Amityville: A New Generation (1993)

After yet another disheartening Flyers loss (their eighth in a row … do I hear nine?) it was time to head back down the Amityville Rabbit Hole with AMITYVILLE: A NEW GENERATION (1993), inspired by the book Amityville: The Evil Escapes but not to be confused with the film AMITYVILLE: THE EVIL ESCAPES (1989) which stars Patty Duke and Jane Wyatt and co-stars an evil floor lamp. Got it? Good.

Instead, NEW GEN focuses on Keyes Terry (Ross Partridge, who looks a bit like a Thrift Store Jake Gyllenhaal), an artist/photographer who lives in a trendy artist’s building along with painter Suki (Julia Nickson), sculptor Pauli (Richard Roundtree!), and Keyes’ supportive but exasperated girlfriend Llanie (Lala Sloatman aka Dollar Tree Taylor Swift). Rounding out the building’s residents are David Naughton and Barbara Howard as Dick The Landlord (subtle) and his wife, Janet.

While taking photos one day, Keyes encounters a homeless man (Jack Orend) who hands him an ornate mirror. Might it be … evil?! Well, it’d be a short–and boring–movie if it wasn’t.

Naturally, Keyes brings the mirror back to the building where it starts claiming victims (like Robert Rusler as a boozy paramour of Suki’s) and attracting the attention of Detective Clark (the always reliable Terry O’Quinn), who may know more about the mirror’s history–and Keyes’– than he initially lets on. Everything culminates at a group exhibit in the loft where Keyes’ past and preset collide.

Amityville “sequels” tend to be pretty hit or miss, but NEW GENERATION is ludicrous and entertaining, complete with trips to mirror world, an unexpected shotgun blast to the face, enough gore to be satisfying, over-the-top David Naughton, the many layered wardrobe of Thrift Store Jake Gyllenhaal, and did I mention Richard Roundtree as a sculptor named Pauli?! – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet, which just announced its return to print after a twelve year absence.