Amityville Legend Coming Back To The Big Screen

Amityville Legend Coming Back To The Big Screen
New movie to be based on events surrounding the infamous DeFeo/Lutz house in Amityville, N.Y.
By:horror
Updated: 09-08-2003

A new movie based on the "haunted" Amityville house in New York state is in the works. The new project will be produced by Emmett/Furla Films, Barstu Productions, and Integrated Films and Management, and written by Daniel Farrands. Farrands is best known to horror movie fans as the writer of 1995's "Halloween (6): The Curse of Michael Meyers". More recently, he wrote and directed the TV documentary "Amityville 2000".

The new film will cover the same set of events as the 1979 original, "The Amityville Horror", which starred James Brolin, Margot Kidder, and Rod Steiger. There were also several Amityville sequels and spinoff movies released through the 80's and 90's, some of which were pretty campy (anyone remember "Amityville Dollhouse"?) It's not totally clear yet, but it appears the new movie won't be a remake of the original, but rather a complete script rewrite based on the same "Amityville Horror" book by author Jay Anson.

The Amityville legend is based on a combination of events that began in the early morning of November 13, 1974, at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, Long Island, in New York. On that date, Ronald "Butch" DeFeo murdered six of his family members, including his own parents as well as his brothers and sisters, in their home. The brutal murders actually happened and Butch was eventually convicted by a jury for his crimes. What happened next, has been debated ever since.

In December of 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz moved their family into the same house where the DeFeo murders had taken place less that a year previous. The Lutz's lived in the house for only about a month, during which time they decided that the house was haunted. They told their story to author Jay Anson, who wrote his book "The Amityville Horror". Anson's book became a bestseller, and the basis of the 1979 movie. This is the same book that the new movie is being lifted from.

As with most paranormal stories, controversy and uncertainty swirls around the Amityville case. There have been several lawsuits over the years as well as people accusing the Lutz's of making up parts (or all) of their haunted house story. There are books and website dedicated to "debunking" the Amityville "hoax", yet many others still believe it to be true.

Regardless of the blurred line of truth and fiction surrounding the events in the 1970's, the Amityville legend is well known by horror fans, and controversy has rarely been bad for the promotion of a movie, especially one in the horror genre.


Source: Variety, Crime Library, Amityville Murders

Latest User Comments:
It's a film. Treat it like that and don't expect too much truth in this film. If you want the facts you will have too reserch the case for youself. I thought that the James Brolin version was great. This 05 version is gripping .:)
06-12-2005 by Fire Dragon discuss
Amityville New Movie
I liked it a lot, much scarier but still not scary enough for me.
04-29-2005 by Audrey Rose discuss
Amityville House
I agree I didnt care for the movie as much as I did the originals even if they didnt really depict any facts. The poor thing about the latest rendition is the movie makers trying to equate the movie with facts; I dont think there are many Amityville movie go'ers out there who are very happy with that. I am so glad I read the interviews, and now I have a more realistic feeling of what possibly happened. Anything is possible and I think one would have to look back into history and research the whole area, not just the house, for psychic disturbances. Please follow my own ghost research at: [url]http://home.earthlink.net/~mrzeta/itcmain.html[/url] One must keep an open mind, and not discount any 'ghostly' possibilities. Mr Gray
04-29-2005 by MrZeta discuss
Amityville
Correct me if I am wrong. But it seems to me that I had read several years ago that the investigations into the the actual accounts of Amityville were unfounded. I watched the made-for t.v. movie starring James Brolin and if I remember correctly shortly after this aired there was a publication denouncing the actual events. I would greatly appreciate any feedback before I elect to see the remake of this movie.
04-26-2005 by salvage1 discuss
amityville horror
let's hope the new amityville will be a full on horror that is genuinely scary instead of a glossy effects heavy movie such as the remakes of house on haunted hill and 13 ghosts.
01-20-2005 by lee challenger discuss