Burnt Offerings
Evil Has A New Home
Step inside a vacation house of horror in this terrifying thriller that "does for summer homes what Jaws did for a dip in the surf" (The New York Times)! Starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith and Bette Davis, this riveting haunted-house chiller delivers "hidden terrors [that] mount creepily as the film builds to a climax of pulverizing fright" (Rex Reed)!
Marian (Black) and Ben (Reed) find it hard to believe that for only $900 they've rented a sprawling country mansion for the entire summer. But as they settle into their isolated estate with their son and Ben's aunt (Davis), they find themselves surrounded by a living presence-an evil, hypnotic, occult force-that feeds on torture, fear...and murder.
Member Reviews
"The house takes care of itself" - rdees
I have to admit I didn't think much of the film as it opened. The treatment of the set-up (a family finding a house to rent for the summer) gave me the suspicion this might be a rather conventional haunted house story with little to offer by way of imaginative turns or true horror. It looks a bit low-budget, the acting a bit stiff. I wasn't convinced. But I was wrong. This film works its magic slowly, creeping into your thoughts one scene at a time as it descends into darkness. The characters are all disturbed in some way. The film is shot with a light haze around the figures. The quality is dream-like, slow, haunting. We see repeated images of a man clearing through the overgrowth, we see the chauffeur's pristine smile, we hear the strings swell in atonal pangs, we imagine what lies behind this door here, what lurks in the swimming pool there, we're on the edge, waiting for it to come. The atmosphere stays with you in a surprising way. It's not going to change your life or redefine the horror genre - it's not a masterpiece - but it's an enjoyable trip that makes its mark. The film comes recommended.Burnt Offerings - CJG-
To use the vernacular, this film cracks me up. It is one of those deliciously awful, cheesy horror movies that could only be a Dan Curtis production - the American answer to England's Hammer Films Studio. I love the fact that the location where it was shot (Dunsmuir House and Gardens in Oakland, CA) is just down the road from me. It's fun to identify with the house as evil incarnate, or rather in-clapboard-ate, a true Victorian monster!! Karen Black gives her usual cross-eyed performance and Bette Davis plays a parody of Bette Davis, puffing and panting away. The plot is as predictable as a Swiss train schedule, but it's fun to watch it unravel to its gory climax nonetheless. Truly silly for all ages, although it may frighten realtors!!Infintile trash - Devon
After seeing this movie rated on a ziplist's top ten, I took the chance and rented it. Let me tell you it was the biggest mistake I've ever taken! This movie is basically a precursor to Steven King's The Shining but without any nuances of terror. Nothing even remotely spooky happens until two thirds of the movie is over!
The father is at best a second rate Stacey Keech or David Hasselhoff wannabe, with an emotional range that's handicapped at best. Maybe this movie was more effective back in the late 1970s when it was originally released, but it fails to compare today. Dont get me wrong, there are several movies from that period that still hold up - take "The Changeling" for instance. That is a timeless ghost story if I've ever seen one, but Burnt Offerings should stay back on the shelf where it belong. Nice cover though.
Member Reviews
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"The house takes care of itself" - rdees
I have to admit I didn't think much of the film as it opened. The treatment of the set-up (a family finding a house to rent for the summer) gave me the suspicion this might be a rather conventional haunted house story with little to offer by way of imaginative ...Burnt Offerings - CJG-
To use the vernacular, this film cracks me up. It is one of those deliciously awful, cheesy horror movies that could only be a Dan Curtis production - the American answer to England's Hammer Films Studio. I love the fact that the location where it was shot ...Infintile trash - Devon
After seeing this movie rated on a ziplist's top ten, I took the chance and rented it. Let me tell you it was the biggest mistake I've ever taken! This movie is basically a precursor to Steven King's The Shining but without any nuances of terror. Nothing even ...