movie review burnt offerings

Burnt Offerings

“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 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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The Podcast

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.

[tab title="Film Details"]

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.

[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

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)

[tab title="Trailer"]

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Burnt offerings.

80 The New York Times Lawrence Van Gelder The New York Times Lawrence Van Gelder Director Curtis times his audience immersions into the ice bath of terror with such skill that moviegoers will scarcely have the leisure to ask why some of the renters aren't a bit more observant and curious about their dwelling.
60 Time Out Time Out The current minor boom in American horror films has two notable features: the single-minded concentration on the nuclear family as a point of attack, and the consistent rejection of happy endings. This tale of a family taking a spooky old mansion for the summer would be strictly formula stuff were it not for these elements; but veteran Eugène Lourié's art direction helps.
50 Variety Variety The horror is expressed through sudden murderous impulses felt by Black and Reed, a premise which might have been interesting if director Dan Curtis hadn't relied strictly on formula treatment.
38 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert 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.
30 Newsweek Newsweek The movie merely piles on one special effect after another - none of them too special - and stalls for time. Even the title is a sham: nobody ever so much as lights a match. And nobody - not even the most gullible moviegoer - can expect to receive any present. [08 Nov 1976, p.108]
25 TV Guide Magazine TV Guide Magazine Overlong, talky, predictable, and dull, dull, dull.
See all 6 reviews on Metacritic.com
See all external reviews for Burnt Offerings

Horror News | HNN Official Site | Horror Movies,Trailers, Reviews

Film review: burnt offerings (1976).

Nigel Honeybone 10/14/2011 Uncategorized

REVIEW: One of the oldest possession themes of all is the house or building possessed of evil, from The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James (1898) to The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959) to The Shining by Stephen King (1977). In fact the ‘Evil House’ has become so universal it was the subject of The Simpsons first segment of their very first Treehouse Of Horror episode, entitled Bad Dream House . 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.

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

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Monday 10 May 2010

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Oliver Reed was a load of old rubbish specifically because he was British although his rampaging heterosexuality did go someway to redeeming him obviously.

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Burnt offerings.

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

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

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.

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 Demetrios ★★★½ 6

-The house always wins-

Harbinger of doom: Greed.

A family, a structure, abandoned. Decaying. Obsessed, with wealth and status. The allure of opulence, a foundation of quicksand. Like a swarm of locus that feeds on the remains of its predecessors, until a barren, lifeless ground is in its wake. An old master gradually tightening his strings, until the neck it controls can no longer move freely. Sitting in a gilded cage, suffocated. Catatonic.

Review by SlimySwampGhost ★★★

Fun but this needed so much more of that scary chauffeur, he ruled.

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'Burnt Offerings' Is an Outstanding Terror Movie

Enter Ben and Marian with their 12-year-old boy, checking out the advertisement for a summer rental home. The isolated house is magnificent but decrepit Victoriana, not beyond the power to attract—especially Marian. And the price is right. Nine hundred dollars. Not a month. But for the whole season.Ben thinks there must be a catch, and what about the housework? "The house takes care of itself," says the woman who, with her rather dotty brother, is offering it for rent. There is, of course, octogenarian mom at the top of the house. But she's no trouble. Just leave a tray outside her room at mealtimes. Marian agrees. She'll care for mom herself.And so begin the events of "Burnt Offerings," which opened yesterday at a number of theaters, an excursion into eeriness led with admirable though not perfect assurance by the director, Dan Curtis.Here is the house as vampire—alluring, renewing itself on injury, violence and death; capable of menance, vengeance, outrage and murder.To it, in all innocence, come such solid actors as Karen Black as Marian; Lee Montgomery as her son, David; Bette Davis as Ben's old Aunt Elizabeth, and Oliver Reed, as Ben, who is subject to nightmares about a childhood funeral, one of those old-fashioned glass-sided hearses and a chauffeur (Anthony James) whose face is going to haunt a lot of dreams for months to come.Director Curtis times his audience immersions into the ice bath of terror with such skill that moviegoers will scarcely have the leisure to ask why some of the renters aren't a bit more observant and curious about their dwelling.Only at the end does Mr. Curtis falter. Part of the climax is predictable; and, in another part, he relinquishes his deftness in favor of violence and gore on a scale that clashes with his earlier restraint.Nevertheless, such is his ability that, at the approach of the denouement during a preview of "Burnt Offerings," members of the audience began murmuring and shouting nervous jokes in a vain effort to break the undeniable tension.Rental agents hereabouts should get down on their knees and give thanks that "Burnt Offerings" is opening now. It's the kind of movie that does for summer homes what "Jaws" did for a dip in the surf.The PG rating ("Parental Guidance Suggested") seems attributable to one long shot of Marian diving nude into a swimming pool; to a couple of scenes indicating the state of Ben's and Marian's sex life, and, perhaps, to the climactic gore.

The CastBURNT OFFERINGS, directed and produced by Dan Curtis; screenplay by William F. Nolan and Mr. Curtis, based on the novel by Robert Marasco; cinematographer, Jacques Marquette; editor, Dennis Virkler; released by United Artists Corporation. At the National Theater, Broadway at 43d Street, Trans-Lux 85th Street, at Madison Avenue, Columbia 2, Second Avenue at 64th Street, and other theaters.Marian . . . . . Karen BlackBen . . . . . Oliver ReedBrother . . . . . Burgess MeredithRoz . . . . . Eileen HeckartDavid . . . . . Leo MontgomeryWalker . . . . . Dub TaylorAunt Elizabeth . . . . . Bette Davis

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Movieman's Guide to the Movies

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

Dan Curtis
Robert Marasco (novel); William F. Nolan and Dan Curtis (screenplay)
Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart, Lee Montgomery

Audio Commentaries, Interviews, Theatrical Trailer
Yes
No
Blu-ray
1

English (DTS-HD MA 2.0)
1080p/Widescreen 1.85
English
MPEG-4 AVC
A

Marian (KAREN BLACK) and Ben (OLIVER 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 (LEE MONTGOMERY) and Ben’s aunt (BETTE DAVIS), they find themselves surrounded by an evil, hypnotic living presence that feeds on torture, fear and murder.

This release comes with a matted .

These tracks offer different viewpoints with the first obviously being able to recount the production, locations and other tidbits while the second is a more educational variety. The first one is an archival track as Curtis and Black passed away in 2006 and 2013 respectively while the second I think was newly recorded for this release.

— Actor Anthony James — Actor Lee Montgomery — Screenwriter William F. Nolan

is a breakdown on the movie and the trailer.

is a photo gallery of production and publicity stills.

Kino Lorber releases 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. As it is, this is a ifne looking picture, albeit pretty soft in texture but that’s not a slight on the picture but how it was shot. Even so, detail was respectable enough and colors appear to be well balanced.

The disc included DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Dialogue comes across fairly good and clean with maybe a hint of some minor hissing but otherwise nothing terribly distracting. There’s not a whole lot to this track although there is some minor depth for a track like this and for a movie this old that doesn’t have a whole lot of action.

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

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Burnt Offerings (1976)

The movie Burnt Offerings (1976) is a psychological horror film directed by Dan Curtis and based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Robert Marasco. It follows the Rolf family – husband Ben, wife Marian, their son David, and Ben’s aunt Elizabeth – as they rent a gothic mansion for the summer to get away from the city.

The property is maintained by brother and sister team Walker and Roz Allardyce, who live in a caretaker’s cottage on the grounds. Shortly after moving in, the Rolfs notice strange things happening around the house.

Marian becomes obsessed with the place and spends more time alone inside while her family members start experiencing bizarre physical and mental changes. The movie Burnt Offerings (1976) slowly reveals that the mansion seems to possess and rejuvenate Marian as it causes the other family members to age, decay, and eventually die. Ben’s charming and vivacious aunt rapidly declines into a weak, bed-ridden old woman. The house needs fresh souls to restore its splendor.

Karen Black as Marian Rolf
Oliver Reed as Ben Rolf
Bette Davis as Aunt Elizabeth
Burgess Meredith as Uncle Arnold
Lee Montgomery as David Rolf
Eileen Heckart as Roz Allardyce
The movie was filmed at a real Victorian mansion in California called Dunsmuir House.
Karen Black stayed in character the whole shoot and even isolated herself from the other actors.
Bette Davis was in poor health during filming but wanted to work with Karen Black.

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I just watched Burnt Offerings (1976) and loved it. It was an excellent and atmospheric film.

Only a 6.4 rating on IMDb? I'd give this movie a 10.

The whole movie was creepy, even without the need for gore, and many scenes left me wondering what the hell is going on. The cinematography alone makes it memorable, well a written story, a great cast, and a wonderful performance by Karen Black. Oh, and, the ending was terrifying and shocking.

The 70s is one of my least favorite decades for horror, but Burnt Offerings is becoming one of my favorite '70s horror films now. It's also one of Stephen King's favorite horror movies as well.

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Burnt Offerings (1976)

Directed by dan curtis.

AllMovie Rating 4
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Description by Wikipedia

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 supernatural forces in a large estate they have rented for the summer.

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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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Burnt Offerings (1976)

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Burnt Offerings movie review & film summary (1976)
Burnt Offerings. "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 ...
Burnt Offerings
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 (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. [ 4] The plot follows a family who begins to interpersonally dissolve under ...
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
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
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Warning: Spoilers. This movie was so bizarre, but it held my attention to the very end. I loved the home - it was gorgeous, especially after it kept regenerating itself. I loved Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith. They were so delightfully charming, eccentric, yet creepy at the same time. I found the premise of the movie very interesting: A ...
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 ...
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Blu-ray review of Dan Curtis's Burnt Offerings (1976), starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith
Burnt Offerings
Chicago Sun-Times 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. Read More By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW 30
Burnt Offerings (1976)
The horror is expressed through sudden murderous impulses felt by Black and Reed, a premise which might have been interesting if director Dan Curtis hadn't relied strictly on formula treatment. 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 ...
Film Review: Burnt Offerings (1976)
Burnt Offerings may lose points because of Ollie Reed's overacting, and the director's self-indulgent visuals constantly straining for effect, consequently disrupting the viewers concentration, but Karen Black gives a performance of real depth which truly deserves a better setting. And it's with that thought in mind I'll bid you a good ...
Apocalypse Later Film Reviews: Burnt Offerings (1976)
Burnt Offerings (1976) 'Lovely!' says Karen Black as she heads out into the country with Oliver Reed and their little snapper, but this is a horror movie so we can only guess that it isn't going to stay that way for long. They're the Rolfs, Ben and Marian, and they're interested in renting 17, Shore Road for the summer, so they're driving out ...
‎Burnt Offerings (1976) directed by Dan Curtis
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.
Burnt Offerings (1976)
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.
'Burnt Offerings' Is an Outstanding Terror Movie
She'll care for mom herself.And so begin the events of "Burnt Offerings," which opened yesterday at a number of theaters, an excursion into eeriness led with admirable though not perfect assurance ...
Burnt Offerings Blu-ray Review
Burnt Offerings Blu-ray Review Burnt Offerings arrived on Bluray Blu-ray by Kino Lorber featuring two commentary tracks, new interviews and more. The supernatural-horror film stars Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis and Burgess Meredith. Burnt Offerings (1976) Genre (s): Horror, Supernatural Kino Lorber| PG - 116 min. - $24.95 | February ...
Burnt Offerings (1976)
The movie Burnt Offerings (1976) is a psychological horror film directed by Dan Curtis and based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Robert Marasco. It follows the Rolf family - husband Ben, wife Marian, their son David, and Ben's aunt Elizabeth - as they rent a gothic mansion for the summer to get away from the city.
I just watched Burnt Offerings (1976) and loved it. It was an ...
The whole movie was creepy, even without the need for gore, and many scenes left me wondering what the hell is going on. The cinematography alone makes it memorable, well a written story, a great cast, and a wonderful performance by Karen Black. Oh, and, the ending was terrifying and shocking.
Burnt Offerings
A haunted house and a crazy family combine in this classic film review of the horror movie Burnt Offerings (1976) starring Oliver Reed Karen Black, Bette Dav...
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Find trailers, reviews, synopsis, awards and cast information for Burnt Offerings (1976) - Dan Curtis on AllMovie
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 ...
Burnt Offerings (1976) (Movie Review)
Carlin gives a review of 1976 horror classic Burnt Offerings, which was directed by Dan Curtis and written by Curtis and William F. Nolan.
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Visit the movie page for 'Burnt Offerings' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. Watch trailers, exclusive interviews, and movie review. Your guide to this ...

Burnt Offerings

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