Amityville II: The Possession

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Amityville II: The Possession
Amityville ii the possession.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Damiano Damiani
Produced by Dino De Laurentiis
Stephen R. Greenwald
Ira N. Smith
Written by Hans Holzer
Tommy Lee Wallace
Dardano Sacchetti
Based on Murder in Amityville 
by Hans Holzer
Starring James Olson
Burt Young
Rutanya Alda
Jack Magner
Diane Franklin
Andrew Prine
Moses Gunn
Erika Katz
Brent Katz
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Cinematography Franco Di Giacomo
Editing by Sam O'Steen
Studio Dino De Laurentiis Company
Media Transactions
Distributed by Orion Pictures
Release dates September 24, 1982 (1982-09-24)
Running time 104 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget Unknown
Box office $11,328,000 (USA)

Amityville II: The Possession is a 1982 supernatural 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 family loosely based on the DeFeo family. The cast includes Academy Award nominee Burt Young who was finding fame in Rocky at the time; there are a few references to the Rocky films within Amityville II. This film includes one of Young's rare darker roles as he plays an abusive and violent father in contrast to his more easy-going roles. It is the second movie in the Amityville Horror saga.

Amityville II set the pattern for low-budget sequels with little reference to real-life events in Amityville, and is the only other film in the series to feature music composed by Lalo Schifrin.[1]


The Montelli family; father Anthony (Young), mother Dolores (Alda), elder son Sonny (Magner), elder teenaged daughter Patricia (Franklin) and two younger kids, move into what they think would be the house of their dreams. Initially things begin well, but everything changes after it is discovered that there is a tunnel leading into the house - from where is unknown.

An evil presence is shown to be lurking within, unknown to the family. After unusual and parnormal activities, like unknown bangings on the door, an ugly message on the youngest Montelli kids' room's wall (for which their father beats them after suggesting it is them who did it and also beats their mother for intervening, resulting in a huge showdown between the entire family), Dolores tries to have the local priest, Father Frank Adamsky (Olson), bless the house but Anthony drives him away during an incident in the kitchen with Anthony blaming and abusing the youngest kids for it when he tries to stop him and, to Dolores' mortification, Adamsky leaves in disgust, finding his Bible torn to pieces. It is shown all is not well with the Montelli family - Anthony is strict but abusive, and sacrilegious towards the Church, and Dolores is trying to keep it together for the youngest kids. Also, Sonny and Patricia are revealed to have started to have sexual feelings for each other, due to mutual attraction that neither can act on. Soon afterward, the family go to church with Anthony, so he can "apologize" for being rude to Adamsky, but Sonny stays as he is "not feeling well." He soon hears an alarming noise, and goes downstairs to get his father's gun, and hears laughter, following it to the tunnel - the (unseen) presence pursues a frightened Sonny to his room and he then falls victim to demonic possession. The first thing a now possessed Sonny does is approach Patricia to "play a game" with her - where he is a famous photographer and she is his model; she agrees and then reluctantly has sex with him.

She goes to tell Father Adamsky this, but has a breakdown while telling him; Sonny becomes more sinister and demon-like, as his face starts contorting demonically. Startled, he tries to keep his family away, but is unsuccessful due to the demon's influence, who usually contacts Sonny through his Walkman earphones. On Sonny's birthday, he isolates from his birthday party, and calls Patricia who comes up to check on him. However, due to his demonic phases and his body's gradual demonic contortions, he sends her away, calling her a "damn bitch." Patricia runs away, crying, and tries to tell Adamsky that she thinks Sonny is possessed or something, but he doesn't answer. Instead, Dolores slaps Patricia after eavesdropping on them. Later that night, the evil spirit tells Sonny to "kill 'em" to which he goes and gets his father's gun, shoots his father, then his mother, his younger sister, his younger brother, and after a chase finally kills Patricia.

The next day the cops have arrived and pick up the bodies; Sonny is arrested, but states he does not recall of ever killing his family, and is taken away. Adamsky then realizes that Sonny is possessed and asks the church if he can perform an exorcism on Sonny but they refuse, not believing him. He therefore takes it upon himself to free Sonny, and frees him from the prison and takes him to church where Sonny escapes after seeing the crosses on the doors. Adamsky soon runs after Sonny and traces him to the house, where he performs the exorcism, releasing Sonny's soul. As the cops arrive, Adamsky asks Father Tom (Prine) to take Sonny away from him, while it is revealed that the demon has transferred into Adamsky. His whereabouts and what happens afterwards are unknown.



George Lutz wanted the sequel to the 1979 film to be based on the book The Amityville Horror Part II by John G. Jones, but the producer Dino De Laurentiis secured a deal with American International Pictures for a sequel based on Murder in Amityville by Hans Holzer. Lutz sued De Laurentiis and ultimately lost, but succeeded in having posters placed in theaters stating "This film has no affiliation with George and Kathy Lutz."[2]

Unlike the first "Amityville" film, Amityville II was filmed in a studio in Mexico. Filmmakers filmed at the same house in Toms River New Jersey that the previous film used. The explosion scene at the end of the film was real during filming. A highly explosive chemical which produces flames that burn out instantly was used. During filming of the explosion scene at the end of the movie the effect reportedly backfired and burned the side of the house.


While a prequel, Amityville II contradicts the opening of the 1979 film which shows the family massacre, and like the actual event they are all sleeping. The bodies are also removed from the house in the morning, but in the first film, it's in the middle of the night.

Some of the family drama in the film did happen to the Defeos, but are exaggerated. The story introduces speculative and controversial themes, including an incestuous relationship between Sonny Montelli and his teenaged sister, who are based loosely on Ronald DeFeo, Jr. and his sister, Dawn and a rumored incestous relationship.

Though supposedly set one year before the first Amityville Horror film, Amityville II is full of elements that are clearly from the 1980s, such as a miniature "Walkman" radio/headphone set and the presence of 1982 cars, televisions, etc.

These contradictions, as well as the change in family name, have led to the speculation that, though based on the book "A Murder In Amityville", the film is a sequel to the Amityville Horror, taking place after the events of the original movie and not a prequel at all, the discontinuities considered. One example being that the "hole" in the basement is torn open at the beginning of Amityville II, just as it had been at the end of The Amityville Horror.


Amityville II: The Possession received mixed reviews. Critics claimed this film went overboard with the effects and the storyline was not as interesting as expected to be.[3] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who gave the first film a negative review, claimed the film "is actually slightly better than The Amityville Horror" and mentioned some good technical credits and performances.[4] Rutanya Alda was nominated as Worst Supporting Actress at the 1982 Golden Raspberry Awards, for the second time (the first was for Mommie Dearest). Leonard Maltin's annual publication "TV Movies," gives the film a "BOMB" rating.

Despite most negative reviews, this film was a commercial success, ranking #1 at the box office.[citation needed]


Further reading[edit]

  • "The Lady of the House" by Lee Gambin, Fangoria magazine #317, October 2012, pages 56-57, 97. Interview of Rutanya Alda regarding her role in Amityville II: The Possession. Three-page article has four photos of Alda, one recent, with additional images related to the film.
  • "The Devil (and Dino) Made Him Do It!" by Lee Gambin, Fangoria magazine #317, October 2012, pages 58-59. 97. Interview of screenwriter Tommy Lee Wallace regarding his scripting of Amityville II: The Possession. Three-page article has five photos, one of Wallace.

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