31 Days of Horror Recommendations: Burnt Offerings (1976)

 

Year: 1976

Country: U.S.

Subsenre:  Haunted House

Runtime: 116 minutes

Director: Dan Curtis

A haunted house flick with a bit of a spin. It's as much possession, or maybe vampiric, as it is haunting; and, it's a Dan Curtis film! I have been a life-long Curtis fan after discovering "Dark Shadows" on re-run curtesy of my local PBS station WFSU as a kid. It wasn't long before I saw his Dracula (1974) with Jack Palance for the first time. It took me a little longer to discover Burnt Offerings, but I loved it on first viewing. I have since found other haunted house films that scared me more, but this film still holds a very special place in my heart. Shot on location at the Dunsmuir House outside of Oakland CA; it was the first film to shoot there, and it makes (extensive) use of the house and grounds, though it certainly would not be the last (see Phantasm, A View To A Kill & So I Married An Axe Murderer, etc.). To date though, Burnt Offerings is the only production to make the mansion a central theme. It is actually more like a cast member than just a location for a scary movie. And speaking of the cast, it may be minimal, but it's famous! The three central adults are Karen Black, Oliver Reed and the first lady of film herself: Bette Davis. The frame story is almost as star studded with Dub Taylor, Eileen Heckart and Burgess Meredith. And, if you have seen the film, you are certainly NOT going to forget Anthony James and the chauffeur! The film is just shot through with a sense of dread and just plain "creep."  I can't think of a better word use--it's not the proper way to use it, I know, but it's the only way I can think of describing this old dark house tale. Some pretty descent special effects are also employed in the film, despite that it was largely shot on location at historic mansion that the crew was limited in what they could actually do to alter the appearance of "the set." A different sort of boogeyman movie for the spooky season...here the monster doesn't need a chef's knife or a machete!