I liked "The Possession" more than the original. Part one was so phony that it was even comical in parts (not to mention the over-acting). Part two contains more real life horrors such as incest, child abuse, domestic violence and mental illness. Yes, it is loosely based on the DeFeo case. However, I believe the director avoided direct links to the incident because of possible lawsuits. One disagreement I have with William C. Uchtman is when he stated in his review that Ronald DeFeo Sr. was a swell guy. Well according to "City Confidential" on A&E, the father was very abusive and was reported to have beaten "Butch" to a bloody pulp one time for simply talking back at the dinner table. Wife beatings were also reported. So, the abuse scenes are quite valid. The part when "Sunny" points a shotgun at his father after he punched his wife is valid too except that, in the real case, Butch pulled the trigger with no shells inside. That was the only difference. The counterculture involved is also interesting. The Montelli's are no typical American family, you see this from the start when Sunny returns from buying a pack of cigarettes and has an arguement with his father who threatens to "kick his ass".
Yes, "Possession" did copy parts of The Exorcist, but it's still a good film with more gory scenes than the original.
If you like over-acted supernatural thrillers, you may enjoy the first. But if you want to see a movie based on a real murder case (though admittedly from a supernatural point of view), "Possession" is for you.
