Review of Burnt Offerings (1976) by Kevin M — 03 Sep 2010

Formulaic haunted house creeper is shot entirely through a thick layer of vaseline, which must have been reapplied to the lens before every take. Oliver Reed is tormented by the apparition of a grinning chauffeur and his wife Karen Black is becoming possessed by an old lady, who takes "puttering around the house" to a hideous extreme. Their annoying child is tempted, and subsequently fattened, by the endless supply of Hostess Ding Dongs found in the pantry.

Crusty old veterans Dub Taylor and Burgess Meredith earn their paychecks for what was likely a single day of shooting; Bette Davis as the unfortunate Aunt Liz is sent through the ringer, with half her screen time requiring her to lay about in bed while thrashing and groaning.

There is some fun to be had, watching Oliver Reed freaking out as he re-enacts a traumatic childhood and hallucinates 1930s style hearses after downing a few cans of Coors. Then there are the scenes occurring in the haunted swimming pool, which are meant to be horrifying but instead come across as hilarious. His obvious delight, when repeatedly dunking his whining shrimp of a child in the deep end of the pool, was most likely for real. His intense staring, after briefly becoming a mute invalid, rivals his work during the climax of "The Devils".

Completely forgettable and nigh unwatchable were it not for Reed's presence. It's fun to guess how drunk he was during any given scene.