Customer Reviews

Burnt Offerings [VHS]

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Who's up for a truly creepy haunted house thriller? In 1976, director Dan Curtis, Dark Shadows (1966) and Trilogy of Terror (1975) brought to life a wonderfully scary movie that scarred quite a few younger viewers at the time and still has the power to evoke strong remembrances when mentioned.

Burnt Offerings (1976) stars Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Burgess Meredith. City dwellers Marian (Black) and Ben (Reed) Rolf find the deal of a lifetime in a fabulous, secluded country estate, and soon settle in, along with their son and old auntie (Davis). A deal too good to be true? Why yes, it is, as strange things start happening, but not so strange as to send up serious warning flags that would cause most any of us to flee.

What was so great about this movie was the way the director took his time in ratcheting up the suspense for the viewer. Changes to the various characters were introduced in such as way as to seem subtle, and not highly alarming. Soon some of the characters do catch on, but by then, it's too late. I thought Reed was really great in this movie, a man haunted by a past demon amplified through the house, who manages to keep a fairly level head throughout. Another wonderful character in the movie is the house itself. Dunsmuir Estate is the setting for most of the movie, actually coming to life through skillful directing and some very creepy music. This is an actual home, located in Oakland, California.

The movie runs just under two hours, but the time will seem to go by quickly as you will find yourself gorilla glued to the screen, waiting in anticipation as to what happens next. There is a noticeable lack of blood, as the scares are more of the psychological kind. This seems to be a tactic used not so much these days, as visceral sells, but I do enjoy when the violence can be implied, rather than shown. I find my imagination is able to come up with plenty of scary images given the right fuel. The main problem I had with the movie was the picture. The movie on the disc appears in that sort of diffused style common in the 70's, where everything seems to have a slight fuzz on it, a haze throughout the picture. I did get used to it after awhile, but it was a little annoying. I don't seem to recall it being like this when I first saw the movie so long ago, but oh well. Another problem, a minor one, was some of the audio was unclear, as it seemed the audio levels were uneven at times. There are English subtitles, and I made use of them.

As far as special features go, there is a commentary track by director Curtis, Karen Black and Co-writer William F. Nolan and an original theatrical trailer which I would avoid watching until after watching the film as it gave too much away, in my opinion. I will tall you this, the end truly a climatic one, and well worth the wait. If you liked Burnt Offerings, I would highly recommend the 1963 Robert Wise film, The Haunting.

Cookieman108

Directed by Dan Curtis (TV's Dark Shadows), BURNT OFFERINGS tells the story of the Rolf family who, one summer, rent a huge house to get away from it all. The home is owned by the Alerdyce (sp) family, an eccentric bunch including Burgess Meredith. The Rolf family is overjoyed, despite having to do amazing amounts of yard work (some vacation) and taking care of the elderly matriarch of the Alerdyce family who lives in the attic and whom no one ever sees. No one except Mrs. Rolf played by Karen Black.

The house begins to repair itself and other weird things begin to happen. Sanity if questioned, bonds are broken, trust is shattered, and soon death arrives in the form of a ghostly hearse and it's pale driver...possibly one of the creepiest characters ever to grace your television screen.

I am not sure if this movie was made for television, but that's where I first saw it. Later when I saw it on video, it appeared to be the exact version I saw.

I cannot credit the cast of this movie enough. All were excellent, even the young boy. Bette Davis and Oliver Reed do excellent work, but the standout has to be Karen Black. Move over Scream Queens, Karen Black can outshine anyone when it comes to pushing creepy glances and facial expressions. Her last scene in the film haunts me to this day. Oh man, I can still see her!

The title refers to the practice in some cultures of burning animals alive as sacrifices to the Gods. They don't realize it, but the Rolf family is being led to the altar, the fire is hot, and you are invited along. I encourage anyone who has not seen this film to not miss this opportunity to own it!

This is one of the few horror films that I can still sit back and enjoy. It scared me pretty badly as a kid. I still feel all the haunting vibes and chills watching it as an adult.

It may not be action packed (although the scene with Reed trying to kill his soon in the pool was terrifying--and ultra-realistic), but it certainly gets under your skin. This film is about mood, and it is both beautifully entrancing and ominously mesmerizing. I actually found the acting quite good. Reed was wonderful. I loved the two weird siblings, Roz and Brother (Burgess Meredith, wonderful actor). Their adoration of the house sent chills up my spine.

The true stars of the movie are the music (Bob Cobert's amazing Music Box Theme) and the house (Dunsmuir House & Gardens, in Oakland, California). For true horror buffs out there, this movie inspired the creators of PHANTASM to drive up to Oakland and use this same mansion as the infamous Morningside Mortuary. Which is probably, when the opening moments of PHANTASM rolled in 1979, I had such fear towards Morningside--seeing the mansion there again on screen!

I have to wonder if other elements of BURNT OFFERINGS inspired PHANTASM as well. Note the creepy old lady upstairs at the end. Reminds one of PHANTASM's eerie fortuneteller. How about B.O.'s terrifying hearse chauffeur? He's kind of like a forerunner of the Tall Man!

BURNT OFFERINGS is well worth the viewing. Don't expect any real jolts or screams. But turn off the lights and let it really sink in. It's well worth a viewing. There are many moments (such as the house renewing itself during the rainstorm) that are bizarre and horribly fascinating. I haven't seen this good a haunted house movie in years.

And definitely visit Dunsmuir in real life. This place is spectacular. You'll fall in love with it, just like Karen Black! lollol [....] I certainly did. I spent awhile helping out as tour guide and volunteer at the estate while attending college in the Bay Area. To me it'll always be both Morningside and 17 Shore Road. During tours of the manse, the guides always are sure to point out the "Blue Room" where Bette Davis met her demise in the film. (Shiver.)

'Burnt Offerings' Is an excellent shocker... one of which you don't see now days.. I just had to give it the highest rating because.. I was truly terrified by the Chaffer in this movie... I thought I was the only one that had this problem till I read the other reviews... This guy is the most scarey image in any movie I have ever seen.. I don't know who he is.. and what it is about him but I get chills just thinking about him.. I can see his face and smile and glasses and hat.. the whole 9 yards and it terrifies me...

Watch this movie for a big scare.. and don't go into it thinking about it being some gore-fest or some monster special effects movie.. because its not.. and thats what makes it all the more better.. Im glad to see other movies going back to their own roots when we all acually knew what sheer terror was... Evil People as Evil Imagery, Scarey Surroundings,Real Feeling Terror, and A Haunted House (?!?!!!??) .. It is all here.. and it has a ending to die for...

*If anyone out there has had the same problem with being scared to death from this man (the Chaffer) contact me... cause your not alone.. and I would love to talk about it...

Later and Happy Haunting...

Burnt Offerings: I remember watching this classic flick when I was 10 or 11 years old in 1977. It was on NBC yearly for awhile. With memories of this movie coming back to me as I read the many reviews of this film on Amazon, I couldn't wait to see a DVD transfer of one of my favorite scary flicks.

I remember vividly the look in Oliver Reed's eyes when he was approaching his son David in the pool scene. That was one of the best elements of this movie: the actors' eyes and facial expressions. They were really into their roles, it would never have been half the movie it was without them. Oliver's character looked mad, like he was possessed when attempting to drown his son. A VERY intense moment to say the least. So I popped the DVD in and sat back waiting for this and many other moments to shine digitally from my home theater...

Well, I am writing today to say that this transfer looks NOTHING like the network broadcasts from so many years ago. This transfer is very blurry, some spots so dark its hard to make out what is being displayed. The chilling scene I referenced to above was nullified because Oliver's intense blue eyes seems to be completely lost in the blur. How could MGM's transfer team have messed this up? Did they even bother to look at teh finished product before it was released publicly??

I must say that I am EXTREMELY disappointed with MGM's DVD transfer of this classic movie. The audio is mono as well. Many parts of the dialogue are drowned out my loud music. I stopped watching X Files because of that very reason.

With that said, there is no way I can rank this movie lower than a 5. It is a brilliantly made film. But MGM's transfer to DVD gives it a 2 star bump to 3. I've waited a long time to see Better Davis' last film set to DVD, and I have to say that the results are quite disappointing. We may never see MGM give this a redo either. What a shame, and such a great movie in their catalogue too.

Fans of the movie who know what I'm talking about may opt to stay away from purchasing this DVD. Those of you who haven't seen it may want to give it a spin, but be warned that PLENTY gets lost in the translation. You may not find this as frightening due to the bluriness caused by an uncaring, unprofessional MGM DVD transfer team. To be honest, I've seen VHS to DVD transfers that looked better than this....

With Halloween almost upon us, it's time to take a brief glimpse back at some classic films of terror. Dan Curtis' started directing and producing with his terror/soap hybrid "Dark Shadows". This stylized film recalls "Dark Shadows" and Curtis' other films of terror "The Night Strangler" and "Trilogy of Terror" in that what you don't see or understand creates more suspense than what you do see. Ben and Marian Rolf (the wonderful Oliver Reed and Karen Black)and their young son Ben (Todd Turquand)find a beautiful old house in the middle of nowhere for their summer rental. The place has been around for at least a hundred years based on the photos of the house taken over the years. Arnold Allardyce (Burgess Meredith) and Roz Allardyce (Eileen Heckart)will rent the place to them for next to nothing---$900.00 for three months. Ben suspects there's a catch and there is--Arnold and Roz's mother never leaves the place. She doesn't need any special attention just three meals a day and no disturbances.

Reluctantly Ben senior agrees to the deal when it's clear that Marian has fallen in love with the old house. They move in with Ben's aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis in a wonderful and cynical turn). Strange things start happening shortly after they move in; Ben begins having these vivid, horrible nightmares and the family's behavior begins to change as well with Ben threatening his son while playing with him.

A marvelous late 70's thriller, "Burnt Offerings" works precisely because of what Curtis doesn't show us; we don't see any hideous monsters poking out of the cellar nor body parts torn apart. if you're expecting that in this movie, look elsewhere. What makes "Burnt Offerings" work so well is the sense of menace and foreboding that begins as soon as the family enters the house for the first time. There's just too many unanswered questions and mysteries lingering about the house.

Featuring a marvelous commentary by director Curtis, co-screenwriter William F. Nolan ("Trilogy of Terror" and the author of the novel Logan's Run as well as episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and other series) and actress Karen Black, "Burnt Offerings" gives you the creeps. Stellar performances by all the cast particularly Burgess Meredith in a showy supporting role and Eileen Eckhart. I always thought there was something slightly off about Black and this movie demonstrates that she can use that image to great effect.

A warning for DVD buyers. The film was shot using a number of filters to give the house a golden, almost overlit look to it. A lot of folks believe it's just a bad transfer. It's not. While the print looks pretty good with minimal to no analog artifacts, it could have looked a bit brighter with more vivid colors. Overall, though, the look of the film accurately portrays the film's intended look through the use of camera and lighting filters to give the film its unique, distinct look. You'll notice that the look of the film shifts subtly as time moves on and that's quite deliberate as well. I won't spoil it all for you but will let you discover it for yourself.

The film comes with the original theatrical trailer (where you'll notice the same "filtered" effect on display although not quite as pristine. The trailer is also quite worn and clearly hasn't been restored. Although the film doesn't have any featurettes about the making of the film, the commentary more than makes up for that with interesting background on the writing, directing and acting of the film. As many others have pointed out, the house shown here is in Oakland, California. If you get a chance try and visit that area. It'll creep you out once you realize it's the same house that was also used in parts of "Phantasm".

I'm kidding of course (about the invitation) but I've got to say I'm still scared after having finished "Burnt Offerings" less than half an hour ago. It's well after 1 in the morning and I cannot sleep because I'm afraid to close my eyes.

Despite the slightly dated feel to this film, "Burnt Offerings" succeeds in the best way horror can: it leaves you stunned and a bit shaky. Without resorting to cheap gore, the director wisely chooses the well-tested and highly workable "less is more" theory.

Everything from the attention to detail in the old-fashioned cameos, photos and clothing to the subtle change in Karen Black's hair color heightens a (deceptively) familiar plot which goes something like this...

When a likable family moves into a "too good to be true" estate , they can't believe their luck nor do they know it's about to soon change. For the low price of $900 and with the condition of someone occasionally checking in on "dear mother," a brother and sister let the unsuspecting family rent for the summer.

Bette Davis, Karen Black and Oliver Reed give it their all and their performances are more than satisfactory and the ambiguity of the plot makes for a surprisingly provocative movie. On the surface you see a really good scarefest, but underneath you also witness how easily a family can start to unravel even when they love each other.

It surprises me not one whit that other reviewers make mention of this film's "getting under [their] skin," because my body's largest organ did indeed crawl while watching it. Although it's not in The Haunting's league, it's nonetheless very, very good. The cast consists of pros, including an EXTREMELY creepy Burgess Meredith, and the special effects are sparingly used and convincing. Since the plot has been summarized by other reviewers, I won't bother to beat a dead horse.
I really do think, however, that the print could have been better transferred to DVD. I was surprised to learn that it had a theatrical run; I only remember seeing it on TV at about the time of its release and just assumed it had been made for television--it certainly has that feel. The sound is also a bit funky in the beginning of the film but eventually improves. Another point of contention is the lack of an insert. A list of chapters is the minimum one should expect with a DVD purchase; that MGM doesn't include them is inexcusable (how much could it cost?). The only extras included are the original trailer and some subtitle options.
Complaints aside, this really is an entertaining film that shouldn't be missed by aficionados of the haunted house genre, particularly if it can be acquired for cheap. I'm bumping this up from 3.5 stars to 4 because I like it; four stars for the film, less one-half for the complaints. This is the first time I've viewed Burnt Offerings in at least 20 years and not only did it still give me the creeps but it made me realize that I'd stopped going to singles bars because of guys who looked like the chauffeur. It's amazing, the insights that can be gained while watching an old favorite!

If you are a Karen Black fan (and really, who isn't?), the is the "piece de la resistance" of her horror career. After bullying her husband (Oliver Reed) into renting a gourgeous but delapitated Edwardian mansion on Long Island for the summer, the Rolf family soon discovers they got more than they paid for!

What's the story with the old lady in the attic? Why is Marion (Black) acting even stranger than usual? Why do you suspect Roz (the wonderful Eileen Heckard), and Brother(Bergis Meredith) seem so eager to rent the place?

Watch for the chauffer driver (or as I used to refer to him as a kid, the "guy with the glasses")and wait for him to smile and feel the chill work right up your spine. This one really works, so if you like to be scared, if you like Karen Black, and if you like 70's trash-o-rama, it's a must see!

This was the first horror movie I ever saw (at the age of 5) and I have been a horror fanatic ever since.

WARNING: Don't spend your summer vacation at 17 Shore Road! "Burnt Offerings" has the distinction of being THE movie back in the '70s that swore Rosie O'Donnell off scary movies. Oliver Reed, Karen Black, Bette Davis and seen-in-oh-so-many-TVshows/movies-in-the-'70s child actor Lee H. Montgomery star in this 1976 flick. Quite the scary dude is the chauffeur that shows up driving that car that helps drive the Ben Rolf character crazy. Also, the two eerie swimming pool scenes make you never want to swim in the deep end again! And when the house "renews" itself, now that's original! Although "The Haunting" still ranks as the #1 scariest movie from my childhood, this could be #2. (Trivia note: About 40 minutes into the film, child actor Todd Turquand appears as Young Ben Rolf in the flashback sequence at Ben's mother's funeral. Todd was one of the 12 New Mouseketeers from the 1977 New Mickey Mouse Club show and also played Rhoda Morgenstern's stepson on "Rhoda.")