Get Out!

The Amityville Horror, starring Ryan Reynolds (Don't call him "Mr. Alanis Morrisette"), was the top box office draw this past weekend. This is a remake of a 1979 movie, that was in turn adapted from a "non-fiction" bestseller by John Anson. "Non-fiction" means it was "based on a true story." As we explore the weird, we'll hear that phrase a lot.

The bare bones of the "true story" are these: In the mid-70's, the Lutzes, a newly blended family, got a bargain deal on a spacious house in Amityville, Long Island, New York. They apparently were not put off house by either the spooky attic windows that look like staring eyes, or the fact that the previous owners were murdered in their beds by the son, Ronald DeFeo. The Lutz family stayed in the house for 28 days, and then left the house claiming all manner of strange phenomena had driven them from living there another moment.

What kinds of strange phenomena? Well, here's where I get shaky on the story. You see, I've never actually seen either movie, and it's been years since I read the book. I was only about 7 or 8 when the original film was released. My experience of the story came mostly from the teenage guys in my neighborhood who loved to torment me with stories from the movie. And when they ran out of scenes, the made stuff up to scare me. It didn't help that we had a house down the street with the same creepy attic windows.

jerks.

So over the years, I've always been confused between what was in the movie, what was in the book, and what was fabricated by the warped mind of Jackie Mason, who lived up the street.

Ok, I remember a few "facts" of the case. As part of his defense, DeFeo claims "voices" told him to kill his family. As for the Lutzes, their daughter gained an imaginary friend named "Jodie." There was an odd, and alarmingly large, infestation of flies. George Lutz became excessively cranky and grew a beard -- he may also have heard voices. After that, you'd do better to follow the links for the scary stuff. Most people refer to the incident as a "haunted house," but in fact, most of the story points to interference by demonic entitities, not ghosts.

Ghosts, of course, are generally regarded as a spiritual manifestation of a once living person. Demons, on the other hand, are not people but sentient, non-physical, evil beings -- fallen angels, if you follow a mainstream Western religion. Most people are familiar with the concept of demonic possession, where an evil being inhabits a person's body against his or her will. Less well-known in the modern world is the concept of demonic obsession, which is a manifestation of a demon in the outside world to torment a victim.

Demonic obsession used to be very popular against hermits and future saints in the early Church. Perhaps the best known, although special, case of demonic obsession is recounted in the Bible, when Jesus retreats to the desert and is tempted by the devil. However, over the centuries, many saints have reported similar visits. Martin Luther, the man who began the Protestant Reformation, also reported being tormented by the Devil and demons who would interfere with his sleep and writing. Luther got rid of the devil by throwing an inkwell at him. It took more for a Catholic saint to dispose of the devil. The saint was working in his forge when the devil appeared to torment him. Although the saint tried very hard to ignore Satan, eventually the devil annoyed him enough to get him mad. The saint snatched up the red hot pinchers and grabbed Old Scratch by the nose before throwing him out of the forge.

Nowadays, we find that modern medication does wonders for people afflicted by hallucinations and hearing diembodied voices. However, it should be noted that the Catholic Church still believes there is no metaphysical reason not to believe in demonic possession or obsession. So say your prayers!