Cost: a mere $1.5 million, according to Gawker.
Sounds like a deal for a place you can brag was the scene for multiple murders. Or was it really? There’s always been some dispute about how true the story really was/is. Still, the book and the movie were pretty formative events in my life. The book more so than the movie, although the movie really freaked me out. Not as much as The Exorcist, which is still the scariest movie I have ever seen. Back then horror movies weren’t tongue in cheek or ironic or played with a knowing wink to the audience. They were played straight and deadly serious.
Anyhoo…for me the book was a much bigger deal. I used the carry that tattered paperback that I got from the used book store around with me everywhere. I’d read it between classes and even during class if I could get away with it. In Language Arts class (why it wasn’t just called English I have not a freaking clue) we had free reading time on Fridays and that was one of my books. I read mostly horror back then. I got a thrill out of it. In fact, to increase the rush I’d sometimes get up in the middle of the night to read alone in the dark with a flashlight. For the Amityville Horror I’d purposely read at 3:15 am, the supposed time that the murders took place. Just to freak myself out.
Thanks to Mike for hipping me to this news.
junkdrawer67 
Wow. Wild memories of seeing this movie.
I was 16 years old the first time I saw Amityville and 19 the first time I saw The Exorcist. I was not one to ever be genuinely frightened by movies, but both scared the crap out of me!
In the case of The Exorcist, I was home for the summer from college and went to a high school friend’s house to watch. The movie wasn’t over until very late, and I was afraid to drive home! 🙂
I was even younger. It actually took me several tries to watch The Exorcist before I finally watched it all the way through. I’d get to the part where the possession begins and I’d bail. And that was on regular TV, when it was edited. When I finally watched it on video I was even more freaked out. And years later, I went to the movie theater to see the director’s cut that had at least one added creepy scene that is impossible to describe, but I defy anyone to not be creeped right out of their skin by it.
Speaking of scary moves, I saw Night of the Living Dead at a special viewing at our church youth group of all places, and afterwards my brother and I had to walk home. That was a long mile back to the safety of my bed, and I still didn’t sleep well for weeks.