The Amityville Horror

Top 10 Fun Facts

1. The movie is based on the 1977 best seller about the alleged experiences of the Lutz family. Lutz is a German name meaning "bad real estate investment."
2. The production was forced to film in New Jersey when they couldn't get permission to shoot at the real Amityville house on Long Island. The New Jersey Horror sounds like a totally different (but equally scary) movie.
3. Your loss, Long Island! Toms River, New Jersey police officers and ambulance paramedics got to play extras in the film.
4. Not only did the studio have to create a fake Amityville house, they weren't even supposed to show images of the real deal. When posters and promotional materials for the film came out picturing the house at 112 Ocean Avenue, the new homeowners filed a lawsuit.
5. When you make your pilgrimage to 112 Ocean Avenue, don't be confused - the "evil eyes" windows have been replaced with regular old rectangular ones.
6. Despite some pretty bad reviews, the film was nominated for an Academy Award - for composer Lalo Schifrin's musical score (He lost).
7. Speaking of those bad reviews, the venerable Roger Ebert called the movie "dreary and terminally depressing." Dude, a simple "thumbs down" would have sufficed.
8. James Brolin decided to take the role of George Lutz while reading a copy of the novel at two in the morning. When a pair of pants he'd hung up fell to the floor, he jumped out of his chair with a major case of the willies - and was sold.
9. Brolin's brother got in on the action, too - that's him wearing a fake beard in the cellar.
10. In Finland, the movie was released with the title Luojan tähden, paetkaa! - which translates as "For God's sake, get out of there!" (This time we're not joking)

Cast

Crew