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Quentin Tarantino is a genuine champion of cinema. While he is just as eager to talk about what he hates (looking at you, True Detective) as he is about what he loves (Train to Busan, yay), there are few filmmakers today working as tirelessly to champion and preserve the best cinema there is. You might not know this, but Tarantino, a longtime Los Angeleno, bought the New Beverly Cinema in 2014.
He also purchased the Vista Theater in 2021, reopening its doors in November last year. Tarantino loves to screen his favorites at either, though one such programming choice might surprise you. I’m talking about Damiano Damiani’s Amityville II: The Possession.
Per Tubi: An Italian-American family moves into a house built on an ancient burial ground, where an evil spirit forces the oldest son to murder his family.
On February 1, 2017, Quentin Tarantino scheduled a three-parter unlike any other at the New Beverly. The Changeling, The Evil, and Amityville II were all screened. I wasn’t anywhere near Los Angeles then, but I’m still jealous I missed that. The Amityville II screening, in particular, had several persons involved with the film in attendance, invited by Tarantino, and one such attendee was co-star Diane Franklin.
In a Forbes piece two years after the screening, Franklin sat down to discuss her eventual return to the complicated, almost mythic in scale Amityville franchise. Franklin shared how Quentin Tarantino was a huge fan of the film, and it was his decision to screen the feature that eventually connected her with Daniel Farrands for 2018’s The Amityville Murders. Genuinely, it’s such a cute story.
Now, whether Quentin Tarantino should love Amityville II is a different story. Personally, I agree with him, and in the years since its release, the movie has been reassessed, with some critics claiming it to be superior to the original. Damiani’s film is certainly meaner, including themes of sexual violence and incest (yes, really) that were bold for 1982, let alone 2024. If you’re so inclined, you can catch it streaming for free on Tubi now.
What do you think? Do you agree with Quentin Tarantino? Any plans to check out Amityville II? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
Categorized:News
