And so arrives another remake of a cult horror film. Only this time the original 1979 version of The Amityville Horror starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder and Rod Steiger was never any good in the first place and remains painfully overrated. But sadly this version, produced by Michael Bay and the company behind the 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper's grotesque shocker The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is a tactless film of complete and utter absurdity.

The Amityville Horror is a true story that inspired Jay Anson's novel and the 1979 film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. On 14 November 1974 a man named Ronald DeFeo murdered his parents and four siblings in his family's home, claiming he was 'forced' to do it.

Skip to one year later and the house has not been sold. Yet on 18 December 1975 George (Ryan Reynolds) and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George) move in with Kathy's three children from her first marriage. Almost immediately they become possessed by the demonic presences in the large house. The family last only 28 days.

After a very slow set up, The Amityville Horror tries to scare the viewer with some very lame shock tactics. When will filmmakers learn that loud effects do not always scare the viewer? There is very little subtlety and thought involved in the process. There are too many sporadic outbursts of horror with no build up of suspense and excitement.

Great haunted house pictures such as Robert Wise's seminal 1963 shocker The Haunting offer perfect examples of thought and subtlety. The Haunting carefully leads the viewer through each part of the house emitting moments of tension and intrigue. The characters lead the viewer through each facet of their disturbance causing the audience to undergo similar emotional turmoil.

The Amityville Horror throws far too many daft moments posing as shocking effects at the viewer. Such scenes soon become tiresome and predictable. It may scare the very timid and coy but for those viewers literate in horror cinema, it merely serves to embarrass rather than frighten.

From the start Ryan Reynolds as George Lutz is too unlovable and cocky to endear, so there is no loss in respect for his possessed character. Melissa George is fairly capable as the mother of the family, but better is her elder son Billy, played by Jesse James, as a sharp 12-year old who struggles to cope with the death of his father and his subsequent replacement by George. Billy offers some amusing moments before he grows weary and scared of George's possessed soul.

Jimmy Bennet as Michael, the younger son, is not much use. Instead it is Chloe Moretz as the only daughter who undergoes serious spiritual transition, as she befriends one of the ghosts in the house. Her character's freighned friendship attempts to create moments of taut control but like much of the film they are handled without delicacy.

The Amityville Horror will only go down in history as being a waste of time.

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