tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post7951561231269456719..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: BURNT OFFERINGS 1976Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-15680975413923227312024-03-17T21:50:46.380-07:002024-03-17T21:50:46.380-07:00Hello, Rich
I am SO impressed that you are a fan ...Hello, Rich <br />I am SO impressed that you are a fan of FIVE DESPERATE WOMEN (3 times!!). So much of the fondness I feel for films I saw as a kid or teenager are caught up with nostalgia and the kind of time-specific memories that made your comments about BURNT OFFERINGS so personal and so enjoyable.<br />Unless FIVE DESPEATE WOMEN is a film you’re re-visiting, it’s quite eye opening to learn that the movie still holds up and offers some entertainment value to the contemporary viewer.<br />The same holds true for your experience with KILLER FISH! It’s a surprisingly enjoyable actioner, isn’t it? And that cast is impressive. Just this side of a “very special” Love Boat episode.<br />Your appreciation of these movies speaks to what you stated regarding this blog and its entries reflecting similar tases and interests on some fronts. It’s very gratifying to know that, and I’m glad you found this site. Hope there will be more posts you enjoy and that they inspire more contributions on your part. Agreement is not necessary nor a part of the deal. It’s just interesting for me and readers to share our impressions of a film with one another in a respectful and personal way.<br />Looking forward to hearing from you again. Take care, Rich!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-8158145571422238912024-03-13T14:26:52.111-07:002024-03-13T14:26:52.111-07:00Thank you for the kind words. It was fun rememberi...Thank you for the kind words. It was fun remembering that movie night with my mom and sharing it here. And I really enjoy having your blog here as a reference. So many times I’ve noticed we have the same taste and interests. In fact, as I embarked on a mini-Karen Black phase inspired by this film, I searched the blog and found the review of “Killer Fish”—a movie I’d never heard of before I read your post. I jumped over to YouTube to find this epic and I was not disappointed! The film was a little slow-going at first for me, but the arrival of the Margaux contingent provided the proceedings with a genuine jolt of excitement. And by the time Karen was writhing on the dock in her wetsuit I was completely hooked. I really enjoyed the opportunity to see the cast interacting. I was happy just watching Karen and Margaux play in a scene together. Margaux looks great here (I was a boy then but I still remember her brief time at the top) with no sign of the troubles to come. For me this movie kept getting better and more fun and it cruised toward its bloody conclusion! I had a great time watching “Killer Fish” so thanks for the review. Speaking of recommendations, I should probably add that I’ve now watched “Five Desperate Women” a total of 3 times. Thanks again for pointing me to it. Take care. RichAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-64136869641416088562024-03-07T22:58:51.006-08:002024-03-07T22:58:51.006-08:00Hello, Rich - So good of you to check out this pos...Hello, Rich - So good of you to check out this post and to share such fun (and vividly recalled) childhood memories of seeing BURNT OFFERINGS. <br />You confirm what I imagined to be the case with this movie...it may seem like a tame, slow-burn for veteran horror fans, but for the young and impressionable, this movie is pretty scary stuff. Perhaps precisely because of the psychological elements you cite. Particularly the idea that a parent could cause harm to a child. <br />It's pretty chilling the first time a child gets the impression (from a movie) that home...the usual safe haven...can be a threat. <br />Your recounting of your first viewing of BURNT OFFERINGS resonates with me on many fronts (although relating to movies I saw when I was that age, which places me around 1968 and seeing ROSEMARY'S BABY for the first time) I suspect I responded to the modest nudity in that film much in a way similar to how you reacted to Oliver Reed getting familiar with Karen Black.<br />I laughed when I read that!<br />Glad you're enjoying the new Blu-ray of this movie and I thank you again for taking the time to contribute your youthful first impressions of it with us!<br />Take care, Rich!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-77973108855436986252024-03-05T18:44:23.614-08:002024-03-05T18:44:23.614-08:00Hi there Ken, I had to leave a quick comment for y...Hi there Ken, I had to leave a quick comment for you. I’ve always loved this movie and recently I finally upgraded to the Blu ray; I enjoyed revisiting it and then it occurred to me to check if you had ever covered it here—and presto! here I am. You did a great job with this essay and a lot of what you’ve written reminds of the childhood experience of seeing it for the first time. I was around eleven years old and my mom, who a major Karen Black fan (Five Easy Pieces was lifelong favorite of hers), took me to see the film shortly after it opened. And I remember being really scared! The creepy chauffeur had me covering my eyes of course, but I also recall being bothered by some of more psychological elements. I hated seeing Davis’ lively character so drained of life, but the swimming pool scene was the worst. I don’t think the idea that a nice normal father could snap and commit violence against his child had ever really occurred to me before. That kind of domestic horror was upsetting to me as a kid and it stayed with me for a while. <br /> But Karen Black is so great here—she’s an actress I will watch in anything—and the blu ray looks great too, so it was nice to settle in with the movie again. And to close on a lighter note, I remembered that first viewing and I how shocked I was during the early bedroom scene, when Reed casually places his hand on Karen Black’s breast. I whispered to my mother “Mom, look what he’s doing!” Her response, after a pause: “It’s all right, they’re married”. Just wanted to share that with you, take care until next time. RichAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-23674464721597493552015-04-12T19:03:58.724-07:002015-04-12T19:03:58.724-07:00Hi again
I can't say it will be soon, but I am...Hi again<br />I can't say it will be soon, but I am bound to cover "Thoroughly Modern Millie"...i saw that film SOOO many times in my youth. It was my introduction to Julie Andrews (it wasn't until I was in my 30's that i saw Mary Poppins, and in my 40s when i saw The Sound of Music").Huge crush on James Fox.<br />I'm somewhat allergic to Bob Hope, but i took a peek at "The cat and the Canary" on Daily Motion and i can honestly say it looks promising! He's so young (and a little less schticky).<br />I saw "She" when i was very small and need to see it again. Andress has such a wonderful voice...why dub it?<br />Also, as a big Barbara Windsor fan, i adore most of those "Carry On" films. I see "Carry on Screaming" is on DailyMotion as well....<br />you've given me some new/old films to check out. Thanks!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-27851910618730683232015-04-07T10:17:17.308-07:002015-04-07T10:17:17.308-07:00Thank YOU, Ken... and l loved your thoughts on th...Thank YOU, Ken... and l loved your thoughts on the movie of Come Back, Jimmy Dean which l read today, plus several others! A request: please do cover Thoroughly Modern Millie soon (THE film of my young cinema going youth). A comment: Bob Hope was actually funny in that marvellous 1939 comedy thriller The Cat and the Canary. A couple of my favourites l can hugely recommend if they somehow passed you by... The Ursula Andress version of She, which terrified me at the age of six but also awakened my life long fascination with tall, hairy chested, John Richardson types (how disappointing to realise his voice was dubbed, along with Ursula's), and a film many English viewers (myself included) feel is one of the funniest ever made, 1966s Carry on Screaming. Probably not one which played for long in San Francisco! Milliefanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879595485659696766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30585710130677539442015-04-07T06:08:19.990-07:002015-04-07T06:08:19.990-07:00Please...I know all to well! (Kind for king's?...Please...I know all to well! (Kind for king's? ...I guess we'll never know)Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-70779835899853883732015-04-07T06:07:13.572-07:002015-04-07T06:07:13.572-07:00Greetings, Milliefan!
To say your comments flatter...Greetings, Milliefan!<br />To say your comments flatter me would be an understatement. Let's just say that when I began this blog, it was always my fantasy (I dared not hope) that readers would find in my jumbled reveries, essays on film that others could relate to and wish to correspond about.<br />Your words are gladdening in a way you cannot imagine. Thanks!<br />And thanks for sharing such an absolutely brilliant Karen Black anecdote! You're the only person I've ever encountered who even saw that ill-fated Broadway production of "Jimmy Dean..."but to live to tell about a close encounter with its stars and a meetup with Ms Black...well!! <br />It's not always necessary for me to hear nice stories about celebrities I like, but in Karen Black's case, it pleases me no end to hear that she was as captivating in real life as she is onscreen.<br />So pleased that you stumbled upon this blog, and thanks for contributing in such a lovely, personal way!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-47373297403528541112015-04-06T22:47:54.377-07:002015-04-06T22:47:54.377-07:00PS - the curse of predictive text... of course th...PS - the curse of predictive text... of course that should have read Come Back to the 5 and DIME... though l can't remember which word my keyboard replaced with "King's" whilst describing Cher! Milliefanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879595485659696766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-65965376319126315632015-04-06T22:42:09.889-07:002015-04-06T22:42:09.889-07:00Hi Ken,
I discovered your blog just a few days ag...Hi Ken, <br />I discovered your blog just a few days ago and have been reading voraciously ever since! It is both fascinating and delightful to read your spot-on appraisals of so many of the films l have loved for years - especially those l had thought l was alone in my admiration of (Eye of the Cat being a prime example!) We are a similar age (l was born in 1959) and so have covered a lot of cinematic ground at the same time. Like so many of your readership l am finding it hard to stop returning to your site to read "just ONE more" essay... and then of course the comments... and then a quick trip to Amazon to buy the dvd... and then read "just ONE more". l will never be able to write about film with as much insight and wit as you do, but thanks to a very lucky life l have had the opportunity to meet and spend a lot of time with many of the stars you write about, and my memories of the fabulous Karen Black prompted this first message to you. I was at the opening night of Come Back to the 5 and Ten, Jimmy Dean in New York, l guess the year was 1982? The strange thing is, the show just did not play well... many people, myself included, were bored and restless and glad when it ended (the most memorable moment for me was bumping into Gina Lollobrigida in the foyer). I can't quite work out how the show l saw, when translated to film with the same cast, and more or less as a filmed play, became so brilliant and magical. But back to Karen Black.... the friend who took me to the show insisted we wait at the stage door to get autographs from the stars. Not that l needed much persuasion - l had always loved Karen Black. So we met the somewhat diffident Sandy Dennis, the King's friendly and charming Cher, then last of all, the wild haired, wild eyed, magnificent Karen Black, a true star who greeted her fans and generic autograph hounds alike with genuine interest and total attention. She signed everything proffered and happily posed for photographs (I still have mine!), and even at the time l was aware she had a first night party to get to. Cut to a couple of days later... I was in a store when l heard THAT voice behind me, and turned to see Miss Black concluding a purchase. She noticed me, smiled and said "Didn't we meet recently?" l reminded her of the circumstances, and said how incredibly impressed l had been by her interaction at the stage door (whilst avoiding any mention of the play l had disliked so much), and we spent several minutes chatting. In parting l to her l was returning to my native England the following day, and she asked me to send her a postcard, which l duly did... and within a couple of weeks received a handwritten thank you note along with a gorgeous signed photo. And now, Ken, l am off to read just ONE more... Come Back, Jimmy Dean of course! Milliefanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879595485659696766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66341587920328902772015-03-31T03:06:03.899-07:002015-03-31T03:06:03.899-07:00Hi
I seem to remember this being one of those mov...Hi <br />I seem to remember this being one of those movies that opened big but finished out the year a modest hit (my memory could be failing me, though).<br />For the longest time it was sort of an unspoken rule (and at one time a Hayes Code mandate) that harm couldn't come to children in films, especially not graphically. So, given my terror at seeing Patty MacCormack struck by lightening in "The bad Seed" when I was a kid, I can only imagine the horror of being 10 years old and seeing a movie where a little boy is pretty much the major target of terror and abuse.<br />When i was growing up, the only comfort of watching horror movies was in always knowing deep down inside, the guilty were going to be punished, all the terrors would be explained in a lengthy epilogue, and bad things only happened to those deserving it. By the time you were old enough to see horror films, all bets were off and movies could leave you with more questions than answers (always unsettling for a kid), bad guys sometimes won, and innocent people suffered through no fault of their own.<br />It's great fun reading how "Burnt Offerings" struck you as child. Very vivid memories I'm glad you shared.<br />As for the book, I haven't read it since 1976, but as i recall it was merely a flatter, less cinematic ending. Davy and his father both drown when the pool becomes too choppy (in the film the mother dives in and saves Davy), and then the book just ends with the elderly couple (Heckart and Meredith) returning and seeing the house is all revitalized, and that they have a new "mother" in Karen Black's character having taken the place of the previous mother. The photo of the family joins the collection of photos which is described in the book as a collection people who look terrified or startled at seeing something horrific.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-54784040207697160482015-03-30T23:42:42.212-07:002015-03-30T23:42:42.212-07:00I was surprised to see you review this. was it a b...I was surprised to see you review this. was it a big hit, a moderate hit in theaters? I saw this when I was 10 and it scared me to death. I couldn't sleep for a week. Not only that.....the movie haunted me for the entire year (since I saw it the first week of Janurary 1981). Looking back....and thinking about it now...I realize that the actors had a lot to do with my never ending fear and feelings of being disturbed. Reed and Black are both actors who portray fear, rage, confusion and paranoia better than any other actors I can think of. and even Lee Montgomery as David, I thought, was really great in the movie. and Bette Davis, at that age, looked scary anyway. and maybe the best horror movies, or movies in general, are ones that you keep asking yourself...."what the hell was that all about?" you know, no easy answers, no easy story and definitely no easy ending. what exactly is the deal with that damn chauffeur? what does he represent? what's up with the pictures and why do the people in them look demented and constipated at the same time? why does that darn woman stay in that room and never come out? why doesn't Karen Black just go in there? Just do it, Karen. gheeeez. and what to Eileen and Burgess really get out of terrorizing innocent families, knowing they're going to be dead at the end of the summer?? I think seeing it so young.....it really bothered me that these horrible, demonic things kept happening to Davy. His father trying to drown him in the pool. the evil spirits trying to create a tsunami in the pool, while davy is swimming, as Reed Is paralyzed unable to help. and of course the ending has always stayed with me. the chimney slowing falling apart like an avalanche on top of David, klling him. the way it was filmed is one of the creepiest scenes I've seen in a movie. we see Davy being crushed and then we see (from davy's perspective) the bricks dropping on him one by one......the gross grainy lines of the lens, with dirt from the bricks....you feel like you're suffocating watching it. my point...this all happened to a child. that was unheard of back then. Even the kid got away alive in The Shining. but not here. the best scene for me is when Reed desperately wants to tell Davy that he loves him....after nearly drowning him in the pool. Davy looks at the ground, scared and confused....then runs into his father's arms quietly saying, "Oh....Dad" so happy that he has his "normal" dad back. it's a very heartfelt and touching scene, in a movie that is just a nightmare. and actor Lee Montgomery did a really great job. lastly, everyone knows that the damn chauffeur was the scariest, most unpleasant part of the whole movie. I know the actor had been in a few 70s and 80s movies playing "character" roles that were very small, but still noticeable. well....everybody noticed this guy in THIS movie. I certainly did. Burnt Offerings truly is a groundbreaking film....it started the whole "house is haunted" genre of that time. so....many thanks again for the review. it may even inspire me to watch it again. but seeing it once at the age of 10 may still be enough for me. can you let us know the ending in the book? didn't you say they changed the ending because the book's ending was too dark? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-88395991544911250692014-11-03T18:55:45.171-08:002014-11-03T18:55:45.171-08:00Thanks for the comment! The cast for this film rea...Thanks for the comment! The cast for this film really is outstanding and elevates what might otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill haunted house film beyond the pale.<br />Interesting too, your comments regarding Dan Curtis' TV roots and how they (perhaps inadvertently) helped to make this a film that plays very well on TV - especially in the pre HD days.<br />Love that pool scene!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-79156314255254273712014-11-03T12:48:25.431-08:002014-11-03T12:48:25.431-08:00Just watched this for the first time in at least 2...Just watched this for the first time in at least 20 years. Not as scary as I remember, but what a cast! A horror film budgeted at this level today wouldn't come close to this caliber of acting. The scene that always stuck with me, even more than the ending, is the pool scene with the father and son. So primal; it still works beautifully and Reed is amazing in it, especially when he slithers off under the water after the kid smacks him with the goggles ( I bet this played very well with audiences of the time, coming just a year after Jaws!). <br />Many people (myself included) probably remember this from television, where it ran frequently in the late 70 and 80s. With Dan Curtis directing, it works well for that medium. Tight shots almost always look better on tv than long ones, and, unlike many horror films, not a lot of this film takes place in darkness, which is always problematic for television (or at least the television technology in use back then). I wish the DVD looked and sounded better than it does, though. It looks little better than VHS, and, with this cast, deserves a better transfer.<br /><br />Still, I enjoyed revisiting this film more than some other, more ballyhooed works from the period. It's more interesting than The Omen, more fun than The Shining (and with a better ending, in my opinion), and superior in just about every way to The Amityville Horror.brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16146665052887589061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-33679912172433132072014-10-24T19:25:46.610-07:002014-10-24T19:25:46.610-07:00Hi Willem
I have never read such a wonderful (and ...Hi Willem<br />I have never read such a wonderful (and amusing) hymn to the charms of Oliver Reed! It really seems like he got a lot of young boy's fancies stirred up during his heyday. I never got to see "Women in Love" until many years after its release, but had I been permitted to see it when it came out, the testosterone duel of Bates and Reed would have likely caused me to pass out in my seat.<br />I also never got around to seeing The Bible, but in my hometown they had an ENORMOUS poster of Adam over the marquee that mesmerized me no end.<br />I have "Triple Echo" on a YouTube list of films to watch, I hope it hasn't been removed, you make it sound very interesting.<br />lastly, i have to concur that seeing both Oliver Reed and Karen Black cast as average folks was quite jarring for me when I was young. The idiosyncratic pairing of two of the least "average" actors you're likely to ever come across is what really got me excited about the film in the first place.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-60554507736266888712014-10-22T19:37:22.336-07:002014-10-22T19:37:22.336-07:00"that the house doesn't really change the..."that the house doesn't really change these people, it merely amplifies that which is already there."<br />So right. And that's the difference with the Shining, which also has a person whose sanity was transformed after he entered a house of ill reputation (not THAT reputation!), but Kubrick didn't care for his characters, yet he played them - save for Jack Torrent - for sympathy. I still haven't come to terms with Stanley's Shining and I doubt I ever will...<br />I find the Rolf family interesting, but not sympathetic. Which is most evident in the one who is usually cast as The Adorable Kid: Davy. If one draws sympathy, it's the Reed character. <br /> <br />Labeling Oliver Reed as sexy is an understatement! There has never been an actor with so much undiluted testosteron in his eyes and in the lines of his mouth. That mouth alone is a Nature's miracle. Ollie was incredibly RAW. He didn't just sweep me off my feet in 'Women in love', he crushed me. Where other late blooming teens wanted to marry their fathers, I swore I would drag Ollie to the altar, even if it would take restraint belts and a whiskey IV. On top of that I sofar had seen men naked only in (semi)biblicals like Ben Hur and Spartacus, and that was Hollywoodian make-believe nudity, there always got something in the way between camera and actor. Remember Huston's 'The Bible'? I was waiting for the great moment of Adam's Creation. And he was never finished properly!<br />(A few years ago I found the original Spartacus movie poster in Google. Two gladiators in the arena both fully nude, measuring each other up. It had been withdrawn in 1959 as too, well, too unsettling for schoolboys who were going to watch the movie together with their gym teacher. So in a panic I googled for an image of the Greek Disc Thrower statue, to assure myself that no idiot from Hollywood had dressed him in one of Kirk Douglas's silly arena speedos!<br /><br />In 'Women in Love' Alan Bates was the sexy intellectual, but Ollie was Marvel's Supermacho. And British enough to look natural in a silk chamber gown and a classic smoking (which I vehemently declared unfit anyway). <br />In 1972 'The Triple Echo' teamed him with Glenda Jackson again. An underrated movie in which he had a wonderful if not hilarious role. It made me a fan for life. He had a wonderful voice too, deep and husky.<br /><br />Sorry for butterflying from one movie to another...<br /><br />In realtime Oliver was every mother-in-law's nightmare. A bit unsettling then to see him in 'Burnt Offerings' as an average family man. The coupling with Karen Black also seemed somehow unusual. But fifteen minutes into the film it was like I had seen them playing together for decades.<br />So, one of the better 1970's horror movies, although it owes it all to Reed, Black and a particularly impressive Davis. <br />dedeurshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775849527808927607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-53854442030070810432013-08-20T01:15:35.743-07:002013-08-20T01:15:35.743-07:00I wasn't aware when you wrote me a year ago th...I wasn't aware when you wrote me a year ago that you hadn't seen "Burnt Offerings" before. So glad you got around to it!<br />I recall when I saw this film at the theater, Karen Black telling burly ol' Oliver Reed that he was incredibly sexy did indeed garner a big laugh. Too big.<br /><br />Also, by what I read online, you're not alone in your annoyance with little Davy. <br /><br />Glad you commented on the cinematography. A great deal of the hazy glow the film has was done by a lab technique known as "flashing", and it was very popular in the 70s. They used it to great effect in Day of the Locust, Lucky Lady, and The Great Gatsby.<br />High Definition DVD buffs hate it because the images are not as crystal clear when restored digitally, but like you, I personally like the effect.<br />Fun observations you make about the film. I'm glad you saw it and I'm even happier that you liked it. Thanks for sharing the experience, Mark!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-25286819896438271782013-08-19T18:46:32.800-07:002013-08-19T18:46:32.800-07:00Wow, has it been almost a year since you posted th...Wow, has it been almost a year since you posted this review? Well, I'm pleased to say, I've finally managed to watch this film. Yes, Davy really is an annoying little brat! Was I the only one who enjoyed a bit of a sadistic chuckle when Oliver Reed damn nearly drowned the little brat? I also found it most amusing when, just before dunking the kid, Oliver Reed makes those "blub, blub, blub" sounds and swims about like a sea monster--take that, Jaws!<br /><br />Speaking of amusing, what about the way that Burgess Meredith, as Arnold Allardyce, leers at innocent little Davy? To me, the stroke of genius here is when dear demented Arnold tries to guess the kid's age..."eight, nine years old?" I bet Arnold was really disappointed to find out that Davy was twelve.<br /><br />I have my own list of reactions to this film. I'm sorry, Ken, but when Karen Black said, with a totally straight face, to Oliver Reed "You're incredibly sexy", I said aloud "Give her the Oscar!" Later, when Oliver Reed assure Bette Davis that she's not old, I said "Give HIM the Oscar!"<br /><br />The cinematography in this one is a real treat. I love the overexposed look of it all--it reminds me of those photographs from my very early childhood! The film has a distinct dreamlike quality, and I appreciate the fact that the film sets several of its most effectively chilling scenes in broad daylight.<br /><br />"Burnt Offerings" reminds me of two of my favourite horror films from the 1970s, namely "The Stepford Wives" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". The former, because Karen Black seems stricken with a compulsion to clean everything in the house. The latter, because of all those plants coming to life. One of my favourite parts of the film is, instead of plants withering and dying, the film managed to spook the audience by showing plants blossoming to life. And yes, the last few moments of the film caused me to gasp audibly! What a tremendous finish!Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-53500963980628381832012-09-01T06:03:27.391-07:002012-09-01T06:03:27.391-07:00Hey Mark,
Karen Black may have had a strong facial...Hey Mark,<br />Karen Black may have had a strong facial reaction, but she was so gracious to the guy and even wrote a bit more than just her signature. Me, I was having an out of body experience. I couldn't believe I was talking to Connie White from Nashville!<br />By the way, your comments on the mirror image screen caps cracked me up! (Jack, the attentive driver.)Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-5258478865425553882012-09-01T05:58:08.876-07:002012-09-01T05:58:08.876-07:00Hi Poseidon
Yes, this movie is very enjoyable in l...Hi Poseidon<br />Yes, this movie is very enjoyable in lots of ways. Bette Davis does indeed look terrible towards the middle of the film (Karen Black on the DVD commentary: "I've seen people dying in real life that didn't look that bad!"). I think it's a very effective device, only I wish we had more scenes of her when she was supposed to be "spunky". The 70s habit of using diffusion filters makes it hard to see how good she's supposed to look at the start.<br />I love it that you thought Oliver Reed was sexy. In the scene where he asks Karen why she suddenly finds him repulsive, and she responds "You're incredibly sexy", the audience i saw it with howled. Me, I couldn't figure out why he coerced his wife to swim in the nude yet still kept his trunks on. I expected more from the man who wrestled naked with Alan Bates!<br />And if you want to talk about how annoying little Davy is, I'm afraid you're going to have to get at the back of a very long line. Always great hearing from you!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-81753554391814326642012-09-01T05:39:53.639-07:002012-09-01T05:39:53.639-07:00Thanks, Mark.
Maybe you did see this movie when y...Thanks, Mark. <br />Maybe you did see this movie when you were young (although Burgess Meredith sort of majored in loony roles like this in the 70s. He pretty much plays the exact same role in "The Sentinel"). One of the things I like about horror films as a genre is how explicitly they tend to reflect the social anxieties of the eras in which they are made. In the 70s Americans seemed preoccupied with examining the cracks in the American Dream.<br />And I agree with you about Oliver Reed's US films; I don't think we knew how to use him. Somehow "the Brood" is fondly remembered by many (I never saw it).Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-15807690802627811902012-08-31T20:23:45.872-07:002012-08-31T20:23:45.872-07:00Very fortunate you are to have met Karen Black!
T...Very fortunate you are to have met Karen Black!<br /><br />The first thing I thought about when you mentioned Ms Black's displeasure at being asked to sign a "The Day of the Locust" poster was how Sir Alec Guinness would have similar negative reactions to "Star Wars" fanatics asking him about his role as Obi Wan Kenobi and wanting him to sign things pertaining to the film. <br /><br />Did Karen end up signing the "Locust" poster--or did she make the fan eat it?<br /><br />Looking at those mirror image screen captures--who guessed that Stanley Kubrick was such a pirate? Even the kid looks the same in both pictures! Jack is a much more attentive driver than Oliver. Close call between Karen's yellow neckerchief and Shelley Duvall's turtleneck creation.Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30237161627043014302012-08-31T05:14:38.639-07:002012-08-31T05:14:38.639-07:00Once again, you've spotlighted a movie that I ...Once again, you've spotlighted a movie that I enjoy so much as well! Davis's last scene may very well outdo even Baby Jane in terms of how rotten she looks. Good lord! The fact that she goes from being pulled together and quasi-stylish to completely degraded appeals to my obsession with disaster. LOL I know that the first time I saw this, I wished that I could be the one to go swimming with Oliver Reed (were his eyes ever as blue as in this movie?) He was so sexy. The kid got on my last nerve, though, but that's often the case for me. I think it's been a good two or three years since I watched my DVD, but you've reignited my taste for it. Thanks!Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21868302672228296002012-08-31T04:04:40.728-07:002012-08-31T04:04:40.728-07:00Excellent piece as always Ken. I don't actuall...Excellent piece as always Ken. I don't actually think I've seen this one...though I've seen more than my fair share of 70s films with Burgess Meredith popping up in and he does look familiar here - perhaps my parents had it on one evening when I was a kid (they never really bothered with 'is this suitable for kids?' my Mum and Dad) who knows. The 70s were certainly the ultimate era for the arrival of these big doorstopper horror and macabre novels and they inevitably found their way to screen eventually with varying degrees of success. My sociology education is inclined to agree with your analysis-perhaps after the all too real scares of Vietnam and Nixon, the average American cinemagoer or reader wanted some 'out there' scares to combat the reality? Nice to see Ollie Reed, I always felt he was poorly served Stateside for film roles, but then he never really did himself any favours.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14569732807130090838noreply@blogger.com