Burnt Offerings
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Movie Reviews of Burnt Offerings
Movie Review: Good movie poorly mastered
Summary: 5 Stars
I've always loved this movie because it was such a faithful adaption of the novel. Years ago I rented it on VHS for my mother and it scared the heck out of her because my sister's picture fell off the wall during the scene where Karen Black's character gazes at the haunting photographs that hold the secret of the house. She remembers it to this day 15 years later. I looked forward to buying the DVD but was very disappointed to find a poorly mastered soundtrack. In the beginning of the film it's very hard to understand the dialogue because it is so muddy, as well as being too quiet in relation to the background music... almost like Dolby 5.1 with the center channel playback too low. Later it improves somewhat, but a movie this good deserves better. Having said my piece about the sound, I have to say that Bette Davis and Oliver Reed are wonderful in their roles. Reed's technique in depicting terror is perfect, and Davis' death scene is harrowing. For these two performances alone, I'm not deducting a star for the poor sound, and Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart as the Allardyces are just frosting on the cake... so just adjust the EQ on your receiver to compensate for the poor audio and enjoy a great movie!Movie Review: Great flick
Summary: 5 Stars
Just a note, someone who wrote a review of this in all lowercase letters a few reviews down cited that this movie ripped off THE SHINING. Well guess what, BURNT OFFERINGS was made 4 years before that movie.
In other news...
BURNT OFFERINGS is a fantastic film of the phantasmagorical type. It is as paced as a "house" flick should be, and it features truly stunning performances by Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith, Oliver Reed, and most notably of course, the lovely Karen Black (of TRILOGY OF TERROR fame...damn doll).
It focuses on a family that rents a summer estate in the country. They are at first unphased by the strange catches to rental (like taking care of the old aunt [Bette] who lives upstairs, and no one ever sees), but soon enough things take a far more sinister approach. For the family itself is nothing but burnt offerings...
All in all this is a solid horror film ,worthy of some esteem, and even though I hate to use the word, it IS underrated.
Buy it. Rent it. Just see it.
Movie Review: One of the great horror films
Summary: 5 Stars
Either my parents couldn't find a sitter or they were fooled by the PG rating.The year was 1976 and i was just 5 years old when they took me to see this film, and it ruined my childhood.As long as i live i'll never forget the terror i felt, hiding under my father's arms.
Based upon the book written by robert marasco and directed by dan curtis, the movie stars the always great Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Burgess Merredith, and Anthony James. It is about a house that has a life of it's own.
The cast are perfect in their roles.Karen Black has never been scarier, nor has the stand-out Anthony James as the chauffeur.
I find it unfortunate that most have not heard of this film and that it does not get the recognition it deserves for being a great horror film.And after all these years it still gives me chills.
A must for horror film fans.
Movie Review: A Karen Black Masterpiece: Burnt Offerings A Scary Delight
Summary: 5 Stars
Originally I bought this movie thinking this would be a campy movie with a lot of overacting from Karen Black. Boy was I surprise. "Burnt Offerings" has excellent performances by Oliver Reed, legendary Bette Davis and the young Lee Montgomery. However, this is clearly Karen Black's movie. This is a summer dream house, which becomes a nightmare. The movie itself doesn't have too much action until the very end. Needless to say, it does have solid performances, which make this an excellent movie. The arguement scene between Karen Black and Bette Davis was well performed. Echoes of the t.v. show "Dark Shadows" also dominate this movie with the haunting music of Robert Cobert and the excellent direction of Dan Curtis. Movie has a surprise ending, which I will not spoil. Enjoy this delightful movie, which makes me want to buy more Karen Black movies.Movie Review: One of the top three haunted house films!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have watched almost every haunted house film out there. My favorites in no particular order are The Innocents (1961), The Changeling (1980) and this one, Burnt Offerings (1976). The more recent The Others (2001) with Nicole Kidman is definitely worth mentioning, and I have that one in my collection as well. A lot of people say Robert Wise's The Haunting (1963) is the best haunted house film out there however I disagree. I didn't find The Haunting all that scary or engrossing at all. It's not bad, but just not my favorite or what I consider to be the best. I really enjoyed the story, performances, atmosphere and as the Amazon reviewer stated, the soft-focus photography in Burnt Offerings. And of course, I have to love that Bette Davis is featurned as Aunt Elizabeth. Also recommended is the 1989 TV-movie ghost story, The Woman in Black.