Burnt Offerings

Creepy and unusual chiller adapted from Robert Marasco's book, a psychological horror movie that works its way under your skin with cat-like precision. Ordinary family from the city rents a country estate for the summer--at a suspiciously low price! It may be confusing at first, but whenever something bad happens (such as the father cutting his thumb while popping open the champagne)--something good immediately takes its place (a dead lightbulb in the pantry coming back to life). The house absorbs the good--the sacrificial new family's spirit and energy--while its inhabitants wither away, physically and mentally. Bette Davis' Aunt Elizabeth ages suddenly (with frighteningly effective make-up), while Anthony James as the chauffeur who haunts Oliver Reed's head is a scary, freaky presence. Karen Black is even odder here than usual; I'm not certain whether her not-quite-there expression is what co-writer/director Dan Curtis intended for the role of Marian, but she does something very gutsy for an actress: she makes herself into a gargoyle (only in her final scene is Black allowed to overdo it). Despite a talky screenplay--and some tastelessness at the final gate--"Burnt Offerings" (its title taken from a biblical reference) is superior to the source novel. It's a well-maneuvered and intense slice of the macabre. *** from ****

I've been a big fan of this movie for years, ever since I was about 12. And I've watched as time and time again people have complained about this movie, and I just didn't get it. Now I'm grown up and I see the flaws, but I still don't care. I love Oliver Reed and Karen Black and don't think it could have been acted better. Watching her grow more an more attached to the house is very interesting. The best part I thought was when she surprises her son who drops a crystal bowl that smashes on the floor, and she kneels there, holding the fragments in her hands, sobbing hysterically, almost like a child had died. The boy, Lee Montgomery, I've never had a problem with. The kid from the Shining, now HE was annoying. hehe. And above all, I LOVE how the movie ends. Although it's predictable, it was VERY welcome. Movies with sad, creepy endings that leave you with a shiver always work for me.

I'm a kid of the 70's before all the CGI special FX. And this is still an old school fav of mine. I love spooky Karen Black. I always had an affinity for large creepy houses, especially when they become one of the characters in the movie. This is another 70's slow burn in the haunted house genre that more than likely helped fuel my NIGHT TERRORS and SLEEP WALKING issues. Still holds up decent for it's age, but if your looking for a GORE FEST, move on, cause this won't fill your cup. If you like psychological Gothic style horror then check it out.

I saw Burnt Offerings at a local last run theatre in '76 when I was about 12 and it scared the hell out of me. It is a film that proves you don't need gallons of gore and cheap jump scares to be an effective horror film.

It's been a long time since I've seen it but I will never forget several key moments in the story that left a lingering effect after leaving the theatre,namely the creepy chauffeur with his dark sunglasses and a demented smile fixed on his face. Every time he appeared on screen my spine just stiffened. He speaks not a line of dialogue (at least to the best of my memory) but he is as nightmarish as any mask-wearing mad slasher. The reaction of Oliver Reed perfectly captured my own sitting that theatre. For a PG-rated film it is quite scary. It's a slow burn, building gradually as the family slowly succumbs to the evil of the house. It is never explicitly stated what the source of the evil is and is really about how it is working on each family member,especially the Oliver Reed character. There is one particular scene (I will not spoil it here) involving Reed, his mother played by Bette Davis, and the chauffeur that had me clutching the arm rest of my chair. It is a film that should be rediscovered by horror fans. It might lack all the tropes of modern horror films but it is all for the better. Be patient and let the story unfold and adjust to the pace....it is worth the effort.

Burnt Offerings came along with other late 70s slow burn creepers like The Hearse and The Changeling. It has the slimmest of plots being like an early blueprint for The Shining. It crawls along at a snail's pace with very little happening besides episodic slices of marital strain under the guise of the evil house that possesses and ultimately eats people. Filmed through pantihose, this is one of those hazy deals that must have been created to provide a surreal, dreamlike effect but I dunno.... Bette is sort of wasted, Oliver makes it a vanity project and comes through exceedingly well and Karen is of course superb and losing her mind. Your patience will reward you make no mistake, as it is the last third of this movie where it really swings into top gear and will get under your skin. Slow burn indeed. Oh and last but not least, that smiley chauffeur....