't seen any of the sequels past 'The Possession', for whom the story won't be such a massive deja-vu trip.

First a lamp, then a clock, now a mirror. The Amityville yard sale terror lives on as this time an artist is gifted a possessed mirror from the haunted house by a homeless man (who may or may not be the surviving kid from part 2). As usual weird possession things happen, and people die. There's some good stuff here like a scene where a family gets wrecked by a shotgun, and the supporting cast is pretty impressive including the addition of Terry O'Quinn. Not quite as good or as crazy as It's About Time, but not bad either.

An L.A. photographer gets an antique mirror from a homeless man which triggers memories of his mysterious past and also allows a demons to rampage the lofts where he lives and terrorize the residents.

Amityville: A New Generation has a few memorable moments, but a lot of the horror scenes read more goofy than scary, especially any time the demon manifests. It does function as a fascinating 90's time capsule, though, and the cast is much more staked than other entries in the franchise with several horror regulars showing up for supporting roles.

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...)

Movies just don't get worse than this. Horrible plot, terribly timed, pathetic characters and effects and yes this is using "B" standards.

And for the guys: nothing, this movie is a terrible let down, couple scenes that could have been great but you get nothing but build up with no delivery.

This movie appeals to no one, horrible movie,it had bad; plot, acting, "B" flavor, special effects and everything else. Plus no nudity or erotics for guys or the girls.

To my own surprise, I liked the other two nineties' outings in the franchise, namely "Amityville 1992: It's About Time" and "Amityville: Dollhouse", so I was reasonably confident I would at least enjoy this in-between sequel to a certain extent as well.

Wrong way of thinking, obviously, as this installment truly sucks. I should have guessed in advance, because even the title-addition "A New Generation" is boring and uninspired compared to the other two entries in the mid-nineties' trilogy. The story itself revolves around the most irritating and redundant type of people in the world, namely pseudo-artists. Not real artists, but obnoxious and wannabe amateurs that live in a ramshackle apartment block in a dangerous neighborhood and think of themselves as talented. When photographer Keyes Terry receives the gift of a mirror from a homeless man, the ugly antique thing appears to have a direct link with a vicious family massacre that occurred at the notorious Amityville house. Oh, and there's a connection between Keyes and the culprit of the massacre as well.

"Amityville: A New Generation" is dull and far too pretentious for a straight-to-video sequel from the early 90s. There is potential, for sure, but director John Murlowski fails to generate any tension or atmosphere, and a half-decent connection with the lead characters never gets established. The kills are too few and unmemorable, and the whole climax is a joke. The film is mainly a waste of a good cast, as it's full of familiar faces that can do (and have done) better. There's David McNaughton ("An American Werewolf in London"), Richard Roundtree ("Shaft"), Terry O'Quinn ("The Stepfather"), and Lin Shaye ("Dead End") and all of them deserve better.

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.

This is a great horror film. It very underrated. It is not a 3.6. It is better then Amityville horror (1979). It is better then Amityville II the possession. It is better then Amityville 3 the demon. It is better the Amityville 4 evil escapes. The Amityville cures it better. Amityville it's about time is also better. The Amityville dollhouse is also better. Amityville (2005) is also better. This movie has great story line. It is the seventh Amityville movie. It has great acting. It also has great special effects. I give it 9 out of 10. It is no 3.6. People do not like this movie because it is a sequel. See this movie. It is a great movie.

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.

In this seventh outing to Amityville a haunted mirror brings bad fortune, possession and death to an artist and his friends.

What sets this apart from the others is the cast, it has the excellent Julia Nickson as well as industry veterans Terry O'Quinn, Lin Shaye & Richard Roundtree. Thanks to this the movie wasn't an complete bust, but still mostly.

With a baffling story, very little actual horror and being another film that just screams "Milking the franchise" There isn't much to the films credit and I'd say one for fans only.

The Good:

Outstanding cast especially Julia Nickson

The Bad:

Nonsensical plot

Rather dull

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

This Amityville binge is going to cost me some brain cells

This movie was not nearly as entertaining as the first couple of Amityvilles. I think it actually had a budget that broke the triple digits. The flashback scene to the nut house was genuinely scary. That's about it. The "dancing demons" were pretty hokey. The idea of highlighting an art show with a poor shmuck coming in and shooting his friends with a Supersoaker was less than Grade-A. That is why most people hate artists.

Well, at least this was the last sequel that I could find at Blockbuster, because this movie was just downright horrible. I mean, I can understand how hard it would be to get rid of an evil house. We're talking starting a horrible fire, bulldozing, flood, etc. But a mirror? How hard could it be can it be to get rid of a mirror?! This was the most horrible movie that could've put the title of Amityville into the picture!

Well, a group of friends who are pretty much from the start, are a bunch of freaks. One of them is a photographer of some kind and buys a haunted mirror from a homeless creepy guy, teaching me a valuable lesson, don't buy things from homeless creepy guy. Of course, the horrible deaths and chaos ensues this group, though I can't imagine anyone missing them.

Please, skip Amityville: A New Generation, I've already got a few complaints about my generation, so I think this was a premonition. Not to sound so crazy. :P But believe me, this is horribly acted, not well thought out, and not even scary! I feel so bad for the original writers of The Amityville Horror, they must be crying every time person witnesses this film.

1/10

I was so glad to be over with Slasher Month having to binge watch all those stupid horror movies but at least that's finally over. What this? For Direct To Video Month, there's tons more stupid horror movies! Yeah! The Amityville Horror series has to be one of the least satisfying of all time. I lost count of these, but I think this is actually the seventh! This movie features a magic mirror that belonged to the owner of the Amityville house. Looking into it makes people kill themselves or directly kills him, oh I don't care. This film is surprisingly dull.

There isn't even that much focus on the evil mirror itself. It's mostly just people talking and strange dreams or hallucinations or something. It's hard to keep track because everything in this movie is so uninteresting. There's just nobody to root for. Okay, I will give it credit for doing one good thing. We get to see Terry O'Quinn in the movie! I guess it helps that "Lost" had so many actors that it's easy for me to recognize them in other movies. He's actually pretty good, but he alone can't save this pointless film. It just feels like a long episode of a bad TV show. *1/2

A man is talking to a bum, who end up, giving him this mirror, this time is the mirror, that has the evil force in it.

then he gives the mirror too their next door neighbour, soon anyone who look into the mirror will die.

It was good idea, they could have done so much more, and better.

This is a stand alone movie,so it not connected to any of the other in series,

saying that this is third stand alone movie in the series

The acting in this movie was not that bad, the movie it self was way to predicable, can be really, really boring at time,

i wish there was a lot more gore then there was, I did enjoy, one or two so what gory scene, which were really well shot.

This is one the weakest of them of all, it not the worse one in the series.

The Amityville Curse is still the worse of the series, this movie in the second worse but still watchable, unlike The Amityville Curse.

I going to give this movie 3 out of 10

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".

Mirror Mirror On The Wall: Who Is The Worst Amityville Of Them All

Oh the horror! The streak of rotten "Amityville Horror" sequels continues in "Amityville: A New Generation." In the direct-to-video affair, an up-and-coming photographer (Ross Partridge, whose credentials include (1) episode of "In Living Color" as well as playing "Businessman" in the "Prom Night" remake) brings a haunted mirror back to his hip and happening pad. It's not long before the mirror starts distorting reality, shedding some light on the wannabe-artist's past as well as threatening his circle of friends which includes Shaft and Asian-Shannon Doherty in its ranks. Yet another "Amityville" flick where the "Horror" happens outside of the iconic house from the Margot Kidder/James Brolin original, it's no surprise to find "A New Generation" deviating even further from the original formula than before.

Not that twisting the formula is such a bad thing -- it sort of worked in "Amityville 1992: It's About Time" (sort of) -- but the execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. For those keeping score, "Amityville: A New Generation" is the seventh installment in the shockingly long-winded and consistently mediocre "Amityville Horror" franchise. It's to be expected that the film isn't exactly top-notch material, but even judging it as a b-movie doesn't do it justice. The plot, if you can call it that, is really just an excuse for the presence of some admittedly cool paintings and softcore nudity (its only redeeming features, really). The horror in this "Amityville Horror" is in its banality. There is simply no tension to be found, and the bloodshed is kept to a minimum. Add this to the fact that hardly anybody in the film (save for Roundtree and Terry O'Quinn, cashing a check in an otherwise thankless role) can act to save their lives, and you have one very tepid experience.

Even those who lapped up the schlock served up in the silly movie-of-the-week "Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes" or even the aforementioned 1992 affair will be hard-pressed to find anything redeeming about "A New Generation." To be quite frank, it's a chore to sit through and even when the film tries to twist things in an effort to re-connect itself to its roots, it just doesn't work. Whatever thrills were to be had with this premise were squeezed out by the anemic sequels that came before. Even if you enjoy cinematic junk food like this, approach with caution. This is not only the "Amityville" franchise at its worst, but also bottom-of-the-barrel even as far as '90s horror and DTV fare go.

The first 2 movies were ok. This one was absolutely terrible. Terrible plot, acting and effects. A mirror, really???

Ignore the ridiculous 1 star reviews from people who can't even get the plot points right, this is a decent enough movie with a cast of professional actors who can all act.

Not really a true Amityville movie, a cynic might suggest that they tacked on the name Amityville...shame on you! Haha. This is worth a watch, just don't expect too much.

This is an okay movie, but it doesn't generate much excitement or suspense because there's not much done with the mirror and the characters are not especially interesting. This picture is less about the mirror than it is about this kid's history concerning his deceased, murderous father. The only truly interesting characters are the detective, played by The Stepfather's Terry O'Quinn, and Llanie. And just like in the previous film, "It's About Time", there's no Amityville house either (except in flashbacks). If this really is a new generation, then I would have preferred the old one.

**1/2 out of ****