Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
After a number of bloated runtimes and technically inept entries, it’s something of a relief to watch Amityville Christmas Vacation (2022). The 55-minute film doesn’t even try to hit feature length, which is a wise decision for a film with a slight, but enjoyable premise.
The amusingly self-aware comedy is written and directed by Steve Rudzinski, who also stars as protagonist Wally Griswold. The premise is simple: a newspaper article celebrating the hero cop catches the attention of B’n’B owner Samantha (Marci Leigh), who lures Wally to Amityville under the false claim that he’s won a free Christmas stay.
Naturally it turns out that the house is haunted by a vengeful ghost named Jessica D’Angelo (Aleen Isley), but...
After a number of bloated runtimes and technically inept entries, it’s something of a relief to watch Amityville Christmas Vacation (2022). The 55-minute film doesn’t even try to hit feature length, which is a wise decision for a film with a slight, but enjoyable premise.
The amusingly self-aware comedy is written and directed by Steve Rudzinski, who also stars as protagonist Wally Griswold. The premise is simple: a newspaper article celebrating the hero cop catches the attention of B’n’B owner Samantha (Marci Leigh), who lures Wally to Amityville under the false claim that he’s won a free Christmas stay.
Naturally it turns out that the house is haunted by a vengeful ghost named Jessica D’Angelo (Aleen Isley), but...
- 4/30/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
A bizarre recurring issue with the Amityville “franchise” is that the films tend to be needlessly complicated. Back in the day, the first sequels moved away from the original film’s religious-themed haunted house storyline in favor of streamlined, easily digestible concepts such as “haunted lamp” or “haunted mirror.”
As the budgets plummeted and indie filmmakers capitalized on the brand’s notoriety, it seems the wrong lessons were learned. Runtimes have ballooned past the 90-minute mark and the narratives are often saggy and unfocused.
Both issues are clearly on display in Amityville Karen (2022), a film that starts off rough, but promising, and ends with a confused whimper.
The promise is embodied by the tinge of self-awareness in Julie Anne Prescott (The Amityville Harvest)’s screenplay,...
A bizarre recurring issue with the Amityville “franchise” is that the films tend to be needlessly complicated. Back in the day, the first sequels moved away from the original film’s religious-themed haunted house storyline in favor of streamlined, easily digestible concepts such as “haunted lamp” or “haunted mirror.”
As the budgets plummeted and indie filmmakers capitalized on the brand’s notoriety, it seems the wrong lessons were learned. Runtimes have ballooned past the 90-minute mark and the narratives are often saggy and unfocused.
Both issues are clearly on display in Amityville Karen (2022), a film that starts off rough, but promising, and ends with a confused whimper.
The promise is embodied by the tinge of self-awareness in Julie Anne Prescott (The Amityville Harvest)’s screenplay,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
There’s an uneasy tension in Amityville in the Hood (2021) between intentional parody and uncomfortable racism. How much of the film’s stereotypical depiction of Compton, which includes gangs, gun violence, drugs, and sex work, is making fun of the conventions of Hollywood films? Or is this just lazy screenwriting and uninspired scenarios?
Let’s give writer/director Dustin Ferguson the benefit of a doubt and go with the former. Of the three titles he’s made in the Amityville “franchise,” In the Hood is by far the most self-aware. There are even a few moments that play like genuine (read: intentional) comedy!
To be clear, there are still plenty of hiccups here. Like his other films in the “franchise,” Ferguson is...
There’s an uneasy tension in Amityville in the Hood (2021) between intentional parody and uncomfortable racism. How much of the film’s stereotypical depiction of Compton, which includes gangs, gun violence, drugs, and sex work, is making fun of the conventions of Hollywood films? Or is this just lazy screenwriting and uninspired scenarios?
Let’s give writer/director Dustin Ferguson the benefit of a doubt and go with the former. Of the three titles he’s made in the Amityville “franchise,” In the Hood is by far the most self-aware. There are even a few moments that play like genuine (read: intentional) comedy!
To be clear, there are still plenty of hiccups here. Like his other films in the “franchise,” Ferguson is...
- 3/19/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
There’s something simultaneously exciting and horrifying about discovering the worst entry of the Amityville “franchise” more than 35 films in. And yet, Amityville Hex truly is *that* bad.
The first of writer /director Tony Newton’s two entries, 2021’s Amityville Hex is a disaster in nearly every way. From amateur acting to a repetitive script to an egregiously long (and unearned) runtime, the film embodies all of the negative qualities that have earned “Amityville” films derision and mockery.
Modeled on the screenlife model popularized by Host and, to a lesser extent Unfriended and Searching, Newton’s film focuses on vloggers who participate in “the Amityville Hex”, which involves reading a chant on camera, then documenting the aftermath.
It’s a fairly simple premise,...
There’s something simultaneously exciting and horrifying about discovering the worst entry of the Amityville “franchise” more than 35 films in. And yet, Amityville Hex truly is *that* bad.
The first of writer /director Tony Newton’s two entries, 2021’s Amityville Hex is a disaster in nearly every way. From amateur acting to a repetitive script to an egregiously long (and unearned) runtime, the film embodies all of the negative qualities that have earned “Amityville” films derision and mockery.
Modeled on the screenlife model popularized by Host and, to a lesser extent Unfriended and Searching, Newton’s film focuses on vloggers who participate in “the Amityville Hex”, which involves reading a chant on camera, then documenting the aftermath.
It’s a fairly simple premise,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
The folks at Platinum Dunes, the production company headed up by Michael Bay and Bradley Fuller, clearly love working with director Jonathan Liebesman. After working with Liebesman on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, they had him attached to direct their reboot of Friday the 13th for a while – and even though Liebesman wasn’t at the helm of that one by the time it went into production, they did work with him again, on their 2014 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, a decade later, Platinum Dunes and Jonathan Liebesman are re-teaming for a werewolf movie called Wolf Night.
Deadline wasn’t able to dig up much information on Wolf Night, but they did learn that the project is being described as “District 9 by way of The Purge“. Will Honley, whose writing credits include Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, wrote the screenplay with April Maguire.
Deadline wasn’t able to dig up much information on Wolf Night, but they did learn that the project is being described as “District 9 by way of The Purge“. Will Honley, whose writing credits include Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, wrote the screenplay with April Maguire.
- 3/4/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
The law of horror movie franchises is that eventually, without fail, you go to space.
It’s fitting, then, that the final outing for prolific Amityville writer/director Mark Polonia takes the “franchise” into the furthest reaches of space in the year 3015.
It’s been a few entries since Polonia’s last outing. He’s the creative responsible for Amityville Island, Amityville Exorcism, and Amityville Death House. Of these, Island has some amusingly self-aware bits, Death House has a great spider walk finale, and…well, the less said about Exorcism the better.
Where does Amityville in Space fall? Alas, it skews closer to Exorcism than the others. Not helping matters is that this latest film shares a character – Father Benna (Jeff Kirkendall...
The law of horror movie franchises is that eventually, without fail, you go to space.
It’s fitting, then, that the final outing for prolific Amityville writer/director Mark Polonia takes the “franchise” into the furthest reaches of space in the year 3015.
It’s been a few entries since Polonia’s last outing. He’s the creative responsible for Amityville Island, Amityville Exorcism, and Amityville Death House. Of these, Island has some amusingly self-aware bits, Death House has a great spider walk finale, and…well, the less said about Exorcism the better.
Where does Amityville in Space fall? Alas, it skews closer to Exorcism than the others. Not helping matters is that this latest film shares a character – Father Benna (Jeff Kirkendall...
- 2/20/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
On November 13, 1974, at 112 Ocean Ave. in Amityville, New York, a young man named Ronald DeFeo woke up in the middle of the night, took up a shotgun, and went from room to room in his home, systematically murdering six members of his family. DeFeo was apprehended by the police. At first, DeFeo claimed the murders were mob-related, but he later confessed to committing the crimes himself. He was sentenced to 25 years to life for his crimes. DeFeo died in prison in 2021.
DeFeo's murders became notorious with the publication of Jay Anson's nonfiction book "The Amityville Horror" in 1977. After the killings, the Lutz family moved into 112 Ocean Ave., and they claimed to experience a panoply of paranormal phenomena. Flies mobbed the building, and the entire Lutz family reported hearing eerie voices. George Lutz, the family patriarch, claimed to be possessed by a demonic presence that was driving him to kill his family.
DeFeo's murders became notorious with the publication of Jay Anson's nonfiction book "The Amityville Horror" in 1977. After the killings, the Lutz family moved into 112 Ocean Ave., and they claimed to experience a panoply of paranormal phenomena. Flies mobbed the building, and the entire Lutz family reported hearing eerie voices. George Lutz, the family patriarch, claimed to be possessed by a demonic presence that was driving him to kill his family.
- 2/17/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As far as conspiracy theories go, very few have had as much of a life as the notion that NASA faked the Apollo moon landing. In some ways, one can understand why people felt this way, as it was one of the most critical events in human history, and the only witness was a TV camera. Back then, people distrusted anything they couldn’t see with their own eyes. In the seventies, conspiracy theories started to get famous, especially as far as the government went, with this the era of Watergate. People no longer trusted authority, and into this fraught environment came Capricorn One, a sci-fi-tinged conspiracy thriller that was one of the most popular films of 1977 but has since been largely forgotten – save for a small cult of devoted fans.
The film is directed by Best Movie You Never Saw favorite Peter Hyams, who also made Outland, 2010, Running Scared,...
The film is directed by Best Movie You Never Saw favorite Peter Hyams, who also made Outland, 2010, Running Scared,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o and Carrie star Chloë Grace Moretz will face each other in the ring in a new UFC-based film Strawweight. The film follows the journey of two mixed martial artists who look to claim the title and gain respect by defeating each other. It will mark the feature directorial debut of James M. Johnston.
Lupita Nyong’o and Chloë Grace Moretz are set to star in the new film Strawweight
Lupita Nyong’o, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 12 Years A Slave, was last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She will also appear in A Quiet Place: Day One, currently in post-production. Chloë Grace Moretz was last seen in the sci-fi series, The Peripheral.
Lupita Nyong’o And Chloë Grace Moretz Are Cast As Leads In UFC-Based Strawweight 12 Years a Slave actress Lupita Nyong’o will play a former UFC champion in...
Lupita Nyong’o and Chloë Grace Moretz are set to star in the new film Strawweight
Lupita Nyong’o, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 12 Years A Slave, was last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She will also appear in A Quiet Place: Day One, currently in post-production. Chloë Grace Moretz was last seen in the sci-fi series, The Peripheral.
Lupita Nyong’o And Chloë Grace Moretz Are Cast As Leads In UFC-Based Strawweight 12 Years a Slave actress Lupita Nyong’o will play a former UFC champion in...
- 2/16/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
If there is one unwritten rule of horror movies, it's that successful ones will get sequels. When they cease to be successful, there is a more than decent chance the franchise in question will be rebooted. This is the circle of life with genre movies in Hollywood. For "Friday the 13th" and its masked killer Jason Voorhees, the franchise had remained resilient for nearly three decades without ever being rebooted. But when that reboot came in 2009, it offered a new generation of horror fans a way to become acquainted with Mr. Voorhees.
2009's "Friday the 13th" came amid the early 2000s slasher remake craze and was arguably one of the more successful executions of the concept in that era. Despite the success,...
If there is one unwritten rule of horror movies, it's that successful ones will get sequels. When they cease to be successful, there is a more than decent chance the franchise in question will be rebooted. This is the circle of life with genre movies in Hollywood. For "Friday the 13th" and its masked killer Jason Voorhees, the franchise had remained resilient for nearly three decades without ever being rebooted. But when that reboot came in 2009, it offered a new generation of horror fans a way to become acquainted with Mr. Voorhees.
2009's "Friday the 13th" came amid the early 2000s slasher remake craze and was arguably one of the more successful executions of the concept in that era. Despite the success,...
- 2/10/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Perhaps the biggest reason why the ghost story has enjoyed such popularity and power for so long is because it lies at the crux of some of humanity's most fundamental mysteries. For one thing, it addresses the question of life after death in a way that doesn't require belief in pearly gates or eternal hellfire, as it presupposes the existence of the soul. After all, if a person's energy can change the mood of a room, can't that same energy exist independently of a body and remain noticeable? Additionally, the total unknowability of ghosts is at once a source of fear and melancholy: if such entities exist, we can't know for sure what their intentions are, and if we might be facing such a fate, wouldn't such constraints as having no body and no voice be remarkably frustrating and lonely?
Steven Soderbergh's latest feature, "Presence," addresses these concepts in a remarkably effective fashion.
Steven Soderbergh's latest feature, "Presence," addresses these concepts in a remarkably effective fashion.
- 1/25/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
10. Shadowmarsh
“When Jacob and his niece Piper are forced to move back to their old home, they slowly uncover the truth that the town has an ancient evil lurking in its Forest.”
9. The Last American Horror Show Vol 2
Double the tales and double the fright as Horror Show returns with tales to keep you up at night; “Killer” Callahan sits on death row wishing to escape when a trustee offers him some escapism through a book filled with disturbing stories
8. Silencer
Disgraced alcoholic veteran must reawaken all his deadly skills, and track down his former employer when he fails to complete his last hit.
7. Beyond The Law
A mobster trying to go straight and a dogged police detective must contend with a dirty ex-cop looking to bring the killer of his son to justice.
6. Stay Out
Donovan Jones, a businessman who lives in California with his beautiful wife Simone, receives...
“When Jacob and his niece Piper are forced to move back to their old home, they slowly uncover the truth that the town has an ancient evil lurking in its Forest.”
9. The Last American Horror Show Vol 2
Double the tales and double the fright as Horror Show returns with tales to keep you up at night; “Killer” Callahan sits on death row wishing to escape when a trustee offers him some escapism through a book filled with disturbing stories
8. Silencer
Disgraced alcoholic veteran must reawaken all his deadly skills, and track down his former employer when he fails to complete his last hit.
7. Beyond The Law
A mobster trying to go straight and a dogged police detective must contend with a dirty ex-cop looking to bring the killer of his son to justice.
6. Stay Out
Donovan Jones, a businessman who lives in California with his beautiful wife Simone, receives...
- 1/24/2024
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
I don’t know of many Christmas horror adaptations. Sure, I could probably look at the history of Krampus and piece something together but other than that I’m hard pressed so let me know in the comments what I could cover next holiday season. Winter in general has all sorts of movies and stories that they are based off of. The very first episode of this show was all about The Thing and its source material Who Goes There and now in the middle of winter, at least in Colorado, I think it’s time to look at one of the better vampire properties of the 2000s and a great limited series comic. 30 Days of Night was originally pitched as a movie but when it was turned down, the comic came out and put the author’s name on the map. As is the nature of Hollywood, it...
- 1/22/2024
- by Andrew Hatfield
- JoBlo.com
Netflix‘s upcoming drama series, Ransom Canyon, is adding some star power to its cast lineup with James Brolin, Eoin Macken, and Lizzy Greene. As primary cast members, the trio joins Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly.
Based on the books written by Jodi Thomas, Ransom Canyon is a family drama with an emphasis on romance framed as a contemporary Western odyssey that follows the lives of three ranching families. Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, the project is one of Netflix’s most anticipated dramas coming to the streamer.
April Blair created the series while serving as the project’s writer and executive producer. Amanda Marsalis will direct two episodes in the 10-episode series.
The following character descriptions are taken from Deadline‘s exclusive report:
Duhamel plays Staten Kirkland, the owner and sole occupant of the sprawling Double K Ranch.
Brolin plays Cap Fuller, an ex army captain, and the brash,...
Based on the books written by Jodi Thomas, Ransom Canyon is a family drama with an emphasis on romance framed as a contemporary Western odyssey that follows the lives of three ranching families. Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, the project is one of Netflix’s most anticipated dramas coming to the streamer.
April Blair created the series while serving as the project’s writer and executive producer. Amanda Marsalis will direct two episodes in the 10-episode series.
The following character descriptions are taken from Deadline‘s exclusive report:
Duhamel plays Staten Kirkland, the owner and sole occupant of the sprawling Double K Ranch.
Brolin plays Cap Fuller, an ex army captain, and the brash,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
The horror genre is generally best known for its monsters, ghosts, ghouls, zombies and other weird and wonderful supernatural creatures. Which is great, because we love it all the more for those classic staples. However, some of the most effective horror movies do not rely upon those things, and as playfully gross as they are, they live in the realm of fantasy, so audiences can generally dissociate them from the real world. So, when a horror movie begins and you see the words ‘based upon a true story’, it makes the terror that follows, all the more serious and intense. If you’re one of those people who’s scared easily by horror movies, you can comfort yourself by saying, ‘well, it’s only a movie’, but if you know that what you’re watching actually occurred, then it’s harder to escape from. The genre has many examples of...
- 1/15/2024
- by Adam Walton
- JoBlo.com
I’m trying to stay optimistic. It takes some effort, as just about everyone seems to think the film business is a mess–strike-thinned schedule, cultural chaos, streaming models in flux. But, hey, the Golden Globes audience was up by half, never mind critical reaction to the show. There are still signs of life out there.
So I’ll stick with an earlier prediction, that this will be a big comeback year for the Oscar show.
More, I’ll cautiously suggest that we can expect what you might call an “interstitial hit” between now and next December.
These are movies that seem to come out of nowhere. They arrive with low or no expectations, from companies that are barely on the map. But they work their way into some conceptual or temporal gap in the release schedule, firing up viewers with je ne sais quoi, And suddenly they’re right...
So I’ll stick with an earlier prediction, that this will be a big comeback year for the Oscar show.
More, I’ll cautiously suggest that we can expect what you might call an “interstitial hit” between now and next December.
These are movies that seem to come out of nowhere. They arrive with low or no expectations, from companies that are barely on the map. But they work their way into some conceptual or temporal gap in the release schedule, firing up viewers with je ne sais quoi, And suddenly they’re right...
- 1/14/2024
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
Welcome back to a new year of The Amityville IP. With Amityville Scarecrow, this editorial series leaves behind the scant four “franchise” titles released in 2021 for the gargantuan ten titles released in 2022.
While Scarecrow is a similarly low budget production with some dodgy script decisions (courtesy of screenwriter Shannon Holiday), the emphasis on fractured family dynamics feels more in keeping with the early Amityville entries.
For no apparent reason, the film arbitrarily changes the mythology of the series. In Scarecrow, the Amityville murders were committed by “the Richards brothers,” not by Ronald DeFeo. After the family home was razed, a summer camp was built on the property, but the land became cursed.
When the film opens, adult sisters Tina and Mary (Amanda-Jade Tyler...
Welcome back to a new year of The Amityville IP. With Amityville Scarecrow, this editorial series leaves behind the scant four “franchise” titles released in 2021 for the gargantuan ten titles released in 2022.
While Scarecrow is a similarly low budget production with some dodgy script decisions (courtesy of screenwriter Shannon Holiday), the emphasis on fractured family dynamics feels more in keeping with the early Amityville entries.
For no apparent reason, the film arbitrarily changes the mythology of the series. In Scarecrow, the Amityville murders were committed by “the Richards brothers,” not by Ronald DeFeo. After the family home was razed, a summer camp was built on the property, but the land became cursed.
When the film opens, adult sisters Tina and Mary (Amanda-Jade Tyler...
- 1/11/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
A year ago, “M3GAN,” one of the snazziest films ever produced by Blumhouse Productions, was the exception to the rule of first-weekend-of-January trash thrillers. The movie was witty and shivery in a preposterous way, its robot-killer-doll scenario actually had a thing or two to say about AI, and it gave us the year’s most memorable android-girl dance meme — at least, until Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams danced with her hands to Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary.” But now, opening in the same junkyard weekend slot, we have another Blumhouse production, “Night Swim,” which restores a certain order to the cinematic universe by being as tepid and unscary as a proper early-in-January movie should be.
“Night Swim” is about a family that moves into a house with a swimming pool that’s haunted, and everything about the spirits that rule this pool — the ghost backstory, the greenish-brown sludge that oozes up from the drain,...
“Night Swim” is about a family that moves into a house with a swimming pool that’s haunted, and everything about the spirits that rule this pool — the ghost backstory, the greenish-brown sludge that oozes up from the drain,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Consider, if you will, the swimming pool. While there are many flashy, outrageous exceptions based on eccentricity, wealth, and other factors, most swimming pools are of a fairly standard make. If a household backyard swimming pool has any character at all, it's because of what one puts into it: family and friends, memories, activities, and so on.
In this way, a swimming pool is akin to genre filmmaking. That is to say, the structure is fairly generic, the aesthetic is borrowed from bits and pieces of other models, and the entire enterprise seeks to serve a general function. Yet within those parameters, there can be room for variation, enough that the experience can be pleasantly unique.
That's the case with "Night Swim," the latest mid-budget offering from producer Jason Blum and his Blumhouse label. Like the genre and exploitation gurus of days gone by, Blum has made a minor empire...
In this way, a swimming pool is akin to genre filmmaking. That is to say, the structure is fairly generic, the aesthetic is borrowed from bits and pieces of other models, and the entire enterprise seeks to serve a general function. Yet within those parameters, there can be room for variation, enough that the experience can be pleasantly unique.
That's the case with "Night Swim," the latest mid-budget offering from producer Jason Blum and his Blumhouse label. Like the genre and exploitation gurus of days gone by, Blum has made a minor empire...
- 1/4/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
Two entries ago, we discussed Thomas J. Churchill’s vampire-themed, title card only “franchise” entry, The Amityville Harvest. I knew that the writer/director had a sequel film, so going into The Amityville Moon was an interesting exercise.
As it turns out, sequel is a generous term for Churchill’s second Amityville film. It shares the same visual aesthetic as Harvest, an actor (Michael Cervantes), and may even be shot in the same location. Aside from that, however, the characters are all new and, in place of a vampire, The Amityville Moon features a werewolf as its central protagonist.
One thing that hasn’t changed: this is another in a long line of Amityville films that uses the famous title as an IP cash grab.
Two entries ago, we discussed Thomas J. Churchill’s vampire-themed, title card only “franchise” entry, The Amityville Harvest. I knew that the writer/director had a sequel film, so going into The Amityville Moon was an interesting exercise.
As it turns out, sequel is a generous term for Churchill’s second Amityville film. It shares the same visual aesthetic as Harvest, an actor (Michael Cervantes), and may even be shot in the same location. Aside from that, however, the characters are all new and, in place of a vampire, The Amityville Moon features a werewolf as its central protagonist.
One thing that hasn’t changed: this is another in a long line of Amityville films that uses the famous title as an IP cash grab.
- 11/22/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
From yellow-eyed bully to blue-clad police officer, Scut Farkus made one miraculous turnaround since we were first introduced to him in 1983’s A Christmas Story. Now, the actor who portrayed him, Zack Ward, is spreading Christmas (Story) cheer by commemorating the film’s 40th anniversary.
Taking to X over the weekend, Zack Ward noted the special anniversary and how wild the size of the legacy the movie developed over the years is. “40 years ago today “A Christmas Story” was released and honestly, nobody cared. Now, it is in the Library Of Congress as one of the top 100 most Important films of American Cinematic History from the 20th Century and in the Smithsonian as a national treasure. Wow.” Don’t forget the annual 24-hour marathons, either, Farkus!
40 years ago today "A Christmas Story" was released and honestly, nobody cared.
Now, it is in the Library Of Congress as one of the...
Taking to X over the weekend, Zack Ward noted the special anniversary and how wild the size of the legacy the movie developed over the years is. “40 years ago today “A Christmas Story” was released and honestly, nobody cared. Now, it is in the Library Of Congress as one of the top 100 most Important films of American Cinematic History from the 20th Century and in the Smithsonian as a national treasure. Wow.” Don’t forget the annual 24-hour marathons, either, Farkus!
40 years ago today "A Christmas Story" was released and honestly, nobody cared.
Now, it is in the Library Of Congress as one of the...
- 11/20/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The "Star Trek" movie franchise was almost a one-and-done fiasco. Paramount had the highest of hopes when they released "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" on December 7, 1979, and, at first, it appeared as though their commercial expectations would be exceeded. The film scored the biggest opening of the year with a gross of $11.9 million (slightly better than the openings for "Alien" and "Moonraker"), but mixed reviews and ho-hum word of mouth (particularly from non-fans) kept it from being the runaway blockbuster it needed to be given its then exorbitant $44 million budget. It wound up being the fourth highest grossing film of 1979 behind "Kramer vs. Kramer," "The Amityville Horror" and "Rocky II").
The film's primary problem was its length and lack of action. At 132 minutes, Robert Wise's movie kind of lumbered; there are long, reverent shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise that, for many in the audience, quickly went from awe-inspiring to tedious.
The film's primary problem was its length and lack of action. At 132 minutes, Robert Wise's movie kind of lumbered; there are long, reverent shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise that, for many in the audience, quickly went from awe-inspiring to tedious.
- 11/19/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
"The Amityville Horror" is one of the definitive haunted house films, a classic tale about paranormal activity terrorizing a suburban family with swarming flies, mysterious voices, and sudden illness. Even the windows resemble ominous eyes peering down on the unsuspecting victims. The movie taps into the religious undertones popularized by other 1970s releases such as "The Exorcist" and "The Omen," suggesting there is a Satanic force at work that must be destroyed.
Eventually, the new owners George and Kathy Lutz discover the horrifying history of their new home: Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family with a rifle one year prior, a Satanic worshipper named John Ketchum once lived on the land, and the house itself was built on a Shinnecock burial ground.
Despite receiving mixed reviews for elements like the cheesy portrayal of a possessed George, "The Amityville Horror" ended up having a significant impact on the horror genre.
Eventually, the new owners George and Kathy Lutz discover the horrifying history of their new home: Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his entire family with a rifle one year prior, a Satanic worshipper named John Ketchum once lived on the land, and the house itself was built on a Shinnecock burial ground.
Despite receiving mixed reviews for elements like the cheesy portrayal of a possessed George, "The Amityville Horror" ended up having a significant impact on the horror genre.
- 11/19/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
From left: The Hateful Eight (The Weinstein Company), The Killer (Netflix), I Care A Lot (Seacia Pavao/Netflix), Uncut Gems (A24)Graphic: The A.V. Club
In the film genre pecking order, thrillers often get short shrift. They sometimes overlap with the far flashier horror genre, and seldom make the...
In the film genre pecking order, thrillers often get short shrift. They sometimes overlap with the far flashier horror genre, and seldom make the...
- 11/11/2023
- by The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
Straight off the top, audiences going into An Amityville Poltergeist (2020) hoping to see objects flying around the famed Long Island house need to adjust their expectations. Despite featuring the word “poltergeist” in the title, the film is more of a drama with J-Horror spectral hauntings. In fact all of the horrific set pieces draw heavily on the visual iconography of Ringu/The Ring and The Grudge.
An Amityville Poltergeist is another name-only entry in the Amityville “franchise.” According to IMDb trivia, the film was shot under the title No Sleep, then became Don’t Sleep in post-production, then changed to include Amityville by the distributor when it was being shopped around.
So while there is a brief, half-hearted attempt to capture the iconic cat eye windows,...
Straight off the top, audiences going into An Amityville Poltergeist (2020) hoping to see objects flying around the famed Long Island house need to adjust their expectations. Despite featuring the word “poltergeist” in the title, the film is more of a drama with J-Horror spectral hauntings. In fact all of the horrific set pieces draw heavily on the visual iconography of Ringu/The Ring and The Grudge.
An Amityville Poltergeist is another name-only entry in the Amityville “franchise.” According to IMDb trivia, the film was shot under the title No Sleep, then became Don’t Sleep in post-production, then changed to include Amityville by the distributor when it was being shopped around.
So while there is a brief, half-hearted attempt to capture the iconic cat eye windows,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Enfield Poltergeist, directed by Jerry Rothwell, is a montage of the supernatural, science, childhood trauma, and many other aspects. This mini-documentary series pulls lightly at the strings of horror while focusing more on the scientific aspects. The events surrounding the Hodgson family and the experiences that they have had have been explored here. The intervention of Maurice Grosse, a member of the Society for Psychical Research (Spr), between 1977 and 1978 with more than 200 hours of tape recordings has been highlighted. The four-part mini-documentary series brings out a real-life infamous case of the haunting at a house in Enfield, reminding us of similar movies based on real-life stories like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Amityville Horror, and others. Was Maurice able to rid the Hodgsons of the torture of the poltergeist? Was Janice really possessed, or was she faking things to garner attention? Let us look into what several witnesses...
- 10/27/2023
- by Debjyoti Dey
- Film Fugitives
I love horror sequels to a degree I can not always defend. Mind you, I’m not just talking about the ones that are generally considered to be great. On any given night, I will gleefully watch something like Amityville 1992: It’s About Time, Maniac Cop 2, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, Pet Semetary 2, or pretty much any slasher sequel.
As I’ve tried to make sense of what it is that is so appealing about those sequels (beyond their individual charms), I’ve arrived at only one somewhat logical conclusion. Horror sequels are often, in their own ways, pretty bold. That’s even true of some of those “lesser” horror sequels. Armed with a small budget, a recognizable name, and little oversight, the directors and writers of those sequels ran with the rare opportunity to get their wild ideas on screen. That devil-may-care attitude often makes so many...
As I’ve tried to make sense of what it is that is so appealing about those sequels (beyond their individual charms), I’ve arrived at only one somewhat logical conclusion. Horror sequels are often, in their own ways, pretty bold. That’s even true of some of those “lesser” horror sequels. Armed with a small budget, a recognizable name, and little oversight, the directors and writers of those sequels ran with the rare opportunity to get their wild ideas on screen. That devil-may-care attitude often makes so many...
- 10/26/2023
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
Scary Tales: Dead Zone has just been unleashed on Tubi bringing a treat this Halloween season. Featuring a classic anthology formula with a wraparound tale, twists and tales that are based on true events, this horror film has a little bit of everything. Written and Directed by New England Filmmaker, Geno McGahee, Scary Tales: Dead Zone features four stories including killer grey aliens, men in black, government conspiracy and a UFO cover up.
Cinema Epoch and Cineridge Entertainment has released this Xposse Production, Scary Tales: Dead Zone and brings the horror but they’re not stopping there. Halloween Horror Tales, another Cinema Epoch/Cineridge Entertainment release has also just hit Tubi.
Scary Tales: Dead Zone Synopsis
A couple on a drive end up lost deep in the woods. When their car runs out of gas, they walk and discover a house in the middle of nowhere. Inside, a strange man...
Cinema Epoch and Cineridge Entertainment has released this Xposse Production, Scary Tales: Dead Zone and brings the horror but they’re not stopping there. Halloween Horror Tales, another Cinema Epoch/Cineridge Entertainment release has also just hit Tubi.
Scary Tales: Dead Zone Synopsis
A couple on a drive end up lost deep in the woods. When their car runs out of gas, they walk and discover a house in the middle of nowhere. Inside, a strange man...
- 10/26/2023
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
The single biggest recurring question that has arisen over the course of this editorial series is “what constitutes an Amityville film?” It’s the basic impetus to go through all of these films chronologically, regardless of quality or connective tissue to the original film or the books.
It’s also why complaints in the comments that everything past a certain point (ie: either A New Generation or the remake* apparently) no longer qualifies are immaterial and frankly kinda boring. It’s always been more interesting to consider how and why filmmakers are using “Amityville” in their films – for better or worse.
* If the remake counts, then surely The Amityville Murders also counts, no?
The reality is that, particularly with the last few entries in the “franchise,...
The single biggest recurring question that has arisen over the course of this editorial series is “what constitutes an Amityville film?” It’s the basic impetus to go through all of these films chronologically, regardless of quality or connective tissue to the original film or the books.
It’s also why complaints in the comments that everything past a certain point (ie: either A New Generation or the remake* apparently) no longer qualifies are immaterial and frankly kinda boring. It’s always been more interesting to consider how and why filmmakers are using “Amityville” in their films – for better or worse.
* If the remake counts, then surely The Amityville Murders also counts, no?
The reality is that, particularly with the last few entries in the “franchise,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Horror genre star, Mike Ferguson stars in new film, Deadly Desire from Allblk TV. Deadly Desire official trailer is out now!
Sophia’s dream wedding turns sinister when friends start dying at her bachelorette party. She suspects her obsessed best friend Melody, who harbors a deadly love.
Deadly Desire Written by Damien Douglas, Leila Weisberg, and Eric Falvey
Directed by David M. Parks (Static Codes) and Stars Erica Peeples, D’Kia Anderson, Leila Weisberg, Desiree Mitchell, Aungelique Scott, Jhone Y. Lucas, and Mike Ferguson.
Deadly Desire comes to Allblk TV on Oct. 5th
https://allblk.tv
The post Deadly Desire w/ Mike Ferguson now available on Allblk TV appeared first on Horror Asylum.
Sophia’s dream wedding turns sinister when friends start dying at her bachelorette party. She suspects her obsessed best friend Melody, who harbors a deadly love.
Deadly Desire Written by Damien Douglas, Leila Weisberg, and Eric Falvey
Directed by David M. Parks (Static Codes) and Stars Erica Peeples, D’Kia Anderson, Leila Weisberg, Desiree Mitchell, Aungelique Scott, Jhone Y. Lucas, and Mike Ferguson.
Deadly Desire comes to Allblk TV on Oct. 5th
https://allblk.tv
The post Deadly Desire w/ Mike Ferguson now available on Allblk TV appeared first on Horror Asylum.
- 10/24/2023
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
This article contains spoilers for "Chucky" season 3, episode 3.
Alien vs. Predator. Freddy vs. Jason. Sadako vs. Kayako. Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash."
Throughout horror genre history, there have been numerous examples of characters crossing over into one another's universes, continuity, and canon. While cinematic universes featuring characters from other genres are all the rage these days (especially with regard to action and comic book superheroes), there remains something special about the horror crossover.
For one thing, horror was the first genre to birth a cinematic universe long before it became a buzzworthy term, thanks to Universal Pictures' "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" in 1943. For another, a horror crossover typically isn't like a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, where heroes from their own separate franchises team up to hang out, crack wise, and eventually take on a doomsday villain. Instead, it's all about the thematic weight of not one, but two...
Alien vs. Predator. Freddy vs. Jason. Sadako vs. Kayako. Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash."
Throughout horror genre history, there have been numerous examples of characters crossing over into one another's universes, continuity, and canon. While cinematic universes featuring characters from other genres are all the rage these days (especially with regard to action and comic book superheroes), there remains something special about the horror crossover.
For one thing, horror was the first genre to birth a cinematic universe long before it became a buzzworthy term, thanks to Universal Pictures' "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" in 1943. For another, a horror crossover typically isn't like a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, where heroes from their own separate franchises team up to hang out, crack wise, and eventually take on a doomsday villain. Instead, it's all about the thematic weight of not one, but two...
- 10/19/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering The Grudge (2004) was Written and Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Juan Jimenez, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
If there was one thing the early noughties had in an abundance, especially within the horror genre, it was remakes. We were graced with reboots, or re-imaginings, whatever you want to call them, of the likes of Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, The Amityville Horror, House of Wax, Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake from 2007 and The Ring. However, despite the decent quality of those examples, well most of them, one thing that stands out in the film we’re focusing on today, The Grudge (watch it Here), is the fact that the original’s director, Takashi Shimizu, chose to also take on the remake. In 2002 the aforementioned The Ring,...
If there was one thing the early noughties had in an abundance, especially within the horror genre, it was remakes. We were graced with reboots, or re-imaginings, whatever you want to call them, of the likes of Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, The Amityville Horror, House of Wax, Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake from 2007 and The Ring. However, despite the decent quality of those examples, well most of them, one thing that stands out in the film we’re focusing on today, The Grudge (watch it Here), is the fact that the original’s director, Takashi Shimizu, chose to also take on the remake. In 2002 the aforementioned The Ring,...
- 10/18/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Remakes were all the rage in the 2000s. Halloween, Friday the 13th, Black Christmas, The Amityville Horror, House of Wax, The Crazies, My Bloody Valentine, The Hills Have Eyes – and the list goes on and on. And then there’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
A Platinum Dunes creation, the 2003 remake did what most remakes fail to do: honor the original while doing something wildly unique and equally as cool. Director Marcus Nispel, also behind the Friday the 13th remake, carves out a special place in the pantheon of horror by trusting his instincts and letting the cast play (and scream along the way). 20 years later, the bright spot in the sea of mediocre remakes still operates on all cylinders, and in many respects, outpaces the 1974 original.
From the opening frames, the film presents itself as based on real-life events. Grainy police footage shows bodies behind transported, officers taping off the crime scene,...
A Platinum Dunes creation, the 2003 remake did what most remakes fail to do: honor the original while doing something wildly unique and equally as cool. Director Marcus Nispel, also behind the Friday the 13th remake, carves out a special place in the pantheon of horror by trusting his instincts and letting the cast play (and scream along the way). 20 years later, the bright spot in the sea of mediocre remakes still operates on all cylinders, and in many respects, outpaces the 1974 original.
From the opening frames, the film presents itself as based on real-life events. Grainy police footage shows bodies behind transported, officers taping off the crime scene,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Bee Delores
- bloody-disgusting.com
In the last days of 2022, we learned that production had wrapped on the psychedelic horror film The Trip, which stars an impressive line-up of genre icons and regulars: Hannah Fierman (V/H/S/), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser), John Amplas (George A. Romero’s Martin), and Lori Cardille (Romero’s Day of the Dead). The presence of Amplas and Cardille in this film seemed especially fitting since The Trip was filmed in Pennsylvania, not far from Romero’s beloved Pittsburgh. Nearly ten months later, The Trip is now ready to start making its way out into the world – and the premiere is going to be held at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, Pennsylvania on October 26th! In anticipation of the premiere, a trailer has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above.
Written and directed by Dean Jacobs, The Trip is coming our way from Collective Imagination Productions...
Written and directed by Dean Jacobs, The Trip is coming our way from Collective Imagination Productions...
- 10/10/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
For the 25th entry of this editorial series (!), we’re looking at the lone Amityville directed solo by a woman: Rebecca Matthews’ Witches of Amityville Academy (2020). Also known as Amityville Witches or Witches of Amityville, this British production is another “Amityville in name only.” That means the characters say the word, but it has no bearing to haunted objects and/or its DeFeo predecessors. In fact, the film is closer in tone and visual aesthetic to a soap opera than the preceding 26 titles.
Screenwriter Tom Joliffe opens the film with not one, but two cold opens. The first features witches being hanged in 1602, while the second jumps ahead to the present day as white magic sisters Sam (Kira Reed Lorsch), Lucy (Donna Spangler...
For the 25th entry of this editorial series (!), we’re looking at the lone Amityville directed solo by a woman: Rebecca Matthews’ Witches of Amityville Academy (2020). Also known as Amityville Witches or Witches of Amityville, this British production is another “Amityville in name only.” That means the characters say the word, but it has no bearing to haunted objects and/or its DeFeo predecessors. In fact, the film is closer in tone and visual aesthetic to a soap opera than the preceding 26 titles.
Screenwriter Tom Joliffe opens the film with not one, but two cold opens. The first features witches being hanged in 1602, while the second jumps ahead to the present day as white magic sisters Sam (Kira Reed Lorsch), Lucy (Donna Spangler...
- 10/10/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
From left: Lili Taylor in The Conjuring (New Line Cinema), Vivien Leigh in Psycho (Universal), Drew Barrymore in Scream (Dimension)Graphic: The A.V. Club
The only thing scarier than the horror movies Hollywood makes are the real-life stories that inspire them. For decades, horror films have thrived by using the...
The only thing scarier than the horror movies Hollywood makes are the real-life stories that inspire them. For decades, horror films have thrived by using the...
- 10/9/2023
- by Phil Pirrello
- avclub.com
Max users now have a new way to find their favorite Halloween-themed titles, from hardcore horror to holiday-themed baking shows.
Halloween is officially more than a month away, but to its most devoted followers the holiday doesn’t have a season. For these people, Halloween is not just a holiday, it’s a state of mind. Max has a brand new content hub for Halloween lovers to devour, and more casual observers of the holiday will love it every bit as much.
Max is calling its new hub the “House of Halloween.” It’s one of the featured, rotating content tiles in the carousel at the top of the Max homepage, and it offers specially curated collections of shows and movies from the Warner Bros. Discovery vault that subscribers can start streaming immediately.
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually...
Halloween is officially more than a month away, but to its most devoted followers the holiday doesn’t have a season. For these people, Halloween is not just a holiday, it’s a state of mind. Max has a brand new content hub for Halloween lovers to devour, and more casual observers of the holiday will love it every bit as much.
Max is calling its new hub the “House of Halloween.” It’s one of the featured, rotating content tiles in the carousel at the top of the Max homepage, and it offers specially curated collections of shows and movies from the Warner Bros. Discovery vault that subscribers can start streaming immediately.
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually...
- 9/29/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Max embraces the Halloween season in a massive way by putting horror for all ages front and center with a “House of Halloween” interactive spotlight page, and it’s now live. It’s a choose your own adventure, Halloween style this spooky season.
The streaming platform aims to be the premier destination for Halloween. The “House of Halloween” spotlight page separates content into various scare levels, featuring categories such as Sweet Treat, which highlights titles like Coraline, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and “Halloween Cookie Challenge,” Scary, But Not Scary-Scary, which includes HBO’s “The Last of Us,” “True Blood,” and “Lovecraft Country,” and Haunt Your Dreams, showcasing some of Max’s most chilling content, with a lineup of horror films including Annabelle, It, Evil Dead Rise, The Nun, and The Exorcist, which turns 50 this year.
Look for the second season of the HBO Original horror series “30 Coins...
The streaming platform aims to be the premier destination for Halloween. The “House of Halloween” spotlight page separates content into various scare levels, featuring categories such as Sweet Treat, which highlights titles like Coraline, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and “Halloween Cookie Challenge,” Scary, But Not Scary-Scary, which includes HBO’s “The Last of Us,” “True Blood,” and “Lovecraft Country,” and Haunt Your Dreams, showcasing some of Max’s most chilling content, with a lineup of horror films including Annabelle, It, Evil Dead Rise, The Nun, and The Exorcist, which turns 50 this year.
Look for the second season of the HBO Original horror series “30 Coins...
- 9/29/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Live or die. The choice is yours. But if you reach ten sequels, shit’s probably going to get weird. This week, the Saw franchise returns with Saw X. Which means people really like to see other people tortured and I’m judging every single one of us. It also means the Saw franchise has done something quite special. Not many horror franchises make it this long. Not even Freddy himself has crossed the tenth movie finish line. Scream. Evil Dead. Child’s Play. Paranormal Activity. The Conjuring. Even when you include the spinoffs, none of them have hit ten films!
But Saw X isn’t the first horror franchise to reach that landmark. So, let’s play a game and take a look at how other franchises have fared in their milestone tenth installments…
Jason X (2001)
Walk into one room and bemoan Jason X and everyone will laugh and agree.
But Saw X isn’t the first horror franchise to reach that landmark. So, let’s play a game and take a look at how other franchises have fared in their milestone tenth installments…
Jason X (2001)
Walk into one room and bemoan Jason X and everyone will laugh and agree.
- 9/28/2023
- by Mike Holtz
- bloody-disgusting.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
The opening of Troma’s Amityville Vibrator tells you everything you need to know about the tone of the film: a title card reads June 6, 1976, 6:66am. In a green-lit room, a naked woman wearing a horned mask masturbates with a dildo. Moments later she is shot to death, a spray of blood and brains coating the wall. The green filter and the mask and horns are gone and all that’s left is the stark truth of a murder.
Then the film transitions into hand drawn credits, complete with stick figures and crude animated drawings.
Writer/director Nathan Rumler is far more self-aware than most of the preceding entries in the “franchise.” This is a film that is equal parts haunted...
The opening of Troma’s Amityville Vibrator tells you everything you need to know about the tone of the film: a title card reads June 6, 1976, 6:66am. In a green-lit room, a naked woman wearing a horned mask masturbates with a dildo. Moments later she is shot to death, a spray of blood and brains coating the wall. The green filter and the mask and horns are gone and all that’s left is the stark truth of a murder.
Then the film transitions into hand drawn credits, complete with stick figures and crude animated drawings.
Writer/director Nathan Rumler is far more self-aware than most of the preceding entries in the “franchise.” This is a film that is equal parts haunted...
- 9/26/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
It’s time to revisit the Amityville “franchise’s” most prolific director, Mark Polonia. Thus far we’ve experienced his work on Amityville Death House (famed for its bizarre Spider woman climax) and, more recently, Amityville Exorcism.
Which brings us to Polonia’s third title in the “series”: Amityville Island. Oddly enough this film is something of a spiritual sequel to Exorcism, in that it features brief flashbacks of that film’s lead, Melanie (Marie DeLorenzo). The reveal of that character’s fate is quite grim: in between films Melanie shot up a diner as part of a slate of unexplained murders in Amityville.
Unsurprisingly for these films, Melanie’s actions have very little bearing on Island. There’s a reporter,...
It’s time to revisit the Amityville “franchise’s” most prolific director, Mark Polonia. Thus far we’ve experienced his work on Amityville Death House (famed for its bizarre Spider woman climax) and, more recently, Amityville Exorcism.
Which brings us to Polonia’s third title in the “series”: Amityville Island. Oddly enough this film is something of a spiritual sequel to Exorcism, in that it features brief flashbacks of that film’s lead, Melanie (Marie DeLorenzo). The reveal of that character’s fate is quite grim: in between films Melanie shot up a diner as part of a slate of unexplained murders in Amityville.
Unsurprisingly for these films, Melanie’s actions have very little bearing on Island. There’s a reporter,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Dear Child is a mystery crime drama series written and directed by Isabel Kleefeld. The Netflix series is based on an international bestselling novel titled Liebes Kind by Romy Hausmann. Dear Child revolves around a 13-year-old missing persons case which is reopened after an unknown woman is struck by a car in a German forest and the girl who accompanies her is being interviewed by the police. The Netflix series is a claustrophobic and dark experience with plenty of twists and turns. So, if you loved Dear Child here are some similar shows you could watch next.
Sharp Objects (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – HBO
Synopsis: For Camille Preaker, it’s a dark path down memory lane. Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) and directed by Emmy(R) winner Jean-Marc Vallee (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”), this thrilling limited series stars five-time Oscar(R) nominee Amy Adams...
Sharp Objects (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – HBO
Synopsis: For Camille Preaker, it’s a dark path down memory lane. Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) and directed by Emmy(R) winner Jean-Marc Vallee (HBO’s “Big Little Lies”), this thrilling limited series stars five-time Oscar(R) nominee Amy Adams...
- 9/10/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The following contains major spoilers for "The Nun II."
Fire is one of the most potent and common elements seen in religious iconography, for very good reasons. It not only turns up as a representative of God in the Jewish and Christian faiths (the infamous "burning bush" seen by Moses), it also acts as a catch-all symbol for faith itself. Fire can be seen as an agent of purification, burning away sin and corruption. It can also be seen as a perpetual force that represents the staunch power of one's belief, often in the form of a lit candle.
It's no surprise, then, that fire is all over "The Nun II," literally and metaphorically. The movie is the 9th in the film series The Conjuring Universe, movies that began as fictionalized adaptations of the life and times of demon hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga...
Fire is one of the most potent and common elements seen in religious iconography, for very good reasons. It not only turns up as a representative of God in the Jewish and Christian faiths (the infamous "burning bush" seen by Moses), it also acts as a catch-all symbol for faith itself. Fire can be seen as an agent of purification, burning away sin and corruption. It can also be seen as a perpetual force that represents the staunch power of one's belief, often in the form of a lit candle.
It's no surprise, then, that fire is all over "The Nun II," literally and metaphorically. The movie is the 9th in the film series The Conjuring Universe, movies that began as fictionalized adaptations of the life and times of demon hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga...
- 9/7/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
The Amityville Horror franchise has been a cornerstone of horror cinema for decades, weaving tales of terror inspired by the infamous Amityville Horror House. With numerous films in the series, it can be challenging to know where to begin. In this blog post, we’ll provide a clear and concise guide, presenting the best Amityville movies in the order they were released.
Related: 10 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers
From the original 1979 classic to the latest bone-chilling installments, we’ll lead you through the evolution of horror in this iconic cinematic universe. Get ready for a journey that delves into the deepest depths of supernatural fear and human dread.
10 ‘Amityville Exorcism’ (2017)
IMDb: 1.8/10 2.1K
Duration: 1h 17m | Genres: Horror | Director: Mark Polonia
Cast: Marie DeLorenzo, Jeff Kirkendall, James Carolus
“Amityville Exorcism,” a 2017 American horror film directed by Mark Polonia, adds a fresh layer of terror to the Amityville Horror franchise.
Related: 10 Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers
From the original 1979 classic to the latest bone-chilling installments, we’ll lead you through the evolution of horror in this iconic cinematic universe. Get ready for a journey that delves into the deepest depths of supernatural fear and human dread.
10 ‘Amityville Exorcism’ (2017)
IMDb: 1.8/10 2.1K
Duration: 1h 17m | Genres: Horror | Director: Mark Polonia
Cast: Marie DeLorenzo, Jeff Kirkendall, James Carolus
“Amityville Exorcism,” a 2017 American horror film directed by Mark Polonia, adds a fresh layer of terror to the Amityville Horror franchise.
- 9/3/2023
- by Israr Ahmed
- buddytv.com
‘The Amityville Murders’ – A Ghoulish and Exploitative Look at the DeFeo Murders [The Amityville IP]
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
There’s something frustrating about a film that begins with a lot of potential, and then thoroughly squanders it.
Writer/director Daniel Farrands’ The Amityville Murders is one such film. It’s one of the few “true” entries from the last dozen or so films, in that it actually tackles the Amityville story by focusing on the true crime murders of the DeFeo family. It’s well-shot, looks good, has mostly decent (albeit broad) performances.
These are all things that many of the IP cash-grab entries have been lacking.
Unfortunately it’s also incredibly sensational, relies too heavily on repetitive supernatural elements, and – most egregiously – features a distasteful ending that highlights Farrands’ unfortunate tendency to exploit real life tragedy for cash.
If the name sounds familiar,...
There’s something frustrating about a film that begins with a lot of potential, and then thoroughly squanders it.
Writer/director Daniel Farrands’ The Amityville Murders is one such film. It’s one of the few “true” entries from the last dozen or so films, in that it actually tackles the Amityville story by focusing on the true crime murders of the DeFeo family. It’s well-shot, looks good, has mostly decent (albeit broad) performances.
These are all things that many of the IP cash-grab entries have been lacking.
Unfortunately it’s also incredibly sensational, relies too heavily on repetitive supernatural elements, and – most egregiously – features a distasteful ending that highlights Farrands’ unfortunate tendency to exploit real life tragedy for cash.
If the name sounds familiar,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Whenever you see a film that opens with the words “based on real events”, you can be sure of two things. One, you’re going to have a good time. Two, that this film will probably contain about as much factual material as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! contains butter.
But we don’t care!
We’re not just talking about biopics or historical films here, we’re talking about crime movies like Pain & Gain, Catch Me If You Can, romances like It Could Happen to You, and crime romances like I Love You Phillip Morris. And of course the horror genre absolutely loves a “Based On A True Story” title card and poster slogan. The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and all The Conjuring movies have one (making the last the first ever Based On A True Cinematic Universe).
So the question is,...
But we don’t care!
We’re not just talking about biopics or historical films here, we’re talking about crime movies like Pain & Gain, Catch Me If You Can, romances like It Could Happen to You, and crime romances like I Love You Phillip Morris. And of course the horror genre absolutely loves a “Based On A True Story” title card and poster slogan. The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and all The Conjuring movies have one (making the last the first ever Based On A True Cinematic Universe).
So the question is,...
- 8/28/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The most wonderful time of year is nearly upon us! With Halloween season just around the corner, Peacock unveiled an impressive lineup today of more than 100 Halloween, horror, thriller, and spooky season titles hitting the platform this September.
Get ready, the list is massive…
Whether you’re looking for recent releases like Hypnotic, or cult gems like Slither, Peacock invites you to face your fears in September. Binge complete freakish franchises like Chucky, Saw, and Amityville, or tune-in for fun family fare that includes Ghostbusters and Casper. Look for a variety of classic horror to arrive on the streaming service mid-September.
Speaking of “Chucky,” if you’re looking to catch up on the series ahead of season three, Peacock brings “Chucky” season two to their Halloween HQ on September 4. That gives you a whole month to catch up before the October 4 premiere of “Chucky” season three.
Full Peacock Halloween horror highlights below.
Get ready, the list is massive…
Whether you’re looking for recent releases like Hypnotic, or cult gems like Slither, Peacock invites you to face your fears in September. Binge complete freakish franchises like Chucky, Saw, and Amityville, or tune-in for fun family fare that includes Ghostbusters and Casper. Look for a variety of classic horror to arrive on the streaming service mid-September.
Speaking of “Chucky,” if you’re looking to catch up on the series ahead of season three, Peacock brings “Chucky” season two to their Halloween HQ on September 4. That gives you a whole month to catch up before the October 4 premiere of “Chucky” season three.
Full Peacock Halloween horror highlights below.
- 8/24/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Few horror sub-genres are as divisive as exorcism movies. For some, they are silly to the point of high camp, outrageous stories about invisible creatures that can take control of normal people and make them do outrageous things. For others, exorcism movies reveal a hidden realm of evil that has a very real impact on our world.
That tension allows a wide variety of approaches within the sub-genre, despite the dominance of one monumental film from the 70s. Exorcism movies can be ridiculous crowd-pleasers, stately dramas, or lowbrow comedies. Whether it’s because of the power of Christ or a really good script, you should feel compelled to watch these great exorcism movies.
The Exorcist (1973)
Of course, it starts with The Exorcist, directed by the late, great William Friedkin. Friedkin wasn’t writer William Peter Blatty’s first choice to direct the movie, which first went to Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich.
That tension allows a wide variety of approaches within the sub-genre, despite the dominance of one monumental film from the 70s. Exorcism movies can be ridiculous crowd-pleasers, stately dramas, or lowbrow comedies. Whether it’s because of the power of Christ or a really good script, you should feel compelled to watch these great exorcism movies.
The Exorcist (1973)
Of course, it starts with The Exorcist, directed by the late, great William Friedkin. Friedkin wasn’t writer William Peter Blatty’s first choice to direct the movie, which first went to Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich.
- 8/24/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Filmmaker Geno McGahee has just wrapped his latest production “Scary Tales: Dead Zone,” the third in a popular series of anthology films. A Gregory Hatanaka Presents Film distributed by Cinema Epoch, Scary Tales: Dead Zone features plenty of twists and turns and scares along the way.
In 2008, Scary Tales was produced, recently released on Tubi after years of being lost media, followed by the hit Scary Tales: Last Stop in 2014. Now, a new series of stories is set to be released for Halloween, bringing aliens, a demonic serial killer and much more to the screen.
Scary Tales: Dead Zone features an incredibly talented cast, including Eric Michaelian, Lorrie Bacon, Phil Godeck, Adriana Medina, Chris Spinelli, Jesse Waegelein-Hall, Brent Northup, Danell Reese, Oselito Joseph, Patrick French, Nick Sheldon, Rita Marie, Shauna Wilson, Bill Mullen, Keyarra Edwards, Gabbi Mendelsohn, Rick Caride, Enoc Rodriguez, Cayla Pike, Mark Carter, Lisa J. Coleman and more.
In 2008, Scary Tales was produced, recently released on Tubi after years of being lost media, followed by the hit Scary Tales: Last Stop in 2014. Now, a new series of stories is set to be released for Halloween, bringing aliens, a demonic serial killer and much more to the screen.
Scary Tales: Dead Zone features an incredibly talented cast, including Eric Michaelian, Lorrie Bacon, Phil Godeck, Adriana Medina, Chris Spinelli, Jesse Waegelein-Hall, Brent Northup, Danell Reese, Oselito Joseph, Patrick French, Nick Sheldon, Rita Marie, Shauna Wilson, Bill Mullen, Keyarra Edwards, Gabbi Mendelsohn, Rick Caride, Enoc Rodriguez, Cayla Pike, Mark Carter, Lisa J. Coleman and more.
- 8/22/2023
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
In Tobe Hooper's "Poltergeist," five-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke), the youngest in the Freeling family, points at the television static and participates in an inexplicable conversation with the screen. Carol Anne repeats this ritual the next night and ominously declares, "They're he-e-e-re" — this proclamation marks the beginning of the end for the Freelings, who are targeted and torn apart by the supernatural chaos that grips their home. The poltergeist activity that the Freelings endure ranges from benign to macabre, where things start off with bent or broken kitchenware and escalate to a sentient tree attempting to devour one or more family members.
From the perspective of spirit lore, poltergeists are known to be raucous entities who enjoy messing with furniture or pulling off mischievous pranks to annoy homeowners. In "Poltergeist," Hooper imbues these spirits with deeply malicious intent, where they prey on pure life forces and ambush innocents when they least expect it.
From the perspective of spirit lore, poltergeists are known to be raucous entities who enjoy messing with furniture or pulling off mischievous pranks to annoy homeowners. In "Poltergeist," Hooper imbues these spirits with deeply malicious intent, where they prey on pure life forces and ambush innocents when they least expect it.
- 8/20/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
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