I think I was the only person at the screening of this documentary who hadn’t seen any of the Amityville Horror films. While I am interested in the supernatural, I am not really into horror. Despite not knowing anything about the original case or its pop-cultural aftermath, I could still enjoy My Amityville Horror as a very odd character piece.
The film looks at Daniel Lutz, who was ten years old when his family moved into 112 Ocean Avenue in 1975, where the DeFeo family had been murdered a year earlier. The Lutzes abandoned the house after 28 days, claiming that they had experienced a smorgasbord of ghostly activity, including poltergeists, possession and ectoplasm. It would be fair to say that these events have affected Daniel deeply. He is a very intense guy, a tough nut who left home as a young teenager never to return. He appears to have been in therapy for most of his life.
Director Eric Walter has been fascinated with the case for years, and started a website as a teenager dedicated to gathering together all the evidence he could. He said that even he found a lot of new information in Danny’s testimony. Certainly Danny’s feelings about his step-father bring a whole other dimension to this story.
I have one specific issue with this film – the cinematography is a little too slick and artistic. Digital technology allows professional results at a fraction of the cost compared to a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean that it is always necessary to have moody lighting. In a documentary like this it seems unnecessary and distracts somewhat from the person in question.
I don’t know what to make of the events at 112 Ocean Avenue, and we’ll never know what really happened. The tales Danny tells seem unbelievable, but he does seem to believe them. This is diverting rather than fascinating little film about a very strange guy who had some very strange experiences. Though I’m sure it is essential viewing for classic horror fans.
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