My Amityville Horror

More interesting than the actual Amityville Horror
This is a very interesting if occasionally repetitive revisit of the original Amityville Horror story, focusing on one of the children (Daniel Lutz) who was forced through what was unquestionably a difficult childhood experience. Daniel Lutz is now an adult with a lot of psychological issues and as he chain smokes and F-bombs his way through the interviews, the subject of his anger is clearly less about the paranormal questions around the house and more related to the introduction of a fairly deranged ex-Marine step father.

The documentary lets the audience draw their own conclusions but from my perspective I see a family that mentally abuses and confuses the children while seeking fame and fortune through an extremely elaborate lie. Ignoring the admitted hoax, lack of evidence and complete disappearance of these supposed paranormal activities once the family left the house, the more I listen to Daniel as an adult, the more I feel the experiences were a side-effect of...

Very interesting
This is nothing like I thought that it would be, but at the same time it is exactly what I thought that it would be.
I understand a lot of the frustrations that Danny has in regards on how to explain things. It is very difficult to explain things to someone who doesnt understand. From paranormal experiences to even natural phenomenon. Men will not understand fully what it is like to give child-birth, and woman will never understand the feeling of getting kicked in the nuts. Same goes for paranormal experiences.
Now, do I believe that Danny went though these things? Absolutely. Do I believe the George (the father) was the cause of these things occurring? That is highly possible. Is Danny angry? Ohhhh yes, but I also believe that he has a right to be angry. It isnt fair to force a child to deal with these kinds of psychological instances, and it isnt fair for him as an adult to be expected to casually "waltz" though these memories. They bring emotions that are not...

A Sad, True Account
It's good to finally get a first-hand account of the Amityville haunting from one of the children who lived through it. I believe Danny's account to be true to the best of his recollection. He comes across as sincere, in spite of (or maybe because of) his unapologetic bitterness towards his step-father, George Lutz. The fact that he has run from the publicity of this incident his entire life, rather than attempting to profit from it as his parents (or at least George) did, increases his credibility for me. He relates his story in an unadorned fashion, almost reluctantly, and the pain in his voice is not masked by the guarded, profanity-laced defensiveness in some of his responses to interviewers' questions. I could sense a sweet, vulnerable guy under the gruff exterior of Danny Lutz---a very damaged guy. I hope doing the documentary was cathartic for him. I hope he finally finds some peace.

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