The Amityville Playhouse
Thirteenth Amityville film; a theatre inherits horror.
The Amityville Playhouse, also released as The Amityville Theater, is a 2015 horror film directed by John R. Walker from a script by Steve Hardy. It marks the thirteenth movie based on Jay Anson's 1977 novel *The Amityville Horror*. Monèle LeStrat plays Fawn Harriman, a high school student from Dannemora whose parents died a year earlier. She inherits an abandoned theater in Amityville, New York.
In the story, Fawn visits the Roxy theater with her friend Indy Divani, boyfriend Kyle Blaker, Kyle’s younger brother Jevan, and Jevan’s friend Matt Darnell. Her teacher, Victor Stewart, investigates the theater’s history and that of Amityville. Inside, the group meets Wendy Shardlow, a runaway squatting there, and soon becomes trapped with no cell service. They encounter paranormal events, including an apparition that looks like Fawn and a Ouija board that spells “SISTER.” Stewart discovers that six people die every November 13 in Amityville. Mayor Elliot Saunders tells him that caves beneath the town are a gateway to Hell, accidentally unsealed centuries ago by the Shinnecock. The first six Shinnecock to enter were possessed and buried alive. Later, a cult of Amityville’s elite sacrificed six people—including each member’s firstborn—to appease the demons. Fawn was meant to be sacrificed with her twin sister Adrienne, but her parents Frank and Jean gave only Adrienne. The cult killed Fawn’s parents to force her return. Saunders, guilt-ridden, kills his bodyguard, gives Stewart a key to the Roxy, and commits suicide. Stewart saves Matt, but Wendy vanishes, and Fawn is captured by demons who have killed and replaced a surveyor, Jevan, Indy, and Kyle. Stewart and Fawn escape, but at the exit, Fawn’s voice turns demonic, and she drags him back, shouting, “I’m Adrienne!”
The film was released on DVD in the United Kingdom by 4Digital Media on April 13, 2015. Under the title *The Amityville Theater*, 4Digital Media also released it on DVD in North America on June 23, 2015.
Critics panned the film. Tex Hula of Ain’t It Cool News called it “a slog” full of “terrible actors.” Patrick Cooper of Bloody Disgusting wrote, “The film is absolutely miserable from the script to the acting. The lighting is either washed out or too dark and overall just avoid this mess.” James Luxford of Radio Times described it as an unoriginal “shabby shock-fest” with “stiff and awkward performan
- Release (UK)
- April 13, 2015
- Release (North America)
- June 23, 2015
- Director
- John R. Walker
- Writer
- Steve Hardy
- Starring
- Monèle LeStrat
- Based on
- The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
- Distributor
- 4Digital Media
Lore & Background
The plot follows Fawn Harriman, a Dannemora high school student whose parents died a year ago, as she inherits the Roxy, an abandoned theatre in Amityville, New York. She visits with friends Indy Divani, boyfriend Kyle Blaker, Kyle's bullied younger brother Jevan, and Jevan's friend Matt Darnell, while teacher Victor Stewart researches the theatre's history. The group becomes trapped inside with no cellphone service after meeting a runaway squatting in the Roxy, Wendy Shardlow. They encounter paranormal phenomena, including an apparition resembling Fawn and a Ouija board spelling 'SISTER.'
Stewart discovers that six people die every November 13 in Amityville. Mayor Elliot Saunders explains that caves beneath Amityville are a gateway to Hell, accidentally unsealed centuries ago by the Shinnecock. The first six Shinnecock who entered were possessed by demons and buried alive. A cult of Amityville's elite has since sacrificed six people—including each elite's firstborn child—to keep the demons appeased. Fawn was supposed to be sacrificed alongside her twin sister Adrienne, but her parents only gave the demons Adrienne. The cult orchestrated the deaths of Fawn's parents to force Fawn's sacrifice. Saunders, guilt-ridden, commits suicide after killing his bodyguard and giving Stewart a key to the Roxy.
Stewart saves Matt, but Wendy disappears. Fawn is captured by decomposing demons who have killed and replaced a surveyor, Jevan, Indy, and Kyle. Stewart and Fawn escape, but at an exit Fawn, her voice now demonic, drags Stewart back into the Roxy while yelling, 'I'm Adrienne!'
Reader's Guide
The Amityville Playhouse is notable as the thirteenth film adaptation inspired by Jay Anson's 1977 novel, continuing the long-running Amityville horror franchise. Its release on DVD in the UK and North America in 2015 by 4Digital Media marked a low-budget addition to the series. Critical reception was overwhelmingly negative, with reviewers from Ain't It Cool News, Bloody Disgusting, Radio Times, and The Guardian condemning the film's acting, script, direction, and special effects. Tex Hula called it 'a slog' full of 'terrible actors'; Patrick Cooper described it as 'absolutely miserable'; James Luxford deemed it an unoriginal 'shabby shock-fest'; and Leslie Felperin gave it 1/5, citing 'atrocious acting' that would 'shame the cheapest amateur porn film.' Despite its poor reception, the film represents a late entry in the Amityville cycle, expanding the lore with a cult and demonic gateway beneath Amityville. Its significance lies primarily in its status as a footnote in the franchise's history, illustrating the diminishing returns of a long-running horror series.
Did You Know?
- The film is the thirteenth to be inspired by Jay Anson's 1977 novel The Amityville Horror.
- It was released on DVD in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2015, and in North America on June 23, 2015.
- The plot involves a cult of Amityville's elite that sacrifices six people every November 13 to appease demons.
- The film was panned by critics, with The Guardian giving it a score of 1/5.
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