Burnt Offerings (1976)

[lester1/2jr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTGkeYp-2gQ

Where to begin. OKay,  I saw this movie about 25 years ago (I'm 35) and had been searching for it for years. My inquiring about it here must have been one of the earlier "What was That film " questions asked well before that board was established. A few minutes into Burnt Offerings, which has nothing to do with any offerings being burnt, I realized I had found it, the one with Mrs Alerdice. There was a woman named Mrs Alerdice on my street growing up and whenever anyone said her name I thought of this movie, mainly the last scene.

       So I was going to watch it regardless, but how is it for someone who's whole life hasn't led up to the moment of acidentally reseeing it and now being able to die happy an elephant lifted from their back? It's pretty good in a dumbed down, cheap, bad acid, pea soup horror sort of way.  Karen Black is a Stepford-ish housewife, the great Oliver reed as her increasingly demented (agora-crazy a la The Shining (1980) ) husband and Bette Davis of all people is really good as the mother in law. Unlike the Shining it takes place during the summer though for reasons of plot convenience they never go anywhere (the same reason they avoid doing lots of logical things). Plot holes weren't a big issues in the 70's or rather, CONCERN for them wasn't. All sorts of weird stuff happens in the pool, everyones weird, the house is old and full of creepy pictures and everything is shot in tacky 70's soft core lighting like theres vaseline on the lense or something.

   It eventually builds up a decent head of steam. If you've ever seen Warlock Moon, it's kind of like that where they obviously just rented some old house and shot everything there. I wouldn't be surpised if it was the exact same house.  

4/5 with a bit of charity for sentimentality

Now I just have to see the movie with the kid named Tump.

       
 

[Psycho Circus]

That house looks an awful lot like the one used in Phantasm

[Flick James]

I've always meant to watch this film. It was being shown on one of the movie channels on cable recently, but I just never caught it at the right time. I saw one scene, the one where Oliver Reed's character is playing with the son in the pool and gets carried away with rough-housing and it gets a little out of control, then the follow-up scene where he confesses that he doesn't know what got into him, so I got that "The Shining" vibe from it. Looks like an interesting film and definately very 70's. And I can see the upper-class "Stepford" aspect you speak of too.

[lester1/2jr]

It was on TCM underground last week

[The Burgomaster]

This used to be shown on commercial television quite frequently in the late 70s / early 80s.  I remember watching it a few times, but I probably haven't seen it in about 20 years.  I almost bought the DVD a few times within the last couple of years.  Maybe soon.