#100HorrorMoviesfor100Days Day 24
Day 24: The Amityville Horror (1979)
Writer: Screenplay Sandor Stern, based on the book by Jay Anson
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Year released: 1979
The Amityville Horror is like The Exorcism for me in that the very first time I saw each I felt like I was punched in the stomach. I watched The Amityville Horror for the first time when I was a kid with my cousin. My cousin needed to make a point throughout the film to remind me each time something terrifying happened that the movie was based on true events. Honestly, no one knows exactly what happened those 28 days the Lutz family lived in the home. Both George and Kathy Lutz are dead and the only people who remain are their now adult children. One son appeared in a documentary, seeming tortured by both the events in the home and the follow up media attention. Regardless of what actually happened in the home we can at least say that the Lutz family believe something demonic plagued them for nearly a month.
Overview: A couple moves into their new home with their children and soon after they are plagued with violent manifestations related to a previous series of murders in the home.
- Both leads in the film went on record saying they did not believe the account given by the Lutz family.
- The studio fabricated stories of strange occurrences happening on set in order to increase public interest in the film.
- The movie was originally scheduled to be a made for TV movie until the rights of Jay Anson’s book were purchased.
- Rumors maintained that the film crew were too frightened of the home to film actual scenes there. The truth is the town of Amityville did not allow any portion of the movie to be filmed within their area in order to distance themselves from the occurrences.
- The famed evil eye windows of the house were replaced with standard windows and all tenants to this day after the Lutz family have reported no activity.
