Everyone knows that any marketable horror franchise is going to be run into the ground, and then pummeled into submission once it hits the deck, only to be dusted off and then given a fresh coat of paint so that the exact same thing can happen all over again. That being said, nobody could have guessed what would become of the legacy laid down by 1979’s The Amityville Horror.
There have already been a mind-blowing 30 features with the word “Amityville” in the title, and that includes sequels, spinoffs, reboots, remakes, and whatever the hell Amityville Vibrator is supposed to be, although we’re too scared to ask at this point. In fairness, that works out at just over one release per year, but 2022 brings no less than 11 of them.
We’re not making this up, with Paste Magazine asking the question as to why the hell a lo-fi supernatural chiller that made $86 million at the box office and spawned a handful of direct successors over four decades ago has proven to be such fertile creative ground. Based on the slate of titles to arrive between January and December of this year, though, it appears that all you need to do is shoot something and slap “Amityville” on the marketing and you’re off to the races.
We’re not kidding when we tell you that Amityville Karen, Amityville Uprising, Amityville in Space, Amityville – The Resurgence, Amityville Thanksgiving, Amityville Christmas Vacation, Amityville Leprechaun, Amityville: Gas Chamber, Ghosts of Amityville, The Amityville Exorcist, and Amityville Poo: Killer Poop 2 (no, seriously, that’s a real film) have staked out a 2022 release date.
If you ever feel bad about Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, or any of the other all-time greats being bastardized and milked dry, then spare a thought for poor Amityville.
