Burnt Offerings (1976)

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers:

Robert Marasco (novel)
William F. Nolan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 October 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Up the ancient stairs, behind the locked door, something lives, something evil, from which no one has ever returned. [UK]

Plot:

Haunted house chiller from Dan Curtis has Oliver Reed and Karen Black as summer caretakers moving into gothic house with their young son...

Plot Keywords:

Haunted House | Underwater | Refrigerator | Attic | Child In Peril

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

Karen Black	...	Marian Rolf
Oliver Reed	...	Ben Rolf
Burgess Meredith	...	Arnold Allardyce
Eileen Heckart	...	Roz Allardyce
Lee Montgomery	...	David 'Davey' Rolf (as Lee H. Montgomery)
Dub Taylor	...	Walker
Bette Davis	...	Aunt Elizabeth
Joseph Riley	...	Ben's Father
Todd Turquand	...	Young Ben
Orin Cannon	...	Minister
Jim Myers	...	Dr. Ross
Anthony James	...	The Chauffeur

Also Known As:

Ballata macabra (Italy)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Dunsmuir House & Gardens - 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, California, USA

Company:

Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA)

Trivia:

Karen Black was four months pregnant during the shoot, and explains that her belly was concealed with some clever wardrobe tactics.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When all the clocks move to midnight on their own, wires are visible pulling the hands around.

Quotes:

David Rolf: I hate this place! I want to get of here. I HATE IT!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Rose Red" (2002)

Great 70's horror.

My 10 out of 10 vote for this movie really stems from the first time I'd seen it. I was an 8 year old at the drive-in with my parents. The assumption was I would watch the first movie of this double bill and fall asleep before the scary movie started. I cannot remember the first movie but I can tell you I will never forget this one. I played like I was sleeping in the back seat but watched the whole movie without my parents knowing. I had nightmares for months to come. Images of the creepy Chauffeur driver and the foggy lighting and lens effects really stuck with me. And the last scene was terrifying. I'm much older now but when revisiting this horror classic I'm reminded of that night in the backseat of my parents car...I still get chills. I also had the same experiences with "Seizure" "From Beyond the Grave" and "The Sentinel".