Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Amityville Legacy’

Written by Scott Edwards

Finding that perfect gift for someone is not as easy as it looks. I know that gift cards and cash can feel like a copout, like you didn’t put any thought in what to get someone, but most of the time it is not. Trying to get something for someone that has everything, you can try to focus on what they really like, like sharks for me, or something that they talk about all of the time, like horror movies for me. 

But you may not know what they own and would hate to get them something that they already have. So that is where the gift of money comes into play. They can get anything that their heart desires, even if it pays for a couple steaks at the grocery store, it is something that they wanted, and your present does not go unappreciated. 

A momentous event is underway as Mark is about to hit his fiftieth birthday and all of the family is coming home to celebrate. Being a good Catholic house, Mark has had to cope with the way the world has changed and accept his kid’s lifestyle choices. Britany is pregnant and is not married, Tony has a boyfriend, Julia is single at an advanced age, Breana is having relations without being married and Jennii is in training to be the family drunk when Aunt Cheyenne passes on. Without his wife by his side, Mark has had a tough go of things and having his mother live with him, along with Britany seems to have worked out well, but grandma is quickly losing her mind as well and there might be some problems on the horizon.

But all is well as it is Mark’s birthday and when opening presents he gets a windup monkey that smashes its cymbals together, just like the one he had as a child. Yet, there is something strange about this old toy as Mark sees himself getting a rifle from his father to take care of business. Waking up and seeing that his family is worried about him, the old man decides to call it a night. Heading to the bathroom, Mark steps on the monkey and instantly his mood begins to change. Lashing out at his family for nothing, Mark takes to the axe and works on chopping wood for the fire. Getting a visit from Aunt Cheyenne who delivers the non-drinker a screwdriver, Mark has had it with the woman and takes her out to the woodshed. With his father giving words of encouragement and blasting Mark for not keeping his family in line, no one in the house will be safe when 'protecting' his family is taken to a whole new level.

Yeah, I will admit it, the Amityville name is why I watched this movie and while this movie takes place in Nebraska, you get some of the same elements of the original story, mainly in the attitude of the haunted. The toy monkey came from the DeFeo residence where the murders of Amityville took place forty years ago and it still has the power to make people do things that should not be done. The family, while not being perfect seems to be like every other family these days, but with little things setting off the possessed father, it is a shame to see them all come face to face with death. The addition of a voice to the story is nice in the series, since you never get to hear what the dead are demanding and, in this movie, it is put front and center that Mark has let his family slide for too long and their mistakes need to be corrected. Stay Scared.

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