The Amityville Harvest - It's Not The House, It's What Lurks Inside
Amityville - the very name has weight and a mythos all unto itself; it is a unique paradigm in the landscape of American folklore, a subject in which it finds itself in lonely company. There are a couple of lasting folklore tales and urban legends unique to America that stand the test of time: The Jersey Devil, Wendigo, Roanoke, The Bell Witch, and yes, The Amityville Horror(s). Based on events both factual and flagrantly exaggerated, the 1979 movie is as iconic as Psycho and Nightmare on Elm Street, with sequels, remakes, and homages in continual release since the first film’s debut. In this time, Amityville has grown beyond the house; grown to encompass more than just the iconic home with the two windows appearing to gaze at the viewer - Amityville has become a keystone for tales of the macabre. A house, a neighborhood, a community, a town, a store with items that once belonged to the aforementioned - Amityville has become its own folklore franchise.
The latest tale to embrace this moniker is The Amityville Harvest (written and directed by Thomas J. Churchill), a comfortable, familiar setup with a unique spin on a familiar trope. A filmmaker/documentarian has set out to investigate and research a local manor and its history of smuggling liquors. Hosting their research and allowing them to stay in the manor is Vincent, a foreboding, mysterious and unsettling gentleman with an interesting link to the manor’s past. Unfortunately, during the course of the interviews, we find that Vincent cannot be filmed nor recorded, much to the chagrin of the filmmaker, Christina.
What follows is a familiar setup-and-knockdown horror tale that is both unique and charming. Budget constraints show in this film, which only enhance said charm, and the actors help carry the film along at a brisk pace.
The gore is cool, the camera work is competent, the setting is intriguing, and most importantly, what is shown on the box art is what you get in the film; not to mention the story itself was unique and while I knew there was something off, I did not know exactly what was off until the reveal.
The Amityville Harvest is available on DVD and digitally on Amazon Prime right now.
If you would like to hear more about the film, and its mysterious lead, you can listen to me chat with Kyle Lowder, who played the enigmatic Vincent. Head over to the M3 Podcast Portal and check it out.
The Amityville Harvest
Director: Thomas J. Churchill
Writer: Thomas J. Churchill
Stars: Yan Birch, Keavy Bradley, Ashley Cacho, Kyle Lowder
Read more within the Museum of Macabre Media on Monsters, Madness and Magic here: Mass Hysteria Stands Out From The Crowd