Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
For the 25th entry of this editorial series (!), we’re looking at the lone Amityville directed solo by a woman: Rebecca Matthews’ Witches of Amityville Academy (2020). Also known as Amityville Witches or Witches of Amityville, this British production is another “Amityville in name only.” That means the characters say the word, but it has no bearing to haunted objects and/or its DeFeo predecessors. In fact, the film is closer in tone and visual aesthetic to a soap opera than the preceding 26 titles.
Screenwriter Tom Joliffe opens the film with not one, but two cold opens. The first features witches being hanged in 1602, while the second jumps ahead to the present day as white magic sisters Sam (Kira Reed Lorsch), Lucy (Donna Spangler...
For the 25th entry of this editorial series (!), we’re looking at the lone Amityville directed solo by a woman: Rebecca Matthews’ Witches of Amityville Academy (2020). Also known as Amityville Witches or Witches of Amityville, this British production is another “Amityville in name only.” That means the characters say the word, but it has no bearing to haunted objects and/or its DeFeo predecessors. In fact, the film is closer in tone and visual aesthetic to a soap opera than the preceding 26 titles.
Screenwriter Tom Joliffe opens the film with not one, but two cold opens. The first features witches being hanged in 1602, while the second jumps ahead to the present day as white magic sisters Sam (Kira Reed Lorsch), Lucy (Donna Spangler...
- 10/10/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Stephanie Lodge, Sophie Jugé, Barbara Dabson, Karell Vertet, Lee Hancock, Elspeth Foster, Richard Kovacs, Kate Sandison | Written by Sophie Storm K | Directed by Adam Cowie
Before going viral with Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, writer, director and producer Scott Jeffrey was already tapping classic fairytales, myths and legends for his low-budget British horror companies Jagged Edge Productions and Proportion Productions – taking familiar childhood tropes and turning them on their heads, oftentimes making a bright, cheerful kids thing onto a film of sheer terror. That path has given us killer tooth fairies, evil leprechauns, a demonic cupid, a terrifying Humpty Dumpty and a Hills Have Eyes-esque duo of Jack and Jill… Perennial kid’s nursery rhyme characters turned into a couple of inbred, hillside-dwelling psychopathic killers!
Unfortunately for The Legend of Jack and Jill things fell a little flat thanks to the one-dimensional characters and the fact it wasn’t really that scary.
Before going viral with Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, writer, director and producer Scott Jeffrey was already tapping classic fairytales, myths and legends for his low-budget British horror companies Jagged Edge Productions and Proportion Productions – taking familiar childhood tropes and turning them on their heads, oftentimes making a bright, cheerful kids thing onto a film of sheer terror. That path has given us killer tooth fairies, evil leprechauns, a demonic cupid, a terrifying Humpty Dumpty and a Hills Have Eyes-esque duo of Jack and Jill… Perennial kid’s nursery rhyme characters turned into a couple of inbred, hillside-dwelling psychopathic killers!
Unfortunately for The Legend of Jack and Jill things fell a little flat thanks to the one-dimensional characters and the fact it wasn’t really that scary.
- 1/25/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Georgina Jane, Zuza Tehanu, Barbara Dabson, Faith Kiggundu, Nicole Nabi, Richard Harfst, Megan Purvis, Kate Sandison | Written by Scott Jeffrey | Directed by Scott Jeffrey, Rebecca Matthews
I’m going to sound like a broken record this week with not one but Four Scott Jeffrey film currently on the slate for review. This, Cannibal Troll, is the second of the week and harkens back to the more basic era of Scott Jeffrey’s filmmaking – insomuch that this film is essentially a basic slasher movie retread with a troll as its antagonist rather than a deranged maniac! There’s also, given the use of the word ‘cannibal’ in the title, a nod to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, with the troll seemingly building a “family” of victims, not killing them – or eating them as the title would suggest – but rather having them around his home, keeping them alive for some (not clearly explained) reason.
I’m going to sound like a broken record this week with not one but Four Scott Jeffrey film currently on the slate for review. This, Cannibal Troll, is the second of the week and harkens back to the more basic era of Scott Jeffrey’s filmmaking – insomuch that this film is essentially a basic slasher movie retread with a troll as its antagonist rather than a deranged maniac! There’s also, given the use of the word ‘cannibal’ in the title, a nod to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, with the troll seemingly building a “family” of victims, not killing them – or eating them as the title would suggest – but rather having them around his home, keeping them alive for some (not clearly explained) reason.
- 7/1/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Sarah T. Cohen, Megan Purvis, Barbara Dabson, Bao Tieu, Nicola Wright, Stephanie Lodge, Sam Woodhams, Antonia Johnstone, Amanda-Jade Tyler, Jamie Robertson, Ryan Davies, May Brown, Ben Reid, Max Been, Kate Sandison | Written and Directed by Scott Jeffrey
UK horror uber-producer Scott Jeffrey is back behind the camera as writer and director of Conjuring the Genie, aka Evil Genie, aka Devil Djinn, the latest film from his Jagged Edge Productions. This time round we’re following a formula the Jeffrey started in last years Cupid and continued in the last Jagged Edge film I reviewed, Rise of the Mummy… A bunch of students get tangled up in the supernatural and pay the price. Cupid saw teenagers summon Cupid and get killed one by one; Rise of the Mummy had a student steal a mummy’s amulet awakening it and unleashing it on the rest of the students at a college,...
UK horror uber-producer Scott Jeffrey is back behind the camera as writer and director of Conjuring the Genie, aka Evil Genie, aka Devil Djinn, the latest film from his Jagged Edge Productions. This time round we’re following a formula the Jeffrey started in last years Cupid and continued in the last Jagged Edge film I reviewed, Rise of the Mummy… A bunch of students get tangled up in the supernatural and pay the price. Cupid saw teenagers summon Cupid and get killed one by one; Rise of the Mummy had a student steal a mummy’s amulet awakening it and unleashing it on the rest of the students at a college,...
- 5/25/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Abi Casson Thompson, Megan Purvis, Stephanie Lodge, Amanda-Jade Tyler, Antonia Johnstone, Kate Sandison, Barbara Dabson, Rui Shang, Mya Brown, Zuza Tehanu, Wiktoria Wabnyc, Marcus Brooks-Henderson, Arthur Boan | Written by Shannon Holiday | Directed by Antonia Johnstone
Well surprise, surprise. Who knew that 2019’s The Mummy Reborn would get a sequel? It has and it’s Rise of the Mummy (aka Mummy Resurgence). But hold on, this one’s not from Proportion Productions, rather instead its credited to Jagged Edge Productions… What’s going on? Oh… wait a minute… We’re all good, it turns out Jagged Edge Productions is yet another Scott Jeffrey company… phew!
This time round Jeffrey hands the directorial reigns to Antonia Johnstone, who we last saw in front of the camera as a cop in The Leprechaun’s Game. Who not only directs but apparently also did make-up and costuming on the film, and is credited was...
Well surprise, surprise. Who knew that 2019’s The Mummy Reborn would get a sequel? It has and it’s Rise of the Mummy (aka Mummy Resurgence). But hold on, this one’s not from Proportion Productions, rather instead its credited to Jagged Edge Productions… What’s going on? Oh… wait a minute… We’re all good, it turns out Jagged Edge Productions is yet another Scott Jeffrey company… phew!
This time round Jeffrey hands the directorial reigns to Antonia Johnstone, who we last saw in front of the camera as a cop in The Leprechaun’s Game. Who not only directs but apparently also did make-up and costuming on the film, and is credited was...
- 2/22/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Kira Reed Lorsch, Donna Spangler, Jake Francis, Nicola Wright, Georgina Jane, Jon Callaway, Sarah T. Cohen, Amanda-Jade Tyler, Toby Wynn-Davies, Barbara Dabson, Brittan Taylor, Jim Arnold, Lee Cutler, Sophie Jay, Venetia Cook | Written by Tom Jolliffe | Directed by Rebecca Matthews
With a title shortened from Witches of Amityville Academy (probably so as not to give anyone the wrong impression that this is a teen movie a la Sabrina), Witches of Amityville tells the story of Jessica who, when receives an invitation to attend an exclusive academy, jumps at the chance to go to a prestigious school. However, on her first night, when she sees another newcomer murdered in front of her, she realises something is very wrong. She discovers the academy is actually a cover for a coven of witches and she has hidden powers that might just help save her life and escape their evil clutches…
Ok, by...
With a title shortened from Witches of Amityville Academy (probably so as not to give anyone the wrong impression that this is a teen movie a la Sabrina), Witches of Amityville tells the story of Jessica who, when receives an invitation to attend an exclusive academy, jumps at the chance to go to a prestigious school. However, on her first night, when she sees another newcomer murdered in front of her, she realises something is very wrong. She discovers the academy is actually a cover for a coven of witches and she has hidden powers that might just help save her life and escape their evil clutches…
Ok, by...
- 10/19/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Jon Callaway, Abi Casson Thompson, Kate Lush, Heather Jackson, Richard D. Myers, Will Stanton, Hannah Ponting, Kate Milner Evans, Jon-Scott Clark, Barbara Dabson, Shakil Hussain, Hattie Willow, Richard Harfst, Shawn C. Phillips, Chelsea Murphy | Written by Scott Jeffrey | Directed by Rebecca Matthews
The latest film from prolific UK genre out fit Proportion Productions, The Candy Witch tells the story of two ghost hunters are called upon a distressed family who claim they are being tormented by an evil spirit known in their local town as The Candy Witch. But as the mystery of her curse is uncovered, surprising and sinister turns are discovered around The Candy Witch’s identity. Their hardest case yet, can they solve this evil curse before more people are killed by the demonic spirit?
I’m going to sound like a broken record once again as I extol the virtues of Proportion Productions aren’t I?...
The latest film from prolific UK genre out fit Proportion Productions, The Candy Witch tells the story of two ghost hunters are called upon a distressed family who claim they are being tormented by an evil spirit known in their local town as The Candy Witch. But as the mystery of her curse is uncovered, surprising and sinister turns are discovered around The Candy Witch’s identity. Their hardest case yet, can they solve this evil curse before more people are killed by the demonic spirit?
I’m going to sound like a broken record once again as I extol the virtues of Proportion Productions aren’t I?...
- 6/8/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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