Joseph S. Pete
The new Gary Demon House movie debuted at No. 1 on Netflix.
Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniels directed "The Deliverance," which was inspired by the story ofLatoya Ammons, a former Gary resident who claimed demons possessed her children,making their voices deepen, their eyes bulge and their faces twist into disturbing smiles. Ammons claimed one child levitated above her bed and another walked backwards up a wall.
Ammons, who since moved to Indianapolis, reported strange occurrences after moving into the rental home in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood, such as swarms of flies in winter and shadowy figures lurking about.
The story went viral nationally after being reported by former Times of Northwest Indiana investigative reporter Marisa Kwiatkowski in the Indianapolis Star in 2014. She reported on how the Gary Police Department and Department of Child Protective Services handled the case, generating significant interest in a story that called to mind horror movie classics like "The Exorcist" and "The Amityville Horror."
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The Gary Police Department was flooded with public records requests about the case and had to send extra patrols out to the residential block because so many people were coming to see the house, alarming the neighbors. Gary Police Department spokesman Jack Hamady said the issue subsided once the house was torn down.
"The Deliverance" quickly became No. 1 on Netflix after debuting on Friday. It stars Grammy Award-winning singer Andra Day, the eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close, the Academy Award-winning actress and comedian Mo'Nique, Anthony B. Jenkins, Miss Lawrence, Demi Singleton, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps and Caleb McLaughlin.
The setting of the film was changed from Gary to Pittsburgh, where it was filmed. Day's character, for instance, is seen at one point hunched over unpaid utility bills marked as being from the City of Pittsburgh and talks about returning to Philadelphia at the end of the film.
The movie has not been well-received by critics. On the aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a critics score of 32% approval and an audience score of 49% approval.
Robert Levin of Newsday described it as "yet another haunted house movie that barely distinguishes itself from the pack."
Christy Lemire of Rogerebert.com gave it two out of four stars, faulting it for a lack of originality.
"He’s taken all that promise and tacked a standard horror story about demonic possession onto it. He’s trying to slam two different movies together, with uneven and increasing unconvincing results," she wrote.
The Ammons case was previously explored in the "Demon House" documentary by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans, the host of theTravel Channel's "Ghost Adventures."
He acquired "thehouse of 200 demons" at 3860 Carolina St., which has been described as Gary's "portal to hell." He filmed his documentary there for two years and then demolished the property, claiming it put people at risk of demonic possession.
Bagan's "Demon House" got higher critics and audience scores of 57% and 58% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes than the fictionalized version of the story on Netflix.
"Well-intentioned, with a strong performance from Andra Day — but uneven human drama eventually gives way to boringly familiar horror tropes," Ben Travis with Empire Magazine wrote. "All around, The Deliverance struggles to deliver."
A look back at Northwest Indiana businesses that closed in 2023
A look back at Region businesses that closed in 2023
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Beer Geeks, one of the Region's first, most beloved and most influential craft beer bars, closed after more than a decade and is being reimagined as a new concept.
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88-year-old White Castle in Whiting, one of Chicago area's first, coming down to be replaced with new restaurant
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The landmark 88-year-old castle-shaped White Castle in Whiting is coming down to be replaced with a newer, larger, more modern White Castle restaurant.
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Silver Bullet Bar in downtown Crown Point closes
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A longtime staple in downtown Crown Point poured its last drink.
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Westforth Sports gun shop in Cal Township closing after 66 years
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The longtime Westforth Sports gun shop is closing.
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Lansing plant to close, laying off 274 workers
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The Silver Line Building Products plant at16801 Exchange Ave. will be shuttered permanently.
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Highland's Brewfest to pour last beer, eying move to Lowell
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Brewfest in Highland will close in what's been called "an end of an era."
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David's Bridal files for bankruptcy, could close all stores
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David's Bridal filed for bankruptcy and could close all stores if no buyer emerges to save it.
Whiting News
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88-year-old Whiting White Castle will end up on display in museums in Illinois and Indiana
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The 88-year-old Whiting White Castlewill be remembered with displays at museums in two different states.
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88-year-old Whiting White Castle serves last sliders to nostalgic crowd
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For years, the "millionaire's club" met every morning in the corner booth of the historic 88-year-old White Castle at Indianapolis Boulevard and 119th Street in downtown Whiting. The landmark restaurant served its final slider Tuesday.
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One of Northwest Indiana's most popular and enduring hobby shops is looking for a buyer after the longtime owner died.
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J&L This N That Consignment Shop, a popular thrift store, closed in downtown Whiting after a run of several years.
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Calumet Fisheries temporarily closed after failing health inspection
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A Calumet Region institution, Calumet Fisheries on the far South Side of Chicago, is temporarily closed after failing a city health inspection.
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Calumet Fisheries suffers fire shortly after reopening after health inspection closure
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Just days after reopeningafter city health inspectors shut it down, Calumet Fisheries suffered a major fire.
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Pepe's Mexican Restaurant is no mas in Valparaiso after 43 years
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Pepe's Mexican Restaurant is no mas in Valparaiso.
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Former Beer Geeks bar closes after rebranding
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Beer Geeks in Highland rebranded as B-Side Bar & Lounge and then closed within a few months.
Business
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Bed Bath and Beyond to close Valparaiso store and multiple Chicagoland locations, leaving just one Region location left
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Troubled retailerBed Bath and Beyond will permanently close its Valparaiso location as it shutters more stores nationwide as it looks to restructure and shrink its footprint to save the struggling business.
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Peoples Bank closes downtown Hammond branch
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Peoples Bank has shuttered its branch in downtown Hammond.
Business
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Viking Artisan Ales to close Merrillville taproom
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Viking Artisan Ales will soon pour its last craft beer at its Merrillville taproom.
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Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is closing after 15 years at one of Northwest Indiana's most prominent highway interchanges.
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Walmart closing Homewood store
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Walmart is closing its big-box store in Homewood.
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Chicago Auto Show returns with smaller footprint, no Camp Jeep track
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The Chicago Auto Show, the nation's largest auto show, returns to McCormick Place Saturday, running through Feb. 19.
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Munster-based Land O'Frost laying off 215 workers in Chicago
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Munster-based Land O'Frost, the packaged lunchmeat giant, is laying off 215 workers in Chicago and shuttering a plant it acquired two years ago.
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Ginuwine to trot out hits like 'Pony' at Festival of the Lakes
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Ginuwine will trot out hits like "Pony" at Festival of the Lakes.
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Joseph S. Pete
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