Murder in Amityville
Encyclopedia
Murder In Amityville is a book written by Hans Holzer
and serves as a prequel to The Amityville Horror
.
The book has been turned into a film titled Amityville II: The Possession
. It has since been re-released under the title Amityville: Fact or Fiction?.
defense attorney William Weber went looking for a new author and publisher, parapsychologist Hans Holzer
, whose investigation of 112 Ocean Ave. supposedly lead to capturing ghosts on camera. Holzer, who always believed Defeo was possessed, met with William Weber and discussed with Defeo the events that happened while he was at the house.
also uses Holzer's theory. DeFeo was possessed, only in the remake DeFeo is possessed by a film version of John Ketcham. In the remake the house is built on an Indian burial ground. A television special was filmed in 1979, with Holzer narrating and includes interviews with DeFeo and medium Ethel Johnson-Meyers, but eventually was scrapped and never made public.
Hans Holzer
Hans Holzer was an Austrian-born, American pioneering paranormal researcher and author. He wrote well over 100 books on supernatural and occult subjects for the popular market as well as several plays, musicals, films, and documentaries, and hosted a television show, "Ghost Hunter".- Career...
and serves as a prequel to The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror: A True Story is a book by Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released between 1979 and 2005...
.
The book has been turned into a film titled Amityville II: The Possession
Amityville II: The Possession
Amityville II: The Possession is a 1982 horror film directed by Damiano Damiani. The screenplay by Tommy Lee Wallace is based on the novel Murder in Amityville by the parapsychologist Hans Holzer. It is a prequel to The Amityville Horror, set at 112 Ocean Avenue and featuring the fictional Montelli...
. It has since been re-released under the title Amityville: Fact or Fiction?.
Conception
After failing to obtain the rights to George and Kathy Lutz's story which became The Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror: A True Story is a book by Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released between 1979 and 2005...
defense attorney William Weber went looking for a new author and publisher, parapsychologist Hans Holzer
Hans Holzer
Hans Holzer was an Austrian-born, American pioneering paranormal researcher and author. He wrote well over 100 books on supernatural and occult subjects for the popular market as well as several plays, musicals, films, and documentaries, and hosted a television show, "Ghost Hunter".- Career...
, whose investigation of 112 Ocean Ave. supposedly lead to capturing ghosts on camera. Holzer, who always believed Defeo was possessed, met with William Weber and discussed with Defeo the events that happened while he was at the house.
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 kills his entire family on November 13, 1974. It goes on to explain that he was possessed 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.Films
The film based on the book was the sequel to the 1979 The Amityville Horror and was titled Amityville II: The Possession. The name of the family was changed and the family's stay itself was shortened and presumed to take place after the Lutz's. While not an accurate prequel it takes some details from Murder in Amityville. The remake of The Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror (2005 film)
The Amityville Horror is a 2005 horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name which itself was based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson, which documents the alleged experiences of the Lutz family after they moved into a house in Long Island...
also uses Holzer's theory. DeFeo was possessed, only in the remake DeFeo is possessed by a film version of John Ketcham. In the remake the house is built on an Indian burial ground. A television special was filmed in 1979, with Holzer narrating and includes interviews with DeFeo and medium Ethel Johnson-Meyers, but eventually was scrapped and never made public.