1
00:00:35,383 --> 00:00:36,732
Did you feel anything at all
2
00:00:36,732 --> 00:00:40,170
about the little red room
downstairs?
3
00:00:40,170 --> 00:00:43,086
That was like a secret room.
4
00:00:43,086 --> 00:00:45,610
And that was described as
5
00:00:45,610 --> 00:00:47,786
the gateway to hell.
6
00:00:47,786 --> 00:00:50,180
If the red room is there,
7
00:00:50,180 --> 00:00:52,313
then there really is
something supernatural
8
00:00:52,313 --> 00:00:54,228
or satanic about the house.
9
00:00:54,228 --> 00:00:55,707
I'm not sure.
10
00:00:55,707 --> 00:00:59,320
I think it was just
a concrete wall painted red.
11
00:01:04,542 --> 00:01:06,457
My name is Patty Commarato.
12
00:01:06,457 --> 00:01:08,372
I was friends with
Allison DeFeo,
13
00:01:08,372 --> 00:01:10,679
the girl who was murdered with
the rest of her family
14
00:01:10,679 --> 00:01:12,507
here in 1974.
15
00:01:12,507 --> 00:01:14,509
This is the red room.
16
00:01:14,509 --> 00:01:16,554
Nothing more than
a storage area
17
00:01:16,554 --> 00:01:20,297
where Allison and her brothers
and I used to keep toys.
18
00:01:20,297 --> 00:01:22,560
Just red, you know?
19
00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:27,913
There's never any feeling of
spirit presence or ghosts
20
00:01:27,913 --> 00:01:30,568
or any sort of thing like that.
21
00:01:52,677 --> 00:01:54,679
Get out.
22
00:03:14,629 --> 00:03:16,239
Haven't you
made a lot of money
23
00:03:16,239 --> 00:03:18,720
out of this story,
whether it is true or not,
24
00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,549
to the point where
people might well say
25
00:03:21,549 --> 00:03:22,898
they can't properly judge it
26
00:03:22,898 --> 00:03:25,857
because it's been
a profit-making enterprise
27
00:03:25,857 --> 00:03:27,424
to tell the story?
28
00:03:27,424 --> 00:03:29,426
We didn't write the book.
29
00:03:29,426 --> 00:03:30,775
But are you not
involved in the profits
30
00:03:30,775 --> 00:03:32,299
of the book in some way?
31
00:03:32,299 --> 00:03:33,865
We're involved with
32
00:03:33,865 --> 00:03:38,653
the author, Jay Anson,
on profits.
33
00:03:38,653 --> 00:03:41,395
There is also--
34
00:03:41,395 --> 00:03:46,617
We've been accused on occasion
of fabricating a hoax.
35
00:03:46,617 --> 00:03:50,882
And it's very hard to live
a lie.
36
00:03:50,882 --> 00:03:54,843
To daily come up against people
who point a finger and say,
37
00:03:54,843 --> 00:03:56,627
"This can't be.
38
00:03:56,627 --> 00:03:59,935
"You went and you bought
this house
39
00:03:59,935 --> 00:04:01,502
"just to make a book,
40
00:04:01,502 --> 00:04:04,983
"to take your children
and to put them into this
41
00:04:04,983 --> 00:04:07,682
"and to stand them up
in front of the public
42
00:04:07,682 --> 00:04:09,466
"and let the public
ridicule them
43
00:04:09,466 --> 00:04:12,730
for the rest of their lives
for a few dollars." No.
44
00:04:18,780 --> 00:04:21,826
Our parents sold us out
for $275 a head
45
00:04:21,826 --> 00:04:25,787
for the children
to be depicted in the film.
46
00:04:25,787 --> 00:04:29,617
George became obsessed with
this moneymaking venture
47
00:04:29,617 --> 00:04:32,489
from this Amityville story.
48
00:04:32,489 --> 00:04:36,928
And he felt that it was fine
to add fiction to it.
49
00:04:38,365 --> 00:04:40,454
But I know what happened.
50
00:04:40,454 --> 00:04:42,412
You don't get to
play it off like
51
00:04:42,412 --> 00:04:46,416
you were a hero to the family
52
00:04:46,416 --> 00:04:49,289
when you're a perpetrator.
53
00:04:59,473 --> 00:05:04,129
In my closet,
there was a paneling
54
00:05:04,129 --> 00:05:09,831
that revealed an area
behind the wall.
55
00:05:09,831 --> 00:05:12,877
That would have been where
Ronald DeFeo hid
56
00:05:12,877 --> 00:05:18,622
the things that he was trying
to hide from his parents.
57
00:05:18,622 --> 00:05:23,627
Looking in there, there was
two bags of capsules,
58
00:05:23,627 --> 00:05:26,543
pills.
59
00:05:26,543 --> 00:05:28,763
Exactly what kind they were,
60
00:05:28,763 --> 00:05:30,373
I didn't find out
61
00:05:30,373 --> 00:05:36,379
until questioning George
way later in life.
62
00:05:36,379 --> 00:05:39,164
And he was really surprised
that I remembered.
63
00:05:39,164 --> 00:05:41,036
He said they were quaaludes.
64
00:05:44,039 --> 00:05:46,824
So now,
I don't know how quaaludes--
65
00:05:46,824 --> 00:05:48,652
I've never taken them,
so I don't know exactly
66
00:05:48,652 --> 00:05:50,654
how they'd react on the body--
67
00:05:50,654 --> 00:05:52,569
but I do know this:
68
00:05:52,569 --> 00:05:56,747
George had a very different
change in his demeanor...
69
00:06:00,185 --> 00:06:03,406
...where he no longer
went into work,
70
00:06:03,406 --> 00:06:07,932
he no longer was doing
personal care.
71
00:06:07,932 --> 00:06:10,674
He became obsessed with just
sitting around the fire
72
00:06:10,674 --> 00:06:14,069
and obsessed with his boats
and his boathouse.
73
00:06:14,069 --> 00:06:17,420
And so to me, that sounds like
a drug binge.
74
00:06:18,943 --> 00:06:21,990
Mama!
75
00:06:21,990 --> 00:06:25,036
Oh, mama! Mama!
76
00:06:43,881 --> 00:06:46,754
We were going to do a sequel
77
00:06:46,754 --> 00:06:49,147
to The Amityville Horror.
78
00:06:49,147 --> 00:06:50,497
We're going to do
a second book,
79
00:06:50,497 --> 00:06:52,890
absolutely non-fiction.
80
00:06:52,890 --> 00:06:56,633
We spent the money that
we made from the first book
81
00:06:56,633 --> 00:07:00,898
and from the movie
to hire the writer John Jones.
82
00:07:00,898 --> 00:07:03,901
And then subsequently
go back and interview
83
00:07:03,901 --> 00:07:05,642
all the other people
that had helped us
84
00:07:05,642 --> 00:07:08,602
and had been involved with us
85
00:07:08,602 --> 00:07:10,952
while we were in the house
and afterwards,
86
00:07:10,952 --> 00:07:13,694
telling their stories.
87
00:07:13,694 --> 00:07:15,783
George hired a ghostwriter
88
00:07:15,783 --> 00:07:16,914
for the second book.
89
00:07:16,914 --> 00:07:18,829
And he wanted me to come out
90
00:07:18,829 --> 00:07:22,093
and help with all of that.
91
00:07:22,093 --> 00:07:25,053
And that's when I moved out
to San Diego.
92
00:07:30,014 --> 00:07:33,104
George and Kathy
wanted my recollections
93
00:07:33,104 --> 00:07:36,847
of all these things
that had transpired.
94
00:07:36,847 --> 00:07:39,894
I actually went out
to California.
95
00:07:39,894 --> 00:07:41,765
It turns out,
96
00:07:41,765 --> 00:07:43,767
George seemed to think that
97
00:07:43,767 --> 00:07:45,987
whatever type of
entity was in the house
98
00:07:45,987 --> 00:07:47,771
followed them to California.
99
00:07:47,771 --> 00:07:50,165
And he said to me, "Well,
when we were on the plane
100
00:07:50,165 --> 00:07:52,907
"going to San Diego,
Missy was sitting there
101
00:07:52,907 --> 00:07:55,083
"and said, 'Oh, look,
Jody is on the wing.'"
102
00:08:02,177 --> 00:08:07,661
Missy had a very
high degree of sensitivity.
103
00:08:07,661 --> 00:08:11,099
She truly believed that
they were little playmates
104
00:08:11,099 --> 00:08:13,797
that were there.
105
00:08:13,797 --> 00:08:15,886
It was--it was frightening.
106
00:08:15,886 --> 00:08:21,022
It was very, very, very,
very frightening.
107
00:08:23,938 --> 00:08:26,767
The Warrens
became a part of our lives.
108
00:08:26,767 --> 00:08:28,986
They'd visit us out in--
out in California
109
00:08:28,986 --> 00:08:31,032
when we were living there.
110
00:08:31,032 --> 00:08:33,687
And the Warrens started
testing us kids
111
00:08:33,687 --> 00:08:36,994
for psychic abilities.
112
00:08:40,041 --> 00:08:44,175
We were walking
alone with the children.
113
00:08:44,175 --> 00:08:49,006
And those innocent little
kids were relating to us
114
00:08:49,006 --> 00:08:52,140
without us asking questions
115
00:08:52,140 --> 00:08:56,231
about things that occurred
to them in that house.
116
00:09:02,716 --> 00:09:04,021
I remember Father Ray
117
00:09:04,021 --> 00:09:07,198
coming to California one time.
118
00:09:07,198 --> 00:09:09,897
It was Father Ray that
suggested that we move out of
119
00:09:09,897 --> 00:09:12,595
the Amityville house.
120
00:09:12,595 --> 00:09:14,858
I felt safe around him.
121
00:09:14,858 --> 00:09:17,818
I remember I just ran to him
and jumped at him
122
00:09:17,818 --> 00:09:21,735
and he picked me up
and I--I just wept.
123
00:09:21,735 --> 00:09:26,304
I remember George asking later,
"Why'd you cry?"
124
00:09:26,304 --> 00:09:28,132
I did ask Father Ray,
125
00:09:28,132 --> 00:09:31,701
"Did you hear
a disembodied voice
126
00:09:31,701 --> 00:09:33,877
"telling you to get out?
127
00:09:33,877 --> 00:09:37,011
"Did you feel something
smack you in the face?
128
00:09:37,011 --> 00:09:38,360
Did that happen?"
129
00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,102
And he said
"Yes, that did happen.
130
00:09:41,102 --> 00:09:42,625
That's accurate."
131
00:09:42,625 --> 00:09:44,627
Get out.
132
00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,065
Get out!
133
00:09:48,065 --> 00:09:50,067
I vaguely remember it.
134
00:09:50,067 --> 00:09:52,287
I remember James Brolin,
that's the main thing,
135
00:09:52,287 --> 00:09:55,638
and flies
or something like that.
136
00:09:55,638 --> 00:09:57,727
Well, it was
a haunted house movie.
137
00:09:57,727 --> 00:10:01,296
So for me, it's
how well is it done?
138
00:10:04,212 --> 00:10:09,260
Haunted house movies,
they began in France.
139
00:10:09,260 --> 00:10:13,917
I guess the earliest was
George Méliès,
140
00:10:13,917 --> 00:10:16,354
1890s,
141
00:10:16,354 --> 00:10:20,881
and they've always been
with us.
142
00:10:20,881 --> 00:10:23,231
It's always the same
kind of basic story.
143
00:10:23,231 --> 00:10:25,189
House is haunted.
144
00:10:25,189 --> 00:10:27,191
People come in.
145
00:10:27,191 --> 00:10:29,019
They get terrorized.
146
00:10:29,019 --> 00:10:31,413
They don't leave like
normal people would,
147
00:10:31,413 --> 00:10:33,241
they stay like movie people do.
148
00:10:37,332 --> 00:10:41,162
Horror is
a great allegorical genre.
149
00:10:43,730 --> 00:10:46,907
Everybody is afraid
in the entire world.
150
00:10:46,907 --> 00:10:48,386
We're born afraid.
151
00:10:51,302 --> 00:10:53,783
We are afraid of
the same things.
152
00:10:53,783 --> 00:10:55,959
It's a universal feeling.
153
00:10:58,005 --> 00:11:02,139
Humor changes sometimes
from country to country.
154
00:11:02,139 --> 00:11:03,837
The horror never changes.
155
00:11:03,837 --> 00:11:07,971
It's a powerful medium
when it's done right.
156
00:11:15,718 --> 00:11:19,374
Part of where
the title Get Out came from,
157
00:11:19,374 --> 00:11:22,116
this goes back to
the old Eddie Murphy routine.
158
00:11:22,116 --> 00:11:23,857
In The Amityville Horror,
the ghost told them
159
00:11:23,857 --> 00:11:25,206
to get out the house.
160
00:11:25,206 --> 00:11:26,947
White people stayed in there.
161
00:11:26,947 --> 00:11:29,863
Now that's a hint and a half
for your ass.
162
00:11:29,863 --> 00:11:31,255
A ghost say get the fuck out,
163
00:11:31,255 --> 00:11:33,475
I would just tip the fuck out
the door.
164
00:11:33,475 --> 00:11:36,826
And he did this Amityville bit
of like, "Get out."
165
00:11:36,826 --> 00:11:38,349
We got a chandelier
hanging up here,
166
00:11:38,349 --> 00:11:41,135
kids outside playing,
it's a beautiful neighborhood.
167
00:11:41,135 --> 00:11:42,136
We ain't got nothing to worry--
I really love--
168
00:11:42,136 --> 00:11:43,398
this is really nice--
169
00:11:43,398 --> 00:11:45,400
"Get out."
Too bad we can't stay, baby.
170
00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:57,847
I'm wondering if you ever saw
171
00:11:57,847 --> 00:11:59,370
Amityville II: The Possession?
172
00:11:59,370 --> 00:12:02,199
Please no, please.
173
00:12:02,199 --> 00:12:04,854
Please, please.
174
00:12:04,854 --> 00:12:06,203
No, life's too short for
some of this.
175
00:12:06,203 --> 00:12:09,032
Now, come on.
176
00:12:37,974 --> 00:12:40,542
I guess
the light's changing, right?
177
00:12:40,542 --> 00:12:41,891
Let me know
when you're ready.
178
00:12:41,891 --> 00:12:43,893
I'm gonna just stick this
back there.
179
00:12:43,893 --> 00:12:46,069
Sound is speeding.
180
00:12:46,069 --> 00:12:48,463
Diane Franklin interview,
take one.
181
00:12:48,463 --> 00:12:50,813
- It's changing, right?
- Yep.
182
00:12:50,813 --> 00:12:51,771
Thank you.
183
00:12:55,905 --> 00:12:57,472
My name is Diane Franklin.
184
00:12:57,472 --> 00:12:59,953
And I was the actress
who played the daughter
185
00:12:59,953 --> 00:13:02,477
in the film Amityville II:
The Possession.
186
00:13:04,218 --> 00:13:07,482
The film is about
a young family
187
00:13:07,482 --> 00:13:09,266
that moves to the suburbs
188
00:13:09,266 --> 00:13:11,138
trying to start a new life.
189
00:13:11,138 --> 00:13:13,401
I played Patricia Montelli,
190
00:13:13,401 --> 00:13:16,491
based on Dawn DeFeo.
191
00:13:16,491 --> 00:13:18,232
The minute they
come into the house,
192
00:13:18,232 --> 00:13:21,975
there is an energy
that is not normal.
193
00:13:21,975 --> 00:13:23,150
Take off your nightgown.
194
00:13:26,588 --> 00:13:27,894
There.
195
00:13:27,894 --> 00:13:30,113
And with that story,
196
00:13:30,113 --> 00:13:32,072
I don't think anyone
197
00:13:32,072 --> 00:13:36,424
has tackled the subject
of incest that real.
198
00:13:36,424 --> 00:13:40,123
The stories of the brother
who takes on this energy,
199
00:13:40,123 --> 00:13:44,519
taking on the poison of
the family and the household.
200
00:13:47,957 --> 00:13:50,960
She sees this monster
about to shoot her
201
00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,268
and she believes he won't
shoot me, he loves me.
202
00:13:54,268 --> 00:13:55,312
What are you doing?
203
00:13:58,881 --> 00:14:00,230
And if you just look
from where you are
204
00:14:00,230 --> 00:14:03,146
and just look at my hand,
it's out of the shot.
205
00:14:03,146 --> 00:14:05,148
- So look out the window again.
- Right.
206
00:14:05,148 --> 00:14:06,889
And just turn
to look at my hand.
207
00:14:06,889 --> 00:14:07,847
Just keep it there.
208
00:14:10,023 --> 00:14:12,112
Okay, and then walk to you.
209
00:14:12,112 --> 00:14:13,853
And then just walk
towards me.
210
00:14:15,419 --> 00:14:17,160
Because of
Amityville Horror,
211
00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,597
I don't believe
I'll ever get out of prison.
212
00:14:19,597 --> 00:14:22,252
You know, they made
a monster out of me.
213
00:14:22,252 --> 00:14:23,906
And the public is
terrified of me
214
00:14:23,906 --> 00:14:26,343
and they don't want me
back out on the street.
215
00:14:31,174 --> 00:14:34,003
I spent the years
2004 to 2007
216
00:14:34,003 --> 00:14:38,007
in prison with Ronnie DeFeo.
217
00:14:38,007 --> 00:14:40,531
In prison,
they show a lot of movies.
218
00:14:40,531 --> 00:14:43,404
But they never showed any of
the Amityville Horror movies
219
00:14:43,404 --> 00:14:46,189
in Green Haven
because Ronnie was there.
220
00:14:46,189 --> 00:14:48,496
And Ronnie would have made
a big old stink
221
00:14:48,496 --> 00:14:51,978
about how showing the movie
would put him in danger.
222
00:14:55,068 --> 00:14:58,941
He also blamed them for
his parole problems.
223
00:14:58,941 --> 00:15:00,987
An Amityville Horror movie
came out at the same time
224
00:15:00,987 --> 00:15:02,684
as his parole hearing.
225
00:15:02,684 --> 00:15:04,468
And he claimed that
this made it
226
00:15:04,468 --> 00:15:06,993
absolutely impossible for him
to get a fair hearing.
227
00:15:06,993 --> 00:15:10,300
And that's why
he was denied parole.
228
00:15:14,087 --> 00:15:15,958
It's all because of
those fucking movies,
229
00:15:15,958 --> 00:15:19,179
not because he had killed
six people.
230
00:15:19,179 --> 00:15:20,615
You want me to look out
the window first
231
00:15:20,615 --> 00:15:22,399
and look at Neil's hand
and then walk into Neil.
232
00:15:22,399 --> 00:15:23,618
When he first told me
233
00:15:23,618 --> 00:15:26,012
that the mob rubbed out
his family,
234
00:15:26,012 --> 00:15:29,363
I of course nodded and said,
"Sorry that happened."
235
00:15:29,363 --> 00:15:31,974
It took about
a little over a year
236
00:15:31,974 --> 00:15:33,541
for him to start telling me
a different story.
237
00:15:33,541 --> 00:15:35,238
And go.
238
00:15:35,238 --> 00:15:37,240
Ronnie talked to me
in a hushed voice
239
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,548
and he said, "You know,
it's really fucked up.
240
00:15:40,548 --> 00:15:43,377
"My sister, Dawn,
241
00:15:43,377 --> 00:15:45,161
"murdered my family.
242
00:15:45,161 --> 00:15:47,729
"The only way I survived was by
243
00:15:47,729 --> 00:15:50,079
"taking the gun away
and shooting her.
244
00:15:50,079 --> 00:15:51,559
"It was the worst thing
I ever did.
245
00:15:51,559 --> 00:15:52,603
It was horrible."
246
00:15:54,649 --> 00:15:57,086
I heard a roar.
You know, it was a gunshot.
247
00:15:57,086 --> 00:15:59,088
It was loud.
248
00:15:59,088 --> 00:16:02,352
I soon entered
my father's room.
249
00:16:02,352 --> 00:16:07,357
I pushed the light button
on the wall there.
250
00:16:07,357 --> 00:16:09,794
I saw a hole in
my father's back--one hole.
251
00:16:09,794 --> 00:16:11,622
I ran across the hallway, right?
252
00:16:11,622 --> 00:16:14,103
And I saw
my little sister there,
253
00:16:14,103 --> 00:16:16,366
you know.
254
00:16:16,366 --> 00:16:18,455
I started really getting
crazy there, you know.
255
00:16:18,455 --> 00:16:21,502
I saw her--with her head,
you know--
256
00:16:21,502 --> 00:16:23,069
blood running down
the side of her head.
257
00:16:23,069 --> 00:16:24,635
I ran upstairs then.
258
00:16:24,635 --> 00:16:27,725
The only one alive in
the house was my sister.
259
00:16:27,725 --> 00:16:29,466
I went off.
260
00:16:29,466 --> 00:16:31,164
I threw her across the room.
261
00:16:31,164 --> 00:16:33,253
She went flying, landed in
the bed on her stomach.
262
00:16:33,253 --> 00:16:34,602
That's when I grabbed
the rifle.
263
00:16:34,602 --> 00:16:37,039
It was all one big motion.
264
00:16:37,039 --> 00:16:38,345
I--I killed her.
265
00:16:38,345 --> 00:16:41,522
I shot my sister in the head.
266
00:16:41,522 --> 00:16:43,132
Like I say, I just lost it.
267
00:16:43,132 --> 00:16:44,699
It just happened so quick,
I lost it.
268
00:16:52,750 --> 00:16:57,146
Over the years, Ron DeFeo
had several versions of
269
00:16:57,146 --> 00:17:00,715
how his sister, Dawn, was
one of the shooters.
270
00:17:00,715 --> 00:17:03,152
And this story changed
over the decades.
271
00:17:03,152 --> 00:17:06,677
It wasn't just one
"Dawn was involved" story.
272
00:17:06,677 --> 00:17:09,115
My father writes
in his book that
273
00:17:09,115 --> 00:17:11,160
he characterizes
the accusation that
274
00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,598
Dawn was one of the killers
as preposterous.
275
00:17:26,610 --> 00:17:29,526
He thought that
it was unlikely that
276
00:17:29,526 --> 00:17:34,096
a young woman who had no known
experience with firearms
277
00:17:34,096 --> 00:17:37,360
would be able to so expertly
move from room to room
278
00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:40,581
and in close range,
with just a shot or two,
279
00:17:40,581 --> 00:17:42,409
kill her siblings.
280
00:17:42,409 --> 00:17:46,152
So my father did not believe
the "Dawn is involved" story.
281
00:17:48,328 --> 00:17:50,373
When I heard him
accuse Dawn
282
00:17:50,373 --> 00:17:51,809
of being part of the murders,
283
00:17:51,809 --> 00:17:54,377
I was just astounded.
284
00:17:54,377 --> 00:17:56,640
And I thought, "How dare you?"
285
00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,208
She did not have that
in her heart.
286
00:17:59,208 --> 00:18:01,819
She loved her parents.
She loved her siblings.
287
00:18:04,344 --> 00:18:06,563
He was just trying to deflect,
I think.
288
00:18:06,563 --> 00:18:10,219
Yeah, I just knew that
he was full of shit.
289
00:18:10,219 --> 00:18:13,440
I read about the sequel,
The Possession.
290
00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,790
I was so incensed.
And I'm trying to remember now.
291
00:18:15,790 --> 00:18:17,226
I'm pretty sure
that was the one where
292
00:18:17,226 --> 00:18:19,141
they tried to now
introduce the idea that
293
00:18:19,141 --> 00:18:20,925
there might have been
some incest.
294
00:18:20,925 --> 00:18:23,276
And I said this is
absolutely now obscene.
295
00:18:23,276 --> 00:18:27,323
They want to make a movie about
whatever that's not true,
296
00:18:27,323 --> 00:18:28,803
you know,
call it something else even.
297
00:18:28,803 --> 00:18:30,544
At that point,
it's really so exploitative.
298
00:18:46,255 --> 00:18:48,431
The Possession shows
the ways in which that story
299
00:18:48,431 --> 00:18:51,608
got out of the Lutz's hands.
300
00:18:51,608 --> 00:18:54,176
The sequel wildly
fabricates things
301
00:18:54,176 --> 00:18:57,353
because that's what we do
with stories like this.
302
00:18:57,353 --> 00:19:00,182
You can't tell the story in
a strictly factual way
303
00:19:00,182 --> 00:19:02,271
because no one--no one really
wants to see that.
304
00:19:02,271 --> 00:19:03,794
What was in this house?
305
00:19:03,794 --> 00:19:05,622
No.
306
00:19:05,622 --> 00:19:07,581
What evil could
drive their son to madness
307
00:19:07,581 --> 00:19:09,583
and destroy everything
and everyone he loved?
308
00:19:09,583 --> 00:19:11,324
Mommy!
309
00:19:11,324 --> 00:19:12,716
Dino De Laurentiis
put out a movie called
310
00:19:12,716 --> 00:19:14,457
Amityville Horror II,
311
00:19:14,457 --> 00:19:16,285
which they eventually changed
to Amityville II
312
00:19:16,285 --> 00:19:17,765
and did it without
our permission.
313
00:19:17,765 --> 00:19:21,812
Amityville II:
The Possession.
314
00:19:21,812 --> 00:19:25,555
And that became
a 12, 13-year lawsuit.
315
00:19:25,555 --> 00:19:26,861
So even if you have
the rights,
316
00:19:26,861 --> 00:19:28,689
even if you're trying
to do this
317
00:19:28,689 --> 00:19:30,473
the best way you possibly can
318
00:19:30,473 --> 00:19:32,997
and fix the stuff that's
been wrong or been said wrong,
319
00:19:32,997 --> 00:19:35,348
things will come along and
keep you from doing that.
320
00:19:50,493 --> 00:19:53,366
I remember
as a kid being in school
321
00:19:53,366 --> 00:19:56,238
and we were asked what
our parents do for a living.
322
00:19:56,238 --> 00:19:58,675
I didn't even know
what they did for a living.
323
00:19:58,675 --> 00:20:00,329
I remember asking George.
324
00:20:00,329 --> 00:20:01,678
And he said "I'm a writer."
325
00:20:01,678 --> 00:20:03,593
And I said,
"What do you write about?"
326
00:20:03,593 --> 00:20:06,248
And he said,
"Things that happened."
327
00:20:06,248 --> 00:20:07,684
And that was where he left it.
328
00:20:07,684 --> 00:20:12,254
Amityville became
George's whole project.
329
00:20:12,254 --> 00:20:13,516
It was his business.
330
00:20:13,516 --> 00:20:15,605
He kept the publicity up.
331
00:20:15,605 --> 00:20:17,259
That was his way of working.
332
00:20:17,259 --> 00:20:19,783
He supported his family with Amityville.
333
00:20:21,959 --> 00:20:23,700
The progression
that George went through
334
00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:26,964
was like, very obsessive
335
00:20:26,964 --> 00:20:29,663
of the notoriety
336
00:20:29,663 --> 00:20:33,406
and getting out there
and his public image.
337
00:20:33,406 --> 00:20:35,495
Behind closed doors,
he was a very different guy
338
00:20:35,495 --> 00:20:39,716
than what he was portraying publicly.
339
00:20:39,716 --> 00:20:42,763
I asked Kathy a couple
of times about the children.
340
00:20:42,763 --> 00:20:46,810
And she told me that
she was trying to
341
00:20:46,810 --> 00:20:50,945
shelter them from
everything that was going on.
342
00:20:50,945 --> 00:20:52,729
But I didn't think,
at that point,
343
00:20:52,729 --> 00:20:54,557
they were being sheltered.
344
00:20:54,557 --> 00:20:56,603
It was just too public.
345
00:20:56,603 --> 00:20:58,387
And when it happens
to a family,
346
00:20:58,387 --> 00:21:01,434
usually they close the door
and they don't talk about it.
347
00:21:01,434 --> 00:21:03,523
Yeah.
348
00:21:03,523 --> 00:21:06,090
And unless these things are
talked about,
349
00:21:06,090 --> 00:21:08,745
they'll never be understood.
350
00:21:08,745 --> 00:21:10,791
When you would talk to
the family and the kids
351
00:21:10,791 --> 00:21:14,055
and I would ask them questions,
352
00:21:14,055 --> 00:21:16,753
they would not go, "Well, um--"
353
00:21:16,753 --> 00:21:18,451
They'd have the answer
right now,
354
00:21:18,451 --> 00:21:21,323
like they'd been schooled.
355
00:21:21,323 --> 00:21:23,325
I listened
to James Brolin talk
356
00:21:23,325 --> 00:21:24,718
about how he met the kids
357
00:21:24,718 --> 00:21:27,721
and they sounded like
they were coached.
358
00:21:27,721 --> 00:21:30,114
We were in a situation where
359
00:21:30,114 --> 00:21:31,986
if we weren't on our best behavior,
360
00:21:31,986 --> 00:21:33,901
we were gonna get the shit
knocked out of us
361
00:21:33,901 --> 00:21:35,816
when we got home.
362
00:21:35,816 --> 00:21:37,948
So to say that we were coached,
363
00:21:37,948 --> 00:21:40,429
the guy doesn't know
what we were going through.
364
00:21:40,429 --> 00:21:42,344
Ooh, "big star."
365
00:21:42,344 --> 00:21:44,781
Okay, so you made your name
off of that movie.
366
00:21:44,781 --> 00:21:46,827
You didn't live it.
367
00:21:47,697 --> 00:21:51,353
George was a former Marine,
a black belt in jujitsu.
368
00:21:51,353 --> 00:21:53,442
I had no defense against him.
369
00:22:04,671 --> 00:22:07,369
So George believed that,
370
00:22:07,369 --> 00:22:10,067
with my mind,
I could make him ill...
371
00:22:12,418 --> 00:22:15,464
even to the point where...
372
00:22:17,553 --> 00:22:19,120
he thought he was gonna die.
373
00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:21,775
And he came in and he started
beating the shit out of me
374
00:22:21,775 --> 00:22:25,344
for my thoughts.
375
00:22:27,084 --> 00:22:29,391
Killing him through telepathy
was just
376
00:22:29,391 --> 00:22:32,046
so fucking fucked up, man.
377
00:22:36,137 --> 00:22:38,574
And I really didn't plan on
talking about that.
378
00:22:38,574 --> 00:22:40,881
I need a minute, man.
379
00:22:45,494 --> 00:22:47,366
Holy fuck.
380
00:22:54,068 --> 00:22:57,811
If the Warrens found
that Christopher, in a sense,
381
00:22:57,811 --> 00:23:00,030
has some psychic ability,
382
00:23:00,030 --> 00:23:03,643
I can see where one step
could lead to another.
383
00:23:03,643 --> 00:23:05,993
Because George,
he was afraid that
384
00:23:05,993 --> 00:23:08,474
Christopher took the evil
with him,
385
00:23:08,474 --> 00:23:10,606
was possessed by the evil.
386
00:23:12,565 --> 00:23:17,004
George was kind of
constantly haunted.
387
00:23:17,004 --> 00:23:19,006
He would hear voices.
388
00:23:19,006 --> 00:23:21,922
We would be driving somewhere
389
00:23:21,922 --> 00:23:24,881
and he would turn around
while he was driving
390
00:23:24,881 --> 00:23:29,059
and yell at something
in the back of the car.
391
00:23:29,059 --> 00:23:31,584
He would be sitting in
the room,
392
00:23:31,584 --> 00:23:34,543
and all of a sudden,
393
00:23:34,543 --> 00:23:38,112
he'd get up and start
screaming at something...
394
00:23:40,549 --> 00:23:44,074
telling these spirits or
whatever that was haunting him
395
00:23:44,074 --> 00:23:49,036
to go away, to not bother him.
396
00:23:49,036 --> 00:23:51,125
It gets to the point where
you're convinced that
397
00:23:51,125 --> 00:23:54,563
there is evil,
there is something there.
398
00:23:56,652 --> 00:24:00,264
It kind of felt like
George was acting possessed.
399
00:24:05,487 --> 00:24:09,491
I had found out I was pregnant
with my first child.
400
00:24:09,491 --> 00:24:11,928
And I didn't want
my unborn child
401
00:24:11,928 --> 00:24:14,801
to have to experience
anything like that.
402
00:24:14,801 --> 00:24:17,194
I was just frightened by it.
403
00:24:17,194 --> 00:24:20,502
I went back home to Brooklyn.
404
00:24:20,502 --> 00:24:23,505
I don't want anything to do
with Amityville at all.
405
00:24:23,505 --> 00:24:25,725
I don't want anything
to do with the Lutzes.
406
00:24:25,725 --> 00:24:30,164
And just--I never contacted
407
00:24:30,164 --> 00:24:32,514
George and Kathy again
after that.
408
00:24:47,964 --> 00:24:49,531
Book number two
409
00:24:49,531 --> 00:24:51,794
that he authorized
to have written,
410
00:24:51,794 --> 00:24:55,581
it talks about how he had
to go through an exorcism.
411
00:25:07,244 --> 00:25:08,811
In London, England,
412
00:25:08,811 --> 00:25:10,683
the Archbishop of Canterbury's
exorcist,
413
00:25:10,683 --> 00:25:13,207
Reverend Neil Smith,
414
00:25:13,207 --> 00:25:16,558
he performed for us what some
people would call an exorcism.
415
00:25:16,558 --> 00:25:18,734
I'd call it more of
a blessing.
416
00:25:20,823 --> 00:25:22,303
But it was
a rite of separation
417
00:25:22,303 --> 00:25:24,261
in the Anglican church.
418
00:25:24,261 --> 00:25:26,350
And it was a separation
from the house,
419
00:25:26,350 --> 00:25:28,918
from the effects of the house.
420
00:25:28,918 --> 00:25:30,354
He looked right at Kathy
and said,
421
00:25:30,354 --> 00:25:32,705
"You're still affected
by this."
422
00:25:32,705 --> 00:25:35,664
Beat down Satan under our feet
423
00:25:35,664 --> 00:25:40,843
and cause all evil forces
to depart!
424
00:25:42,932 --> 00:25:44,717
I've personally
observed exorcism
425
00:25:44,717 --> 00:25:49,373
both in Catholic circles
and evangelical ones.
426
00:25:49,373 --> 00:25:53,987
Exorcism can function
as a placebo ritual.
427
00:25:53,987 --> 00:25:56,729
And that that is then
going to aid them
428
00:25:56,729 --> 00:25:58,644
in their feeling of recovery,
429
00:25:58,644 --> 00:26:01,385
and it actually will produce
a physical sensation
430
00:26:01,385 --> 00:26:05,651
that could, in a way,
improve their condition.
431
00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:20,840
You don't need an exorcism
432
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,017
because you lived in
a haunted house.
433
00:26:24,017 --> 00:26:27,629
You get an exorcism because
you've got demons.
434
00:26:29,979 --> 00:26:31,633
What is it like to
live with a man
435
00:26:31,633 --> 00:26:33,722
that's in need of an exorcism
436
00:26:33,722 --> 00:26:35,419
that's your stepdad
437
00:26:35,419 --> 00:26:38,031
who's treating you like
a stepson
438
00:26:38,031 --> 00:26:40,903
that doesn't care
who the hell you are?
439
00:26:43,079 --> 00:26:45,081
Christopher was always
looking over his shoulder,
440
00:26:45,081 --> 00:26:47,693
like, "Oh, I better not say
anything I'm not supposed to
441
00:26:47,693 --> 00:26:50,260
or I'll get in trouble."
442
00:26:50,260 --> 00:26:54,134
The thing that
really struck me most was that
443
00:26:54,134 --> 00:26:57,006
Danny would just glare
at George.
444
00:26:57,006 --> 00:27:01,097
He did not hide his feelings.
445
00:27:01,097 --> 00:27:03,099
If looks could kill,
446
00:27:03,099 --> 00:27:05,362
I mean, he would have had
laser beams towards George
447
00:27:05,362 --> 00:27:08,931
coming out of both eyes.
448
00:27:08,931 --> 00:27:11,760
Kathy had,
from what I know,
449
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,110
an abusive first husband.
450
00:27:14,110 --> 00:27:19,202
And it left her as
a divorced woman in the '70s
451
00:27:19,202 --> 00:27:21,465
with three children,
which, at that time,
452
00:27:21,465 --> 00:27:25,382
it was not exactly
looked well upon.
453
00:27:25,382 --> 00:27:30,213
So when George came along and
was willing to accept her
454
00:27:30,213 --> 00:27:33,303
and the children,
it was wonderful,
455
00:27:33,303 --> 00:27:34,957
from her point of view,
456
00:27:34,957 --> 00:27:38,787
that somebody wanted to
make them a family again.
457
00:27:38,787 --> 00:27:40,876
And she did
everything she could
458
00:27:40,876 --> 00:27:42,748
to keep the marriage together
459
00:27:42,748 --> 00:27:45,272
because of the children.
460
00:27:47,404 --> 00:27:48,841
But you said you and Kathy
461
00:27:48,841 --> 00:27:50,930
weren't together anymore.
462
00:27:50,930 --> 00:27:55,717
And I was wondering if you can
say when you divorced and why,
463
00:27:55,717 --> 00:27:57,414
if it had anything
to do with this or--
464
00:27:57,414 --> 00:28:00,156
The reasons we got
divorced are really personal.
465
00:28:00,156 --> 00:28:05,771
We went in separate directions
about exposing the house.
466
00:28:05,771 --> 00:28:07,990
As far as Kathy is concerned,
467
00:28:07,990 --> 00:28:11,907
her point is that she only
wants to deal with
468
00:28:11,907 --> 00:28:13,169
the nonfiction part
469
00:28:13,169 --> 00:28:15,084
and does not believe that
470
00:28:15,084 --> 00:28:17,391
fiction also helps to do that.
471
00:28:20,829 --> 00:28:22,396
My mom became ill.
472
00:28:22,396 --> 00:28:26,487
She had a medical condition
and she needed help.
473
00:28:26,487 --> 00:28:28,532
I took up residence with her,
474
00:28:28,532 --> 00:28:31,884
started to care for her
until her death.
475
00:28:37,541 --> 00:28:38,978
That was when I decided to
476
00:28:38,978 --> 00:28:41,371
change my name back to Quaratino.
477
00:28:41,371 --> 00:28:45,288
And so for several years,
I got to enjoy the anonymity
478
00:28:45,288 --> 00:28:48,770
of not being associated with
that story anymore.
479
00:28:52,121 --> 00:28:55,037
And then one day,
I got a phone call.
480
00:28:55,037 --> 00:28:57,083
And that's when
I found out that
481
00:28:57,083 --> 00:28:58,954
George was getting ready to
make another movie.
482
00:28:58,954 --> 00:29:00,564
Next year,
there will finally be
483
00:29:00,564 --> 00:29:03,785
an authorized sequel of sorts,
484
00:29:03,785 --> 00:29:05,874
Amityville Horror:
25 Years Later.
485
00:29:05,874 --> 00:29:08,834
- Is it real?
- Yes, it's in production now.
486
00:29:08,834 --> 00:29:11,097
And you're the first people
I'm telling in the media.
487
00:29:11,097 --> 00:29:13,186
And then I find out that
George's movie
488
00:29:13,186 --> 00:29:15,318
is gonna be about a
Lutz son returning to the house
489
00:29:15,318 --> 00:29:17,016
25 years later,
490
00:29:17,016 --> 00:29:19,540
killing him through telepathy
in the end of the movie.
491
00:29:19,540 --> 00:29:22,282
So I did whatever I could to,
like, stop what he was doing.
492
00:29:25,241 --> 00:29:27,113
I took to the internet.
493
00:29:30,290 --> 00:29:33,075
AmityvilleHorror.com
became available
494
00:29:33,075 --> 00:29:36,252
and I scooped it up.
495
00:29:36,252 --> 00:29:42,476
He sued me for what he said was
a trademark violation.
496
00:29:42,476 --> 00:29:46,262
I can't say that what I had
done actually stopped it,
497
00:29:46,262 --> 00:29:52,268
but I was making as much of
a ruckus about it as I could.
498
00:29:52,268 --> 00:29:56,011
All in favor,
sign up on my Facebook page
499
00:29:56,011 --> 00:30:00,276
and let's make history.
500
00:30:00,276 --> 00:30:02,148
Good night.
501
00:30:09,372 --> 00:30:13,289
I've made myself publicly
available on social media
502
00:30:13,289 --> 00:30:15,944
for about a decade now.
503
00:30:15,944 --> 00:30:20,383
I'm just really amazed at
the stories I hear from people
504
00:30:20,383 --> 00:30:22,995
that were greatly affected
by it
505
00:30:22,995 --> 00:30:24,344
when it initially came out.
506
00:30:27,564 --> 00:30:32,265
People of my generation
or even older that, like,
507
00:30:32,265 --> 00:30:36,008
this story really resonated
with them.
508
00:30:36,008 --> 00:30:38,227
There's so many people
in the paranormal field
509
00:30:38,227 --> 00:30:40,012
that I have met
through the years,
510
00:30:40,012 --> 00:30:41,317
having gone to conferences,
511
00:30:41,317 --> 00:30:43,058
and I often ask people,
512
00:30:43,058 --> 00:30:45,234
"What's got you so interested
in the paranormal?"
513
00:30:45,234 --> 00:30:47,541
And so many people
have told me,
514
00:30:47,541 --> 00:30:49,499
you know, "When I was a kid,
I saw your--
515
00:30:49,499 --> 00:30:51,893
I saw the movie
about your family."
516
00:30:57,986 --> 00:31:03,600
Enough about the story
resonates as real.
517
00:31:08,388 --> 00:31:10,999
And that's why it continues on.
518
00:31:13,001 --> 00:31:14,916
Why is it you feel like
people want to cling
519
00:31:14,916 --> 00:31:17,092
to this story?
520
00:31:17,092 --> 00:31:20,313
Partially because they have
fantasies that they believe in
521
00:31:20,313 --> 00:31:22,706
and partially because
there's money to be made.
522
00:31:24,534 --> 00:31:26,362
He holds the
unique title of demonologist.
523
00:31:26,362 --> 00:31:27,711
She's a psychic.
524
00:31:27,711 --> 00:31:29,191
Together they just completed
work as
525
00:31:29,191 --> 00:31:32,281
demonology advisors on
the upcoming film
526
00:31:32,281 --> 00:31:34,501
Amityville II: The Possession.
527
00:31:34,501 --> 00:31:36,329
Please welcome
Ed and Lorraine Warren.
528
00:31:38,635 --> 00:31:40,028
The Warrens,
529
00:31:40,028 --> 00:31:43,075
they made a career
for themselves.
530
00:31:43,075 --> 00:31:44,467
They highlighted the fact that
531
00:31:44,467 --> 00:31:46,034
they were involved in
our story.
532
00:31:46,034 --> 00:31:47,427
What's the most famous case
533
00:31:47,427 --> 00:31:49,211
you've ever been involved with?
534
00:31:49,211 --> 00:31:51,213
Well, I would have to say
the Amityville Horror,
535
00:31:51,213 --> 00:31:53,389
since it's world renowned.
536
00:31:53,389 --> 00:31:56,523
Years later,
I found out that they had been
537
00:31:56,523 --> 00:31:59,526
the creative consultant
on multiple movies
538
00:31:59,526 --> 00:32:01,963
after the initial movie.
539
00:32:01,963 --> 00:32:05,967
And I didn't find that to be,
like, genuine.
540
00:32:08,622 --> 00:32:09,971
When The Conjuring opened
541
00:32:09,971 --> 00:32:11,973
in theaters in 2013,
542
00:32:11,973 --> 00:32:13,627
it was a box-office hit
543
00:32:13,627 --> 00:32:17,457
that raked in $137 million
in the U.S.
544
00:32:17,457 --> 00:32:20,242
and terrified audiences worldwide.
545
00:32:20,242 --> 00:32:22,505
This is as close to hell
as I ever want to get.
546
00:32:26,161 --> 00:32:28,598
People would
attach themselves to this
547
00:32:28,598 --> 00:32:31,079
in one way or another.
548
00:32:31,079 --> 00:32:34,256
Jay Anson, having been
penned as the author,
549
00:32:34,256 --> 00:32:36,476
is the one that's making
the big money on it.
550
00:32:36,476 --> 00:32:39,261
Last I know, he made, like,
16 million on it.
551
00:32:39,261 --> 00:32:40,697
16 million.
552
00:32:40,697 --> 00:32:42,699
My parents made, like, 400,000.
553
00:32:45,311 --> 00:32:48,096
Get out!
554
00:32:48,096 --> 00:32:49,619
It's a remake
that's really worthy,
555
00:32:49,619 --> 00:32:51,099
simply because
the original doesn't--
556
00:32:51,099 --> 00:32:54,146
I don't believe,
holds up after time.
557
00:32:54,146 --> 00:32:55,495
Kill them!
558
00:32:55,495 --> 00:32:57,671
The greatest haunted house
story ever told.
559
00:33:00,021 --> 00:33:02,154
Catch them.
560
00:33:02,154 --> 00:33:04,330
Kill them.
561
00:33:04,330 --> 00:33:05,592
Catch 'em
and you kill 'em.
562
00:33:05,592 --> 00:33:07,507
You catch 'em
and you kill 'em.
563
00:33:07,507 --> 00:33:10,031
Ronnie DeFeo kept repeating
this over and over.
564
00:33:10,031 --> 00:33:12,164
I've never seen
anything like this.
565
00:33:12,164 --> 00:33:14,427
"How can I get a fair hearing
when all they know
566
00:33:14,427 --> 00:33:18,213
is that I catch 'em
and kill 'em?"
567
00:33:18,213 --> 00:33:20,563
He was angry at Hollywood.
568
00:33:20,563 --> 00:33:23,740
He claimed that he should have
been compensated
569
00:33:23,740 --> 00:33:29,572
for his contribution to
the Amityville Horror movies.
570
00:33:29,572 --> 00:33:32,488
The Amityville Horror
really is supposed to be me.
571
00:33:32,488 --> 00:33:35,535
Because I'm the one that
572
00:33:35,535 --> 00:33:37,276
got convicted
of killing my family.
573
00:33:37,276 --> 00:33:38,581
I'm the one they say did it.
574
00:33:38,581 --> 00:33:40,322
I'm the one that's supposed
to be possessed.
575
00:33:42,716 --> 00:33:45,327
He had told me about
the mob stuff,
576
00:33:45,327 --> 00:33:48,156
and then said Dawn killed
the whole family.
577
00:33:48,156 --> 00:33:50,724
So I guess it's implied that
578
00:33:50,724 --> 00:33:53,292
he had acknowledged that
the mafia story wasn't true.
579
00:33:56,295 --> 00:33:58,819
From what I understood,
the father had
580
00:33:58,819 --> 00:34:01,300
legitimate connections
with the mafia.
581
00:34:01,300 --> 00:34:04,694
But this did not spread to
the son.
582
00:34:04,694 --> 00:34:06,609
The mob guys in the jail
583
00:34:06,609 --> 00:34:08,481
wouldn't have anything to do
with him.
584
00:34:08,481 --> 00:34:10,700
I mean, they actively
disliked him.
585
00:34:10,700 --> 00:34:13,094
They felt he was
an embarrassment to them.
586
00:34:13,094 --> 00:34:15,488
I don't believe organized crime
had anything to do with that.
587
00:34:15,488 --> 00:34:16,532
Anything.
588
00:34:16,532 --> 00:34:18,143
There were two major rules:
589
00:34:18,143 --> 00:34:19,666
you never killed a guy
in his house
590
00:34:19,666 --> 00:34:21,755
and you never killed him
in front of his family.
591
00:34:21,755 --> 00:34:25,193
That was the rule
and you didn't break that rule.
592
00:34:25,193 --> 00:34:28,109
The horror itself is
my family getting killed.
593
00:34:28,109 --> 00:34:30,459
I guess that's the only
really tragedy here.
594
00:34:30,459 --> 00:34:34,724
Everything else...
it's fantasy really.
595
00:34:35,812 --> 00:34:37,727
It's fiction.
596
00:34:47,172 --> 00:34:52,307
When Ronnie died
in 2021, I felt really sad,
597
00:34:52,307 --> 00:34:56,137
which is kind of strange
because he's a multi murderer.
598
00:34:56,137 --> 00:34:58,835
He hadn't been, like,
the greatest guy I ever met.
599
00:34:58,835 --> 00:35:02,143
He was actually an oddity,
if anything.
600
00:35:02,143 --> 00:35:03,753
And I was surprised that
he died
601
00:35:03,753 --> 00:35:06,147
a little younger
than I thought.
602
00:35:06,147 --> 00:35:09,803
But he had been using drugs
his whole life,
603
00:35:09,803 --> 00:35:11,587
as a prisoner too.
604
00:35:11,587 --> 00:35:13,676
Also, of course,
prison is a stressful place
605
00:35:13,676 --> 00:35:14,895
and it wears on you.
606
00:35:41,835 --> 00:35:46,361
My grandmother was
the secretary to Father Ray.
607
00:35:47,232 --> 00:35:52,367
One of his annulment cases was
George's first marriage.
608
00:35:52,367 --> 00:35:53,890
She really documented everything
609
00:35:53,890 --> 00:35:57,503
because she just had
a bad intuition over time.
610
00:35:57,503 --> 00:36:00,288
And the intuition was just,
there's something there,
611
00:36:00,288 --> 00:36:01,811
but I don't know what it is.
612
00:36:01,811 --> 00:36:04,988
I was married previously also
to a Catholic.
613
00:36:04,988 --> 00:36:07,861
And as part of the annulment
proceedings for that marriage,
614
00:36:07,861 --> 00:36:10,298
I was called down
to the diocese office
615
00:36:10,298 --> 00:36:12,561
and interviewed.
616
00:36:12,561 --> 00:36:14,694
The annulment documents
617
00:36:14,694 --> 00:36:18,001
do reveal things
about George's past
618
00:36:18,001 --> 00:36:20,787
and have never been released.
619
00:36:27,315 --> 00:36:29,839
Yeah, so the letter, um,
620
00:36:29,839 --> 00:36:32,886
from the therapist was
quite interesting
621
00:36:32,886 --> 00:36:35,976
because of the fact that he has
the perspective from both
622
00:36:35,976 --> 00:36:39,284
George and his first wife.
623
00:36:39,284 --> 00:36:40,850
And she defines her role
as being
624
00:36:40,850 --> 00:36:43,331
a maid in his office
and in his home.
625
00:36:43,331 --> 00:36:45,725
He never allowed me
to open my mouth.
626
00:36:48,554 --> 00:36:51,252
Yeah.
627
00:36:51,252 --> 00:36:56,257
He'd proudly use terms as,
"I got her trained,"
628
00:36:56,257 --> 00:37:00,479
to defiantly state his
position in their marriage.
629
00:37:01,436 --> 00:37:04,744
"His rigid expansive attitude
appeared to conceal
630
00:37:04,744 --> 00:37:06,528
"a very frightened individual
631
00:37:06,528 --> 00:37:09,531
"who was most insecure
concerning his role
632
00:37:09,531 --> 00:37:11,620
as a male and husband."
633
00:37:13,709 --> 00:37:16,364
George has effectively
extorted money.
634
00:37:16,364 --> 00:37:18,540
She invested all
of her savings,
635
00:37:18,540 --> 00:37:20,629
and he refused
to allow her name
636
00:37:20,629 --> 00:37:24,894
to appear on
the title of the house.
637
00:37:24,894 --> 00:37:27,897
This is a little uncomfortable
to read.
638
00:37:30,509 --> 00:37:32,598
There is evidence that
he abused her physically
639
00:37:32,598 --> 00:37:33,903
on several occasions.
640
00:37:33,903 --> 00:37:36,079
Apparently, she required
medical assistance
641
00:37:36,079 --> 00:37:39,692
for injuries that were
inflicted by George.
642
00:37:42,564 --> 00:37:45,524
The feedback from
the medical expert, it says,
643
00:37:45,524 --> 00:37:47,787
"In this case,
with the preparation
644
00:37:47,787 --> 00:37:50,920
"I am able to state with
medical and moral certainty,
645
00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:53,923
"that at the time
of his marriage,
646
00:37:53,923 --> 00:37:55,882
"George Lutz was suffering from
647
00:37:55,882 --> 00:37:58,319
"a serious personality disorder.
648
00:37:58,319 --> 00:38:00,582
"This would appropriately be
diagnosed as
649
00:38:00,582 --> 00:38:03,759
antisocial personality."
650
00:38:21,908 --> 00:38:24,606
"George Lutz was
suffering from a serious
651
00:38:24,606 --> 00:38:27,348
"personality disorder.
652
00:38:27,348 --> 00:38:31,483
"His callousness
and selfishness is typical
653
00:38:31,483 --> 00:38:33,528
"of the sociopathic
654
00:38:33,528 --> 00:38:35,922
or antisocial personality."
655
00:38:38,054 --> 00:38:41,623
I'm kind of mystified that
somebody can be
656
00:38:41,623 --> 00:38:43,669
that much of a chameleon.
657
00:38:43,669 --> 00:38:48,891
I'm shocked that
he hid it so well.
658
00:38:48,891 --> 00:38:50,545
I really am.
659
00:38:55,985 --> 00:38:58,553
Antisocial
personality disorder
660
00:38:58,553 --> 00:39:01,034
is a diagnosis that
tends to be given to people
661
00:39:01,034 --> 00:39:06,039
who have a blatant disregard
for the rights of others.
662
00:39:06,039 --> 00:39:08,737
These are people who
do not show empathy
663
00:39:08,737 --> 00:39:10,826
or remorse for other people.
664
00:39:10,826 --> 00:39:13,612
And they're oftentimes
believed to be manipulative.
665
00:39:13,612 --> 00:39:15,918
So they might
present differently
666
00:39:15,918 --> 00:39:19,922
or say different things
or shift facts
667
00:39:19,922 --> 00:39:22,055
when they're talking to
different people.
668
00:39:24,927 --> 00:39:28,017
In 2006, Dr. Hoge,
a psychiatrist,
669
00:39:28,017 --> 00:39:31,151
interviewed Ronnie DeFeo to
get a better understanding of
670
00:39:31,151 --> 00:39:33,196
how Ronnie DeFeo was presenting,
671
00:39:33,196 --> 00:39:35,590
how he was thinking about
the crimes.
672
00:39:37,070 --> 00:39:40,160
He believed that
Ronnie DeFeo was experiencing
673
00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:41,901
an antisocial personality disorder,
674
00:39:41,901 --> 00:39:44,643
that he seems to be
more manipulative.
675
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,139
Sometimes individuals try to
676
00:40:03,139 --> 00:40:07,883
give an excuse for violent
behavior or abusive behavior.
677
00:40:07,883 --> 00:40:10,756
"The devil made me do it" or
"I was possessed at the time."
678
00:40:10,756 --> 00:40:12,497
And sometimes
these individuals will
679
00:40:12,497 --> 00:40:14,890
even undergo exorcisms,
680
00:40:14,890 --> 00:40:19,112
as in the case of
the Lutz family stepfather.
681
00:40:19,112 --> 00:40:20,896
So that can be
a little bit puzzling.
682
00:40:20,896 --> 00:40:23,551
How do we interpret that?
683
00:40:23,551 --> 00:40:25,988
Our only answer is that
we're not totally sure.
684
00:40:38,914 --> 00:40:42,178
There was a tribe of Indians
called the Shinnecocks,
685
00:40:42,178 --> 00:40:45,704
and they used this land
as a sort of exposure pen.
686
00:40:45,704 --> 00:40:47,575
They put all
the crazy people here,
687
00:40:47,575 --> 00:40:49,664
and they left them here to die.
688
00:40:49,664 --> 00:40:52,188
The Amityville Horror film
689
00:40:52,188 --> 00:40:53,886
is the first time in cinema
690
00:40:53,886 --> 00:40:57,846
where the Indian burial ground
trope is used.
691
00:40:57,846 --> 00:40:59,587
That's why no one
692
00:40:59,587 --> 00:41:02,285
ever buried a human being
out there.
693
00:41:02,285 --> 00:41:03,765
You are thinking of putting
him out there.
694
00:41:03,765 --> 00:41:05,593
Don't deny the thought
hadn't crossed your mind.
695
00:41:05,593 --> 00:41:07,769
The Indian burial
ground trope--
696
00:41:07,769 --> 00:41:09,684
I like to call it the IBG--
697
00:41:09,684 --> 00:41:15,603
is the idea that
if a place is built
698
00:41:15,603 --> 00:41:17,126
on an Indian burial ground,
699
00:41:17,126 --> 00:41:20,565
it is somehow more haunted
or evil
700
00:41:20,565 --> 00:41:22,262
or is going to inspire
701
00:41:22,262 --> 00:41:25,961
something really dreadful
to happen.
702
00:41:25,961 --> 00:41:31,793
And yes, the Shinnecock Nation
exists on Long Island.
703
00:41:31,793 --> 00:41:35,971
They would venture to the area
of the Amityville house
704
00:41:35,971 --> 00:41:38,191
for possibly hunting.
705
00:41:38,191 --> 00:41:40,802
But it wasn't really part of
their traditional land.
706
00:41:45,764 --> 00:41:48,984
The Indian burial
ground in movies
707
00:41:48,984 --> 00:41:51,552
is just such a cliché.
708
00:41:51,552 --> 00:41:55,556
But people love that shit.
They eat it up.
709
00:41:55,556 --> 00:41:57,558
The site is supposed to be
located on
710
00:41:57,558 --> 00:41:58,777
an Indian burial ground,
711
00:41:58,777 --> 00:42:00,213
and I believe
they actually had to
712
00:42:00,213 --> 00:42:02,737
repel a few Indian attacks
as they were building it.
713
00:42:02,737 --> 00:42:05,305
Why is it that
the Indian burial ground
714
00:42:05,305 --> 00:42:07,873
is always what people claim?
715
00:42:07,873 --> 00:42:10,049
This was their burial ground.
716
00:42:10,049 --> 00:42:12,660
Is it
the white settler guilt?
717
00:42:12,660 --> 00:42:14,183
Whose burial ground?
718
00:42:14,183 --> 00:42:15,968
Mi'kmaq Indians.
719
00:42:15,968 --> 00:42:20,233
Is it this idea that there
has to be some kind of evil...
720
00:42:21,930 --> 00:42:26,369
to justify
why we took this land?
721
00:42:30,896 --> 00:42:33,246
Even popular ghost shows
722
00:42:33,246 --> 00:42:36,031
and the paranormal hunters
that go out,
723
00:42:36,031 --> 00:42:38,033
it's a very easy explanation,
724
00:42:38,033 --> 00:42:39,992
especially if
you're in the areas
725
00:42:39,992 --> 00:42:43,082
that are associated
with tribal people.
726
00:42:47,086 --> 00:42:48,348
Perhaps we can
think about this as a way
727
00:42:48,348 --> 00:42:49,958
of dealing with the kind
728
00:42:49,958 --> 00:42:53,222
of repressed and unspoken complicity,
729
00:42:53,222 --> 00:42:54,397
especially in suburbia,
730
00:42:54,397 --> 00:42:56,878
as a way of trying to tease out
731
00:42:56,878 --> 00:42:59,838
some of the unspoken violence,
732
00:42:59,838 --> 00:43:02,841
the unspoken horror of
American history itself.
733
00:43:30,825 --> 00:43:33,741
The fact that so many people
wanted the story to be true
734
00:43:33,741 --> 00:43:36,091
or in fact believed the story
to be true
735
00:43:36,091 --> 00:43:39,181
is much more revealing
and is much more interesting
736
00:43:39,181 --> 00:43:40,922
than whether the story
itself is true or not.
737
00:43:43,925 --> 00:43:49,191
What really happened is that
we all joined in the story.
738
00:43:49,191 --> 00:43:54,153
It became something that is
self-sustaining.
739
00:43:54,153 --> 00:43:58,287
It became kind of
a feedback loop.
740
00:44:01,769 --> 00:44:04,380
You can come into
a space you think is yours,
741
00:44:04,380 --> 00:44:06,165
but it has history.
742
00:44:06,165 --> 00:44:08,689
There's traces, there's trauma.
743
00:44:12,954 --> 00:44:15,000
Did this actually happen?
744
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:17,872
Maybe something did happen
that was demonic.
745
00:44:17,872 --> 00:44:21,789
We still don't know how to
reckon with historical trauma.
746
00:44:21,789 --> 00:44:24,966
It still rises up
to battle with.
747
00:44:28,709 --> 00:44:30,189
If you think
about buildings that have seen
748
00:44:30,189 --> 00:44:31,407
great violence
or great suffering,
749
00:44:31,407 --> 00:44:32,974
you think to yourself,
750
00:44:32,974 --> 00:44:34,759
"Maybe they should be
haunted."
751
00:44:34,759 --> 00:44:35,977
There should be something here
752
00:44:35,977 --> 00:44:37,892
because that way,
it would mean that
753
00:44:37,892 --> 00:44:39,981
all of that pain and suffering
hasn't been forgotten.
754
00:44:42,418 --> 00:44:45,030
She was shot in the head!
755
00:44:45,030 --> 00:44:47,989
I never thought it was
gonna be the basis of
756
00:44:47,989 --> 00:44:51,732
an enduring story
that we're still talking about
757
00:44:51,732 --> 00:44:53,342
nearly 50 years later.
758
00:44:53,342 --> 00:44:55,170
This has got to be the end.
759
00:44:55,170 --> 00:44:57,303
I don't understand why people--
760
00:44:57,303 --> 00:44:59,827
I don't know why people are
so interested in it.
761
00:44:59,827 --> 00:45:01,307
I guess because
it's a ghost story
762
00:45:01,307 --> 00:45:03,352
and people love ghost stories
763
00:45:03,352 --> 00:45:05,180
and they want to believe
they're real.
764
00:45:05,180 --> 00:45:07,966
You want to believe there's
something beyond our lives,
765
00:45:07,966 --> 00:45:10,185
something that's beyond us.
766
00:45:10,185 --> 00:45:14,363
Everyone in the world
that I've spoken to,
767
00:45:14,363 --> 00:45:18,280
if I mention it,
know about this story.
768
00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:21,544
They're fascinated by it.
769
00:45:21,544 --> 00:45:25,026
But the sad thing is that
he killed everybody.
770
00:45:25,026 --> 00:45:29,161
No! No! No!
771
00:45:29,161 --> 00:45:30,205
No!
772
00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:33,034
I think a lot of it's true
773
00:45:33,034 --> 00:45:34,862
and a lot of it's not.
774
00:45:34,862 --> 00:45:37,560
And I don't think there was
a demon in the house doing it.
775
00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:39,214
I think there's some people
in this world
776
00:45:39,214 --> 00:45:41,869
are as evil as demons.
777
00:45:41,869 --> 00:45:46,395
I believe it's now been
32 movies
778
00:45:46,395 --> 00:45:49,529
that have attached
the name Amityville to them
779
00:45:49,529 --> 00:45:54,534
to capitalize upon this crap
that I went through as a kid.
780
00:45:54,534 --> 00:45:59,147
And none of those people give
a shit what really happened.
781
00:45:59,147 --> 00:46:03,978
George was embroiled
in one lawsuit after another.
782
00:46:03,978 --> 00:46:06,111
He had a lawsuit
going with MGM
783
00:46:06,111 --> 00:46:09,201
over the 2005 remake.
784
00:46:09,201 --> 00:46:12,204
After that lawsuit
was settled,
785
00:46:12,204 --> 00:46:15,555
May 6, 2006,
786
00:46:15,555 --> 00:46:18,036
George has
a massive heart attack...
787
00:46:19,951 --> 00:46:21,953
and dies.
788
00:46:24,172 --> 00:46:26,479
Ronnie still haunts me.
789
00:46:26,479 --> 00:46:30,918
Maybe I had a shot at
getting the truth out of him.
790
00:46:30,918 --> 00:46:32,485
I wanted to look him in
the eye and say,
791
00:46:32,485 --> 00:46:34,922
"What went down?"
792
00:46:34,922 --> 00:46:37,838
But we'll probably never know.
793
00:46:37,838 --> 00:46:39,274
And that's a shame.
794
00:46:39,274 --> 00:46:43,191
I feel like Ronnie committed
the murders alone.
795
00:46:43,191 --> 00:46:44,845
He's scum.
796
00:46:44,845 --> 00:46:46,847
And he's dead now and
he's rotting in hell.
797
00:46:46,847 --> 00:46:48,849
And that's my feeling.
798
00:46:52,548 --> 00:46:55,073
No doubt George was a victim
799
00:46:55,073 --> 00:46:58,119
of the karma that he put out.
800
00:46:58,119 --> 00:47:00,121
"I'm gonna make a movie
about my son
801
00:47:00,121 --> 00:47:02,384
killing me through telepathy."
802
00:47:04,299 --> 00:47:06,475
I'm not gonna tell the story about
803
00:47:06,475 --> 00:47:10,262
what happened
the day that he did die.
804
00:47:10,262 --> 00:47:14,353
But that thing that
he wanted in the movie?
805
00:47:14,353 --> 00:47:16,877
Careful what you wish for.
806
00:47:29,368 --> 00:47:32,023
The house will continue
to be a time bomb...
807
00:47:34,634 --> 00:47:39,247
ticking away, ticking away.
808
00:47:39,247 --> 00:47:41,989
One fine day, someone will
move into that house
809
00:47:41,989 --> 00:47:47,952
who have some of the qualities
of young Ronald DeFeo Jr.
810
00:47:47,952 --> 00:47:51,129
and it'll start
all over again.
811
00:48:12,411 --> 00:48:18,025
♪ You were always
Trying to mold me ♪
812
00:48:18,025 --> 00:48:21,376
♪ Mold me
813
00:48:21,376 --> 00:48:27,034
♪ But I'm not made of clay
814
00:48:27,034 --> 00:48:30,516
♪ Oh
815
00:48:30,516 --> 00:48:36,130
♪ You were always
Busy molding ♪
816
00:48:36,130 --> 00:48:39,481
♪ Molding
817
00:48:39,481 --> 00:48:45,096
♪ Dating girls
Half your age ♪
818
00:48:51,972 --> 00:48:58,283
♪ I know you like working
With your hands ♪
819
00:48:58,283 --> 00:49:03,331
♪ But hands are for holding