Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes | |
---|---|
Also known as | Amityville: The Evil Escapes |
Genre | Horror |
Written by |
John G. Jones (novel) Sandor Stern |
Directed by | Sandor Stern |
Starring |
Patty Duke Jane Wyatt Fredric Lehne |
Music by | Rick Conrad |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
Steve White Sandor Stern(co-executive producer) |
Producer(s) |
Barry Bernardi Kenneth Atchity (NBC) John G. Jones (co-producer) |
Cinematography | Tom Richmond |
Editor(s) | Skip Schoolnik |
Running time | 95 min. |
Production company(s) |
Steve White Productions Spectacor Films |
Distributor | NBC |
Release | |
Original network | NBC |
Original release | May 12, 1989 |
The Amityville Horror 4: The Evil Escapes (or simply Amityville: The Evil Escapes; the onscreen title is Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes) is a 1989 American made-for-television horror film which premiered on NBC on May 12, 1989. It is the fourth installment in the Amityville saga. It was released on home video by Vidmark Entertainment, then released on DVD twice by Allumination Filmworks in 2003 and 2007. This was the only Amityville sequel to be based on a book in the main book series. Amityville: The Horror Returns was also going to air on NBC but the film was never made.
The movie begins on a rainy night. We see the infamous Amityville Horror house. Six priests, led by Father Manfred (Norman Lloyd) enter the house and start to exorcise it. One of the priests, Father Dennis Kibbler (Fredric Lehne) is in an upstairs bedroom and begins to bless it when he sees a glowing brass floor lamp. As he begins to chant, a burst of energy emerges from the outlet, through the cord, and into the lamp. A demonic face appears in the large round bulb. Kibbler is knocked across the room and is unconscious.
A few days later, the real estate agency decides to have a yard sale by selling the items left in the house by the previous owners. Father Manfred believes that the evil spirits are finally gone from the house. Meanwhile, at the yard sale, a woman named Helen Royce (Peggy McCay) and her friend Rhona (Gloria Cromwell) are looking through the items when Helen finds the lamp. At only $100.00, Helen decides to buy the lamp. She even decides to send it to her sister as a birthday present, explaining that she and her sister send each other rather ugly gifts as a long-running joke. While checking the lamp, Helen cuts her finger on a brass collar around the bulb. Ignoring the cut on her finger, Helen buys the lamp. As the day goes on, Helen's finger begins to get infected and discolored.
One week later, the lamp arrives at Helen's sister, Alice Leacock's (Jane Wyatt), house, a large, three story home over a beach in a small town called Dancott, California. That day, Alice's daughter, Nancy Evans (Patty Duke) and her three children Amanda (Zoe Trilling), Brian (Aron Eisenberg), and the youngest child, quiet, mysterious Jessica (Brandy Gold) move in with Alice. Once they arrive, Alice decides to open the package containing the lamp. Nancy thinks the lamp is hideous, while Alice finds it to be interesting. Once the lamp is turned on, Alice's parrot, Fred, begins to act crazy, and her cat, Pepper, scratches Amanda. While the rest of the family pays little to no attention to the lamp, Jessica seems to be drawn towards it.