Greetings, and welcome back to October Horror Fest! Today, we will be reviewing one of the most famous horror STORIES of all time. Yes, it’s of course a movie, but there’s so much more to it. As we get into this, always remember, it’s based on a true story… Without further ado, sit back, relax, turn off the lights, grab some Candy and Popcorn, and let’s review…

The Amityville Horror (2005)

Our film begins with telling about the Defeos, a normal family living in Amityville in the 1970s. Let’s take a moment to talk about them, shall we? This part of the story, this is completely true. At 3:15 A.M. On November 13, 1974, Ronald Defeo Jr. murdered his entire family inside of their house, 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. He SWORE up and down that voices spoke to him, encouraging him to do it…

We cut to one year later, where George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house, even though the house was EXTREMELY cheap. George, a realtor, doesn’t understand it. Along with the couple, Kathy’s three children accompany them. Their names are Chelsea, and to all my FNAF fans out there, the other two kids are named William and Michael. The family moves in, and for a while, it’s really, really nice. George is able to become closer to his new family, and truly acts like the father they lost. All the kids miss their father since his passing. And, all is going well, until paranormal activities begin occurring. For starters, it seems like the house is targeting George. He wakes up every morning at 3:15. ALSO, and VERY importantly, Chelsea begins talking to a girl named Jodie. Kathy immediately thinks this is just an imaginary friend, but upon further investigation, the name actually belongs to one of the murdered Defoe children. Creepy…

But, of course, it only gets worse from here. Why wouldn’t it? After a few days of living in the house, the paranormal activities ramp up, and George begins to get extremely, extremely nervous. To take the edge off, the couple hires a babysitter named Lisa. Michael is EXTREMELY against the idea, but after seeing her looks, Michael invites her in. Lisa is comfortable in the house, but still a bit on edge. When asked about this, she reveals that she babysitted for the Defoes in the past. Yeah. Michael and Lisa sit together, and she talks about the Defoes. She’s still haunted by the events that took place within the house. She tells all of this to the unsuspecting Michael, who listens intently. It turns out that the same bed he and his brother are sleeping on is the same one that the Defoe children were murdered in.

Michael is shocked, and scared. After this, the duo head to Chelsea’s room, where things get really bad, really fast. Once inside, Chelsea is cold to Lisa, saying that Jodie called her a bad babysitter. Chelsea doesn’t believe this, but willingly goes into the closet where Jodie was killed on a bet by Michael. She goes in there, when the lights start flickering. She’s locked inside. Lisa absolutely LOSES IT. She bangs on the door and screams and screams. However, it’s not enough. The horrific ghost of Jodie appears behind her, and Lisa goes into shock. The door eventually opens, but Lisa is basically gone. She’s deep in shock, and keeps telling the paramedics, and the newly arrived Kelly, that she saw Jodie.

In the days after the incident, George becomes more and more demented. He keeps deteriorating, and becomes EXTREMELY aggressive toward his family. It’s bad. Really, really bad. After ANOTHER night getting up at 3:15, George hears Harry, the family dog, barking. He heads outside in a daze, and finds his way into the shack where the boat is held. Inside, he sees a demon. He slashes at it, but in a scene that was literally ONLY added in this version of the story, George kills Harry. Harry’s disappearance is immediately noticed by the group, and they become even more suspicious of George. With almost everything.

As everything gets even worse, Kathy goes full Exorcist, and goes to find Father Callaway, the same exact priest who worked with the Defeos. He enters the house, and George is nowhere to be seen. However, trusting in God, he knows he has to try and protect the family. He begins blessing the house, but is attacked by a swarm of flies. He runs, and he can’t take it anymore. George comes back home, and he is falling even deeper into the possession.

Kathy heads to the public library on the final day. It’s about to get real. She opens up a book, and we get a beautiful little slice of exposition. Y’all ready? Let me tell you the story of Reverend Jeremiah Ketcham. Ketcham was a vile, vile man. He murdered and tortured Native Americans on the exact land where the house is now. These killings caused the hauntings that persist to this day. It’s Day 28 since the move in, which is the exact day the murder of the Defeos took place. George finds a hidden entrance in the basement, and sees where the killings of the Natives took place. The ghost of Ketcham is also down there. He slits his throat, and George is absolutely drenched in blood. Due to this, the possession is fully complete. George is almost all gone.

Kathy gets back home, and our final battle begins. She tries to get her kids, and George, as far away from the house as possible. She almost gets them out, before the house fights back, closing off all exits. George breaks free of the hold Kathy has on him, and begins attacking his family, chasing them just like Jack Torrance in The Shining. The family fight all around the house, but are finally, FINALLY, able to make a break for the boat. The family piles onto it, and drives away. George rediscovers his old self, and apologizes, telling Kathy to drive and not look back…

Our film ends with a title card fading in, saying the family never came back. We see Jodie standing in the house, until she is pulled under the floorboards…

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! I know this one was a bit shorter, but honestly, I think it helped the atmosphere! This movie is supposed to be self contained, but VERY creepy, and I’m so happy I was able to share it with you all. And always remember, you NEVER know where you truly live… never…