My Amityville Horror

This is interesting enough but not for the reasons the film makers Intended. If this was anything other than The Amityville Horror, he would just be another "crazy guy" telling his stories, with everyone rolling their eyes. It's a great character study and really demonstrates the effects of trauma, whatever the truth may be.

This documentary focuses on Daniel Lutze. Throughout the movie he tries to convince you that he's haunted by this experience. Nothing could be further from the truth, he relishes in it. It's probably the only thing of note in his life. He tries to intimidate everyone around him by being confrontational and arrogant, even though he's only about 5'4" and 135lbs.

I would not be surprised at all if he insisted that his guitar playing had to be part of the film in order for him to do it. It adds absolutely nothing to the production.

During the retelling of him witnessing his step father levitate a wrench across a room you can tell he's making this entire story up as he's telling it. His mannerisms, his eye movements and speech give it all away. He is so used to telling lies about that time in his life, it just comes natural to him anymore.

He's a sad man and his reaction to taking a polygraph test shows his true nature. "After this is over, you and I are going to have some words about this"........ Really? Let's have the words right now, tough guy! He's a tool and fool.

This is what happens when a guy with a severe mental illness is given attention and a camera is shoved into his face.

He just makes up stories that are based off watching the Amityville movies, his real experience of living in the house and the Jay Anson book. He revels in the fact that he is the boy from the movie, he even knows all about the remake, he loves the attention the case has brought and this is obvious.

He will (and does) say anything that he thinks will get a response from the interviewer then it all leads to him being asked if he would take a lie detector, and he reacts as anyone who has been lying would, he flips out.

If you have 88 minutes to listen to a guy make up fantastical stories then watch this otherwise avoid and watch the Margot Kidder film.

For the first time in thirty-five years, Daniel Lutz recounts his version of the infamous Amityville haunting that terrified his family in 1975...

What this film does not do is solve the mystery of the Amityville house and whether or not it was haunted. So if you are already familiar with that and hoped for proof of ghosts or a debunking, this will not change your mind one way or the other. (Although, if like me you knew very little of the true story, this will fill in a lot of gaps.)

This is not a film of the haunting, but rather the effects on the boy who lived in the house, Daniel Lutz, now around fifty years old. He believes the house was haunted and that he was possessed. Are we to believe him, or is he crazy or is his memory faulty from years of abuse from his stepfather? Different viewers will take away different things from this documentary. Some might go away saying that Lutz is sincere an therefore the haunting was real. Others will say he is completely off his rocker. This ambiguity actually shows how good of a documentary it is -- the film is not concerned with convincing you one way or the other, it just wants to show you the facts and let you decide for yourself.

Some parts are a bit slow and repetitive, but the film as a whole is short enough that this can be overlooked. There is also a great cast of characters. Lutz is front and center, but we also meet up with investigative reporters and paranormal researchers who were at the house in 1975 who are reflecting on their experiences decades later. One woman, Lorraine Warren, who raises roosters and claims to have a piece of the cross that Jesus was crucified on is quite interesting (and again, how you interpret this scene will depend on your views of the paranormal and supernatural).

The biggest disappointment is that Daniel Lutz's two siblings declined to be involved with the project. Although they were probably too young to have any coherent memories of the Amityville house, they could offer valuable insight into living with George Lutz, as well as give their impressions of Daniel's state of mind. A sequel documentary, perhaps?

While not the most socially or politically important documentary to come out in recent years, it is a film that should be viewed by both paranormal enthusiasts and those who have appreciated the horror genre. One looks at the "Amityville Horror" film series differently when you know -- or think you know -- the true story.

For a person who claims he wishes someone had asked him to give his version of events in the famous Amityville Horror haunting story, Danny Lutz shares very little of it in this documentary. The man is clearly in pain, clearly carrying a load of emotional baggage. However, the more he talks, the more it seems that Danny Lutz's angst centered on his hatred of his stepfather, George Lutz.

For all the interview questions asked of him, for all the talking he does, Danny Lutz says very little. The Amityville Horror story has become very murky over the years. The only thing anyone can seem to agree on is that the book and movie were wildly inaccurate. OK? So, what's the real story? In interviews, George Lutz spent much of his time talking about what DIDN'T happen in the house. Danny Lutz doesn't take that route, but he's clearly holding something back.

Are the few paranormal experiences Danny Lutz shares convincing? Not especially. He does himself no favors claiming to have witnessed George Lutz moving tools around his garage with telekinesis.

Out of the 90 minute only two things were made clear: Danny Lutz hated George Lutz. Danny Lutz hated being identified as "that Amityville Horror kid". Neither is much of a revelation and neither sheds any light whatsoever on this campfire story that just won't go away.