These Outrageous ‘Amityville’ Films Are Streaming Now
Tyler Doupe'
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Intellectual property laws prevent people from making and distributing unauthorized sequels to Child’s Play, Friday the 13th, or A Nightmare on Elm Street because the titles of those films and the characters within are registered trademarks. The same cannot be said, however, of the Amityville franchise. The series namesake is a city in New York. And it seems one cannot register the name of a town as intellectual property. As such, a legal loophole allows filmmakers to cash in on the Amityville name with films that have no official ties to the Amityville Horror series. Some of the unofficial series installments have titles that almost suggest they are part of the original series canon. And others, well, others are more easily identifiable as unrelated outliers.
In celebration of all things ridiculous, we are counting down a handful of the most outrageous non-canonical Amityville tie-ins. Read on to see our top seven picks and where you can stream them.
Amityville Karen (Tubi)
The term ‘Karen’ has become synonymous with entitled white women with a penchant for making a scene to get what they want in life—particularly from anyone in a customer service role.
Recognizing the very real need for a horror film that combines white privilege with the Amityville property, screenwriter Julie Anne Prescott opted to fill that void. I mean, why not?
The film, helmed by Shawn C. Phillips, sees a ‘Karen’ possessed after drinking a glass of tainted wine and setting off on a rampage. It doesn’t get much sillier than this. But if you dig ‘so bad it’s good’ horror, you may find this outrageous offering mildly amusing. But watch at your own risk.
The Amityville Terror (Tubi)
This installment gets bonus points for its utter lack of originality. In fact, the title is so similar to the moniker of the 1979 original that I’m sure plenty of unsuspecting viewers have settled in to watch this abomination in error.
Screenwriter Amanda Barton imagines a scenario not entirely dissimilar from the first installment in the official Amityville Horror franchise. The proceedings follow a family that moves into the infamous Long Island domicile, only to find that it is plagued by an unholy presence.
The most surprising aspect of this non-canonical installment is that director Michael Angelo sets the action in a home that looks absolutely nothing like the original house (see image below). The dwelling pictured on the cover art bears a slight resemblance. But the home in the actual film is more of a plantation-style house. And the notorious property on Ocean Avenue is best described as a Dutch Colonial. Whoops.
Amityville Toybox (Tubi)
Directed and co-written by Dustin Ferguson, this shameless attempt to cash in on an intellectual property loophole revolves around a cursed toy linked to the original home depicted in the 1979 film, The Amityville Horror. The proceedings, however, are moved from New York to Nebraska.
I realize one can’t really be a stickler for accuracy with films of this ilk. But I was disappointed to learn that the picture’s title is something of a misnomer. We’re dealing with a cursed plaything here, rather than an enchanted toybox. It’s a small distinction. But words really do matter.
Amityville Clownhouse (Tubi)
Dustin Ferguson returns to helm this sequel to Amityville Toybox. The film follows the events of its predecessor and sees the evil toy moving on to plague a new family.
The title is even more misleading this time around because the clown storyline is only featured for a couple of minutes in the opening act and then abandoned. But if you made it through Amityville Toybox and came back for seconds, I have to assume you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Amityville Cop (Tubi)
This unofficial sequel merges the Amityville legend with a demonic, killer cop. Why not? The supernatural lawman somehow draws his power from a curse associated with the doomed Long Island domicile.
Director Gregory Hatanaka adapts a script penned by Geno McGahee. The only identifiable selling point of this film is the novelty factor. But that’s enough for some. So, if you’re a glutton for punishment, you can find Amityville Cop streaming on Tubi.
Amityville in Space (Tubi)
Several horror franchises have visited the final frontier: Hellraiser, Leprechaun, Critters, and Friday the 13th have all been to space. And so has Amityville. Sort of. Seeing as this is a non-canonical entry, it doesn’t really count. But it’s close enough for me.
Co-writer and director Mark Polonia sets this film after the events depicted in The Amityville Exorcism. When the evil cannot be exorcised from the property, the house is logically sent to space. From there, the timeline jumps to the year 3015, where the dwelling is discovered by an unsuspecting crew aboard a spaceship. What will they think of next?
Amityville Vibrator (Troma Now)
This outlandish effort from the depraved folks at Troma takes the cake as the most gratuitous Amityville knockoff yet. And seeing as the film contains depictions of non-simulated masturbation, the moniker isn’t the only aspect of the picture that’s gratuitous.
Written and directed by Nathan Rumler, the setup sees a woman taking up residence in a new home and coming into contact with a possessed sex toy. Yikes!
Amityville Vibrator was made for an estimated budget of $2,500. So, you shouldn’t go in expecting slick production values or cutting-edge effects work. But some fans of this unofficial sequel have drawn comparisons to early John Waters. So, if that sounds like your cup of tea, you can find the flick streaming via Troma Now.
Honorable Mention: Amityville Pregnancy (Not streaming)
This one hasn’t been produced. Yet. So, I can’t tell you where to stream it. But I had to give it a shoutout, nonetheless.
The indie horror film, That’s a Wrap makes reference to Amityville Pregnancy as a previous acting credit for struggling actress, Alexis (Cerina Vincent). I say it hasn’t been produced yet because it’s only a matter of time. Amityville knockoffs are being churned out on the regular. And it’s an inevitability that someone will eventually put together a spinoff effort about a cursed pregnancy, loosely tied to the Amityville property. Mark my words.
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