Help compiling source package (autoconf) - AM_SANITY_CHECK not found

[Micha Feigin <michf@post.tau.ac.il>]

I am trying to compile ImageMagick from source (trying to cross compile it
actually with mingw, but I have the same problem with native compilation).
Configure runs file, but that when I try to do make I get the error:

configuring ImageMagick 6.3.3
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking target system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
./configure: line 2120: AM_SANITY_CHECK: command not found
./configure: line 2122: syntax error near unexpected token `$PACKAGE_NAME,${PACKAGE_VERSION}${PACKAGE_VERSION_ADDENDUM},http://www.imagemagick.org'
./configure: line 2122: `AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE($PACKAGE_NAME,${PACKAGE_VERSION}${PACKAGE_VERSION_ADDENDUM},http://www.imagemagick.org)'

I found some reference to m4_pattern_allow but nothing on how to use it and
couldn't find anything about this on google.

Any ideas on what I'm missing (tried to look at the aptitude package list but
nothing seemed relevant).

Thanks