Wasikowska plays teenaged India Stoker, who is grieving her
father’s recent, tragic death in an apparent car accident. She
receives little comfort from her similarly-grieving but chilly mother
(Kidman). When long-absent Uncle Charlie (Goode) reappears at the funeral
reception, he kindles sexual urges in both women and unexpectedly homicidal
instincts in his niece.
Stoker boasts provocative
shots of spiders crawling up India’s
legs, pseudo-philosophical reflections such as “To become an adult is to
become free,” erotic piano duets, and a virtual cameo by recent Academy
Award nominee Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings
Playbook). Kidman’s character becomes increasingly
unhinged as the story progresses; between her campy turn in last year’s The Paperboy and this, I fear the
Oscar-winning actress risks becoming the new Faye Dunaway. Die-hard fans
of director Park may appreciate Stoker
but most everyone else would do best to steer clear.
Meanwhile, another haunted family back on the big screen in select cities and on Video On Demand (VOD) this weekend is all too real. George and Kathy Lutz and their three children allegedly endured 28 days and nights of terror during the mid-1970’s in Amityville, New York. Their new home was the site of a massacre one year earlier, when Ronald DeFeo shot and killed his entire family while they slept. Shortly after moving in, the Lutzes began experiencing supernatural phenomenon that ultimately drove them from the house. This has been recounted in the bestselling book The Amityville Horror as well as several films inspired by it.
George and Kathy have since passed away, but their son
Daniel Lutz has broken the children’s longtime silence about the Lutz family’s
ordeal in the intrinsically intriguing new documentary My Amityville Horror. During the 37
years since, Daniel moved from place to place, was married and divorced, and
underwent extensive therapy before settling into his current life as a small
town UPS deliveryman. He shares his remembrances openly, even movingly at
times.
Given the opportunity to debunk reports of his
family’s experience, as some researchers and more recent residents of the
house have done, Daniel affirms the book’s account of events with just a
few corrections or clarifications. This was surprising to me given the
vehemence with which he often speaks in the film of his stepfather, George.
He also acknowledges that George, who seemingly had a pre-haunting
interest in telekinesis and the occult, may have manipulated Daniel and his
siblings or the phenomenon they witnessed. Still, Daniel resolutely
maintains that his family was indeed under siege by unearthly forces that may
have been unintentionally stirred up by George’s physical resemblance to
prior tenant Ronald DeFeo. (DeFeo, who was convicted of his family
members’ murders and remains in prison, claimed that voices in the house
commanded him to kill.)
My Amityville Horror is spooky
stuff, effectively directed by Eric Walter, even as it rehashes much of what is
well known from the books and movies. One thing shown in the documentary
that I had not previously seen is a creepy photo taken in the empty house by a
researcher’s camera following the Lutzes’ sudden departure. A
frighteningly clear image reveals a young boy with glowing eyes, possibly the
spirit of DeFeo’s youngest brother, peering out from a doorway. It
made my hair stand up, as the best moments in horror movies should.
Tragically, Daniel’s scarred psyche testifies to a ghost story that is
too true for comfort.
Reverend’s Ratings:
Stoker: C-
My Amityville Horror: B
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