Burnt Offerings (film)

Writer Ben Rolf, his wife Marian, and their 12-year-old son Davey tour a large, shabby, remote neo-classical 19th-century mansion to rent for the summer. The home's eccentric owners, elderly siblings Arnold and Rosalyn Allardyce, offer them a bargain price of $900 for the entire summer, with one odd request: Their elderly mother will continue to live in her upstairs suite, and the Rolfs are to provide her with meals during their stay. The old woman is obsessed with privacy and will not interact with them, so meals are to be left in her sitting room outside her locked bedroom.

The family arrives at the house with Ben's elderly Aunt Elizabeth. Marian becomes obsessed with caring for the home, and wears the Victorian-era garments she finds in Mrs. Allardyce's suite, while distancing herself from her family. Of particular interest to her is Mrs. Allardyce's sitting room, which contains a massive collection of framed portraits of people from different eras, apparently former occupants of the house. Mrs. Allardyce's meals go mostly untouched, according to Marian. Various unusual circumstances occur during the summer; after Davey hurts himself playing, a dead plant starts to grow again; Ben cuts his hand on a champagne bottle, and a dead light bulb is mysteriously repaired; Ben is haunted by a vision of an eerie, malevolently-grinning hearse driver whom Ben first saw at his mother's funeral years earlier. With each accident that occurs, the house appears to rejuvenate itself, feeding on the family's energy.

Marian slowly becomes possessed by the energy of the house. Aunt Elizabeth suddenly becomes ill and dies, after which the dead flowers in the solarium bloom. When Marian does not attend Aunt Elizabeth's funeral, Ben angrily confronts her about her obsession with the home and decides to leave the next day. Ben later sees old shingles and siding falling away, replaced by new ones as the house restores itself. Now convinced that the house is a living entity, Ben attempts to escape with Davey but a tree blocks the road. He sees Marian as the chauffeur and falls catatonic.

The next day, while Davey is swimming and a catatonic Ben is watching him, the pool water turns into vicious waves, pulling the boy under. Marian rescues her son, and the incident awakens Ben from his catatonia. Marian agrees that it is time to leave but insists on going back inside to inform Mrs. Allardyce. When she fails to return, Ben goes inside to find her. He is horrified when he discovers that the elderly woman upstairs is his wife, who has inexplicably aged. "I've been waiting for you, Ben!" she says. Ben recoils in horror. Waiting in the car, Davey is shocked to see his father plummet from the attic window, landing on the car's windshield. In shock, Davey runs toward the house and is killed when one of the chimneys collapses on him.

Afterward, the Allardyces are marveling at the restored beauty of their home and rejoicing over the return of their "mother". In Mrs. Allardyce's sitting room, the photo collection now includes portraits of Ben, Davey, and Aunt Elizabeth.

{{cast listing|

• Karen Black as Marian Rolf
• Oliver Reed as Ben Rolf
• Lee H. Montgomery as Davey Rolf
• Bette Davis as Elizabeth Rolf
• Burgess Meredith as Arnold Allardyce
• Eileen Heckart as Roz Allardyce
• Dub Taylor as Walker
• Anthony James as the Hearse Driver
• Todd Turquand as Young Ben

}}

Burnt Offerings was part of a trend in 1970s horror films focused on the supernatural, such as The Omen (1976), Carrie (1976), Audrey Rose (1977), and The Amityville Horror (1979).{{sfn|King|2007|p=124}} It also was one of many horror films in the 1970s and early 1980s, such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Poltergeist (1982), presenting the negative impacts of middle class life, such as empty-headed consumerism; in the film, the family is destroyed by a house they otherwise dreamed of, generic-looking, in the middle of nowhere, and meant for leisure.{{sfn|Snyder|1982|p=4}} Writer Paul Meehan notes in his book The Haunted House on Film: An Historical Analysis (2019) that it is the first film to depict the psychological destruction of a family facilitated by supernatural forces in their home.{{sfn|Meehan|2019|p=130}}

In the 1978 book An Introduction to American Movies, Steven C. Earley cited Ben's fall onto a car window as an example of the high presence of violence in films of the 1970s.{{sfn|Earley|1978|p=117}} Retrospective reviews viewed the story as a criticism on obsession on property ownership{{cite magazine|last=Berriman|first=Ian|date=December 2016|url=https://archive.org/details/SFX.280.December.2016.True.PDF/page/n107/mode/2up|title=Burnt Offerings|magazine=SFX|issue=28|page=109|accessdate=May 28, 2021}} and the destruction of the nuclear family.{{cite journal|last=Blackford|first=James|date=February 2017|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1866536668|title=Burnt Offerings|journal=Sight & Sound|volume=27|issue=2|page=96|accessdate=May 28, 2021|id={{ProQuest|1866536668}} }}

Literary critic John Kenneth Muir suggests that the film's depiction of Marian's supernaturally-driven obsession with the home and its physical state can be interpreted as a commentary on materialism, and the concern of physical matter over human and familial relationships.{{sfn|Muir|2007|p=381}}

In a Variety piece published on December 11, 1969, it was announced a project named Burnt Offerings would be directed by Bob Fosse from a screenplay by Robert Marasco; Turman Films and Cinema Center Films would be producers and Lawrence Turman executive producer.{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/55314|title=Burnt Offerings|work=AFI Catalog of Feature Films|publisher=American Film Institute|accessdate=May 29, 2021}} Although it never materialized, a novel of the same name by Marasco was published in 1973. The American Film Institute inductively reasoned the book may have been written based on the un-produced screenplay. The title of the film and source novel derives from the Bible, referring to a "sacrifice by fire" and a "gift offered to God."{{sfn|Malless|McQuain|2003|p=29}}

Burnt Offerings was directed by Dan Curtis, best known for television horror works such as the TV series Dark Shadows (1966–1971) and made-for-TV films like The Night Stalker (1972). Not counting House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971) —theatrically released feature film adaptations of the TV series— it was the only original theatrical feature he ever directed. When offered the project, he found the novel uninteresting, in particular what he called its "nothing" ending, and joked to himself, "I bet some idiot who doesn't know what he's doing will come along and make this."{{cite news|last=Beck|first=Marilyn|date=July 29, 1976|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/108805514/|title=Why is Dan Curtis so pleased?|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|page=19|via=Newspapers.com}}

William F. Nolan removed the first third of the book where the family was in New York City, and claims that the chauffeur was conceived by him and unique to the film. However, the chauffeur does appear in the Marasco novel. It's possible that Nolan is referring to the driver's evil smile.{{cite web|last=Morton|first=Lisa|date=May 2015|url=https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/interview-william-f-nolan/|title=Interview: William F. Nolan|work=Nightmare Magazine|url-status=live|archive-date=May 5, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230505022349/https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/interview-william-f-nolan/}} Also, in the DVD/Blu-Ray commentary track, director Curtis implies that footage was indeed shot showing the family in New York City, but it was his decision to excise it from the film.

File:David Brossard - Dunsmuir House.jpg in Oakland, California]]

Filming took place in August 1975 at the historic Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California.{{sfn|Thompson|2009|p=154}} Burnt Offerings was the first film to be shot at the Dunsmuir House, which appeared as a main location in the horror film Phantasm several years later.{{sfn|Meehan|2019|p=130}}

Bette Davis reportedly had conflicts with Karen Black during the shoot, feeling that Black did not extend to her an appropriate degree of respect and that her behavior on the film set was unprofessional.{{sfn|Spada|1993|p=414}} Davis also expressed disdain for Reed, whom she later referred to as "possibly one of the most loathesome human beings I have ever had the misfortune of meeting."{{cite magazine|magazine=Vanity Fair|title=Reed All About It|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/06/reed-all-about-it#:~:text=Reed%20urinated%20on%20foreign%20flags,wide%20field%20in%20her%20case.|last=Wolcott|first=James|date=June 24, 2013|url-status=live|archive-date=May 5, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230505020507/https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/06/reed-all-about-it}}

Burnt Offerings was given a limited theatrical release through United Artists on August 25, 1976, opening in Los Angeles and Buffalo, New York.{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/124022818/|title=Gothic Gumbo in 'Offerings'|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Thomas (film critic)|date=August 25, 1976|page=13|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|work=The Buffalo News|date=August 20, 1976|page=40|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news/124023053/|title=Commercial Openings|via=Newspapers.com}} It premiered in New York City the following month, on September 29, 1976. The release expanded on October 13, 1976, with the film ranking at number one at the United States box office this weekend.{{sfn|Thompson|2009|p=207}} The film went on to gross $1.56 million.{{sfn|Nowell|2011|p=256}}

Arizona Republic critic Mike Petryni was frightened by the film, particularly the smiling chauffeur, but felt it was ruined by an emphasis on constant thrills over subtle horror. He also was confused about several concepts, such as why Marian was depicted as frequently handling Mrs. Allardyce's trays.{{cite news|last=Petryni|first=Mike|date=September 24, 1976|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/117783608/|title='Burnt Offerings' is spooky|work=Arizona Republic|page=71|via=Newspapers.com}} George Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette criticized the film as dependent on typical horror tropes such as shocks and loud music hits; he also described the tension as "a lot of sinister huffing and puffing to little effect", noting how most of the runtime is spent on mystery of which characters are the antagonists or protagonists.{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=George|date=October 13, 1976|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/90063661/|title=Burnt Offerings Mild Thriller at Warner|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|page=18|via=Newspapers.com}} Ron Cowan of the Statesman Journal described the film as a "less than Grand Guignol venture" with a "stellar cast," concluding: "The house is a real charmer...  especially when it sheds its shingles and siding and neatly disposes of troublesome people. By then, though, the movie's pace may have disposed of some of the audience."{{cite news|work=Statesman Journal|last=Cowan|first=Ron|date=October 29, 1976|title='Burnt Offerings' at the mall|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/statesman-journal/124075871/}}

While calling Meredith and Heckart the best performers in the film, Richard Dyer of The Boston Globe argued the material gave the actors little to work with; he called Black "particularly inconsistent", Reed "looking like an eggplant", and stated Davis "tries to create a Bette Davis character without any Bette Davis lines to work with, so all she can do is puff and snort a lot".{{cite news|last=Dyer|first=Richard|date=October 5, 1976|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/436126546/|title='Burnt Offerings' hard to swallow|work=The Boston Globe|page=24|via=Newspapers.com}} Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave the film an unfavorable review, writing that it is "too trite, too drawn-out and repetitious, too poorly motivated and finally too vague in the nature of its supernatural evil to make it."

Film critic Roger Ebert called the film "a mystery, all right", concluding "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."{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19761008/REVIEWS/610080301|title=Burnt Offerings: Movie Review|work=Chicago Sun-Times|via=RogerEbert.com|date=October 8, 1976|author=Ebert, Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716160306/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19761008/REVIEWS/610080301|archive-date=July 16, 2012}} Variety stated "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."

Donald Guarisco of Movie Guide called the film "worthy of rediscovery by the horror fans who missed it the first time", concluding "In the end, Burnt Offerings is probably a bit too methodical in its pacing for viewers accustomed to slam-bang approach of post-'70s horror fare but seasoned horror fans will find plenty to enjoy..."{{cite web|url=http://movies.amctv.com/movie/7616/Burnt-Offerings/review|title=Burnt Offerings: movie review|publisher=Movie Guide|access-date=December 13, 2011|author=Donald Guarisco, Rovi|archive-date=February 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208140048/http://movies.amctv.com/movie/7616/Burnt-Offerings/review|url-status=dead}} In addition to the slow build, Starburst{{'}}s Robert Martin spotlighted its cast, particularly the chemistry between Reed and Montgomery, Black's "loving and murderous" combination, and Davis' "uncomfortable" heart attack scene.{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Robert|date=October 18, 2016|url=https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/blu-ray-review-burnt-offerings|title=Burnt Offerings|work=Starburst|accessdate=May 29, 2021}} However, he also felt the overall product was held back by its TV film look, particularly its "flat cinematography" and visuals that were more "clever" than scary.

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|50|5.4|16|}}{{rotten-tomatoes|burnt_offerings|Burnt Offerings}}

On August 26, 2003, MGM Home Entertainment released a region 1 DVD of Burnt Offerings. The original video shape is in wide screen (16:9) and also features an audio commentary with Dan Curtis, Karen Black and William F. Nolan. The DVD was poorly received. Reviewers criticized the video quality, which appeared to have been shot with soft focus,{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/7707/burnt-offerings|title=Burnt Offerings: DVD Review|work=DVD Talk|date=August 26, 2003|access-date=December 12, 2011|author=Jawetz, Gil}} and the Dolby Digital Mono audio that made the voices muddy and indistinct.

A Blu-ray edition of the film was released on October 6, 2015 by Kino Lorber.{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/69738/burnt-offerings/|work=DVD Talk|last=Tyner|first=Adam|title=Burnt Offerings Blu-ray|url-status=live|archive-date=May 4, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230504043752/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/69738/burnt-offerings/|date=September 25, 2015}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Burnt Offerings

| type = Soundtrack

| artist = Robert Cobert

| cover =

| alt =

| released = June 28, 2011

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Score

| length = 01:05:22

| label = Counterpoint

| producer =

| chronology = MGM soundtrack

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

Like most other Dan Curtis works, the music for Burnt Offerings was composed and conducted by Robert Cobert. In 2011, years after the film's release, the original full soundtrack album was released by Counterpoint and was limited to only 3,000 copies. The album features all of Cobert's original score, plus alternate tracks not used in the film including two alternate Music Box Themes. The CD booklet is 20 pages long and illustrated with photos taken from the set of the film during production.{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/5906-SOUNDTRACK-REVIEW-BURNT-OFFERINGS-A-HELL-OF-A-GREAT-SCORE.html|title=SOUNDTRACK REVIEW: "Burnt Offerings – a Hell of a Great Score"|publisher=Cinema Retro|date=June 29, 2011|access-date=December 14, 2011|author=Garbarini, Todd}} An original suite of the film's soundtrack can be found on the 2000 Robert Cobert collection album The Night Stalker and Other Classic Thrillers.

{{Track listing

| total_length = 01:05:22

| all_writing = Robert Cobert

| title1 = Foreboding Evil

| length1 = 1:32

| title2 = Memories of a Lifetime

| length2 = 2:06

| title3 = 17 Shore Road

| length3 = 2:08

| title4 = Mrs. Allardyce's Room

| length4 = 0:53

| title5 = Music Box Theme

| length5 = 2:50

| title6 = Danger at the Pool

| length6 = 2:53

| title7 = Funeral Dream

| length7 = 1:28

| title8 = The Pool After Dark

| length8 = 0:32

| title9 = Rendezvous Gone Wrong

| length9 = 2:10

| title10 = Aunt Elizabeth Investigates

| length10 = 2:06

| title11 = The Chauffeur

| length11 = 1:04

| title12 = The Clocks Restart/The Gas Leaks

| length12 = 0:50

| title13 = Marian & Aunt Elizabeth's Quarrel

| length13 = 2:06

| title14 = Aunt Elizabeth Falls Ill

| length14 = 4:42

| title15 = Music Box Theme

| length15 = 1:29

| title16 = Terror Up the Stairs

| length16 = 2:19

| title17 = The Greenhouse

| length17 = 0:26

| title18 = Rejuvenation and Attempted Escape

| length18 = 2:44

| title19 = The Ride Back

| length19 = 1:32

| title20 = Swimming Pool

| length20 = 4:52

| title21 = Ben Confronts Terror

| length21 = 1:43

| title22 = The Final Horror

| length22 = 1:29

| title23 = A House Reborn/End Title

| length23 = 3:08

| title24 = Marian Rolfe

| length24 = 0:32

| title25 = House Eternal

| length25 = 1:42

| title26 = Family in Danger

| length26 = 1:35

| title27 = Main Title (Outtake)

| length27 = 3:18

| title28 = Music Box Theme (Piano Version 1)

| length28 = 2:51

| title29 = Alternate Music Box Theme #1 (Celesta Version)

| length29 = 1:06

| title30 = Alternate Music Box Theme #2 (Piano Version 2)

| length30 = 2:21

| title31 = Music Box Theme (shorter version)

| length31 = 2:37

| title32 = Main Title (Reprise-Outtake)

| length32 = 0:45

}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last=Earley|first=Steven C.|year=1978|url=https://archive.org/details/introductiontoam00earl/page/116/mode/2up?q=%22burnt+offerings+1976%22|title=An Introduction to American Movies|location=New York City, New York|publisher=New American Library|isbn=978-0-451-61638-8}}
• {{cite journal|last=King|first=Claire Sisco|date=April 2007|url=https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/31751323/TPQ_2007.pdf?1377011636=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DActing_Out_and_Sounding_Off_Sacrifice_an.pdf&Expires=1622230742&Signature=AjvevSQttBVeNWU1uP4J79Ma6MRxWyT6R1DodpnbNPfY57w9~cu0PaVpK45tDkd24N1FXLfAzTgpc0XDu9PiQuljkqsSaI8to-KYiK38rXRpcnisOpTPWPz~IPEqp2zTCax1v7KSovKJGzGwnier6g5sHN0HuYM7dzo6LFr6eOP-k0PqFHi78YVxAaFxP~ZFBlDSVLCMm8izUX61O4rZf0lQ0HGmUEUmFEraL7dxGbhCd~9ZaK1FneTKuQ08EU4ISfa-fGGqzblOIyhHvHeSCCWGLs5jRdxWBJYxto~5YfzVNNbrCvDPaecdijPpU1kulg5Valfk~GbwBUiqh24XyA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA|title=Acting Out and Sounding Off: Sacrifice and Performativity in Alice, Sweet Alice|journal=Text and Performance Quarterly|volume=27|number=2|pages=124–142|doi=10.1080/10462930701251199|s2cid=219640591}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• {{cite book|last1=Malless|first1=Stan|last2=McQuain|first2=Jeff|year=2003|title=Coined by God: Words and Phrases that First Appear in the English Translations of the Bible|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|location=New York City, New York|isbn=978-0-393-02045-8}}
• {{cite book|last=Meehan|first=Paul|year=2019|title=The Haunted House on Film: An Historical Analysis|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-1-476-63820-1}}
• {{cite book|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|author-link=John Kenneth Muir|year=2007|title=Horror Films of the 1970s|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-786-43104-5}}
• {{cite book|last=Nowell|first=Richard|year=2011|title=Blood Money: A History of the First Teen Slasher Film Cycle|publisher=Continuum|location=New York City, New York|isbn= 978-1-441-14316-7}}
• {{cite book|title=The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, the Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966–2006|url=https://archive.org/details/televisionhorror00thom_689|url-access=limited|publisher=McFarland|last=Thompson|first=Jeff|year=2009|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-7864-5337-5}}
• {{cite journal|last=Snyder|first=Stephen|date=Fall 1982|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44018714|title=Family Life and Leisure Culture in 'The Shining'|journal=Film Criticism|volume=7|number=1|pages=4–13|jstor=44018714|accessdate=May 28, 2021}}
• {{cite book|last=Spada|first=James|year=1993|title=More Than a Woman|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|location=London, England|isbn= 978-0-316-90880-1}}

{{Refend}}

• {{IMDb title}}

{{Dan Curtis}}

{{Saturn Award for Best Horror Film}}

Category:1976 films

Category:1976 horror films

Category:American haunted house films

Category:American supernatural horror films

Category:American supernatural thriller films

Category:1970s English-language films

Category:Films about dysfunctional families

Category:Films about spirit possession

Category:Films about vacationing

Category:Films based on American horror novels

Category:Films directed by Dan Curtis

Category:Films set in California

Category:Films set in country houses

Category:Films shot in California

Category:United Artists films

Category:1970s American films

Category:Psycho-biddy films

Category:English-language horror films

Category:Saturn Award–winning films