Critique: Slick direction, fine acting, and above average made for tv-production values are not nearly close to enough to overcome the heavy and numerous crosses this effort was forced to bear. When Aunt Helen unwittingly purchases an hideous lamp at the Amityville House yard sale, she sends it, along with a centuries old evil to her sister in California. Sister, widowed daughter and three children require the help of a young exorcist to remove the tasteless lamp. The preposterous idea itself, heaven help us! - a possessed and tasteless lamp is a stupid vehicle with which to carry a horror movie. A possessed trash bag would have been more appropriate in this case. Ironically, with the exception of strangling the housekeeper with its chord and drowning the plumber in slime, the stationary antagonist is reduced to self-debasing telephone pranks and the recruitment and possession of other household appliances. The expression of demonic activity through the lamp's red glow is silly rather than scary, and the endless and unprepared praise for strong woman Grandma at the end is bizarre, given that Grandma unfairly blamed all the electrical trouble on her grandchildren until the final scene. The possessed kitty at the end is one for the lame-ass surprise ending hall of fame! The Amityville streak of good horror movies was herewith snapped with conviction at three. Do director Stern and yourself a favor and try his outstanding psychological horror film Pin.

Plot Summary: Amityville NY, a trio of priests assault the old Amityville house armed with icons and Latin as the house shakes rattles and buzzes as usual. The only difference this time is a the presence of a comically stupid looking possessed lamp that puts such a drain on the resources around it that, when at its most evil it literally sucks a lump of electricity through its chord. After blowing one priest away, the evil succumbs and the real estate agent is able to hold a yard sale. For 100 dollars, Aunt Helen thinks the hideous lamp would make a funny birthday gift for her sister. While examining the lamp, she pricks her finger on the evil lamp and the finger promptly begins to decay. Wind-chimes ring in the evil wind as the ugly lamp approaches widowed sister Mrs. Leacock in Dancot, California home where until now she lived alone with her Parrot, Fred in a very big house. At the same time recently widowed daughter and 3 grandchildren are moving in from San Francisco. The little girl is excited to open the package, although Fred and Pepper, the cat, and cleaning lady Peggy agree that the lamp should go. Right away, strange things occur. The tea kettle heats itself, the radio goes on, daughter is seeing her dead husband, and the already tense move becomes complicated by the tension. Now the little girl Jessie is talking to daddy in the middle of the night and awakes with a high fever. Older sister Amanda. The first morning, Fred is in the toaster oven and its the first day of school for the two healthy kids, while mom heads off for teacher's college. Boy "I just wish things could come back." Meanwhile the zapped priest is recovering and would like to see the house, particularly, the lamp. He wants the name and number of the lamp buyer. Helen Royce the buyer, doesn't answer the phone so the priests contact the police. 300 years of bad luck on the grounds of that Amityville home. The main priest believes that the evil in that house may have transmigrated into the lamp for the opportunity of a new house and human host. Things at the house are running amok. Brian has a bout with a possessed chainsaw nearly hacking up Peggy and Grandma, who has lost faith in him. To lie is the devil's work announces the disgusted grandma to Brian's insistence that the saw turned itself on. The handyman's going to have a look at the kettle, the saw and of course that old lamp, "it's been doing funny things lately." By the time the young priest, Father Kibler arrives at Aunt Helen's, she's in the hospital with a bad case of Tetanus. The neighbor lady informs him of the lamp's move to California and that she can't get through to grandma, whom she's been calling to inform of Helen's illness. Electrician Danny arrives and helps Peggy store the lamp. As Amanda does the dishes, the garbage disposal becomes jammed, then, as the lamp glows evilly, chews off Danny's hand, but he'll live. Aunt Helen regains consciousness for a second and apologizes to God before she dies in Kibler's presence. Father Kibler wants to go to California to participate in love, troubleshoot demons, not hide in the monastery as the Monsignor wants. The lamp is on up in the attic surrounded by a scary collection of junque and now telecommunicating threateningly with father Kibler, bubbling boiling slime onto his hand through the phone. Mom discovers the little girl Jessica in the attic being manipulated by the lamp, which she thinks is her father. Mom drags her kicking and screaming from the lamp. Sister Amanda goes to unplug it, but finds it cold and unplugged. Grandmother calls Dr. Briggs to look at Jessica. Kibler leaves for California. Electrician Mr. Reade can't find anything wrong with the crazy appliances and soon, too the plumber arrives. Brian accepts a telegram from Kibler, but becomes distracted and an evil wind blows the telegram out of sight. Dr. Briggs can only prescribe that everyone relax. As Amanda brushes her teeth, the sink begins running black gunk. Grandmother whines that after 45 years of peace, in the three days since the daughter and kids moved in everything has gone to hell. Although the problem was clearly in the water supply pipe, the plumber attempts to open a soil pipe and is first crushed then drowned in black slime and Danny's hand falls out on him. His van drives away. Jessica's lunch is ready, but she's up playing with the lamp. Peg goes to check and the lamp locks her in and strangles her with its chord. As Kibler arrives in a taxi, the lamp is all lit up and the attic is buzzing with flies. Jessica, somewhat possessed, orders Father Kibler to come in and sit down despite some demonic rumblings from the lamp. The Father runs away to barf, gathers his resolve, and leaves a note in the mailbox: "See me at the Roadside Inn and advises her not to bother trying to call. Amanda discovers the note in the mail. Jessie is drawing bloody pictures, "I like it". Clearly possessed, she claims coldly that Daddy told her Peggy went home. The family searches the house and Brian discovers Jessica's trashed room is decorated with what looks like Jessie's drawings. Jessica announces that Daddy told her Peggy went home. Brian discovers Peggy's body and Dr. Briggs Peggy: heart attack and that Peggy hand show she tried to break out of the attic. The police chief thinks Jessica sacked the room and that he will interview her tomorrow. Mom=Adams. Mom finds a note on the counter and decides to visit Kibler. She orders Brian to lock the attic and keep possessed Jessica away from the lamp. Kibler tells mom that Aunt Helen died yesterday and that he had telegrammed. Kibler explains that 3 centuries of evil in that tasteless lamp looking to transmigrate into the most vulnerable person available. The priest explains that the devil will use the most seductive form necessary to get what he wants, in Jessica's case, dead Daddy. As Amanda calls Pepper the cat out the window, the window falls knocking her out. As Kibler and mom rush to the house. The plan is for Kibler too keep the car ready while mom gets the family out. Jessie breaks free of her siblings and runs into the very well lit attic oozing thick black slime as the family and priest attempt to escape the evil. The priest enters, the door slams behind him, he locates an axe an helps Amanda out a window where she joins Brian. He busts into the attic with Lain and crucifix to face the evil again - a flying Jessie stabs him, the axe is knocked from grandmothers hand the chord acts like a snake looks like daddy and the devil intermittently. As Grandmother throws the lamp out the window, mom cuts the priest free of the chord. The lamp explodes on the rocky shore below. All appears well as priest and grandmother depart for Helen's funeral, except for the Tabby Pepper, which sits possessed at the lamp crash site.