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.”

There’s something frustrating about a film that begins with a lot of potential, and then thoroughly squanders it.

Writer/director Daniel Farrands’ The Amityville Murders is one such film. It’s one of the few “true” entries from the last dozen or so films, in that it actually tackles the Amityville story by focusing on the true crime murders of the DeFeo family. It’s well-shot, looks good, has mostly decent (albeit broad) performances.

These are all things that many of the IP cash-grab entries have been lacking.

Unfortunately it’s also incredibly sensational, relies too heavily on repetitive supernatural elements, and – most egregiously – features a distasteful ending that highlights Farrands’ unfortunate tendency to exploit real life tragedy for cash.

If the name sounds familiar,...