After hitting paydirt with 2004's rehash of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Michael Bay’s production company have gone for shocks again.

They've taken another solid 70s horror flick, removed the subtlety and turned it into a screeching fairground ride full of icky shocks and epileptic editing.

The backstory is creepy indeed. In 1974, Ronnie DeFeo shotgunned his entire family to death in their home in Amityville, Long Island, saying that 'voices' in the house told him to do it.

One year later, Kathy Lutz (Melissa George, of TV's Alias) persuades new husband George (Ryan Reynolds of Blade: Trinity fame) to buy the place for her and the kids.

"Houses don’t kill people," reasons George, "people kill people".

But strange things happen from the outset, with young Michael seeing ghouls in the bathroom and little Chelsea freaking out the babysitter with her imaginary friend Jodie.

George complains of being perpetually cold (though spends much time baring his rippling torso) and within days, changes from loving stepdad to snarling, bloodshot-eyed wild man.

Having twigged that her new 'res' might not be that 'des', Kathy calls on the local priest (Baker Hall) and, somewhat belatedly, does some research into the property's history.

Then it's all aboard a runaway ghost train into the realms of The Shining, The Exorcist, Psycho... and even What Lies Beneath.

Sadly, the movie falls into the modern trap of thinking that making people jump is the same as really frightening them.

Where the most effective horror films build up tension with memorable scary bits and plenty of dread, this is simply instant gratification for the MTV crowd.

With its splatter-gun approach and the now de rigeur ghostly kid, the Amityville remake may raise the odd neck-hair, but only until your popcorn runs out.

Elliott Noble