I did not expect much at all out of the 4th installment of the Amityville series (called “The Evil Escapes).” I watched it just because it was given to me, not because I had any particular interest in it so I went in about as unassuming as possible other than knowing how bad horror movie sequels can be. Yeah, it’s predictably campy, but it actually held my attention.

This installment opens in the same house around which the original movie centered (I'm not sure if the house was part of the other sequels, it seems like I remember them getting away from it but I could be wrong). A SWAT team of priests is blessing every inch of the place trying to rid it of the evil. One young priest (played by Fredric Lehne) witnesses the possessing evil escaping into a very unusual looking floor lamp. It also attacks him sending him into a coma.

Flash forward a few days. Now that the place has been exercised the owner is cleaning it out, selling everything in a yard sale. An older woman buys the lamp as a joke for her sister, Alice (Jane Wyatt). About the same time that Alice receives the lamp her daughter Nancy (Patty Duke) and 3 grandchildren come to stay with her. Alice is not used to having people around, particularly children, and although she loves them it’s a difficult adjustment. If only that were the worst of her problems.

As the evil spirit explores the house (still tethered to the lamp for the time being) strange and gruesome things begin happening: the pet parrot is found dead in the toaster, a garbage disposal turns on with someone’s hand inside, a chainsaw turns on by itself, and it only gets worse from there. The worst thing about it, though, is the way it has seduced the youngest daughter. She thinks it is the spirit of her dead father come back to watch over her. Though not quite possessed she is nevertheless under the spirit’s control.

Father Kibbler regains consciousness and immediately begins trying to find out what happened to the lamp. He’s the only one that knows what is amiss and therefore the only person that can do anything about it. His drive is to keep the evil from hurting anyone so despite his lack of immediate success he is determined to track the lamp and save whomever is being victimized. If he can destroy it he believes it will release the spirit without it being able to attach itself to another object.

A possessed floor lamp sounds pretty stupid doesn’t it? It’s not as bad as all that probably because the lamp itself is not the monster only a kind of anchor. This is about good people dealing with forces beyond their comprehension. Only their love for each other can keep them alive. I think that’s where I gained a little more appreciation for it than say a Friday the 13th movie. Yes, there is some of the “let’s see how many gruesome ways we can kill people” mentality, but it’s a low body count and is more focused on the family sticking together as well as the bravery of the priest.

Acting in Amityville has its ups and downs. I’ve been a Fred Lane/Lehne fan ever since his recurring role of young Arthur Dales in "The X-Files." He features prominently in one of my all-time favorite episodes, “Travelers” (season 5). Unfortunately his credits list is short and list of movies I might want to own even shorter. I was pleased to see him in a major role in a movie which is part of the reason I list him as my favorite performance in "Amityville 4." Patty Duke and Jane Wyatt deliver solid, believable performances which is good because the movie might have been unwatchable if either of them stunk.

There are several instances where the kids drag scenes down, sometimes just barely saved or later redeemed by the adult actors. The kids actually seem to get a little better as the movie progresses if that helps any. Their acting is perhaps the biggest weakness of the movie.

Even though it has some strong themes and positive aspects it is still in many ways just a low-budget B horror movie. It doesn't scream “low budget” as much as some movies like it do, but it definitely doesn't have the polish and entertainment appeal of a big screen production. That's not necessarily always a bad thing since it avoids using gimmicks like gratuitous nudity to sell, but it's not going to create the same impression as something like the Ryan Reynolds remake of the original Amityville.

Perhaps the biggest downfall other than some weak moments in the acting is the pace. It can feel like it's dragging at times as it sets up the domestic situations for the upcoming struggles. I thought the payoff was ultimately worth the slower scenes, though.