On B List of Movie Reviews
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Burnt Offerings (1976)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
11/19, 12/19
11/19:
Once in a while, a film comes along that gets everything right, and this time, it's Burnt Offerings.
I initially watched it for Oliver Reed, and he didn't disappoint me one bit. I think he's one of the few greatest actors
in horror movies, having given excellent performances in Paranoiac and
The Brood. Once again, Oliver Reed is magnificent in Burnt Offerings.
Karen Black gives the performance of her career. What she did is Oscar-worthy. She made the film work, and Oliver
Reed merely helped her.
The all-time great actress Bette Davis is wonderful in her own way. I don't think I've seen her be like this in a horror
movie before. Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith are memorable, even if it's only for ten minutes, helping
set the tone of what's to come.
Belonging in the same league as Don't Look Now,
Rosemary's Baby, The Changeling, and
Black Christmas, Burnt Offerings is 90% acting and 10% terror. Like the foggy cinematography, the
well-written screenplay, and the effective use of the chauffeur (kudos to Anthony James for his creepy look), I'm
impressed with the subtleties shown by the thespians: their use of words and how they behave. It all makes sense.
The final ten minutes is the very definition of the phrase: "The suspense is killing me." Oliver Reed is so brilliant for
making it happen that the ending is shocking. It's the one that made me go, "Damn," and then
watch the movie all over again. Remember his immortal words: "What's the catch?"
What I appreciate is that there are no cheap tricks. Far too many movies do this, and they
get ruined. I'm tired of something that's moved or knocked over by an apparition or something else that's unexplainable.
I'm also tired of special effects getting in the way because the filmmakers think they're "cool." There's nothing like
them in Burnt Offerings, save for one moment when Oliver Reed's character was seized by the crazy vines.
By the way, if the Dunsmuir House looks familiar, it's the same one used in Phantasm. Burnt Offerings was the
first film to showcase the house which is located in Oakland, California, and it has been in various movies thereafter
such as A View to a Kill and True Crime.
All in all, Burnt Offerings is the number one suspense picture.
12/19:
Make no mistake about it: Karen Black is the show in Burnt Offerings while Oliver Reed is magnificent.
All in all, Burnt Offerings is a rare successful haunted house picture.