Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders - Part II: Mob. Mayhem. Murder
Now before we even go any further, I do want to mention that Shattered Hopes represents what Osuna and Katzenbach believe happened on that night, based on what they've read and have been told. Though there are perhaps no better authorities on the matter than they, the fact of the matter is that absolutely nobody on this planet, other than DeFeo himself, knows exactly what went down on that night, and the fun of all this is that we never truly will. Though it's the most comprehensive and extensive piece of filmmaking ever made about that night, one that pretty much has me convinced that everything stated in it is in fact everything that really happened, I again must reiterate that we will never know the full truth, and nothing but the truth, and as such, the documentary must be watched with that in mind. What makes the case so compelling is that we won't ever find out the truth, and Shattered Hopes is merely a string of theories that shed a whole lot of light on many things about the case that were kept out of the public eye, in favor of the much more sensationalized tale of a bearded derelict possessed by the devil. So while it may not represent the 100% truth, it is perhaps as close as we've ever come to that truth, which is really what makes it such an important piece of true crime history. What I really like about it is that Katzenbach never definitively tells you "Hey, this is exactly what happened", but rather he presents us with as much information as possible, and leaves us to discuss it, think about it, and form our own opinions. I can guarantee that you will form your own, after experiencing it. I could sit here and basically repeat everything I said about Part 1 back in January, but at the risk of boring you, I'll just say that everything I said about Part 1 also applies to Part 2, an equally compelling documentary that taught me a whole lot about the case, and exposed me to crime scene photos and documents that my eyes had never before laid on. In fact, a lot of the stuff presented in this part is being heard and seen here for the very first time. As in, anywhere. Part 2 is absolutely exhaustive in its coverage, taking us from the time the police arrived and started wheeling out bodies to the time Ronnie DeFeo decided to go for that whole insanity plea, presenting several possible theories to explain who was in the house at the time of the murders, and exploring the strong possibility that DeFeo did not act alone. If he wasn't the only one wielding the gun, then who else was with him? Well, you'll have to watch it and find out for yourself! --John Squires, FreddyInSpaceOfficially, there is no second murder weapon. And if there is, everything we thought we knew about what happened that night in 1974 is wrong..." --Seth Porges, Sr. Editor, Maxim MagazineOfficially, there is no second murder weapon. And if there is, everything we thought we knew about what happened that night in 1974 is wrong..." --Seth Porges, Sr. Editor, Maxim Magazine