Well, it ain’t exactly “The Haunting” (1963), but the house in “Burnt Offerings” (1976) is also up to no good. Unfortunately, that also happens to describe just about every aspect of the production.
Opinions may vary. We’ll find out tomorrow night, when Roy and I commence our annual celebration of Halloween with an eerie discussion on Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner.
Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith, and Bette Davis put their faith in Dan Curtis, whose “Dark Shadows” was notorious for getting things done efficiently – which is to say, fast and cheap. The screenplay was adapted by prolific sci-fi scribe William F. Nolan, who gave us “Logan’s Run.”
“Burnt Offerings” was shot at the Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California, soon to be used in “Phantasm” (1979), a much less formulaic film – which I hope we’ll cover soon – that at least had some creativity and the courage to swing for the fences.
The offerings won’t be the only things that are burned, when Roy and I convene for a lively discussion about a house that wants you dead. Bring your realtor to the comments section, when we livestream on Facebook, YouTube, etc., this Sunday evening at 7:30 EDT!
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PHOTOS: The house (top), and Roy making me rewatch the film