THE AMITYVILLE HAUNTING

 

Are the hauntings in the movie embellished for a more "interesting" take of the story?

Some of them are. For example, the Lutz family and priest that came to bless the home have confirmed that no flies actually flew out and swarmed the priest. unlike in the movie. However, there are some haunting that actually do correspond with the original claim, such as the family feeling random cold spots in the home.

 

Was the Indian torturer Jeremiah Ketcham based on a real person?

Yes, but they are not very accurate. It is more of a loose theory. Jeremiah Ketcham's real name was most likely based off of John Ketcham, but there is no record of him torturing Native Americans, and he was not a reverend as the movie claims.

 

Is the house used in the movie the actual haunted home?

No. The house is in a similar location, with a big yard and a waterfront, but otherwise the movie's house was edited to look more like the original Amityville home.

 

Is the house truly haunted?

This is a matter of opinion. The original Lutz family believes that the house is, in fact, haunted, but others believe it was all a big hoax. The original house has been lived in several times after the release of the Amityville Horror novel, and none of the previous or current residents have had any sort of haunting.

 

Does the fashion of this time period line up with the original 70's look in the actual story?

Yes, it does. Despite being a 2005 movie, the fashion and even some of the lingo used match up with the look as described in both the book and in the 1976 movie.

 

How much of the movie is true?

Most of it is actually loosely based off of the story. For example, in the scene where George kills the dog thinking it is some kind of demon, the real George Lutz actually saved the dog from a freak accident of self-strangulation. Similarly, George didn't actually fall off of the roof when chasing his family, nor did he even try to murder his wife and stepchildren.

 

Was the story of the Amityville Haunting made up for profit?

This is another question that is strongly opinion based. Many believe that it was made up, others think that the story is true. The actors that portrayed the Lutz family believe that the house is actually haunted, as well as the children of the original Lutzes. Some parts of the story might have been a little overdramatic, but that is how most movies are.

 

Who actually died in the home?

Six people died. On the 13 of November, 1974, the oldest son Ronald DFeo murdered his parents and and two brothers and two sisters in their sleep before taking a shower and leaving. DeFeo was arrested shortly afterward.

 

Do all of the events described by the original Lutz family line up accurately with the movie's take on the story?

No, not all of them. Several instances were added for effect. The biggest change is how they made up a character named Jodie DeFeo who was murdered and showed herself to Missy/Chelsea. The Jodie as described by Missy often revealed itself to Missy in the form of a pig or an angel.

 

Were the name changes in the story there to protect the children of the Lutz family?

Yes. The surviving family members (the Lutz children), all changed their actual names shortly after the movie and novel were released in the 70's, and the names of the children of the 2005 movie remake were changed for privacy issues as well.