The Real Murders That Inspired A Classic Horror Hit On Max
In 1979, The Amityville Horror shocked and terrified theater goers across the nation. The supposedly true story (now debunked) followed the Lutz family and their month-long stay in a Long Island home that was plagued with infestations that were both ghostly and demonic. The Amityville franchise has spawned more than two dozen films and scores of books, with many fans not realizing that at its root is a ghastly tale that is more frightening than any fictionalized accounts that followed it.
Based On True Events (Kind Of)
The Dutch Colonial home that sits on the banks of the Amity River in Long Island was the scene of a multiple homicide in the mid-1970s. Early in the morning of November 13, 1974, Ronald Defeo, Jr. took a .35 Marlin rifle from his closet and killed six of his family members. The 23-year-old man first crept into his parents’ bedroom and shot them while they slept, before moving on to kill his two younger brothers and two younger sisters.
Defeo had experimented heavily with drugs. When his parents realized that their son’s grip on reality was slipping, they offered therapy but largely relied on monetary gifts as bandages for a much larger problem. After stealing more than $20,000 from the family business, his father threatened prosecution, which isn’t fully addressed in The Amityville Horror.
Motive For Murder
This, according to the prosecution, was more than enough to establish a murder motive. Defeo was sentenced to six terms of 25 years to life and died in prison at the age of 69 in 2021. But a year after the murders, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the former Defeo home and swore to the paranormal occurrences that laid the framework for The Amityville Horror.
The Amityville Horror movie and several of its sequels reference the murders but spins the blame on Defeo being possessed by demonic forces that eventually drive him to commit them. In reality, Defeo had been troubled by severe mental health issues for years and could have been an undiagnosed schizophrenic. Though his defense attorney argued not guilty by reason of insanity, the jury wasn’t buying it.
Too Terrifying To Talk About
According to the Lutz family, they experienced a number of disturbing events almost immediately after moving into the house. Disembodied voices in the night, green slime oozing down the walls, and doors slamming shut of their own accord were only a fraction of what they maintained happened during their 30-day stay and touched upon in The Amityville Horror. The events that drove them out for good were mostly too terrifying for George and Kathy to divulge, though their children described being chased by a faceless monster.
Creative Liberties And Remakes Are Still Terrifying
As a film, the original version of The Amityville Horror is a thrilling ride whether you believe the Lutz account of their stay is true or not. Likewise, the 2005 remake is another worthy horror movie, with some fans ranking it higher than the first installment in the franchise.
The 1979 Amityville Horror gets high marks for the performances by James Brolin (George Lutz), Margot Kidder (Kathy Lutz), and Rod Steiger (Father Delaney). The film is short on jump scares, instead using a variety of sound and lighting effects that elevate the imagery onscreen. Lalo Schifrin’s chilling score takes the fear-factor over the top and gives horror fans one of the best “based on a true story” movies produced.
Still Scary After All These Years
GFR SCORE
The Amityville Horror still holds up after all of these years. Though slasher horror movies dominated the era, the story of ghostly possession that this film produced is a welcome reprieve from maniacs in masks with chainsaws and machetes.
The Amityville Horror is currently streaming on Max.
