Burnt Offerings (DVD, 2003)

A haunted house vacation gone bad, a huge mansion & $900 the price! The Rolf family decides to rent a deal of the century. Roz Allardyce an elderly mother who never leaves the house (her room). A swiming pool with a mansion will soon take a pace change.

Marian becomes obsessed on the house, they must also care for Mrs. Allardyce but the music box and the dusty photo collection have a trace. Burnt Offerings feeds off the mansion, Elizabeth's health declines thus the mansion grows newer replacing old age exteriors and interiors. Other events start emerging meanwhile the mansion rebuilds as it starts to change the families physical condition (downward spiral).

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


Film has the mansion is evil. The family never escapes the mansions power. PG rated, family film, no language / nudity / evilness that would affect young viewers, 13 to adult my opinion. I rate this film 4 stars.

I was scared by this movie as a kid in the 70's and decided to rewatch it as an adult. To my surprise, it wasnt available at any of the local rental stores, so I decided to buy it. The dvd has very little in the way of extras, but what it has are 1) commentary by Dan Curtis and Karen Black 2) Original trailer for the film. If you want behind the scenes, deleted scenes or alternate endings and the like, sorry, If you are a Burnt Offerings fan, you can also read the original story by picking up the novel here on ebay-it ends differently from the movie. If you are a fan of Dan Curtis stuff, you should like this--very atmospheric, scary old house, at least one good storm, some blood at the end, typical Dan Curtis gothic (Dark Shadows) music.

This is an extraordinary film. I went to see it back in 1976 and it pretty much followed Robert Marasco's novel...except for the end. In the novel, there really was no actual ending so when it was filmed, an ending was concocted by Dan Curtis and his associates. Unfortunately I had taken my cousin's two young boys to see the film with me and the ending was such a shocker that the boys were upset and one of them had nightmares. I just didn't really expect the way the film ended. If it hadn't been for Karen Black agreeing to do the film, it would have never been made. She was approached about it after filming "Family Plot" but nothing happened and the film was shelved. It wasn't until 1975 that the film was actually made. Ms. Black is an accomplished and respected actress of the stage and screeen as well as a director. She is superb in the film as are the other actors. Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart...It doesn't get any better than that! The young boy who played the son...don't remember his name...he also gave a magnificant performance. When members of the cast were interviewed after the film was completed, I remember reading that when Oliver Reed was asked how he felt about working with Bette Davis, he answered that it was an honor to work with such a great actress. When Ms. Davis was asked about how she felt about working with Karen Black and Oliver Reed, she replied that Ms. Black was an "untalented little nothing" and Mr. Reed was drunk the whole time. Well if he was, it sure didn't show on screen. When he appeared on Johnny Carson in 1975 right after making the film, and he was asked about how it was working with Bette Davis, he replied that every night he rode her food cart down the hotel hallway and it pissed her off. Let's hear it for Ollie! An all-around great film!!!

I really love this horror film, I saw BURNT OFFERINGS when I was just a kid & I always wanted to have it. I'm so glad that it is now finally on DVD & now part of my video collection. There's nothing I don't like about this film, even the price was great!

I love this movie! I want it on DVD! I love Oliver Reed as Ben, and he is a wonderful actor in Burnt Offerings! And Karen Black is awesome as the wife Moran in Burnt Offerings. Lee H. Montgomery as David Davy who is the son of Ben and Moran in Burnt Offerings is so cute and talented.