By: Heather Seebach
The Amityville House has been a source of controversy for nearly 40 years. Whether the haunting was a hoax or not, the property at 112 Ocean Avenue inspired a best-selling book, a dozen films, and countless nightmares. The latest film on the subject is My Amityville Horror, a documentary that details Daniel Lutz's firsthand account of what happened to his family in that infamous house.
The horror in Amityville began in 1974 when the DeFeo family murders shocked the small Long Island community. A year later, the Lutz family moved into the house where the mass killings occurred. Daniel was just 10 years old at the time. The family fled the home just 28 days later, claiming they had been terrorized by supernatural forces.
When Jay Anson penned "The Amityville Horror: A True Story", the house and the Lutzes became a media sensation. Countless people sought to make a profit off the story, some by attempting to debunk it. Fortunately, the Lutz children were spared from the media circus, but today, one of them has decided to tell his side of the story.
Daniel Lutz says he never asked to be "the Amityville kid." He has been running away from that story for nearly four decades. In fact, he still seems reluctant to be involved with My Amityville Horror, sick of being told he's crazy or lying. The documentary gives Daniel a platform to tell his tale, both in that month in the Amityville house and the subsequent years of psychological scarring.
Daniel is a charismatic, expletive-spewing tough guy, and his forthright attitude lends credence to his story. Even if the haunting was a hoax perpetuated by patriarch George Lutz, Daniel seems to genuinely believe his memories are real. He recounts demonic faces, hoards of flies, objects moving on their own, and even his own possession.
The documentary, directed by Eric Walter, reunites Daniel with some of the players in the Amityville case, including investigative reporter Laura DiDio and demonologist Lorraine Warren. There are also interviews with paranormal experts who support the Lutzes' claims, and psychologists who feel Daniel's memories are due to post-event suggestion.
The film is also quite scary thanks to Daniel's recollections, photos from the house, and eerie audio recordings. Fans of ghost stories or true crime should find it very interesting. My Amityville Horror is chilling, informative, and engaging. For anyone interested in the Amityville story, it is a must-see. It is a refreshing change from crappy sequels and crappier remakes.
Check the film out right now on Amazon Instant:
