movie review burnt offerings

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"Burnt Offerings" is a mystery, all right. What's mysterious is that the filmmakers were able to sell such a weary collection of ancient cliches for cold hard cash. That's why they're rich and the rest of us are poor. Say I was sitting in my garret room, the moths flying through the flame of a sputtering candle, as I bent over my foolscap and composed this story line: A young married couple, their son and an aunt move into a vast Gothic mansion. It is rented to them by a cackling old fool in a wheel chair and his sinister sister. It is alleged that their mother lives in a room at the top of the house - a room that is never opened. The monthly rent is suspiciously low, but soon after the family moves in, Strange Events start to occur . . .

OK. So now the sun is rising over the lake and the Muses have left to spend the day shift with Bob Greene. Exhausted by my labors, I stick my last 13-cent stamp on an envelope and mail my story off to a big Hollywood studio. The rejection slip comes so fast they must have readers in the mailbox. You gotta be kidding, they say. This story has been done a thousand times. Didn't you see "The Legend of Hell House?" How could you miss . . . blah, blah, blah. Embittered, I crumple the rejection slip and throw it into a drawer with dozens of others. I abandon my writing career and seek honest work.

And yet, and yet - incredibly, "Burnt Offerings" was not only made into a movie, it was made into an expensive one. A talented cast ( Karen Black , Oliver Reed , Burgess Meredith and the sainted Bette Davis ) was sacrificed to this slop. And the movie even has Artistic Pretensions! The photography is consciously arty, and the dialog is fiercely elliptic, and the filmmakers didn't even have the courage to approach their material as the silly trash it is.

If they had, "Burnt Offerings might have been a lot more fun. When you're making a totally unnecessary retread of a wheezy old haunted-house howler, the least you can do is populate it with camp actors and write them some absurd dialog. Vincent Price and Shelley Winters might have been right for the couple, with Marjoe Gortner as their aging son. But, no, the dialog in "Burnt Offerings" actually sounds as if people might be saying it, and the actors turn in good, realistic performances. What a waste.

But then again, it's a tricky business, making a supernatural thriller with artistic ambitions. Roman Polanski and William Friedkin have pulled it off in recent years, with subtle blends of the mundane and the preternatural. And, come to think of it, "The Legend of Hell House" brought out the fun in this sort or material very well. But "Burnt Offerings" just persists, until it occurs to us that the characters are the only ones in the theater who don't know what's going to happen next.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Burnt Offerings (1976)

116 minutes

Karen Black as Marion

Oliver Reed as Ben

Lee H. Montgomery as David

Bette Davis as Aunt Elizabeth

Burgess Meredith as Arnold

Eileen Heckart as Roz

Dub Taylor as Man with geranium

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Burnt Offerings Reviews

That “shocker” of an ending can be spotted from Neptune, no telescope needed.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Feb 17, 2024

An absorbing and well-realized film. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 11, 2023

...an egregiously (and aggressively) deliberate thriller that holds the viewer at arms length for almost the entirety of its overlong running time...

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Oct 22, 2021

Burnt Offerings is a supernatural thriller with crackerjack scare elements and a well-directed, sure bet for one of the year's best offerings.

Full Review | May 26, 2020

If you want a good laugh at a bad movie, Burnt Offerings doesn't have to be thrown in the ash can.

Full Review | Oct 30, 2019

Directed by famed horror-film producer Dan Curtis, [Burnt Offerings] delivers on that to-hell-with-reality level that make Saturday matinees so satisfying to kids.

Whereas other movies focus on ghosts, Curtis's film uses the house as the ghost, the monster, and the creature.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | May 7, 2019

One of those all-too-familiar movie rendezvous through the doldrums of horror mediocrity.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 12, 2014

Plodding, campy haunted-house chiller.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 12, 2010

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 21, 2005

Haunted house completists should check it out, but don't expect a classic.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 3, 2005

Black e Reed oferecem boas performances, o que um feito admirvel em um filme no qual at mesmo Bette Davis parece perdida - e o inspirado ato final quase salva o projeto.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 30, 2004

Burnt Offerings is a mystery, all right. What's mysterious is that the filmmakers were able to sell such a weary collection of ancient cliches for cold hard cash.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Oct 23, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 12, 2004

One of those comfortable relics that doesn't scare so much as mildly chill.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 3, 2003

Tepid old house thriller marginally redeemed by Reed and Bette Davis.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 16, 2003

Burnt Offerings (Movie Review)

John shelton's rating: ★ ★ director: dan curis | release date: 1976.

I’ve always been a sucker for the mainstream Hollywood horror movies of the 70s. Today it’s no big surprise when a respected actor slums it up for a paycheck in some disreputable genre flick but back then there must have been some kind of perverse kick to be had from seeing legends like Richard Burton or Gregory Peck fighting the forces of evil. For my money, there is no finer ham than an accomplished and acclaimed thespian putting their all into the role of sweaty priest or step-father of the anti-Christ. That’s why I was looking forward to “Burnt Offerings”, a 70s haunted house film featuring the likes of Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Burgess Meredith and Bette Davis. Unfortunately, even the hottest past-their-prime stars of 1976 can’t save a movie that plods along for two hours to tell a story that savvy viewers will be able to figure out in the first fifteen minutes.

Reed and Black play the Rolfs, a family looking for a summer rental house for themselves, their son and an elderly aunt. They find a beautiful Victorian mansion for a steal with one catch: the leasers’ elderly mother lives the life of a recluse in a room upstairs and they must leave three meals a day on a tray in her sitting room. Even with the old bag in the attic, the price is just too right to pass up and the Rolfs move into the house.

Black agrees to take over the role of care-giver for the old woman and finds herself increasingly intrigued by the Victorian-era photographs and décor that litter the house. Meanwhile, Reed’s dark side gradually manifests itself as an innocent splash with his son in the swimming pool turns into a near drowning and nightmares of his own mother’s funeral begin to haunt him. Hmm. A seasonal rental, a mounting obsession with the building’s mysterious past, a good man sliding into madness… does any of this sound familiar? Yes, “Burnt Offerings” is a kind of proto-“Shining”, but whereas “The Shining” ranks as one of the greatest books and movies in the horror genre, “Burnt Offerings” feels more like a dull romp through a supernaturally-tinged 1970s television drama.

The TV Land vibe is no accident. “Burnt Offerings” was directed by Dan Curtis, the television producer who brought horror elements to American television in the 1970s with shows and made-for-TV movies like “Dark Shadows”, “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” and “Trilogy of Terror”. While Curtis might have brought some boundary-pushing, controversial subject matter from the big screen to the small screen, the process doesn’t quite work in reverse. “Burnt Offerings” has the talky, snoozy pace of a forty-year-old television drama with very little in the way of scares or surprises.

While this is ostensibly a haunted house movie, there’s not a whole lot in the way of spookiness. No blood dripping walls, no spiritual manifestations, no poltergeist activity. The most exciting things the malevolent forces in this movie get up to are a few excessive waves in the swimming pool and some particularly violent shrubbery. Even when the house gets around to killing people it’s done in the most boring possible fashion. One character twitches for a bit and dies of unexplained causes, one jumps out of a window and one dies when a chimney falls on them offscreen. The movie does an excellent job of ensuring that any potentially dramatic or scary moments have all the bite of an episode of “The Rockford Files”.

The final twist is the kind of reveal where we’re all supposed to act surprised when that thing that we all knew was going to happen way back in the first act finally happens. I’m tempted to give the movie the benefit of the doubt that in the 1970s such a twist might played a bit fresher than it feels today, but stale is stale and a two-week old doughnut is just as inedible as a forty-year-old one.

I wasn’t just disappointed in “Burnt Offerings”, I was bored silly and I really don’t understand how the movie has a fairly good reputation among horror buffs. My guess is that nostalgia is to blame. The movie is tame enough that it could probably play on TV almost entirely unedited and was probably an early introduction to horror for many children in the 70s and 80s. If you are an eleven year old living in the late 70s or early 80s, then “Burnt Offerings” might just be the scariest movie you’ve ever seen. If, like most BGH readers, you live in 2010 and have seen more than two horror movies then “Burnt Offerings” is more likely to be a smoldering pile of yawn.

John Shelton

Editor-in-chief/homeless professor.

Born and raised in the back of a video store, Shelton went beyond the hills and crossed the seven seas as BGH's foreign correspondent before settling into a tenure hosting Sophisticult Cinema. He enjoys the finer things in life, including but not limited to breakfast tacos, vintage paperbacks and retired racing greyhounds.

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Sinister Summer: Burnt Offerings (1976) Retrospective Review

A haunting, dreamlike supernatural horror film about a truly hangry house that was ahead of its time. This month’s retrospective review is on Dan Curtis’ only theatrical film,: 1976’s Burnt Offerings . While I have certainly heard and read good things about this film, I had not really made it a priority to watch. A priority in that I would spend the $4 on Amazon to rent it. But the night before writing this, I saw it show up as a featured Shudder offering. With a mediocre IMDb score, I wasn’t convinced to spend my evening watching the two-hour film; however, upon a Google search, I saw that Golden Age screen icon (“fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”) Bette Davis was in a supporting role, as well as Burgess Meredith. Throw in leads Karen Black and Oliver Reed, and you have one stacked cast. But an opportunity to see those Bette Davis Eyes was what swung the pendulum in favor of selecting this more-or-less obscure 70s horror film.

Ben Rolf (Reed), his wife Marian (Black), and their son Davey (Lee Montgomery) visit a country manor up for rent for the summer. They are welcomed by weird siblings Roz Allardyce and Arnold Allardyce (Meredith) who offer the mansion for $900 for the whole summer. Ben is concerned with the upkeep of such a stately place, and the Allardyces state that the house will take care of itself as long as they show it love. The only condition to the siblings’ generous offer is that the Rolfs feed their mother that lives in a plush, cozy attic apartment three times a day by leaving a tray outside of her room. The Rolf family accepts the too-good-to-be-true offer, and move in right away with Ben’s vivacious, eccentric Aunt Elizabeth (Davis). Not long after moving in, Marian begins to become more and more obsessed with Ms. Allardyce and the house. Meanwhile, unsettling things begin happen to the Rolf family, including violent outbursts, and even an untimely death. Ben feels that something sinister is going on with the house, and urges his family to leave. But leaving the estate is not as easy as it seems.

It’s all too easy to see hues of The Shining , Poltergeist , and even The Haunting and The Skeleton Key in this film, but remember that Burnt Offerings came out four years before The Shining and six years before Poltergeist . So if the plot feels a little predictable at times, it’s not because William F Nolan’s screenplay borrowed heavily from those tentpole heavy-hitters, but because those two iconic films perhaps took a little inspiration from it. Where Curtis may have taken inspiration was from Carnival of Souls because it feels like there is a nod or two to that film. Curtis has pacing down to a science! He demonstrates command of the emotional and psychological journeys of the characters and audience. Those who watch this film without reading up on it will scarcely have the leisure to ask why the Rolf family isn’t more observant and curious about their grand dwelling. At the time this film was released, horror was increasingly concerned and even obsessed with supernatural villains and primal fears take that place in otherwise innocent settings, such as an innocent little girl in The Exorcist or an innocent palatial estate in Burnt Offerings . In the case of the latter, the supernatural monster/entity is the house itself, which manifests its sinister desires in very much the same way a vampire does. It’s romantic, alluring, feeding on and sustaining itself with violence and death. This monster is capable of menace, vengeance, outrage, and even murder.

Instead of a shaky handheld camera, promiscuous teens/college students, and poor pacing that lacks a true windup or never pays off at all, comes a film that was ahead of its time in haunted house storytelling. This film feels far more polished and meticulously executed than most present-day haunted house movies. You won’t find jump scares or haphazard pacing here; this film comes from a time when the slow burn was both the norm and it was strategically utilized to setup a brilliant, shocking payoff that is ultimately among the most effective and memorable horror film endings of all time. In terms of its alluring aesthetic, Burnt Offerings harkens back to the days of Gothic horror in the vein of Edgar Allen Poe and the first and second generation of Universal Pictures Horror. Particularly Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher feels heavily channeled in this otherworldly, unsettling horror film. The film location itself comes completely with a sordid past. The estate in the film is the Dunsmuir Estate in Oakland, CA, which was used in every scene according to Curtis (so sound stages). It was built by coal fortune heir Alexander Dunsmuir in 1899. Dunsmuir intended the house to be a wedding gift for his new bride; but in horror movie fashion, he didn’t get to live in it with her because he fell ill and died while on his honeymoon in New York City. His new bride returned to live in the house but died soon after in 1901. What better haunted house location than a location, which may be truly haunted?!?

Burnt Offerings was one of many horror films in the 1970s and early 1980s that commented on the rising negative societal effects of middle-class life, including viral consumerism and obsession with single-family-house ownership, the family is destroyed by a house they otherwise dreamed of. Furthermore, it also provides an exploration of the perceived breakdown of the nuclear family, following the civil rights and sexual revolution movements. Closely reading the major themes in Burnt Offerings leads me to posit the idea that perhaps the most effective way to critically analyze this film is to interpret it as a supernatural parable on the risks of being controlled by one’s possessions. That said, contrary to how the Biblical proverb is so often misquoted; money is NOT the root of all evil; it’s the LOVE OF money that is at the root of all evil. And here, we can replace money with possessions (more specifically, the obsession with possessions). This is shown through Marian’s obsession with the Allardyces estate and possessions therein, Ben’s sexual obsession with his wife (as an object to possess) , and the house’s evil energy possessing and draining the family. Anyone who’s ever owned a car, a house, or any kind of property can relate to what this family is going through. We know it as viral consumerism, or the toxic desire to acquire material objects (in today’s language, we can include experiences), which can begin to dominate one’s life. Furthermore, we’ve all been there, experiencing that feeling that repairs to, taxes on, and upkeep of property (be it cars, houses, or anything really) can become a burden that is figuratively unbearable. Ostensibly, the property and experiences we sought to possess, in an ironic twist of fate, now possess us.

The horror of Burnt Offerings is portrayed as a manifestation of the family’s inner turmoil. We aren’t given much to go on, as far as the family’s backstory, but clearly the facade of a happy couple is merely a thin veneer covering a very unhappy marriage–one that is using this summer get-away as a means to rectify. Although not specified, Ben is likely a teacher or non-tenure track college professor because his family is there for the summer (I infer this because Marian encourages Ben to work on his doctorate, something I intend to do as soon as I land a full-time staff/faculty position at the university where I’ve taught part-time for over five years). The manifestation of the internal conflict is expressed through the atmosphere and external behavior of the characters, much in the same way we witness this in The Shining , but more effectively witnessed in Rosemary’s Baby . The screenplay by Nolan (and Curtis) grafts this familial dysfunction onto the haunted house conventions to create an eerie sense of tension, both supernaturally and psychologically. As we observe how the Rolf family interacts in public (in front of the Allardyces) and in private (in their vehicle in a Shining -like motif), it’s easy to imagine that perhaps the “right people,” the Allardyces seek for the house, are ones living under a pressure cooker of repressed animosity and barely controlled hostilities.

Lastly, but certainly not least are the overall performances! Everyone in Burnt Offerings delivers a stellar performance. Talk about an award-winning, powerhouse ensemble! From the leads to our supporting cast, you will be delighted at the top shelf quality of the actors and their respective characters. What I appreciate most about each performance is just how authentic they were, no matter if the actor was playing a lead or supporting character. Both Reed and Black completely sell audiences on the stages of the relationship between their two characters as they go from happy to toxic couple, and it all feels so incredibly genuine. Montgomery’s performance as their son is par for the course, but effective and believable enough in this story (albeit he sometimes acts a little older than a 12-year-old would act). Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart simultaneously convince audiences their characters are jolly, eccentric siblings–yet there is a nuance of something creepy underneath. But the performance you really want to know about is the incomparable Bette Davis as Aunt Elizabeth. You get it all: Davis’ trademark sassy personality, witty quips, independence, and her eyes! Yes, those Bette Davis eyes that are a hallmark of cinema. One of the most beautiful faces the silver screen has ever seen, and yet she was adamant that she look like her character should look. Therefore, you eventually get a haggard, makeup-less, decrepit old woman that is the complete 180º from how we commonly see Davis. She delivers a fantastic performance, and you will be left wondering why she didn’t do more horror films to rescue herself from TV movie hell in the latter part of her career, from the golden age until she passed away in 1989.

If you are a fan of 1970s horror, The Shining , Poltergeist , Rosemary’s Baby , or Amityville Horror , I feel confident that you will enjoy this film. While it’s not a great horror film, it is a solidly good one that fans of the genre will likely appreciate. In retrospect, there is so much to unpack in this dreamlike, haunting gothic horror motion picture. Perhaps audiences at the time it was originally released weren’t ready for this methodical haunted house film.

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Ryan teaches American and World Cinema at the University of Tampa . If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Interested in Ryan making a guest appearance on your podcast or contributing to your website? Send him a DM on Twitter or email him at [email protected]! If you’re ever in Tampa or Orlando, feel free to catch a movie with or meet him in the theme parks!

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MPAA Rating

Produced by, burnt offerings (1976), directed by dan curtis.

AllMovie Rating 4
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Review by Donald Guarisco

This underrated chiller is worthy of rediscovery by the horror fans who missed it the first time. Those who expect a zippy pace and shocking twists need not apply -- the film's "evil house" plot is pretty archetypal stuff and the one real twist at the end isn't terribly difficult to predict. However, these elements hardly matter in Burnt Offerings: co-writer/director Dan Curtis knows the real horror of this tale lies in helplessly watching an innocent family unit breaking down as it is preyed upon by an unseen evil. As a result, he wisely concentrates on the family drama angle of the story and allows the tension to build in a slow, methodical fashion that makes the handful of shock scenes genuinely unsettling. He also layers on plenty of brooding atmosphere and is ably aided in this aim by his technical crew's efforts: Jacques Marquette's gauzy cinematography brings out the antiquarian creepiness of the film's setting and Robert Cobert's blood-and-thunder score adds some musical exclamation points to the film's set pieces. Burnt Offerings also benefits from a well-chosen cast: Oliver Reed, Karen Black, and Bette Davis all share a natural intensity in their acting styles and that intensity is given a great vehicle here as each character is slowly but surely driven mad by the house's diabolical machinations. In the end, Burnt Offerings is probably a bit too methodical in its pacing for viewers accustomed to slam-bang approach of post-'70s horror fare but seasoned horror fans will find plenty to enjoy in this film's subtle charms.

April 15, 2024

Horror Film Reviews
Burnt Offerings (1976)…

Burnt Offerings (1976) Review

Horror Film Reviews Possession Psychological

December 4, 2016

Although Ben is dubious that there will be a catch Marian adores the place and the unusual old Allardyce siblings (played by Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart) living there seem nice enough if slightly strange. Agreeing to take the place the brother and sister reveal one small proviso which is that their incredibly elderly mother must remain in the house for the duration of the hire.

Slowly however things take a turn towards the terrifying as eerie incidents and near fatal accidents begin to befall the family without any explanation. The personalities of the adults begin to transform with Ben overcome by rage nearly drowning his son in the pool and Aunt Elizabeth losing her energy, health and will to live while Marian becomes more and more obsessed with attending to the Allardyce matriarch in her locked room.

As the family slips into fear and in-fighting it seems the house around them becomes more alive returning from its decaying and destitute state to full former glory and original beauty. Desperate to save their child from whatever is controlling them the Rolf clan must fight against the invisible and uncanny force before it takes over them all.

As mentioned comparisons between Burnt Offerings and The Shinning seem obvious as well as with The Amityville Horror and the multitudes of haunted house movies that have sprung up during the last few decades just showing how influential it was accentuated by the fact that it won several awards on release at Sitges Film Festival and Saturn Awards.

The story and its stylings reach further back however to the American Gothic genre and Edgar Allan Poe particularly The Fall of the House of Usher both of which merge the unnatural and otherworldly with real life blending psychological and supernatural horror together much like Burnt Offerings does.

Setting an ominous tone early on with the especially creepy performances of Burgess Meredith (best known from Rocky and playing The Penguin in the 60’s Batman TV series) and Eileen Heckart and the sinisterly shot mysterious mansion the film builds slowly squeezing out as much tension as possible with only a few fear filled outbursts such as Ben’s deeply disturbing swimming pool attack against his only offspring.

The acting is top notch especially from Oliver Reed and Karen Black who completely commit to both the characters and the spooky situation taking Ben and Marian from a loving happy and conventional couple into chaos and insanity and remaining convincing throughout.

Fans of 70’s haunted house horror’s and American Gothic movies will delight in Burnt Offerings and those unaware of it should most definitely check it out for the acting and expertly crafted unsettling atmosphere alone that will most defiantly leave you with chills.

Alex Humphrey

Alex studied film at the University of Kent and went on to work for Universal Pictures in their Post Room gaining an inside look at the movie industry from the very bottom. Constantly writing reviews in everything from local magazines to Hip Hop sites Alex honed his critical skills even spending a brief period as a restaurant critic. Read more

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Burnt offerings.

1976 Directed by Dan Curtis

Up the ancient stairs, behind the locked door, something lives, something evil, from which no one has ever returned.

A couple and their 12-year-old son move into a giant house for the summer. Things start acting strange almost immediately. It seems that every time someone gets hurt on the grounds, the beat-up house seems to repair itself.

Karen Black Oliver Reed Burgess Meredith Bette Davis Eileen Heckart Lee Montgomery Dub Taylor Joseph Riley Todd Turquand Orin Cannon Jim Myers Anthony James

Director Director

Producer producer, writers writers.

Dan Curtis William F. Nolan

Original Writer Original Writer

Robert Marasco

Casting Casting

Editor editor.

Dennis Virkler

Cinematography Cinematography

Jacques R. Marquette

Lighting Lighting

Robert A. Petzoldt

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Sven Walnum

Production Design Production Design

Eugène Lourié

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Solomon Brewer

Special Effects Special Effects

Cliff Wenger

Composer Composer

Sound sound.

Don J. Bassman

Costume Design Costume Design

Makeup makeup, hairstyling hairstyling.

Graham Meech-Burkestone Peggy Shannon

United Artists PEA Dan Curtis Productions

Releases by Date

18 oct 1976, 02 jun 1977, 17 oct 2016, releases by country.

Theatrical 16

Netherlands

Physical 12 DVD, Blu ray
Physical 15 DVD / Blu-ray
Theatrical PG

116 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Matt! ★★★½ 3

Man, this is a really fun one. A spooky and somewhat campy supernatural house movie that serves as a very obvious inspiration for The Shining and slow burns itself into a haunting stasis before nosediving out the window with a ludicrous ending courtesy of Karen Black doing her absolute darnedest. Oliver Reed and Bette Davis are great, too. I’ve seen it portrayed as a commentary on materialism destroying the American family, but I prefer it to just be a kooky forgotten pulp magazine story whose foreboding atmosphere signals the start of Fall. A perfect movie to watch with the windows open and the brisk air whistling as the leaves swirl and change color.

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★½ 6

62nd Review for The Collab Weekly Movie Watch

This is precisely what the doctor prescribed, "a very silly haunted mansion movie."

In fact, the movie starts off rather seriously, with the stated goal of scaring the viewers. In many ways, I was reminded of The Conjuring and Repulsion , both of which include horrific and demoralizing depictions of possession of a home and its residents that ultimately tear apart the psyches of their victims.

Although the protagonist's death via falling at the end was terrifying, this is instantly undermined in a spectacular way by the kid's reaction and the random freeze frame, which had me rolling on the floor with laughter. At that point, it was unclear to me whether or…

Review by Slig001 ★★★½

Burnt Offerings is a haunted house movie with a difference, given there's no ghost as such. The title doesn't give much away, and indeed the film doesn't either as it slowly builds towards the conclusion. The film was clearly an influence on The Shining as it shares so much in common. Burnt Offerings is perhaps a little slow and subtle and that's probably why it never found itself with true classic status. There's a lot going for it, however. The atmosphere is heavy and foreboding and the film is always interesting and mysterious, even when there isn't much happening. The central cast is great, with Oliver Reed, Kate Black and Better Davis. Reed in particular is surprisingly suttle in the central role. The conclusion is very well done and worth the wait. I wish a bit more had been made of the house itself but still; this is an effective horror film and worth seeing.

Review by Branson Reese

Loved this. Loved that it clearly inspired The Shining and that you can clearly see that Stephen King decided to switch things up by making the dad in his version a Worse Dude. The kind of big swing that separates palookas like you and I from masters of horror like King.

ANTHONY JAMES as JAMES CARVILLE

Review by ELECTRICWIZARDx ★★★ 3

Karen Black, Bette Davis and Oliver Reed dressed as an absolute square, but still looking as densely packed as a human could possibly be, sweater vest and library dweller glasses and all.

A house feeding on the essence of fuck ups and accidents, turning would be moments of bliss in a summer home with a too good to be true cheapness and caveat that screams run for the hills, into ones of panic and near-death experiences, slow burning a building tension littered with washed out visions of creep-smiled undertakers and clocks jumping to midnight.

The end comes and its an end you could see coming from a mile away, but it's still satisfying and it's a real doozy in a…

Review by Carlo V

Even though I kinda liked this I'm not being unfair calling it The Boring Shining. If you're okay with fuck all happening in these BAD DREAM HOUSE movies, this is pretty solid stuff with great performances and a stupid too little too late ending where they're all "OK GUYS TIME TO GO BIG" but it goes so much against the grain of this being the epitome of slow burn horror. Or should I say no burn horror. Burn.

Review by Ziglet_mir ★★★ 4

Part III of the *Collab Film Group* 's Halloween Special! This week's theme Haunted House Horror!

The most low-key crazy movie I've ever seen. In typical 70s fashion we are deconstructing the nuclear family, watching the adults in the room meltdown to supernatural forces--or rather--the existential obstacles of parenthood. Bette Davis cackles and glares, Karen Black appeases the elderly shut-in upstairs, and Ollie Reed goes from throwing out chokeholds to cowering in the corner of the room behind his feeble auntie. Just like previous collab film Sweet Home this is a slow burn that builds in cycles to its smaller nutty moments. Though Kurosawa's film is set up like a level or dungeon in a video game, the haunted house of Burnt Offerings is much more straightforward and mysterious. Not a film I'd freely recommend as you'd have to be fascinated by the ensemble and very obtuse horror machinations.

Viewed on Amazon Prime.

Review by HeWhoCanDigIt ★★★★ 2

One of those haunted house flicks in which not much happens, but a lot is going on. In Karen Black's face for instance. All you really have to do is put a camera on it, roll it for 90 minutes and voila, you have a movie. Fascinating actress. So different, so weird and so cut out for this particular role. Oliver Reed ain't bad either, obviously. Wasn't very fond of the nightmares and visions though. His scene in the pool on the other hand, where he loses control, is genuinely creepy. From that point on an unsettling atmosphere kicks in, which becomes the driving force of the rest of the movie. Classic tension building, the underlying kind, with a killer ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Review by Joshua Dysart ★★★ 12

Karen Black MVP!!!

I generally love me some homeowner horror, and this is both homeowner horror and also has a lot to say about the powerlessness of renting, so that was cool.

The movie is best when it’s a haunted house story in a more classical and psychological mode, and I feel like if Shirley Jackson had written this it would’ve been 60% smarter and a complete fucking banger. The themes are certainly in her wheelhouse, and so is a lot of the more measured tone.

But often this thing just gets batshit stupid, which is either laughable affable fun, or tedious, depending on the viewer. Oliver Reed is off the fucking rails here. He’s running riot, actorly speaking. And…

Review by Dan Abel ★★★ 3

"The house takes care of itself, Mr.Rolf. Believe me..."

A married couple, their young son, and their Aunt rent a gigantic house in the countryside for the summer. It's very old and not in the best shape but it has a strange ability. Every time someone gets hurt within it's walls it seems to rejuvenate a little unbeknownst to the family. The price is a steal but the catch is that it comes with a resident who lives on the premises, the mother of the eccentric siblings who rented it to them. $900 and three meals a day for a reclusive old woman seal the deal for what could be a great summer. That is until the tired old house…

Review by MushiMinion ★★★★ 8

Babs made this observation before I realized it myself but hear us out. A seemingly idyllic family is tasked with caring for a large, isolated property for a set season and it doesn't take long before their artifice begins the crack and the worst qualities of these individuals become manifest. This house... is possessed by some malevolent force, or perhaps is the malevolent force, and slowly begins to corrupt them... starting with the father, who begins to show murderous tendencies towards their son. I'd guess most of you will be saying, "Yes, this does sound just like The Shining ," but it goes deeper than that.

The original novel by Robert Marasco was published in 1973. This movie released 1976. Stephen…

Review by Helen_S ★★★★ 8

I love this really moody horror. It's just under 2 hours and every minute of it is needed I feel as it just builds and builds until you can't take anymore of that haunted house under your skin feeling. The beautiful house used here was later the Phantasm funeral home, so everytime the creepy undertaker guy showed up it was very surreal. I am so grateful that I had forgotten the ending cos it was a beaut! I love the seriously lacking in subtlety music as well. There is one part that shouldn't but does make me laugh hard, that pool scene ahaha! Good stuff.

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Burnt offerings, home > movie reviews > burnt offerings, review by tom foster.

BURNT OFFERINGS is a remarkably faithful film adaptation of the 1973 novel of the same name by Robert Marasco. One of my favorite films from childhood, I recall it airing on NBC-TV in the late 1970's on almost a yearly basis, and then it became a perennial favorite on many independent stations during the 1980's. When I saw the film on VHS I was shocked at how much footage was cut from some of its television airings, which is a shame because the film moves at a deliberately slow pace.

Bolstered by terrific performances and a better-than-average script, the star of the film is the Dunsmuir House and Gardens in Oakland, California, a sprawling 37-room mansion on 50 acres of gorgeous land. Oliver Reed and Karen Black are Ben and Marian Rolf, a couple who consider renting this incredible dwelling for the summer with their young son, David (Lee H. Montgomery of BEN ), and Ben's Aunt Elizabeth (played brilliantly by Bette Davis). They are greeted at the house by Walker the Handyman (Dub Taylor of those crazy Hubba Bubba commercials from the late 1970's) who introduces them to the renters, two eccentric siblings played wonderfully by Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith who inform the Rolfs that they can rent the house for two months for $900.00 if they agree to a slight catch: they must agree to take care of their 85 year-old mother, Mrs. Allardyce, who lives in a room at the top of the mansion. All they have to do is prepare food for her three times a day and leave it in her sitting room. Understandably hesitant to buy into this peculiar "arrangement", Ben and his family return home to contemplate their next move. Marian is gung-ho from the get-go, so Ben reluctantly acquiesces to her wish to rent the house and concurs with the terms set forth by the Allardyces.

Returning to the house with Aunt Elizabeth in tow, the family engages in some fun banter concerning Elizabeth's desire to procure a driver's license. Director Curtis sets up the Rolf's as a family that the audience can relate to and almost feel as though they are along for the ride. When they reach the house, the Rolf's are shocked to find that the Allardyce's have left them the keys to the home and are nowhere to be found.

As Davey is ordered by his father to unpack the car, Marian attends to Mrs. Allardyce. Despite knocking on her door multiple times and talking to her, the old woman never responds. Marian assumes she's sleeping.

As the days progress, Davey and his father clean out the pool and fill it with water, while Marian prepares meals for Mrs. Allardyce and becomes more in awe of the old woman's music box and photo collection, the latter of which is strange in two respects: not only are the photos of people who are of varying age and do not appear related, but none of them are smiling. When Marian listens to the music from the music box, she goes into a dreamlike trance, oblivious to all external sounds.

What transpires from this point on is no less than the most obvious "inspiration" for Stephen King's THE SHINING . The uneventful settling into the house suddenly takes a U-turn when Ben inexplicably tries to drown Davey in the pool during a maniacal episode of unprovoked rage. Later that night, Ben, contrite and baffled by his behavior, dreams of his mother's funeral when he was just a young boy. In the dream, cinema's scariest chauffer smiles at him. As the film progresses, a series of near-fatal "accidents" that threaten the very fabric of the family unit and their physical well-being leaves the viewer wondering why they just don't get the hell out of the house, but closer examination of the film reveals why they do not. It is in this respect, as well as the film's denouement, where the film triumphs over the novel.

The one image people tend to remember from this film more than any other is Anthony James' frightening turn as the chauffeur. His smile behind the dark sunglasses is rumored to have made teenage girls scream as they watched it in a theater or, more often than not, at sleepovers.

Dan Curtis, the creator of the popular TV show DARK SHADOWS , used his TV crew to make this film, much like Hitchcock did when he filmed his self-proclaimed "fun picture" PSYCHO . Fortunately, he shot the film with a cinematic eye, which results in some very interesting camerawork. He employs the use of low-angle shots with the idea of the theatrical audience in mind, "looking up" at the actors on the screen. I wish that I had seen this film in a theater! If you have the patience to watch a thriller that takes its time, BURNT OFFERINGS is worth seeing.

I usually avoid discussing a film's transfer to video because I do not feel that I am in any authoritative position to do so, but the release of BURNT OFFERINGS on Region 1 NTSC DVD is so disappointing that I must address it. Originally scheduled for release on laserdisc in 1997, the project was postponed and eventually scrapped due to MGM's inability at that time to secure suitable film elements for the transfer. If the new DVD transfer is any indication, this issue still persists today, as it boasts a dark and uneven look. In fact, the film looks only marginally better than the NTSC VHS transfer from the 1980's. I hate to think that the film's negative is either missing, in really bad shape, or destroyed, because the image is lacking in detail. The film print itself is fairly free of dirt, it's just that the transfer � which might have been made from an interpositive film element transferred to video using not up-to-par telecine technology at the time � is extremely dull. It does not appear to be struck from a theatrical print considering the lack of tell-tale reel change markers in the film's upper right-hand corner. BURNT OFFERINGS was filmed in August 1975, and one could argue that the film's age is a factor, but I disagree � CITIZEN KANE was shot in 1941 and it looks gorgeous. Other reviewers of this DVD have waxed enthusiastically over the transfer, but I cannot imagine why. Perhaps this is how the film was shot?

Unfortunately, the film's sound fares no better. The dialog is unbearably low, sound effects are strident, and Robert Cobert's musical score, indubitably one of the creepiest and most frightening scores ever written for a film, fairs only slightly better, and even this is in mono. Disappointingly, a soundtrack album was never issued, with the minimal exception of a Cobert compilation CD that included several tracks from the film mixed in with other productions he scored.

If you love this film as much as I do, purchasing the DVD is a no-brainer. The disc includes a theatrical trailer, and a combo-commentary with Karen Black, Dan Curtis, and the film's screenwriter William F. Nolan, though I wish that they all had viewed the film prior to the commentary, as some of their comments are truly unbelievable.

*********************************************

I visited the Dunsmuir House and Gardens while in California on business some years ago. The last two photos that I have included were taken by me. The first is of the house, and the second is what's left of the swimming pool, now off-limits to people because earthquakes in the area have made the land unstable.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stryker

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Film review: burnt offerings (1976) – review 2.

Jonathan Stryker 07/25/2019 Film Reviews

A family of three takes a summer vacation at an enormous mansion in the hopes of relaxing but instead finds themselves in the grip of a nightmare as several horrific events threatens to destroy them.

Burnt Offerings (1976) is Dan Curtis’s film adaptation of the 1973 novel of the same name by the late Robert Marasco. It’s the novel that reportedly inspired Stephen King to sublimate his experiences as a caretaker at the Stanley Hotel in October 1974 into his second novel The Shining (1977) following Carrie (1974). Much of the plot devices from the former were aped in the latter: a mother and father spend a season in a huge manse with their young son; a large structural abode has a life of its own and thrives off of the life blood of its human dwellers for survival, etc.

Burnt Offerings opened on Wednesday, September 29, 1976 in New York “at Red Carpet Theatres” (as opposed to what, black carpet theatres? Always wondered about that). It’s a film that I caught up with five years later on a repeat NBC-TV airing and it later became a perennial favorite on many independent stations during the 1980’s. When I saw the film on VHS I was shocked at how much footage was cut from some of its television airings, which is a shame because it moves at a deliberately slow but effective pace.

Bolstered by terrific performances and a better-than-average script, the real star of the film is the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate in Oakland, California , a sprawling 37-room mansion on 50 acres of gorgeous land that belies the ghetto that exists to the west of it. If it looks familiar, that’s because it has been featured in a handful of other films, most notably as the Morningside mortuary’s exterior in Don Coscarelli’s classic Phantasm (1979) and in the James Bond film A View to a Kill (1985). Here, it has been dressed to look decrepit and creepy. Oliver Reed and Karen Black are Ben and Marian Rolf, a couple who consider renting this incredible dwelling for the summer with their young son, David (Lee H. Montgomery of Ben ), and Ben’s Aunt Elizabeth (played brilliantly by Bette Davis). They are greeted at the house by Walker the Handyman (Dub Taylor of those crazy Hubba Bubba commercials from 1980) who introduces them to the renters, two eccentric siblings played wonderfully by Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith. I wish that they had larger roles in the film!

They inform the Rolf’s that they can rent the house for two months for $900.00(!) if they agree to a slight catch: they must agree to take care of their 85 year-old mother, Mrs. Allardyce, who lives in a room at the top of the mansion. All they have to do is prepare food for her three times a day and leave it in her sitting room. Understandably hesitant to buy into this peculiar “arrangement”, Ben and his family return home. Marian is gung-ho from the get-go, so Ben reluctantly acquiesces to her wish to rent the house and concurs by default with the terms set forth by the Allardyces. These opening introductory scenes set the tone for the rest of the film, as both the Rolf’s and the audience are kept in the dark as to what the owners have up their sleeves. Look carefully at Oliver Reed’s glasses – they do a disappearing/reappearing act throughout the first ten minutes.

Returning to the house with Aunt Elizabeth in tow, the Rolf’s engage in some fun banter concerning Elizabeth’s desire to procure a driver’s license. Director Curtis sets up the Rolf’s as a family that the audience can relate to and almost feel as though they are along for the ride. When they reach the house, the Rolf’s are shocked to find that the Allardyce’s have left them the keys to the home and are nowhere to be found. As Davey is ordered by his father to unpack the car, Marian attends to Mrs. Allardyce. Despite knocking on her door multiple times and talking to her, the old woman never responds. Marian assumes she’s sleeping.

As the days progress, Davey and his father clean out the pool and fill it with water, while Marian prepares meals for Mrs. Allardyce and becomes more in awe of the old woman’s music box and photo collection, the latter of which is strange in two respects: not only are the photos of people who are of varying age and do not appear related, but none of them are smiling. When Marian listens to the music from the music box, she goes into a dreamlike trance, oblivious to all external sounds. The uneventful settling into the house suddenly takes a U-turn when Ben inexplicably tries to drown Davey in the pool during a maniacal episode of unprovoked rage. Later that night, Ben, contrite and baffled by his own behavior, dreams of his mother’s funeral when he was just a young boy. In the dream, cinema’s scariest chauffeur smiles at him. As the film progresses, a series of near-fatal “accidents” that threaten the very fabric of the family unit and their physical well-being leaves the viewer wondering why they just don’t get the hell out of the house, but later the film reveals why they don’t. It is in this respect, as well as the film’s denouement, where the film triumphs over the novel.

The one image people tend to remember from this film more than any other is Anthony James’ frightening turn as the chauffeur. His smile behind the dark sunglasses is rumored to have made teenage girls scream as they watched it in a theater or, more often than not, at sleepovers.

Dan Curtis, the creator of the popular TV show Dark Shadows , used his TV crew to make this film, much like Alfred Hitchcock did when he filmed his self-proclaimed “fun picture” Psycho (1960). Fortunately, he shot the film with a cinematic eye, which results in some very interesting camerawork. He employs the use of low-angle shots with the idea of the theatrical audience in mind, “looking up” at the actors on the screen. I wish that I had seen this film in a theater! If you have the patience to watch a thriller that takes its time, Burnt Offerings is well worth seeing.

Kino Lorber has done right by Burnt Offerings and offers up a beautiful, much improved transfer over the original MGM/UA 2003 DVD which was drab, muted and lacking in detail. Originally scheduled for release on laserdisc in 1997, the project was postponed and eventually scrapped altogether due to MGM’s inability at that time to secure suitable film elements for the transfer. The print used here is fairly free of dirt and the increased resolution from the high definition gives the image a much-needed boost. The film was shot in August 1975 and I originally thought that it was designed with a soft look, but that was just due to the lackluster transfer (the VHS tape, with Macrovision, was even worse!).

The film’s sound, which was problematic on the VHS and DVD transfers, is also much improved. The dialog is now more intelligible and Robert Cobert’s musical score, indubitably one of the creepiest and most frightening scores ever written for a film, fairs far better here, too. The mix is monaural. Kino, for some reason, doesn’t provide subtitles, so if you want them hold onto the 2003 DVD.

A soundtrack album for Burnt Offerings was finally issued in 2011 and can be purchased here .

If you love this film as much as I do, purchasing this Blu-ray is a no-brainer. Another thing that Kino Lorber has done, and they really need to be commended on this, is include the original United Artists/Transamerica logo that appears before the film begins.

This may not seem like a big deal, but to us die-hard film aficionados, this is a huge deal. Seeing a film from the very start of the first frame is very important, and the studio logo before a film begins is not separate, it is a part of the film viewing experience. The Warner Brothers logo that opens William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) is so integral to the film that the music that begins the film starts playing over the studio logo. Billy Goldenberg’s icy music plays over the “Universal/An MCA Company” logo in Steven Spielberg’s Duel (1971) as does the underwater machinery in Jaws (1975) prior to that film’s start. In the 1980’s, it was possible to see these logos before a film’s start as most of the transfers were done from theatrical prints. As we got into the 1990’s and the 2000’s and telecine transfers became more common, the original studio logos were being replaced with the newer and fancier studio logos. Now, the original studio logos are really in danger of disappearing altogether (Youtube is really the only place to see them). Unless companies like Kino Lorber, which really have the cineastes best interests at heart, continue their excellent work of retaining the original film logos, those very logos will become a lost part of cinema history.

I visited the Dunsmuir House and Gardens (as it was known back then) while in California on business. The last four photos that I have included were taken by me. The first is of the house taken on 10/24/1997 and it didn’t look as though it had aged a day:

These three taken on 07/24/1998 of the entrance to the swimming pool and the pool itself, which was off-limits because earthquakes in the area have made the land unstable:

This is the gazebo that Davey falls off of in the beginning of the film:

The disc includes the following extras:

The theatrical trailer

The first commentary is with Karen Black, Dan Curtis, and the film’s screenwriter William F. Nolan and has been ported over from the original 2003 MGM/UA DVD release. I wish that they all had viewed the film prior to the commentary, as some of their comments are truly unbelievable. This commentary is a riot to listen to.

There is a second commentary on here recorded this year by film historian Richard Harland Smith, and it’s one of the most entertaining, insightful and informative commentaries that I have ever listened to. Mr. Smith got me thinking about things that I never thought of before, particularly in regards to Marian’s distancing from her family, and even manages to tie in a discussion about the Vietnam War. He speaks at length about the meaning behind the film’s title in addition to the notion of the “Old Dark House” where evil lurks. I wish that more genre films would include commentaries like this. Excellent.

There are onscreen interviews with Anthony James (he played the chauffeur), Lee Montgomery (he played Davey) and William F. Nolan (he wrote the screenplay).

Kino Lorber has retained the film’s effective key art for the cover.

Burnt Offerings was the first thriller I ever saw and it made an indelible impression on me that has stayed with me for the past 34 years. It’s now available just in time for Halloween, and is truly creepy, one of the best PG-rated thrillers of all-time. A superb release!

I have my fingers crossed that Kino Lorber gets their hands on The Changeling (1980) and One Dark Night (1983) as they both need high definition upgrades.

Click here to order from Amazon.com .

Tags 1976 Anthony James Bette Davis Burgess Meredith Burnt Offerings Dan Curtis Eileen Heckart Karen Black Oliver Reed

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Still creeps me out.

That smile scared the crap out of me when I was a kid, especially the “coffin shove” part.

Burnt Offerings (1976) – Horror Movie Review

Suspense/Thriller

By Melissa Antoinette Garza

“This house will be here long, long after you have departed.”- Arnold (Burgess Meredith)

Ben (Oliver Reed) and Marion (Karen Black) are the ideal happily married couple. They have a young son Dave (Lee Montgomery) who they both adore. Soon an opportunity to rent a beautiful house comes up. The eccentric owners Arnold (Burgess Meredith) and his sister Roz (Eileen Heckart) paint a strange almost utopia image when describing their home. Though the place does need maintenance and part of the agreement requires Marion to tend to the old woman who resides upstairs behind a locked door, they readily agree to the deal.

At first, all is calm. Ben even invites his Aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis) to move in with them. She quickly comes aboard and the four begin tending and repairing the house. Ben and Dave repair the swimming pool and soon jump in. They both play around, but suddenly Ben’s demeanor changes. They begin to play roughhouse and Ben starts trying to drown his son. Dave fights to safety and runs away both fearful and confused. Later, Ben is also confused. He doesn’t understand where the anger stemmed from. Marion attempts to console him, but he explains that nightmares that had previously plagued him about his mother’s funeral had returned. Dreams of a strange pale man driving a hearse have been making him crazy.

Things begin to get even worse. Aunt Elizabeth transforms merely overnight from a vibrant older woman to a sickly disoriented creature. Marion who was once sympathetic and nurturing suddenly becomes distant and cold. She is only driven by tending to the old woman upstairs and caring for the house. Odder still, the house seems to repair itself. Flowers that were dead spring alive. Damaged and old construction turns new and bright.

Soon, it is evident to Ben that he must take his family and flee. Something just isn’t right in the house. Marion who has grown severely attached refuses. He attempts to reason, but she seems unreasonable. She is almost possessed by the house.

The seventies were the optimal time for horror. This is said often and it is because of films like this that it rings true. The atmosphere and pace are perfect. The characters are sympathetic. The setting is tremendous and one could not ask for a better cast.

Oliver Reed is magnificent in the part. He portrays Ben as a caring and calm father who is frightened by anger he is obviously unaccustomed to.

Lee Montgomery, who later excelled in films such as THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (1985), INTO THE FIRE (1988) and MUTANT (1984) stars brightly as the scared little boy. Many times in horror, child actors can be annoying and really slow the pace of an otherwise great film. Montgomery is a rare exception that added in a role where others would have easily taken away.

Of course, it goes without saying that Bette Davis was remarkable. She always had the ability to capture a scene even as she stayed silent in the background. One of the few that owned the “IT” factor, it is always a treat to see her on film.

Finally, Karen Black does wonderful in the lead. She invokes both loathing and sympathy. At times, certain scenes were difficult to sell. They were implausible or just too weird. Still, Black rose above it and made each one believable.

On a side note, it is said that THE SHINING (1980) was inspired by BURNT OFFERINGS. That is quite an understatement. The plot the two follow are nearly identical. Though with Stanley Kubrick’s vision the outcome of “The Shining” has a much different feel than this production, the parallels in the actual stories are too similar. One must wonder if the well-known animosity Reed felt for Jack Nicholson was rooted in how alike the two tales were. If so, maybe the correct person to have pause with was Stephen King.

Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10

One thought on “ Burnt Offerings (1976) – Horror Movie Review ”

Great movie and I told Geno about it years ago!

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Burnt Offerings

A family moves into a large old mansion in the countryside which seems to have a mysterious and sinister power over its new residents.
Ben and Marian Rolf rent a grand old country mansion as a summer getaway for themselves, their twelve year old son Davey, and Ben's Aunt Elizabeth. They feel they can't turn down the rent deal offered to them by the house's owners, siblings Roz and Arnold Allardyce, despite some reservations. First amongst those reservations, they are to take care of the house on their own, which Ben feels is too big a job, especially for Marian and the interior housekeeping. In Marian's words, the large size of the house is a "waste". And second and perhaps more important amongst those reservations, the Allardyces' aged mother will be staying in her room at the house, the Rolfs who are to provide a tray of food left outside her room three times a day, which Marian vows to take care of on her own, with no other members of the family to go into that isolated wing of the house so as not to disturb Mrs. Allardyce's peace. Upon their arrival at the house for the first day of their stay, they find a note from Roz and Arnold stating that they had to leave on an emergency, only with the necessary keys enclosed with no address or telephone number where they can be reached. As the summer progresses, the family members individually begin to exhibit unusual and unexplainable behavior, and unusual and unexplainable things start happening around the house. The strongest behavior ends up being Marian's total focus on renewing the house into what she says she wants it to be, or so she implies she is doing. These occurrences threaten both the loving family dynamic as well as the individual lives of the four. The answers to what is happening may be who or what lies behind the closed and often locked door of Mrs. Allardyce's bedroom. — Huggo
Ben Rolf, his wife Marian and their son David visit a country manor for renting to spend summer vacation. They are welcomed by the weird siblings Roz Allardyce and Arnold Allardyce that offer the mansion for nine hundred-dollar only for the whole summer. The only condition is to feed their mother Ms. Allardyce that lives recluse in the attic three times a day. They move to the house with Ben's Aunt Elizabeth and soon Marian becomes obsessed for Ms. Allardyce and the house. Meanwhile evil things happen to the Rolf family and Ben feels that the house is absorbing their life forces. After the death of Ms. Allardyce, Ben decides to leave the manor but he realizes they are trapped in the real estate. What is happening to the family? — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ben and Marion Rolf and their son, 12-year-old Davey, drive to a remote and rundown Victorian mansion that was advertised for a summer rental. Walker, the handyman, answers their knock at the door and lets them look around. Davey plays outside while Ben and Marion find a greenhouse full of dead flowers. Roz Allardyce, a woman in her late fifties, greets the Rolfs, and the couple informs her that Ben's Aunt Elizabeth will also be joining them for the summer. After Roz and Ben negotiate the oddly low, one-time rental price of $900, they are joined by Roz's wheelchair-bound brother, Arnold. The two siblings rave about how the house is "practically immortal." Also, Arnold and Roz tell the Rolfs that their 85-year old mother is living upstairs, and they will have to take food to her every day over the summer. Davey, bleeding, comes inside after being hurt. Everyone except Arnold leave to help Davey clean the cut. When Walker passes by to throw out a dead potted plant, Arnold tells him that the plant isn't dead. Surprisingly, Walker notices a new leaf is growing in the pot. A few days later, the Rolfs come back with seventy-four-year-old Elizabeth to find the mansion's key and a note saying that Arnold and Roz had to leave. Ben is upset that they didn't include a number where to reach them. Marion goes to the upstairs parlor and knocks on Mrs. Allardyce's bedroom door. Getting no answer, she draws back the parlor curtains to let more light in and admires a table full of old photos and a music box. Noticing a tray of dirty dishes, Marion carries them downstairs. Marion tells Ben she didn't see Mrs. Allardyce and then declares that the third floor is off bounds to everybody except her. The old lady will be Marion's responsibility. Elizabeth then declares that all the clocks in the house have stopped working. The next day, Ben and Davey restore a dilapidated pool, and then find the Allardyce family graveyard while exploring the surrounding woods. Ben notices there are no graves more recent than 1890. A week passes and still Mrs. Allardyce doesn't respond to Marion's knocking. Also, her tray is barely touched. Marion opens the music box and a dreamy expression crosses her face as the music plays. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, Davey and Ben are at the pool. Ben dives in and finds a pair of broken glasses that he puts on. Davey jumps in and, although the boy can't swim, Ben lets his son somersault off his shoulders. Suddenly, Ben thrusts Davey down and holds him under the water. Ben doesn't let go until Davey hits him in the face with his scuba mask. During the night, Ben dreams he is a boy and is being driven to his mother's funeral by a skeletal chauffeur with an evil grin. The next morning, Marion goes to the pool where she is shocked to see that it looks brand new. In the living room, Ben apologizes to Davey. That evening, Marion finds Ben by the pool, which she suggests that she polished up to look new. At Marion's cajoling, Ben jumps in and, a minute later, she strips down and joins him. They embrace, but Marion quickly pushes him away and gets out. Ben follows and tries to make love to his wife on the front lawn, but when Marion sees lights on in the old lady's room, she runs away. Going into the parlor, Marion opens the music box and falls asleep. The next morning in the kitchen, Elizabeth complains to Marion that the summer vacation is wearing her out. Elizabeth also notices the new gray growing in Marion's hair. Then, instead of taking a nap, Elizabeth brings Mrs. Allardyce a picture she has painted of the house. Elizabeth can barely climb the stairs without collapsing. Responding to Elizabeth's knocking on the parlor door, Marion says that Mrs. Allaradyce is asleep. Out front, Ben sees a model T hearse drive up that is being driven by the grinning chauffeur from his nightmare. Ben covers his face and, when he looks again, the hearse has disappeared. At midnight, all the clocks reset by themselves and chime the hour. Waking up, Ben smells gas coming from a heater in Davey's room. Ben kicks the locked door down and carries Davey out to a hallway window. After turning off the gas, Ben smashes out a stuck bedroom window with a baseball bat. In the morning, Elizabeth confesses to Marion that she was in Davey's room, but did not touch the gas. Marion demands to know what else Elizabeth did, as someone locked the door and closed the window. When Elizabeth wonders if Mrs. Allardyce did it, Marion explodes. Later, Ben finds Elizabeth crying in her room and looking twenty years older. She wants to leave the house, but when Ben asks her to come down so Marion can apologize, she says she will later. In the parlor, Ben finds Marion, wearing an antique broach and shawl, who insists Elizabeth had something to do with Davey's accident. When Ben asks why he can't meet the old lady, Marion says that Mrs. Allaradyce is sleeping. Meanwhile, Elizabeth sits up in bed, and a loud crack of breaking bones is heard. At dinner, Ben asks Marion if she would leave the house if he asked her too. She says he's being ridiculous. Davey yells for help and Ben and Marion find Elizabeth writhing in pain. Ben runs downstairs to phone for help, but the line is busy. Marion then tries the phone and comes back saying that the doctor is on the way. Ben asks Marion to wait downstairs, but instead she goes to the parlor, opens the music box and eats Mrs. Allardyce's food. Sitting with Elizabeth, Ben hears a car coming, which he sees out the window is the model T hearse. Elizabeth's bedroom door bangs open and the grinning chauffeur thrusts a coffin at them. Meanwhile, Marion goes into the greenhouse where the flowers are in full bloom. After Elizabeth's funeral, Ben and Davey find Marion dressed in Victorian attire. Marion says she couldn't go to the funeral because she couldn't leave Mrs. Allardyce alone. Although Marion has made a candlelight dinner, she storms out when Ben says he's not hungry. Ben follows her and insists on meeting the old lady. Marion claims she can't open the door as Mrs. Allardyce has the only key. Ben tells her they're leaving in the morning and, although Marion says she can't leave the old lady alone, he claims that in any event he and Davey are going. That night, Ben is awakened by the sound of bricks, tiles and siding that are falling off the house. Ben grabs Davey, runs to the car, and drives off. However, a tree falls, blocking his path. Unable to lift the tree, Ben tries to ram it out of the way with the car, but hits his head on the steering wheel. Marion climbs into the car and drives them back to the house. When Ben looks at her, he sees the chauffeur grinning back at him. A doctor comes and says that Ben needs to go to a hospital. When Davey asks Marion if they are going home, she says his father is better off staying put. The next day, a comatose Ben sits by the pool in a wheelchair. Davey jumps in the pool, which begins to churn with giant waves. Marion sees her imperiled son from inside his bedroom, but can't open the window. Ben tries to move, but only falls out of the chair. Marion runs downstairs and smashes a window to get out of the house. She runs to the pool, dives in and rescues Davey. She hugs her husband and son and says they are leaving today. Although Marion gets in the car with her family, she quickly gets out, insisting she has to give Mrs. Allardyce their phone number. When Marion doesn't return, Ben goes after her. Finding Mrs. Allardyce's door unlocked, Ben looks in to see the back of a white haired woman in a wheelchair. He asks where Marion is. Not getting an answer, he swings the chair around, and discovers that the old woman is Marion. Ben crashes through the bedroom window and lands on the car's windshield below. Davey yells for his Mom, but the chimney collapses, killing him. Later the Allardyce siblings return. The house looks entirely new and the flowers are all blooming. Arnold says that their mother has been restored to her full glory. In the parlor there are four new pictures: Ben, Marion, Davey and Elizabeth... the latest victims of the Allardyce siblings and the house.

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Burnt Offerings (1976) - Blu-ray Review

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Dan Curtis is a relative god among men when it comes to producing and directing American horror television programs. From creating Dark Shadows to bringing life into investigative reporter Carl Kolchak in The Night Stalker , Curtis is often cited as the primary source of influence for a lot of creative types working in the field of horror-tinged entertainment. He even stirred up renewed interest in horror anthologies with the success he had in bringing Trilogy of Terror to ABC for their "Movie of the Week" in 1975. Like I said, he's a pretty big deal.

After all these successes on television, it's little wonder that he would move to a much bigger screen with an entirely new possession-themed product. The idea of bringing back the idea of the haunted house must have seemed daunting. It was largely dated and recent attempts had proven hollow. Much like Hitchcock did with the filming of Psycho , Curtis took his television crew and – with an emphasis on low angles – shot his faithful adaptation of Burnt Offerings by playwright Robert Marasco.

While poorly received upon its initial release, Burnt Offerings – now on blu-ray thanks to Kino Lorber - is a deliberately slow-moving menace of terror that is due for some serious reconsideration as a classic of the genre. Most people my age remember it from its constant rotation on independent channels during the early part of the 1980s. It often comes up in conversation when people are trying to remember the movie about the man who jumps out of a top story window after seeing the face of his possessed wife and lands on a car with his son in the backseat. Others remember it for the hair-raising use of Anthony James as the chauffer inside the hearse that keeps haunting that same man.

Shot in and around the deliciously spooky Dunsmuir House and Gardens in Oakland, California, an expansive 37-room mansion on 50 acres, Burnt Offerings tells the story of one family's summer rental home misfortune when a once-decrepit looking home suddenly blooms under their loving care. Curtis assembles a top-notch cast, too. Oliver Reed is Ben Rolf and Karen Black plays Marian, his wife. They are joined by their young son, David ( BEN 's Lee H. Montgomery) and Aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis). Even before the inclusion of the incomparable Davis, you have to applaud Curtis' use of the house's original caretakers: siblings Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith and their handyman, Walker (Hubba Bubba and Creature from the Black Lagoon 's Dub Taylor). Truly, there is some magic in this lineup.

What follows in Burnt Offerings is the Rolf's promise that for a mere $900 for the summer, they will look after the Allardyce home and the siblings' 85-year-old mother, who lives in a room at the top of the mansion. It will, in fact, be their pleasure. Marian takes it upon herself to look after Mrs. Allardyce. Ben and David go about taking care of the grounds. Their first order of business is the pool. Make note of that because that's where IT begins.

What becomes apparent soon enough is that the house is conscious. The more they look after it, the more it rewards them. And the more it rewards them, the more it possesses them. How this is communicated to the audience rewards patient viewers; there is a slow burn to madness in much of Burnt Offerings but its twisting path to possession inside its walls is a rewarding experience of practical effects and some pretty spine-tingling scenes of terror. The final few minutes are unforgettable.

Curtis doesn't hold back. Burnt Offerings is a tough film to watch as one family is essentially torn apart by this house. There aren't any ghosts. No killers. Just possession. It doesn't explain why either which, in my opinion, makes it a hell of a lot more insane. I doubt that Hollywood would have the balls to commit to the same ending should this film ever be selected for a remake. Curtis does, though, and in a very unsettling way, Burnt Offerings – along with Robert Cobert's haunting score – delivers a film about possession that still haunts its viewers.

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MPAA Rating: PG Runtime: 116 mins Director : Dan Curtis Writer: William F. Nolan Cast: Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith Genre : Horror | Mystery Tagline: The perfect summer rental for the last vacation you'll ever take. Memorable Movie Quote: "The house takes care of itself." Distributor: United Artists Official Site: Release Date: October 18 1976 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 6, 2015 Synopsis : A family moves into a haunted house that seems to be stealing their lives.

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Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - October 6, 2015 Screen Formats: 1.85:1 Subtitles : None Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD) Region Encoding: A

Kino Lorber updates MGM's DVD transfer with a new 1080p presentation. This release features the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio which is nice. While there are some parts of the film that feature a diffusion lens, the overall detail and clarity are solid. This only becomes problematic when outside with very shiny objects. Black levels are clean throughout. Colors are good, too. There is a nice layer of natural grain that gets heavier at night but, overall, this is a good-looking release. The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track is sufficient to showcase both dialogue and Cobert's GREAT soundtrack.

Supplements:

Commentary :

While it would have been better if the commentary's participants had recently seen the movie BEFORE recording their thoughts, Dan Curtis, Karen Black and co-screenwriter William Nolan do provide some good details about the shoot. It is hindered by them actually watching the movie instead of commenting upon it, though. The commentary is not new. It was recorded for a previous DVD release but it's nice to have it included here since Curtis has passed away.

Special Features:

Kino does a good job of celebrating the movie with a trio of new featurettes. First up is an interview with Anthony James, an actor with an unforgettable face. His remembering of Bette Davis is classic. Next up is a new interview with former child actor Lee Montgomery in which he remembers Oliver Reed's entourage. And, finally, there is co-writer William F. Nolan's thoughts on the making of the film. Good stuff!

Anthony James: Acting His Face (18 min)
Blood Ties: Lee Montgomery (16 min)
From the Ashes: William F. Nolan (13 min)

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Burnt offerings blu-ray review.

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Genre(s): Horror, Supernatural Kino Lorber| PG – 116 min. – $24.95 | February 6, 2024

Date Published: 02/07/2024 | Author: The Movieman

Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers .

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Review of Burnt Offerings

Another movie that comes up frequently in my list writing, Burnt Offerings is an unusual haunted house horror; among what I would call the epitome of haunted house fare, this is delightfully dark, well-acted and still effectively chilling despite hokiness.

Oliver Reed and Karen Black star as a couple (The Rolfs) with a young son who rent a villa for the summer. An invisible force in the house has power over the Rolfs, which has profound psychological effects. Reed’s character Ben becomes powered, while Karen Black, who plays Marian, becomes strangely prepossessed with and attached to the home. Ben begins to have haunting flashbacks to a committal he attended in his childhood. These eerie black-and-white flashbacks with a nameless, big, grinning chauffeur are among the scariest moments in horror movie history for me.

The film as a whole has a really precarious ambience and creeping mania. It is reminiscent of The Shining, although it came before, and Stephen King himself has claimed that burnt offerings and the novel on which it is based were inspiration for his story. Director Dan Curtis raises the atmosphere and strikes a lot of low shots that make the old rural mansion look gigantic and haunting. The interior of the house is as you would see it if you were asked to close your eyes and imagine an old haunted house. His property is too idyllic not to turn into hell. The unkempt, greenish pool provides Ben with a beautiful setting to turn into a powered maniac in a gripping scene.

Atmosphere and spectacle make heavy lifting. Oliver Reed and Karen Black don’t need any praise – but I’ll note that Reed plays an intimidating patriarch who is scary to watch as he sinks into madness. The supporting cast, including horror all-star team captain Burgess Meredith, make spooky appearances. Burnt Offerings is a convincing, psychologically motivated, haunting strip, which is good, but it is the aforementioned chauffeur who makes this great horror.

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Burnt Offerings Blu-ray Review: Not the Average Haunted House Movie

Burnt Offerings (1976) starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Burgess Meredith may well be director Dan Curtis’ masterpiece. It’s atmospheric, spooky, and provides a different take on the gothic haunted house movie.

The Rolf family, father Ben (Reed), mother Marian (Black), son David (Lee Montgomery), and Aunt Elizabeth (Davis), move into a grand, old mansion located far from the city surrounded by trees and nature. They rent the place for the summer from the Allardyce family: odd, elderly siblings Roz (Eileen Heckart) and Arnold (Meredith) and an ancient mother we don’t ever see. The place is more than they imagined but it’s a steal at only $900 for the whole summer. The catch is that the Rolfs must look after mommy Allardyce who never leaves her third floor apartment-like living quarters. Ben’s a bit concerned but Marian assures him she’ll handle the care of the elder Allardyce. Things get spooky the day they arrive to settle in and get cozy.

As they roam the house for the first time, they notice that things need some TLC. Some wallpaper is torn, the furniture needs polishing, the clocks don’t work, and all the flowers and plants are long dead. As the Allardyce home gets some attention, the house itself begins to come back to life: the flowers begin to suddenly bloom and the place becomes less gloomy. As the house spruces itself up, the Rolfs slowly deteriorate mentally, physically, and emotionally. Marian becomes distant from her family as her sole concern is the house and caring for the mysterious old woman upstairs.

The more mentally distraught the family becomes the more the house regenerates as if slowly consuming them and one stormy night it even sheds its old paint and panels. Ben has had enough after he’s driven to attack his own son, the death of his beloved Aunt Elizabeth and the return of a recurring nightmare with a creepy hearse driver (Anthony James) from his past. Ben tries to flee but the house won’t let him as the trees and brush keep him from leaving until finally a defeated, semi-comatose Ben returns to accept his fate inside the house. Will the Rolfs be able to get away and live another day? Will the Allardyce’s children return for mumsy? Or will the house ingest them and absorb their souls adding them to the list of past burnt offerings?

Burnt Offerings isn’t the average haunted house movie, cluttered with the standard tropes of creaking hinges, moaning ghosts, and a disturbing backstory that possesses the place itself, leading it to kill its occupants. The movie is indeed atmospheric and haunting but without turning to those old tricks. What makes it stand out is that this house eats its inhabitants. Not in that Little Shop of Horrors, Audrey II way either. Nor does Burnt Offerings use many special effects such as orbs that ingest people. No, this bad house from Hell slowly consumes its guests so that it can thrive and live, using those poor unfortunate souls to rejuvenate itself and its direct surroundings to their full glory for all to see and be lured into, like a Venus flytrap tempting its prey. There are practical effects used here and there to heighten the terror by adding some gripping flare; take the scene where Reed tries to flee, for instance, and the end itself.

Burnt Offerings finds director Dan Curtis at the peak of his horror phase and coming in hot off the success of the Dark Shadows TV series and the made-for-TV movie Trilogy of Terror , which also featured Karen Black taking on a possessed Zuni doll. Curtis brings his gothic, dark touch to the big screen and doesn’t disappoint. He’s taken what he learned from his TV work and adapted it perfectly to the silver screen. Building the suspense while never leaving the audience bored or uninterested. Curtis hits the perfect balance here. Each scene brings us to the twisted climax and there are many great shots along the way. Curtis has planted clues throughout that reveal what is really happening, not only to Marian but to her family, as they live out the summer of their discontent. Karen Black’s transformation to matronly house mistress is gradual and slight as her hair gains gray strands and her wardrobe gets darker and more Victorian. The pool scene has her looking completely spectral as she emerges from the darkness; truly a great scene and not just because Black dives into the pool naked.

Oliver Reed is his moody, broody best and looks good as the father who tries to break the house’s spell over his family as he’s haunted by a specter from his past. Black shines as the sexy, scream queen that becomes seduced by the very house itself, turning a blind eye as it torments her family. Lee Montgomery as son David isn’t annoying as other children tend to be in these types of horror movies. He handles his part very well and has some very good scenes with Reed, in the pool and at the very end, as he watches the horrific effects of the house. Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart as the strange Allardyce siblings play well off each other and Dub Taylor does his usual thing in his small part as the handyman. Last, but never least, Bette Davis as Aunt Elizabeth shows that she still possesses her acting chops in the “horror hag” phase of her long career.

Extras include two great audio commentary tracks; one with Curtis, Black, and co- screenwriter William F. Nolan. Curtis and Black tell many amusing anecdotes about working with the cast. The second commentary is a fascinating analysis with film historian Richard Harland Smith. He compares and contrasts the novel of the same name written by Robert Marasco and the finished product we see on screen, highlighting aspects shown in the film that play a more pronounced role in the book. He expertly weaves together how Burnt Offerings draws from the haunted house genre but goes off on its own unique strand. Smith traces the gothic haunted house story back to its roots in old horror novellas, how it branched off into the old dark house genre, and how Burnt Offerings ties to Psycho, The Evil Dead , and all those other movies with “House” in the title that feature ghosts, demonic entities, or other supernatural possession in some form. Smith also reveals how Curtis’ own daughter suffered a real-life fate that resembles that of Reed’s at the end of the picture. Both commentaries are wonderful additions to the Blu-ray release.

The remainder of special features include two on-screen interviews. One with screenwriter Nolan and the other with Andrew James, whose interview is very good as he discusses what it’s like being the guy who has to “play his face” in most of his movies. If you don’t know who he is, Google the name and I’m sure it will click quickly. The trailer with commentary by Steve Senski from Trailers From Hell is also a fun short watch and unlisted on the packaging, which is a shame.

Burnt Offerings had been on my must-watch list for years. I looked for it everywhere in the days of DVD stores and finally years later found it streaming online one fateful night. It became an instant favorite, as one can clearly tell. Kino Lorber has done a fantastic job with this Blu-ray release. The picture is clear and the extras are outstanding, well worth watching this 116-minute masterpiece from Dan Curtis two more times through.

Joe Garcia III

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DVD Review – Burnt Offerings (1976)

October 17, 2016 by Amie Cranswick

Burnt Offerings , 1976.

Directed by Dan Curtis. Starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Burgess Meredith, Bette Davis, Eileen Heckart and Lee Montgomery.

A family rent a large house for the summer, unaware that it feeds off the energy of any occupants who suffer any injuries.

The 1970s was a very rich time for horror movies, especially those of a supernatural leaning, and while the likes of The Exorcist , The Omen and The Amityville Horror are regularly namechecked as the standards to beat and have earned their place in horror history, sometimes it pays to delve a little deeper to try and unearth those lesser-seen gems that may have been forgotten about, and on this occasion Arrow Video have done just that with Dan Curtis’ 1976 haunted house tale Burnt Offerings .

What is most striking about Burnt Offerings is that while you are watching it the plot details seem instantly familiar, almost cliché, and whilst it is true to say that the tradition of haunted houses in movies was hardly a new thing in 1976, the films that Burnt Offerings instantly brings to mind the most are The Amityville Horror , The Shining and Ti West’s The House of the Devil , all movies that were made after this one. The other notable quality this movie has is the with casting, because when you can get peak-form Oliver Reed ( The Curse of the Werewolf / Gladiator ) and Karen Black ( Nashville / House of 1000 Corpses ) playing the leads along with screen legends Bette Davis ( All About Eve ) and Burgess Meredith ( Rocky ) in supporting roles then there is little chance of failure, although Lee Montgomery as Reed and Black’s son who speaks and behaves suspiciously older what than his 12 years suggests threatens to dispel the family unit illusion at times.

Unlike today when haunted house/ghost movies are generally shot on handheld cameras, run at under 80 minutes and usually end before anything interesting actually happens – often dictated by budget and/or lack of talent behind the camera – Burnt Offerings comes from a time when a slow build-up was the norm, leading to a pay-off which, thanks to the modest budget, is one of the most effective and memorable endings to a horror movie as anything else from the era in which it was made. And the climax was well-deserved because at 101 minutes long it is only in the last five minutes there is anything other than a believable script up there in the screen for you to marvel at in terms of blood or effects work, which is a lot to sit through as Ben Rolf (Reed), his wife Marian (Black), their son David and Ben’s aunt Elizabeth (Davis) move into a rented house for the summer. Of course, the house is being offered for next-to-nothing and the owners – a brother and sister played respectively by Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith, looking very different to how he did in Rocky , released the same year – offer it with the condition that their elderly mother Mrs. Allardyce, who lives in a sectioned-off part of the house and cannot leave, comes with the house, forcing the Rolfs’ to care for her, something that Marian takes to straight away as she dutifully takes the old woman her meals every day and spends a lot of time in her room. Ben, however, is a little bit suspicious of the deal but eventually agrees, although over time it appears the house is having an effect on him and his family, dawning on Ben that that every time somebody is hurt or injured the old house seems to rejuvenate itself and gradually look like it did in years gone by.

It is thanks to Oliver Reed and Karen Black that the majority of the film works because in the hands of lesser actors it could quite easily have fallen apart very quickly. There are moments of tension, such as when Ben and David’s play fighting in the swimming pool turns violent or when Ben tries to force himself onto Marian, that let you know things aren’t right, and in what appears to be a nod to Herk Harvey’s Carnival of Souls there is also the appearance of a spectral chauffeur that only Ben can see who shows up whenever something terrible is about to go down which, quite honestly, could have been cut out as it feels a little goofy and doesn’t really add to the haunting atmosphere set up by the mystery of Mrs. Allerdyce and the family unit seemingly falling apart in her house.

Burnt Offerings does fall slightly short of being a classic mainly because, like the majority of innovative works of art, it has been overtaken in the public consciousness by the movies that followed in its wake. Shot mainly in soft focus it does offer a haunting and dreamlike quality throughout and the performances from the leads anchor it down and hold your interest until that final few minutes when the full extent of what has been happening in the house is revealed and the film goes into full-on ‘70s horror mode. It is admittedly a long haul getting to that point and had the ending not been worth it then there isn’t really a lot here that would appeal to modern audiences looking for a quick fix of ghostly terror, but as a mood piece and something you can spend time with to ponder over its little mysteries and quirks then Burnt Offerings is surprisingly compelling and worthy of a place up there with the more notable horror movies of the 1970s.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

About Amie Cranswick

Amie Cranswick has been part of Flickering Myth’s editorial and management team for over a decade. She has a background in publishing and copyediting and has served as Editor-in-Chief of FlickeringMyth.com since 2023.

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Sinister Summer: Burnt Offerings (1976) Retrospective Review

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COMMENTS

Burnt Offerings movie review & film summary (1976)
"Burnt Offerings" is a mystery, all right. What's mysterious is that the filmmakers were able to sell such a weary collection of ancient cliches for cold hard cash. That's why they're rich and the rest of us are poor. Say I was sitting in my garret room, the moths flying through the flame of a sputtering candle, as I bent over my foolscap and composed this story line: A young married couple ...
Burnt Offerings
Directed by famed horror-film producer Dan Curtis, [Burnt Offerings] delivers on that to-hell-with-reality level that make Saturday matinees so satisfying to kids. October 30, 2019 | Full Review ...
Burnt Offerings
Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Oct 22, 2021. Burnt Offerings is a supernatural thriller with crackerjack scare elements and a well-directed, sure bet for one of the year's best offerings ...
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Burnt Offerings: Directed by Dan Curtis. With Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart. A family moves into a large old mansion in the countryside which seems to have a mysterious and sinister power over its new residents.
Burnt Offerings (film)
Burnt Offerings is a 1976 American supernatural horror film co-written and directed by Dan Curtis and starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Lee H. Montgomery, with Eileen Heckart, Burgess Meredith and Anthony James in supporting roles. It is based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Robert Marasco. The plot follows a family who begins to interpersonally dissolve under ...
Burnt Offerings (1976)
If you are looking for blood, gore, or loud jump scares, you might want to look elsewhere. Rather than resorting to cheap tactics, this film focuses heavily on atmosphere, suspense, and tension. There is enough suspense in this film for three movies. There isn't a boring moment in this entire film.
Film Review: Burnt Offerings (1976)
In Burnt Offerings (1976) a mansion near the sea is rented for the summer by Marian and Ben Rolf (Karen Black and my old drinking buddy Oliver Reed) with their son Davey (Lee Montgomery) and old aunty Elizabeth (Bette Davis). Locked away upstairs is the landlord's unseen invalid mother, whose meals are left for her on a tray.
Burnt Offerings (Movie Review)
Yes, "Burnt Offerings" is a kind of proto-"Shining", but whereas "The Shining" ranks as one of the greatest books and movies in the horror genre, "Burnt Offerings" feels more like a dull romp through a supernaturally-tinged 1970s television drama. The TV Land vibe is no accident. "Burnt Offerings" was directed by Dan Curtis ...
Sinister Summer: Burnt Offerings (1976) Retrospective Review
A haunting, dreamlike supernatural horror film about a truly hangry house that was ahead of its time. This month's retrospective review is on Dan Curtis' only theatrical film,: 1976's Burnt Offerings. While I have certainly heard and read good things about this film, I had not really made it a priority to watch.
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Read movie and film review for Burnt Offerings (1976) - Dan Curtis on AllMovie - This underrated chiller is worthy of rediscovery… AllMovie. New Releases. In Theaters; New on DVD; Discover ... Burnt Offerings also benefits from a well-chosen cast: Oliver Reed, Karen Black, and Bette Davis all share a natural intensity in their acting styles ...
Burnt Offerings (1976) Review
The 1976 film Burnt Offerings co-written and directed by TV movie maker Dan Curtis shares a lot of similarities with The Shinning in its storyline and themes along with the fact that it was also based on a novel of the same name from 1973 by Robert Marasco. Surprisingly this cult horror classic and its source material actually came first.
Danse Macabre #1: Film Review
You can see how Burnt Offerings was a baseline for both: an idyllic residence—once the sign of middle class success—destroys a nuclear family from the inside in post-Vietnam War America. It's not a perfect film, but Burnt Offerings has more going for it than Mr. Ebert and other dissident reviewers may suggest. I like Roger Ebert, don't ...
‎Burnt Offerings (1976) directed by Dan Curtis • Reviews, film + cast
62nd Review for The Collab Weekly Movie Watch. This is precisely what the doctor prescribed, "a very silly haunted mansion movie." In fact, the movie starts off rather seriously, with the stated goal of scaring the viewers. ... Burnt Offerings is a haunted house movie with a difference, given there's no ghost as such. The title doesn't give ...
Burnt Offerings
Home > Movie Reviews > Burnt Offerings BURNT OFFERINGS is a remarkably faithful film adaptation of the 1973 novel of the same name by Robert Marasco. One of my favorite films from childhood, I recall it airing on NBC-TV in the late 1970's on almost a yearly basis, and then it became a perennial favorite on many independent stations during the ...
Film Review: Burnt Offerings (1976)
REVIEW: Burnt Offerings (1976) is Dan Curtis's film adaptation of the 1973 novel of the same name by the late Robert Marasco. It's the novel that reportedly inspired Stephen King to sublimate his experiences as a caretaker at the Stanley Hotel in October 1974 into his second novel The Shining (1977) following Carrie (1974).
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Burnt Offerings (1976) - Horror Movie Review. Demonic Movie Reviews Suspense/Thriller Burnt Offerings (1976) - Horror Movie Review Geno 13 years ago 1 By Melissa Antoinette Garza ... BURNT OFFERINGS is a wonderful production that has more than one genuinely creepy moment. The conclusion is one of the best filmed.
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Ben and Marion Rolf and their son, 12-year-old Davey, drive to a remote and rundown Victorian mansion that was advertised for a summer rental. Walker, the handyman, answers their knock at the door and lets them look around. Davey plays outside while Ben and Marion find a greenhouse full of dead flowers. Roz Allardyce, a woman in her late ...
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD) Region Encoding: A. Kino Lorber updates MGM's DVD transfer with a new 1080p presentation. This release features the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio which is nice. While there are some parts of the film that feature a diffusion lens, the overall detail and clarity are solid.
Burnt Offerings Blu-ray Review
VIDEO - 4¼/5, AUDIO - 4/5. Kino Lorber releases Burnt Offerings onto Blu-ray where it's presented in the original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. Since there's no mention on the back cover, this likely did not receive any restoration work and the transfer was provided to KL by MGM.
Review of Burnt Offerings
Review of Burnt Offerings July 7, 2023 Cathy C. Trader 0 Comments Another movie that comes up frequently in my list writing, Burnt Offerings is an unusual haunted house horror; among what I would call the epitome of haunted house fare, this is delightfully dark, well-acted and still effectively chilling despite hokiness.
Burnt Offerings (Blu-ray Review)
Review. Burnt Offerings was released in 1976 by United Artists and was directed by genre veteran Dan Curtis, who was mostly known for his Dark Shadows films at that time.Based upon the novel of the same name by Robert Marasco from 1973, it starred Oliver Reed, Karen Black, and Bette Davis as a family that moves into a nineteenth century mansion in the countryside.
Burnt Offerings Blu-ray Review: Not the Average Haunted House Movie
Burnt Offerings (1976) starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Burgess Meredith may well be director Dan Curtis' masterpiece. It's atmospheric, spooky, and provides a different take on the gothic haunted house movie. Buy Burnt Offerings Blu-ray. The Rolf family, father Ben (Reed), mother Marian (Black), son David (Lee Montgomery), and Aunt Elizabeth (Davis), move into a grand ...
DVD Review
Burnt Offerings, 1976. Directed by Dan Curtis. Starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Burgess Meredith, Bette Davis, Eileen Heckart and Lee Montgomery. SYNOPSIS: A family rent a large house for the ...

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