The Amityville Horror (2005 film)

Lore & Background

The film is set in Amityville, New York, at 412 Ocean Avenue, where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his family in 1974. One year later, George and Kathy Lutz move in with Kathy's three children. The family experiences paranormal events, including Chelsea befriending a ghost named Jodie, one of the murdered DeFeo children. A babysitter, Lisa, who previously worked for the DeFeos, is traumatized after encountering Jodie. George becomes abusive and, seemingly possessed, kills the family dog with an axe. Kathy seeks help from Father Callaway, who flees after encountering paranormal activity. Kathy discovers the house once belonged to Reverend Jeremiah Ketcham, a 17th-century cult preacher whose torture of Native Americans caused the haunting. George encounters Ketcham's ghost, who slits his throat, covering George in blood and nearly fully possessing him. Kathy evacuates the children, knocks out the possessed George, and transports him away by boat. The family leaves within 28 days and never returns. Jodie is shown screaming in the empty house before being pulled beneath the floor by disembodied hands.

Reader's Guide

The Amityville Horror (2005) is significant as a remake of the 1979 film and the ninth entry in the Amityville Horror series. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Dimension Films on April 15, 2005. Despite negative reviews—with Rotten Tomatoes giving it 23% positive and Metacritic a score of 33—it was a commercial success, grossing $108 million worldwide. Critics called it derivative, though some noted improvements in execution. The film changed the house address to 412 Ocean Avenue to deter visitors. It was shot in Illinois and Wisconsin, with a $60,000 movie facade added to a real 1800s home. The quarter-moon windows were later sold at an estate sale in 2017. MGM claimed the remake used new research, but George Lutz disputed this, leading to an unresolved legal case at his death in 2006. The film features the debut of Chloë Grace Moretz.

Did You Know?

• The film was shot in Illinois and Wisconsin, not on Long Island where it is set.
• The house address was changed to 412 Ocean Avenue to deter visitors from the real house.
• The quarter-moon windows from the filming house were sold at an estate sale in 2017.
• George Lutz countersued MGM over the remake, but the case was unresolved when he died in 2006.