Up the ancient stairs, down the twisting corridor, behind the locked door, something lives, something strange, something evil, something from which no one has ever returned.
Burnt Offerings is one of my all time favorite haunted house movies starring Karen Black, Bette Davis and Oliver Reed. Based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Robert Marasco, Burnt Offerings follows the story of the Rolf family as they vacation for the summer in an old Victorian home. When they ask about the price to stay for the summer, the deal they receive is better than they could imagine. There is only one catch: the Rolf’s must take care of the owner’s elderly mother.
It isn’t long into their stay that Ben begins to suspect that the home isn’t what it seems. Marion becomes obsessed with cleaning the house and taking care of Mrs. Allardyce. Once dead flowers begin to show life, areas of the home and yard that were disheveled and broken down become new over night. As the house becomes young and rejuvenated, the vacationers show signs of age and weakness, as though the house itself were feeding off of them.
It isn’t until after the death of his Aunt that Ben begins to truly see what is happening around them and tries desperately to save his family. His efforts may prove to be too little too late as the house fights back to keep what it claims as it’s own.
Despite receiving poor reviews, Burnt Offerings received a total of six awards in 1977: three from the Sitges Film Festival and three Saturn Awards. Though the movie is not fast paced in the least, it is a good mystery thriller with excellent acting from the cast.
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