Skyline Entertainment releases a chilling trailer for The Amityville Murders, a prequel to the 1979 horror classic The Amityville Horror. In 1974, 23-year-old Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr. admitted to murdering his parents and four siblings with a .35 caliber rifle in Amityville, New York. At the subsequent trial, DeFeo claimed self-defense against “voices” that were plotting against him, but was ultimately convicted on six counts of second-degree murder. The case's inconsistencies sparked conspiracy theories, along with stories about possible paranormal activity in the Long Island home.

Jay Anson’s 1975 book The Amityville Horror documented the experiences of the Lutz family, who moved into the DeFeo home approximately one year after the murders and claimed to have been terrorized by unknown entities during their first 28 days until leaving. In 1979, director Stuart Rosenberg (Cool Hand Luke) adapted the book for the big screen, resulting in one of the horror genre’s most iconic films starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder. The latest “Amityville” adaption, The Amityville Murders, marks the 21st cinematic spin on the DeFeo story.

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Today, Skyline Entertainment released The Amityville Murders’ trailer, which directly investigates the events that led to the DeFeo family tragedy. Watch the trailer below.

To begin, an unknown female voice speaks to Ronald DeFeo Jr. (John Robinson; Lords of Dogtown), and references an impending “terrible, beautiful end.” From there, voiceover by the infamous killer establishes the familial context, along with the idea that more than just his family members live in the Amityville home. As shadowy figures increasingly appear, DeFeo becomes more paranoid, while his parents come to the realization that their son may have psychological issues. The trailer’s second half underlines DeFeo’s descent into madness, with the cinematography showing different perspectives leading up to the inevitable violence, along with floating pennies and the usual flying objects that dominate paranormal activity productions.

Even though The Amityville Murders doesn’t feature an A-list star (Chelsea Ricketts and The Wire’s Paul Ben-Victor have supporting roles), the film’s writer/director Daniel Farrands is an experienced horror filmmaker. Dating back to 2011, Farrands has 21 producing credits to his name, including the 2009 film The Haunting in Connecticut. In addition, he’s also listed as director for the upcoming films The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson (starring Mena Suvari and Taryn Manning) and The Haunting of Sharon Tate (starring Hilary Duff).

While Farrands doesn’t quite have Blumhouse-level credentials, The Amityville Murders’ trailer looks and feels like a solid horror production. We’ll find out if Farrands is the real deal when The Amityville Murders is released on February 8.

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Source: Skyline Entertainment