The Lutz family settle into a seemingly idyllic house in Amityville, NY that was previously home to a brutal mass murder the year before. Things immediately start going awry when Father Delaney tries to bless the dwelling. A series of unexplained events unfold and patriarch George Lutz descends into madness. The Lutzes eventually flee the possessed house, never to return again.
The Amityville Horror was based on the 1977 book of the same name by James Anson, which was based off the supposed real life experience of the Lutz Family, who were the first owners to move into a Long Island home after Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed his parents and four siblings inside. Ronald DeFeo Jr. died in March of this year. Controversy surrounds the legitimacy the Lutz's experience at 112 Ocean Avenue, most notably DeFeo's lawyer claiming he and The Lutzes concocted the story after consuming copious amounts of alcohol, a practice John Carpenter would later adopt while writing Halloween II (1981). The movie scared up 86 million dollars at the box office and spawned multiple sequels. But the critics and myself were less impressed. I personally find the film not well-paced and rather tepid. Amityville has nothing over Amity Island.
The Amityville Horror was filmed in Toms River, Point Pleasant Beach and Lakewood, NJ
Location: The Lutz House
Address: 18 Brooks Road, Toms River, NJ
The Amityville Horror house is one of the most recognizable in the horror movie genre, and the movie world at large, with its two quarter round attic windows acting as malicious eyes. The actual Lutz house was not allowed to be used for filming, but a very similar-looking one was found two and a half hours away in Toms River, NJ.
Location: The Real Amityville House
Address: 108 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, NY
The original address was 112 Ocean Avenue, but was later changed to deter tourists and future filming location enthusiasts such as myself. Nice try though...
Location: The Church
Address: 406 Forman Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
St. Peter's Church
Location: Riding To Town Hall
Address: 405 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ
Location: The Town Hall
Address: 33 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ
Toms River Township Municipal Building
Location: The Library
Address: 101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ
The Ocean County Library
Location: Witch's Brew Bar
Address: 24 W Water Street, Toms River, NJ
Location: The Garden
Address: 7th Street & Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood, NJ
Access to the Sunken Garden at Georgian Court University was closed due to Covid but I was still able to get a few shots from a distance...
Location: The Car Crash
Address: Hooper Avenue & Oak Avenue, Toms River, NJ
Location: The Hospital
Address: 99 NJ-37, Toms River, NJ
Parts of the building have been renovated since filming but one are is still recognizable...
Location: The Newspaper Building
Address: 8 Robbins Street, Toms River, NJ
Location: The Bridge
Address: near 3410 NJ-37, Toms River, NJ
Thomas A Mathis Bridge
Locations Visited: December 2020
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