An effectively creepy haunted house flick from DARK SHADOWS pioneer Dan Curtis, BURNT OFFERINGS has much in common with THE SHINING and I personally believe that Stephen King watched this before writing his novel; the similarities are too close. It's nowhere near close to the level of Kubrick's towering achievement but it is still a decent movie, a real slow-burner with interesting themes (who'd have thought that materialism would play such a big part in it?) and a focus on character psychology which works throughout. Although this is more about atmosphere than incident, there are some stand-out moments (the swimming pool, Bette Davis) and an incredible climax which has to be seen to be believed. Karen Black is pretty kooky from the outset but Oliver Reed does a good job handling his character's mental disintegration.
Review of Burnt Offerings
