Murder in Amityville

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Murder in Amityville
Murder In Amityville Cover .jpg
AuthorHans Holzer
LanguageEnglish
Genre Horror novel
Publisher Belmont Tower Books
Publication date
1979
Publication placeUnited States
Pages288

Murder In Amityville is a non-fiction [1] book written by Hans Holzer and first published in 1979 [2] which serves as a prequel to the 1977 novel The Amityville Horror . [3] It has since been re-released as part of a trilogy under the title Amityville: Fact or Fiction?. [4]

Contents

Plot summary

The plot tries to explain why Ronald Defeo Jr. killed his family at 112 Ocean Ave. It revolves around Ronald Jr. as he experiences strange events in the house up until he shots dead his entire family on November 13, 1974. It goes on to claim that he was possessed by "evil forces" [5] and that he did not want to kill his family. It introduces controversial events. It is also based on Defeo's explanation of why he says he killed his family.

Adaptations

The book was loosely used as the basis for the 1982 horror film Amityville II: The Possession . [3] Holzer's theory that DeFeo was possessed is also used in 2005's The Amityville Horror [6] and 2018's The Amityville Murders. [7] A television special was filmed in 1979 with Holzer narrating and including interviews with DeFeo and medium Ethel Johnson-Meyers, but eventually was scrapped and never made public. [8]

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The Amityville Harvest is a 2020 supernatural horror film written and directed by Thomas J. Churchill. The film stars Kyle Lowder, Sadie Katz, Brandon Alan Smith and Alexa Pellerin. It is the final film in the Amityville Horror film series in which Ronald DeFeo Jr. served as the real-life mass murderer before his death on March 12, 2021.

References

  1. Grimes, Williams (29 April 2009). "Hans Holzer, Ghost Hunter, Dies at 89". The New York times.
  2. JH (2023-04-20). "The enduring mystery of the Amityville murders". J.H. Moncrieff. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  3. 1 2 Allan, Scoot (2020-10-28). "5 Best Movies Based On The Amityville Murders (& 5 Worst)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  4. "The Paranormal Cafe broadcast 05.08.09 pt. 3 Interview w/ Alexandra Holzer". Podomatic. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  5. Edwards, Paul (2011-12-19). "Amityville II: The Possession". This Is Horror. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
  6. "The Amityville Horror". Plugged In. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  7. Harvey, Dennis (2019-02-04). "Film Review: 'The Amityville Murders'". Variety. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  8. Holzer, Hans (1982). Amityville II, the Possession. Pinnacle Books. p. 285. ISBN   9780523420233.