Amityville 4
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with: Amityville: The Evil Escapes (book)
Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (or simply Amityville: The Evil Escapes. The onscreen title is Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes) was released in 1989 as a television film by NBC
. It is the fourth installment in the Amityville Horror saga
. It was released on home video by Vidmark Entertainment, then released on DVD twice by Allumination Filmworks
in 2003 and 2007. This was the only Amityville sequel to be based on a book in the main book series. Amityville: The Horror Returns
was also going to air on NBC but the film was never made.
house. Six priests, led by Father Manfred (Norman Lloyd
) enter the house and start to exorcise it. One of the priests, Father Dennis Kibbler (Fredric Lehne
) is in an upstairs bedroom and begins to bless it when he sees a glowing brass floor lamp
. As he begins to chant, a burst of energy emerges from the outlet, through the cord, and into the lamp. A demonic face appears in the large round bulb. Kibbler is knocked across the room and is unconscious.
A few days later, the real estate agency decides to have a yard sale by selling the items left in the house by the previous owners. Father Manfred believes that the evil spirits are finally gone from the house. Meanwhile, at the yard sale, a woman named Helen Royce (Peggy McCay
) and her friend Rhona (Gloria Cromwell) are looking through the items when Helen finds the lamp. At only $100.00, Helen decides to buy the lamp. She even decides to send it to her sister as a birthday present, explaining that she and her sister send each other rather ugly gifts to each other as jokes. While checking the lamp, Helen cuts her finger on a brass collar around the bulb. Ignoring the cut on her finger, Helen buys the lamp. As the day goes on, Helen's finger begins to get infected and discolored.
One week later, the lamp arrives to the sister. Helen's sister, Alice Leacock (Jane Wyatt
), lives in a large, three story home over a beach in a small town called Dancott, California. That day, Alice's daughter, Nancy Evans (Patty Duke
) and her three children Amanda (Zoe Trilling), Brian (Aron Eisenberg
), and the youngest child, quiet, mysterious Jessica (Brandy Gold) move in with Alice. Once they arrive, Alice decides to open the package containing the lamp. Nancy thinks the lamp is hideous, while Alice finds it to be interesting. Once the lamp is turned on, Alice's parrot, Fred, begins to act crazy, and her cat, Pepper, scratches Amanda. While the rest of the family pays little to no attention to the lamp, Jessica seems to be drawn towards it.
.
web site, Amityville 4 is one movie listed in the article "Night Of The Killer Lamp: 23 Ridiculous Horror-Movie Adversaries". The article states the film's efforts to make a possessed lamp seem scary "border on camp
".
The exteriors for Alice Leacock's house were filmed at the James Sharp House, 11840 W. Telegraph Rd, Santa Paula, California
. The house is an historical Italian Villa style home built in 1890. In reality, it does not back out onto an oceanside cliff as depicted in the movie. Instead, it backs out onto the Santa Paula Freeway, about a quarter of a mile behind the house. For a second, you can see the tower of the house in the distance while driving on the Freeway.
The interiors of the grandmother's house were filmed at the Woodbury-Story House
in Altadena, California
.
An exterior shot of the John Marshall High School
in Los Angeles, California
was also used.
Amityville: The Evil Escapes (book)
Amityville: The Evil Escapes is a 1988 Horror Fiction book and the fourth installment in The Amityville Horror series of books. The book is known for starting the fictional sequels by John G. Jones.-History:...
Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (or simply Amityville: The Evil Escapes. The onscreen title is Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes) was released in 1989 as a television film by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. It is the fourth installment in the Amityville Horror saga
Amityville Horror saga
The Amityville Horror is a series of horror films that center around events in a haunted house in Amityville, New York.-Films:#The Amityville Horror #Amityville II: The Possession...
. It was released on home video by Vidmark Entertainment, then released on DVD twice by Allumination Filmworks
Allumination FilmWorks
Allumination FilmWorks is a distributor of home entertainment products. It was founded in 2002 as Ardustry Entertainment but renamed to Allumination FilmWorks sometime in late 2005/early 2006. Allumination is headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA, and also has a facility in Fort Mill, SC...
in 2003 and 2007. This was the only Amityville sequel to be based on a book in the main book series. Amityville: The Horror Returns
Amityville: The Horror Returns
Amityville: The Horror Returns is a 1989 horror novel and the fifth installment in The Amityville Horror book series written by John G. Jones. It is the final book to be about the Lutzes as they are stalked by the presence they fled from in Amityville.-Plot:...
was also going to air on NBC but the film was never made.
Summary
The movie begins on a rainy night. We see the infamous Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror: A True Story is a book by Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released between 1979 and 2005...
house. Six priests, led by Father Manfred (Norman Lloyd
Norman Lloyd
Norman Lloyd is an American actor, producer, and director with a career in entertainment spanning more than seven decades. Lloyd, who currently resides in Los Angeles, has appeared in over sixty films and television shows....
) enter the house and start to exorcise it. One of the priests, Father Dennis Kibbler (Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne is an actor who has appeared in over 200 films, mini-series, and television shows as well as many stage productions including works by Shakespeare, Molière and Ibsen on Broadway...
) is in an upstairs bedroom and begins to bless it when he sees a glowing brass floor lamp
Light fixture
A light fixture, light fitting, or luminaire is an electrical device used to create artificial light and/or illumination, by use of an electric lamp...
. As he begins to chant, a burst of energy emerges from the outlet, through the cord, and into the lamp. A demonic face appears in the large round bulb. Kibbler is knocked across the room and is unconscious.
A few days later, the real estate agency decides to have a yard sale by selling the items left in the house by the previous owners. Father Manfred believes that the evil spirits are finally gone from the house. Meanwhile, at the yard sale, a woman named Helen Royce (Peggy McCay
Peggy McCay
Peggy McCay is a long-time American actress with a career lasting over sixty years in film and television...
) and her friend Rhona (Gloria Cromwell) are looking through the items when Helen finds the lamp. At only $100.00, Helen decides to buy the lamp. She even decides to send it to her sister as a birthday present, explaining that she and her sister send each other rather ugly gifts to each other as jokes. While checking the lamp, Helen cuts her finger on a brass collar around the bulb. Ignoring the cut on her finger, Helen buys the lamp. As the day goes on, Helen's finger begins to get infected and discolored.
One week later, the lamp arrives to the sister. Helen's sister, Alice Leacock (Jane Wyatt
Jane Wyatt
Jane Waddington Wyatt was an American actress perhaps best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the television comedy Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek...
), lives in a large, three story home over a beach in a small town called Dancott, California. That day, Alice's daughter, Nancy Evans (Patty Duke
Patty Duke
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
) and her three children Amanda (Zoe Trilling), Brian (Aron Eisenberg
Aron Eisenberg
Aron Eisenberg is an American actor best known for his role as "Nog" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Personal life:...
), and the youngest child, quiet, mysterious Jessica (Brandy Gold) move in with Alice. Once they arrive, Alice decides to open the package containing the lamp. Nancy thinks the lamp is hideous, while Alice finds it to be interesting. Once the lamp is turned on, Alice's parrot, Fred, begins to act crazy, and her cat, Pepper, scratches Amanda. While the rest of the family pays little to no attention to the lamp, Jessica seems to be drawn towards it.
Continuity
Despite the destruction of the house in the conclusion of the previous film it manages to make an appearance in this film. The films after 3-D usually do not pick up where the last film left off, so no explanation has ever been given as to how the house is still standing. It is possible this film may take place before Amityville 3-D due to the house already being empty in that film, and after the yard sale in this one. The furniture that was left in the house in the beginning of the film is believed to be owned by the Lutz family in the first movie. The film also makes a reference to Amityville II: The PossessionAmityville II: The Possession
Amityville II: The Possession is a 1982 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...
.
Reception
On the The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
web site, Amityville 4 is one movie listed in the article "Night Of The Killer Lamp: 23 Ridiculous Horror-Movie Adversaries". The article states the film's efforts to make a possessed lamp seem scary "border on camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
".
Filming Locations
The replica of the original Amityville house was located at 402 East M St., Wilmington, California. A facade was added to the side of the house to give it the Amityville appearance. The interiors of this house were filmed also.The exteriors for Alice Leacock's house were filmed at the James Sharp House, 11840 W. Telegraph Rd, Santa Paula, California
Santa Paula, California
Santa Paula is a city within Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 29,321 at the 2010 census, up from 28,598 at the 2000 census...
. The house is an historical Italian Villa style home built in 1890. In reality, it does not back out onto an oceanside cliff as depicted in the movie. Instead, it backs out onto the Santa Paula Freeway, about a quarter of a mile behind the house. For a second, you can see the tower of the house in the distance while driving on the Freeway.
The interiors of the grandmother's house were filmed at the Woodbury-Story House
Woodbury-Story House
The Woodbury-Story House is a National Register of Historic Places structure in Altadena, California. It was placed on the Register in 1993 for its significance as an example of Italianate and Colonial Revival architecture styles and its association with Capt. Frederick Woodbury, one of the...
in Altadena, California
Altadena, California
Altadena is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and directly north of the city of Pasadena, California...
.
An exterior shot of the John Marshall High School
John Marshall High School (Los Angeles, California)
John Marshall High School is a high school located in the Los Feliz district of the City of Los Angeles at 3939 Tracy Street, in Los Angeles, California, USA.Marshall, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was also used.
Cast
- Patty DukePatty DukeAnna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
as Nancy Evans - Jane WyattJane WyattJane Waddington Wyatt was an American actress perhaps best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the television comedy Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek...
as Alice Leacock - Fredric LehneFredric LehneFredric Lehne is an actor who has appeared in over 200 films, mini-series, and television shows as well as many stage productions including works by Shakespeare, Molière and Ibsen on Broadway...
as Father Kibbler - Lou Hancock as Peggy
- Brandy Gold as Jessica Evans
- Zoe Trilling as Amanda Evans (as Geri Betzler)
- Aron EisenbergAron EisenbergAron Eisenberg is an American actor best known for his role as "Nog" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Personal life:...
as Brian Evans - Norman LloydNorman LloydNorman Lloyd is an American actor, producer, and director with a career in entertainment spanning more than seven decades. Lloyd, who currently resides in Los Angeles, has appeared in over sixty films and television shows....
as Father Manfred - Robert Alan BrowneRobert Alan BrowneRobert Alan Browne is an American actor most notably recognized for his role as John Perkins on NBC's soap opera Santa Barbara, a role that he portrayed in 1984. He also played a minor character in Psycho II and Psycho III.-External links:...
as Donald McTear - Gloria Cromwell as Rhoda
- James SternJames SternJames Stern Anglo-Irish writer of short stories and non-fiction.The son of a British cavalry officer of Jewish descent and an Anglo-Irish Protestant mother, Stern was born in County Meath, Ireland. After working in Southern Rhodesia as a young man, he worked for his family's bank in London and...
as Danny Read - Peggy McCayPeggy McCayPeggy McCay is a long-time American actress with a career lasting over sixty years in film and television...
as Helen Royce