Most Haunted House in America: The Amityville Horror

2024/11/28

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Joseph Laycock

Anthony Delaney 和 Maddy Pelling：阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件的故事融合了真实凶杀案和人为制造的神秘事件，其历史可以追溯，并与电影《驱魔人》有着密切的联系。 Joseph Laycock：阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件模糊了事实与虚构的界限，部分事件真实发生，但许多细节不可信或已被证伪。该事件在美国人心目中占据重要地位，因为它反映了美国梦的破灭和中产阶级愿望的崩溃。事件始于一起真实的集体谋杀案，凶手罗纳德·德菲奥杀害了全家六口人，其作案动机不明确。《驱魔人》电影的上映为阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件的发生创造了社会背景，该电影激增了对驱魔的需求，人们相信超自然力量。关于卢茨一家在阿米蒂维尔豪宅经历的超自然事件的报道相互矛盾，部分事件可能属实，部分则可能是编造的。卢茨一家声称的超自然事件可能与他们经济上的困境和试图从事件中获利的动机有关。所有证据表明，阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件是一个骗局，卢茨一家试图从中获利。尽管阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件是一个骗局，但大多数美国人并不知道这一点，该故事仍然在美国文化中广泛流传。阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件的骗局始于罗纳德·德菲奥的律师威廉·韦伯，他与卢茨一家合谋编造了这个故事。电影《驱魔人》对20世纪70年代的美国社会产生了巨大影响，它激发了人们对超自然现象的兴趣，并为阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件的发生创造了社会背景。如果没有《驱魔人》电影的影响，就不会有阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件。阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件影响了美国文化对宗教、鬼魂和恐怖的理解，它塑造了美国对灵性战争的理解。 Anthony Delaney 和 Maddy Pelling：阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件源于一起暴力的大规模谋杀案，真实恐怖与超自然神秘事件的界限模糊不清，其历史可以追溯。阿米蒂维尔恐怖事件与电影《驱魔人》关系密切，《驱魔人》深刻地改变了20世纪70年代的美国社会，塑造了人们对超自然现象的观念。 Joseph Laycock：电影《驱魔人》改编自一个真实故事，讲述了一个女孩被恶魔附身的故事，该电影在当时引起了巨大的争议和社会反响。电影《驱魔人》改变了美国人对驱魔和超自然现象的看法，使驱魔在社会上变得更加普遍。电影对人们思想的影响是出乎意料的，电影会将一些观念植入人们的脑海中，影响人们对现实的解读。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why is the Amityville Horror story significant in American culture?

The story resonates with Americans because it reflects the fear of the American dream turning into a nightmare. It has been parodied in popular culture, such as The Simpsons, and the image of a house with two large windows resembling eyes is deeply ingrained in the American psyche.

What was the real-life crime that preceded the Amityville Horror story?

In 1974, Ronald DeFeo murdered his entire family with a rifle in their home at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville. The lack of a clear motive for the crime created a void that later allowed for the supernatural narrative to take hold.

How did The Exorcist influence the Amityville Horror story?

The Exorcist, released in 1973, created a widespread belief in demonic possession and the supernatural. This cultural moment made it the perfect time to introduce a story about a haunted house, as people were already primed to believe in such phenomena.

What were some of the supernatural claims made by the Lutz family in the Amityville Horror?

The Lutz family reported swarms of flies, a pig-like creature named Jody with glowing eyes, walls bleeding green slime, doors being blasted off hinges, and Kathy Lutz levitating. Some of these claims were later debunked, while others were exaggerated for dramatic effect.

Why did the Lutz family claim their house was haunted?

The Lutz family likely fabricated the haunting to make money. They were in debt after purchasing the house and saw an opportunity to capitalize on the supernatural narrative, which was popular at the time due to films like The Exorcist.

How was the Amityville Horror story exposed as a hoax?

The hoax was exposed through a series of lawsuits and counter-lawsuits involving William Weber, the attorney for Ronald DeFeo, and the Lutz family. Weber revealed that they had concocted the story over bottles of wine, aiming to create a profitable horror narrative.

What impact did The Exorcist have on American society in the 1970s?

The Exorcist sparked a renewed interest in the supernatural and demonic possession. It led to an increase in demand for exorcisms and influenced cultural beliefs about evil forces. The film's success demonstrated that horror stories based on true events could be highly profitable.

How has the Amityville Horror influenced American religious beliefs?

The Amityville Horror contributed to the rise of Pentecostal spiritual warfare, where churches now actively combat alleged demonic presences in homes and public spaces. The story's logic of identifying and exorcising evil places has become a common practice in some religious communities.

Chapters

This chapter explores the history of the Amityville Horror, starting with the real-life murders that took place at 112 Ocean Avenue and moving into the subsequent claims of paranormal activity by the Lutz family. It examines the blurring of lines between fact and fiction, the role of media, and the financial motivations behind the story.

The Amityville Horror story originated with the real-life mass murder of the DeFeo family.
The Lutz family's claims of paranormal activity are largely unsubstantiated and have been debunked by skeptics.
The story's popularity and its influence on American culture are discussed, including its financial motivations and the role of media in perpetuating the myth.

Shownotes Transcript

112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville (Long Island) is arguably the most haunted house in America. Inside its walls demonic forces were, allegedly, unleashed. It's a story that is a troubling mixture of real murders and deliberate myth-making. It's also a story that owes a lot to a movie that shaped America in the 1970s in profound ways...The Exorcist.

Anthony and Maddy's guest to explore this incredible piece of paranormal history is Professor Joseph Laycock, associate professor of Religious Studies at Texas State University. He's the author of *The Exorcist Effect: Horror, Religion, and Demonic Belief *and The Penguin Book of Exorcisms.

Edited by Freddy Chick and Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe).

You can take part in our listener survey__ here__).

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Most Haunted House in America: The Amityville Horror 29:37 Share