The events that allegedly took place at 112 Ocean Avenue have inspired several films, documentaries, books and many thousands of column inches.
What is beyond dispute is the house played host to bloody murder when Ronald Defeo Jr armed himself with a shotgun and killed five members of his family. Defeo was subsequently incarcerated and the house lay empty for a short while. Or did it?
The house was put on the market for the knockdown price of $80,000, prompting George and Katy Lutz to take the plunge.
Their stay lasted just 28 days, with the family fleeing on 14th January 1976, never to return.
Before long, unexplained events occur, involving the family and a local priest who becomes convinced that dark forces are present in the house.
Director Stuart Rosenberg chose to ground some of his film on the Lutz's claims, and used poetic license to fuel the rest. The result was an enormous commercial success, giving audiences a scary ride through all manner of tried and trusted shenanigans.
The fun begins early on, when Father Delaney (Rod Steiger) arrives to bless the house and is plagued by an unseasonal swarm of flies and told top leave the house by a demonic voice.
The Lutz family soon experience terrifying manifestations, with George - apparently a 'dead ringer' for Defeo - undergoing frightening shifts in his personality, with several episodes suggesting possession by an unclean spirit.
Kathy and her children also encounter strange phenomena, including glowing eyes looking into an upstairs window and a most upsetting episode regarding a window sill that slams shut on tiny fingers all by itself.
While there are times when proceedings enter the realms of the absurd, Rosenberg mostly manages to keep things sensibly scary, aided by a deliciously eerie score from Lalo Schifrin and a cast that certainly entered into the spirit of things.
Did the Amityville house really play host to a demon, or was the whole thing a giant hoax?
112 Ocean Avenue was actually built on an old indian burial ground and if you believe in the dead returning to life, that fact may well convince you that the Lutz's stories were true.
Whatever, you'll surely wish to check out the supplementary material on Second Sight's Blu-ray.
The Blu-ray presentation here is crisp and detailed, leaving viewers with an impressive home viewing experience.
First off on the extras front is a commentary track from professor Hans Holzer; a parapsychologist who was one of the first people called to the house when the Lutz's left.
Hans talks about exorcisms, hypnosis, religion, draws on the history of the house which dates back to 1928, and the grounds it was built on.
He points out no-one in the house heard the shots as Lutz went about his rampage (nor did the neighbours) and discusses the case.
He also has some interesting theories on ghosts and demons. It's a thought-provoking track, though many will disagree with some of his ideas.
"Brolin Thunder" (16m 1s)
A new interview with James Brolin who recalls "Mutiny On The Bounty"; his 7 years with Fox and "Marcus Welby MD". Stuart Rosenberg, Margot Kidder and Lalo Schifrin also
crop up in the conversation.
"Child's Play" (16m 39s)
Meeno Peluce chats about his fellow child actors in the film, and remembers he'd just finished filming on "Don't Go Near The Park" when Amityville came up.
He displays mostly excellent recall about the shoot and do listen out for his Margot Kidder story!
"Amityville Scribe" 16m 27s)
This is an interview with screenwriter Sandor Stern, who recalls how and why he was hired to do a script re-write.
Sandor shares his thoughts on the film, and relates his own experiences with the supernatural.
"The Devil In The Music" (14m 5s)
Here, Lalo Schifrin goes through his early musical influences; recalls his work on such films as "Dirty Harry" and "Enter The Dragon" and chats about Amityville,
explaining he understood perfectly what the director wanted.
"My Amityville Horror" (85m 11s)
Directed by Eric Walter, this is an extraordinary view of the world inhabited by Daniel Lutz, whose siblings refused to take part in this documentary
Daniel stands by his account of what took place at the house as a psychologist, demonologist's Ed and Lorraine Warren and trusted reporter Laura Didio file in to contribute.
After watching this, I was no nearer arriving at a conclusion regarding the truth surrounding the Lutz's tenancy, but it is completely engrossing.
One of the stories that often crops up is that George Lutz collaborated with William Webber (Defeo's lawyer) to dream up a convincing hoax: an insanity plea for his client, and a cash-in for Lutz could have been their targets? While it's an undisputed fact that none of the subsequent tenants of 112 reported any manifestations, it seems likely to me that Lutz really does believe his own version of events. If he is lying, why did he wait decades to give his own version of events? Perhaps George and Kathy took the real truth to their graves?
"For God's Sake Get Out" (20m 41s)
This comprises of separate interviews with James Brolin and Margot Kidder who talk about how they first got into acting; about the publicity behind the film, and reveal their was some tension between the pair.
The extras are rounded off with a trailer (2m 30s); a TV spot (1m2s) and two radio spots (3m40s).
There's also a 1m 18s introduction to the film by Hans Holzer.
"The Amityville Horror" will be available to buy on 26th June. The legend surrounding this film shows no signs of going away, and this Blu-ray disc will delight those who have followed this story.
No comments:
Post a Comment