By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Amityville Horror (1979) and Amityville II: The Possession (1982) are rarely discussed simultaneously. Wheras the original is looked at as a classic, the sequels are often frowned upon and receive mediocre to poor ratings. Generally speaking, most of the sequels are horrible, but Amityville II which is really a prequel is genuinely as good as the original.
It goes without saying that the popularity of the 1979 release was aided by the mindset of the time. The late 60s and 70s were filled with great movies about hauntings and possessions. There were films like The Omen (1976) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968) that terrified audiences; and then there were tales that were supposedly based on facts which made the fear even more real. The Exorcist (1973), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and of course The Amityville Horror (1979) all utilized the tactic of stating it was “based on true events” to lure audiences in. The Amityville Horror film was blessed with a following before the movie even came out. It was a bestseller book and the people who swore they were the victims of the haunting made their rounds on the television circuit.
The public was sold and flooded theaters to see the production, and all in all it’s a great film. It’s worthy of its status as a classic. The movie follows George Lutz (James Brolin) and Kathy Lutz (Margot Kidder) who move into their dream home not knowing of a horrific murder that took place within. They fear for their life as George becomes possessed and goes into a murderous rage. He’s so deranged that he wants to kill his stepchildren. They call a priest who leaves because he’s attacked by a bunch of flies that manifest from nowhere and is told to “get out” by a demon who opens the door.
In 30 days, the Lutzs’ leave the home because of the experience they went through. There is a lot of debate as to what is true and what is not true. Most accept the belief that over a few bottles of wine, the real George Lutz came up with this story as he couldn’t afford the mortgage and it was an easy way to make a buck. That said, both Kathy and George stood by their version of what happened until the day they died. They successfully passed lie detector tests and though they disputed much that was in the book and in the movie, they swore that what they had experienced was very real.
After seeing interviews with George and Kathy, my opinion is, at the very least, they believed what they were saying was true. They were confident that something unworldly drove them out of their house. I don’t deny the existence of the supernatural. I’m a skeptic but the only people who know for sure are those that lived in that house for those 30 days.
The sequel tells the story of those that lived in the home prior to the Lutz family. For the sake of courtesy or (and) most likely to avoid paying any royalties, we are introduced to the Montelli clan. The real tragedy that occurred on 112 Ocean Avenue, was committed by a murderer named Ronald DeFeo Jr. On November 13, 1974, DeFeo killed his entire family. He was coherent enough to change his clothing and tell the cops that a hitman had murdered his family. He wasn’t intelligent enough however to make the police believe him, so he admitted to the murders. DeFeo claimed to have heard voices telling him to commit the crime, however the prosecuter proved he had abused heroin and LSD which combined with a psychiatric disorder he was diagnosed with could have easily messed up his mind. Let’s face it, one bad trip on LSD has destroyed plenty of minds.
Some speculate that life insurance was the motive behind the killings but no one is certain.
Without question, Amityville II takes many creative liberties. Still, it makes for a great film. First, the abusive father is portrayed by the one-and-only Burt Young. He plays the patriarch Anthony Montelli and is perfect in the role as he is in any role he plays. Paulie from Rocky (1976) is one of my favorite characters of all time.
Anthony’s wife Dolores (Rutanya Alda) is both passive at times and enraged and ready to beat her husband when he lays a hand on his children. She knows nearly from jump that something is terribly wrong with the house. In the basement she feels something touching her and tells her eldest son Sonny (Jack Magner). Soon it’s clear that Sonny is possessed by a demon force. Though the make-up job is bad, Magner himself was believable in the role. Sonny begins to have an incestuous relationship with his sister Patricia (Diane Franklin). Patricia feels guilty and goes to church to repent.
Now though it’s just speculation, there has been some discussion surrounding the relationship between Ronald DeFeo Jr. (23) and the eldest sister Dawn (18). One theory, is that the two were in a screwed up relationship and they opted to kill their parents and raise their younger siblings. Ric Osuna, the author of The Night the DeFeos Died, stated the Ronald DeFeo Jr. told him that his parents were plotting to kill him, so he murdered them to save his own life. His sister however just wanted it to be the two of them, and killed the children to make sure there were no witnesses to the brutal act. This pushed Ronald over the edge further to the point of shooting her in what he called “a struggle.” The problem is that DeFeo has lied and changed his story so many times, no one knows the truth. He may be so screwed up he doesn’t even know what the truth is and honestly I don’t think the public will ever know either.
Was it a demon, a junkie looking for cash, or a scared guy trying to save himself? Whatever it is, Amityville II won’t give you the answer but it will give you a fun movie that doesn’t wait to start the action. It isn’t the scariest film in the world, but it’s a good watch. If for nothing else, watch it for the masterful, underappreciated and intense performance of the great Burt Young.
Though, Amityville and Amityville II: The Possession are very different movies with very different levels of intensity, I like them equally. Brolin was great in the lead. He is scary as hell when he goes mental. Kidder as always is a great actress and among her many great performances, this is her best. The atmosphere created and the utilization of silence to create tension is fantastic. It’s definitely a scarier film.
Amityville II is a more fun movie. It’s quicker and in your face in a more blatant and faster manner than the first film. Young shows Anthony as a loving father who is also an abusive scumbag. He walks the line and when he needs to cross to the darker side does so amazingly well.
There isn’t much atmosphere or moments of complete silence in the sequel, but it isn’t that type of movie. It was made three years later and a lot happened in that three years in the horror industry. Audiences were craving instant gratification. We were in the beginning of the slasher era and though this isn’t a slaher by any means, it utilizes the paranormal activity that occurs in a fast paced manner that one is accustomed to. It’s similar to the kills in the Friday the 13th series. We don’t need to know the entire backstory of each character to enjoy watching the horny 30 year old “teenagers” get slaughtered. Here, we don’t need to know the source that causes the faucet to bleed or graffiti disparaging Anthony’s good name written on the wall. We can just sit back and enjoy it and when they get to it, they get to it. In the meantime, it’s just a free-for-all visual of all things supernatural.
Also, did I mention, I love Burt Young. He’s great in everything. He’s definitely one of my celebrity crushes. Go through his filmography. Watch him in Excessive Force. It’s a kickass film that Geno introduced me to.
Here’s another picture of Burt Young because he’s awesome.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10 (for both)
