Another indie movie, another attempt at capitalizing on the Amityville name. It’s worth noting, though, that Amityville Poltergeist was originally filmed under the title ‘No Sleep’ before being changed to Amityville Poltergeist during distribution. ‘No Sleep’ would have been a more fitting title, in my opinion, because it directly relates to the plot and the main character’s slowly descending psyche due to the tumultuous atmosphere in the house. Written by Calvin McCarthy, the film follows a young man in need of money who takes a house-sitting job from a creepy old lady. Soon after moving in, he finds that the lively tenants aren’t the only ones in the home. Something else is lurking. Filmed by 77th Street Productions and releasing on DVD and VOD May 18 2021 from Breaking Glass Pictures, this flick stars Parris Bates, Sydney Winbush, J. Rebecca Morse, Conor Austin, Jesse Sass, Airisa Durand and Jon Hall.
Also directed and edited by Calvin McCarthy, and produced by Airisa Durand, Amityville Poltergeist seems to have entered principal photography with a skeleton crew. This was probably an asset, in hindsight, as the picture quality never bounces between styles and all other departments seem to have communicated well. I will say, though, that Amityville Poltergeist appeals to the younger generation of horror viewers. It looks modern, its sassy and there’s a lot of marijuana use and while that was a mainstay of the 1980’s, it definitely appeals to high school and college aged viewers in the 2020’s. Production also did a lot with colors and fades, most noticeably with reds, blues and purples. And the more I think about it, this movie kind of pays homage to previous titles in its category while ushering in a new audience.
Now, you’re probably wondering what Amityville Poltergeist has to do with The Amityville Horror. And the answer to that is – absolutely nothing. It doesn’t even take place in the town of Amityville like other horror titles have had to do. And where’s the poltergeist? I think the term specter would be a more accurate choice because nothing too violent or destructive takes place. Only suspense and creepiness. Which, this movie has two very creepy scenes – the ‘senial’ part and the ‘eyes’ part. Besides that, there’s nothing overly frightening happening and Amityville Poltergeist feels more like a drama than a horror flick. It’s a lot of talking, story progression and the build to climax with tidbits of scary tones interlaced. Plus, you never seen anything as gnarly as the DVD cover photo.
A good movie none-the-less, but nothing to do with Amityville Horror. Take out the disturbing scenes and this one could exist entirely as a dark drama. Final Score: 7 out of 10.
