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.”
One year after the release of Amityville Scarecrow, we get the sequel Amityville Scarecrow 2 (2022). Unlike other sequels in the “franchise,” however, this second entry boasts an entirely new creative team. Stepping in as director is Adam Cowie, while Craig McLearie takes over writing duties.
Amityville Scarecrow 2 picks up two years after the events of the first film. Adult sisters Tina (Amanda-Jade Tyler) and Mary (Kate Sandison) are no longer estranged, and they’re still aiming to re-open the cursed family campground, though they’re rapidly running out of money.
Mary’s daughter Harriet (Sofia Lacey) is also still around, though she confides in boyfriend Dylan (Dan Robins) that she’s ready to move on. She just can’t find the words to tell her mother.
One year after the release of Amityville Scarecrow, we get the sequel Amityville Scarecrow 2 (2022). Unlike other sequels in the “franchise,” however, this second entry boasts an entirely new creative team. Stepping in as director is Adam Cowie, while Craig McLearie takes over writing duties.
Amityville Scarecrow 2 picks up two years after the events of the first film. Adult sisters Tina (Amanda-Jade Tyler) and Mary (Kate Sandison) are no longer estranged, and they’re still aiming to re-open the cursed family campground, though they’re rapidly running out of money.
Mary’s daughter Harriet (Sofia Lacey) is also still around, though she confides in boyfriend Dylan (Dan Robins) that she’s ready to move on. She just can’t find the words to tell her mother.
- 2/6/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
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.”
Welcome back to a new year of The Amityville IP. With Amityville Scarecrow, this editorial series leaves behind the scant four “franchise” titles released in 2021 for the gargantuan ten titles released in 2022.
While Scarecrow is a similarly low budget production with some dodgy script decisions (courtesy of screenwriter Shannon Holiday), the emphasis on fractured family dynamics feels more in keeping with the early Amityville entries.
For no apparent reason, the film arbitrarily changes the mythology of the series. In Scarecrow, the Amityville murders were committed by “the Richards brothers,” not by Ronald DeFeo. After the family home was razed, a summer camp was built on the property, but the land became cursed.
When the film opens, adult sisters Tina and Mary (Amanda-Jade Tyler...
Welcome back to a new year of The Amityville IP. With Amityville Scarecrow, this editorial series leaves behind the scant four “franchise” titles released in 2021 for the gargantuan ten titles released in 2022.
While Scarecrow is a similarly low budget production with some dodgy script decisions (courtesy of screenwriter Shannon Holiday), the emphasis on fractured family dynamics feels more in keeping with the early Amityville entries.
For no apparent reason, the film arbitrarily changes the mythology of the series. In Scarecrow, the Amityville murders were committed by “the Richards brothers,” not by Ronald DeFeo. After the family home was razed, a summer camp was built on the property, but the land became cursed.
When the film opens, adult sisters Tina and Mary (Amanda-Jade Tyler...
- 1/11/2024
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: Becca Hirani, Sarah T. Cohen, Connor Powles, May Kelly, Rita Di Tuccio, Ella Starbuck, Katiris Cooper, Asian Dixon, Keith Myles, Kate Sandison | Written by Craig McLearie | Directed by Chase Martins
I was a big fan of 2021’s Medusa, aka Medusa: Queen of Serpents, mainly down to the brilliant performance from Megan Purvis in the lead role of Carly and Sarah T.Cohen as her friend… and the fact the film was unlike anything producer Scott Jeffrey had been involved with at the time. For Medusa was a topical drama, wrapped up in the skin (pun intended) of a horror film; like the best of the genre the film was much more than skin deep (pun intended again), offering a layered tale about how women are treated in society. The film was all the more remarkable as it felt like one of the smallest productions Jeffrey and co. had put together.
I was a big fan of 2021’s Medusa, aka Medusa: Queen of Serpents, mainly down to the brilliant performance from Megan Purvis in the lead role of Carly and Sarah T.Cohen as her friend… and the fact the film was unlike anything producer Scott Jeffrey had been involved with at the time. For Medusa was a topical drama, wrapped up in the skin (pun intended) of a horror film; like the best of the genre the film was much more than skin deep (pun intended again), offering a layered tale about how women are treated in society. The film was all the more remarkable as it felt like one of the smallest productions Jeffrey and co. had put together.
- 11/30/2023
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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: Paula Coiz, Samantha Cull, Patricia Mañas, Danielle Scott, Chris Cordell, Kate Sandison, Bao Tieu, Samantha Cull, Meg Matthews, Zuza Tehanu | Written by Ben Daly | Directed by Louisa Warren
Seemingly filmed back-to-back with the fourth film in the series, a film that rebooted the franchise, redesigned the titular killer tooth fairy and changed all the lore we’d previously learnt, Tooth Fairy: Drill to Kill is set two years after the horrifying events of That school trip where students and teachers were brutally slain and follows Sammy, the surviving teacher, who rejoins her colleagues back at work. However, after hearing some odd noises around the classrooms Sammy feels she is being watched. It’s not until she hears the familiar knocking at the door does she realize her nightmare has not ended.
I’ll be honest, after sitting through the fourth film in the franchise, Queen of Pain, I wasn...
Seemingly filmed back-to-back with the fourth film in the series, a film that rebooted the franchise, redesigned the titular killer tooth fairy and changed all the lore we’d previously learnt, Tooth Fairy: Drill to Kill is set two years after the horrifying events of That school trip where students and teachers were brutally slain and follows Sammy, the surviving teacher, who rejoins her colleagues back at work. However, after hearing some odd noises around the classrooms Sammy feels she is being watched. It’s not until she hears the familiar knocking at the door does she realize her nightmare has not ended.
I’ll be honest, after sitting through the fourth film in the franchise, Queen of Pain, I wasn...
- 11/29/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Sarah T. Cohen, Nicola Wright, Stephen Staley, Kate Sandison, Rochard Kovacs, Amanda Vixx, Kelly Rian Sanson, Lauren Staerck, Keith Eyles, Sylvia Clegg | Written by Craig McLearie | Directed by Liana Failla
Jack Frost opens with a prologue that sees Lesley take on Jack Frost and win… time running out for the frosty one to get back his dismembered hand – an appendage that will make him whole once more and allow him to walk the earth again after, as we’re told in the introduction, he was dismembered by Santa back in a time when myths and legends were all too real and his body parts scattered across the globe, taken care of by the descendants of the big red one… A brief jump forward 50 years to the present day and Lesley is now a curmudgeonly Grandma who doesn’t celebrate Christmas for fear of Jack Frost returning. Only this year...
Jack Frost opens with a prologue that sees Lesley take on Jack Frost and win… time running out for the frosty one to get back his dismembered hand – an appendage that will make him whole once more and allow him to walk the earth again after, as we’re told in the introduction, he was dismembered by Santa back in a time when myths and legends were all too real and his body parts scattered across the globe, taken care of by the descendants of the big red one… A brief jump forward 50 years to the present day and Lesley is now a curmudgeonly Grandma who doesn’t celebrate Christmas for fear of Jack Frost returning. Only this year...
- 10/20/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Chris Cordell, Nicola Wright, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Chelsea Greenwood, Clint Gordon, Danielle Scott, Kate Sandison | Written by Scott Jeffrey, Rhys Waterfield | Directed by Scott Jeffrey
Spider in the Attic opens with what is one of the best mad scientist lines I’ve heard in a long time. “Idiots! Why discard credible science because of how unethical the research was?” Dr. George Zizerman (Chris Cordell; The Curse of Humpty Dumpty) soon finds out as his research comes back to bite him in the ass, among other places.
Jump forward a bit and Linda Buxton needs something to boost her ratings before her long running radio show gets the axe. Her daughters Lucy and Belle (Chelsea Greenwood; Dinosaur Hotel) tell her about a house owned by a scientist with a history that includes some unorthodox and controversial experiments.
Director Scott Jeffrey and co-writer Rhys Waterfield (Dragon Fury) have taken the YouTubers...
Spider in the Attic opens with what is one of the best mad scientist lines I’ve heard in a long time. “Idiots! Why discard credible science because of how unethical the research was?” Dr. George Zizerman (Chris Cordell; The Curse of Humpty Dumpty) soon finds out as his research comes back to bite him in the ass, among other places.
Jump forward a bit and Linda Buxton needs something to boost her ratings before her long running radio show gets the axe. Her daughters Lucy and Belle (Chelsea Greenwood; Dinosaur Hotel) tell her about a house owned by a scientist with a history that includes some unorthodox and controversial experiments.
Director Scott Jeffrey and co-writer Rhys Waterfield (Dragon Fury) have taken the YouTubers...
- 11/23/2021
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
"There's only one person who could've done this - it's the gardener." Lionsgate has unveiled a trailer a so-bad-it's-good B-movie home invasion thriller called The Gardener, from the filmmaking duo Scott Jeffrey & Rebecca Matthews - known for all kinds of low budget, direct-to-dvd movies that you will never want to watch anyway. An immigrant living a quiet life as a gardener at a manor house in England has to rely on old skills to save the family he works for from home invaders. The small crew attacks the family, but "they didn't count on the estate's quiet gardener, Peter Juhasz, who must return to the savage ways he learned as a soldier to save the family." The film stars Robert Bronzi (from Death Kiss and Escape from Death Block 13 - who looks a lot like Charles Bronson) as "The Gardener", along with Gary Daniels, Sarah T. Cohen, Nicola Wright,...
- 11/2/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Stars: Megan Purvis, Georgia Conlan, Amanda-Jade Tyler, Ricardo Freitas, Kate Sandison, Venetia Cook, Marek Lichtenberg, Nicole Nabi, Mat Sibal, Ellis Tustin | Written by Scott Jeffrey | Directed by Scott Jeffrey, Rebecca Matthews
What’s that? Another Scott Jeffrey film getting reviewed on Nerdly… anyone would think we’re fanboys over here! Well, to be fair, I don’t see too many people trying to review each and every genre film Jeffrey puts out – mainly because there’s a lot of snobbish reviewers out there who, even if they love genre cinema, seem to give these ultra-low budget British films a short shrift. Not us. Well me I mean. No matter the subject matter, no matter the budget I typically find something interesting in each and every one of the films he’s worked on. And Bats, surprisingly, is no different.
I say surprisingly because Bats sees Jeffrey return to a trope...
What’s that? Another Scott Jeffrey film getting reviewed on Nerdly… anyone would think we’re fanboys over here! Well, to be fair, I don’t see too many people trying to review each and every genre film Jeffrey puts out – mainly because there’s a lot of snobbish reviewers out there who, even if they love genre cinema, seem to give these ultra-low budget British films a short shrift. Not us. Well me I mean. No matter the subject matter, no matter the budget I typically find something interesting in each and every one of the films he’s worked on. And Bats, surprisingly, is no different.
I say surprisingly because Bats sees Jeffrey return to a trope...
- 7/16/2021
- 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: Chelsea Greenwood, Aimee Marie Higham, Alexander John, Sofia Lacey, Nicole Nabi, Kate Sandison, Stephen Staley, Chrissie Wunna | Written by Shannon Holiday | Directed by Jack Peter Mundy
Here we go again… Another week another Jagged Edge Productions film… or is it Proportion Productions? These days there’s no real way to distinguish which production company the ever-prolific Scott Jeffrey – who’s churning out films so fast they’re now releasing straight on the internet rather than traditional delivery methods – is going to put out a film under.
From what I can figure out, and I could be totally wrong, it seems Jeffrey works with actresses then, if said actresses have an interest in filmmaking rather than performing, he sets up production companies to work with them. For example: Jeffrey’s name first popped up alongside Louisa Warren and the production company Champdog Films; then came Rebecca Matthews and Proportion Productions...
Here we go again… Another week another Jagged Edge Productions film… or is it Proportion Productions? These days there’s no real way to distinguish which production company the ever-prolific Scott Jeffrey – who’s churning out films so fast they’re now releasing straight on the internet rather than traditional delivery methods – is going to put out a film under.
From what I can figure out, and I could be totally wrong, it seems Jeffrey works with actresses then, if said actresses have an interest in filmmaking rather than performing, he sets up production companies to work with them. For example: Jeffrey’s name first popped up alongside Louisa Warren and the production company Champdog Films; then came Rebecca Matthews and Proportion Productions...
- 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
Psychomanteum
Stars: Adrian Annis, Adam Bertenshaw, Sophie Bickerstaff, Jack Blanch, Ray Brady, Emer Brennan, Corey Bridgeman, Norma Butikofer, Arlo Cadbury, Ian Donnelly, Anastasia Drew, Aidan Eason, Angela Peters, John Rankin, Steve Roberts, Kate Sandison, Andrew Shire | Written by Ray Brady, Jamie Drew, Brian Evenson, Stuart Wright | Directed by Ray Brady, Andy Edwards
Name: Psychomanteum
Age: 2018
Appearance: A series of low budget short films interspersed with a rambling monologue about paranoia and fear…
Psychomanteum. Tick tock, tick tock.
“Tick tock… Tick tock”
Why are you speaking like that?
Because it’s uttered continuously throughout the monologue.
Oh, that’s annoying.
Yes, it does go on a bit but the narrator acknowledges that near the end of the film so that makes it okay. Tick tock, tick tock…
Stop it.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
So, the film is called Psychomanteum. What’s that when it’s at home?
It’s a small,...
Stars: Adrian Annis, Adam Bertenshaw, Sophie Bickerstaff, Jack Blanch, Ray Brady, Emer Brennan, Corey Bridgeman, Norma Butikofer, Arlo Cadbury, Ian Donnelly, Anastasia Drew, Aidan Eason, Angela Peters, John Rankin, Steve Roberts, Kate Sandison, Andrew Shire | Written by Ray Brady, Jamie Drew, Brian Evenson, Stuart Wright | Directed by Ray Brady, Andy Edwards
Name: Psychomanteum
Age: 2018
Appearance: A series of low budget short films interspersed with a rambling monologue about paranoia and fear…
Psychomanteum. Tick tock, tick tock.
“Tick tock… Tick tock”
Why are you speaking like that?
Because it’s uttered continuously throughout the monologue.
Oh, that’s annoying.
Yes, it does go on a bit but the narrator acknowledges that near the end of the film so that makes it okay. Tick tock, tick tock…
Stop it.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
So, the film is called Psychomanteum. What’s that when it’s at home?
It’s a small,...
- 10/30/2018
- by Aaron Shakespeare
- Nerdly
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