The Amityville Horror: Meeting the Historical Moment through a Discourse of Change

• In Event: Contemporary U.S. American Film Analysis: 4 Approaches

Abstract

The Amityville Horror is an American narrative that originated from the novel, The Amityville Horror presumably based upon a true story. After the novel, The Amityville Horror motion picture was released in 1979 and in 2005 a remake of the original story was released. This inquiry considers the novel and both films to argue that the films responded to their own historical moment through a demonstrative purge and catharsis of the American family and religion.

Author

• Annette Holba, Plymouth State Univ