I like The Shining, too, and I hope I'm too wise to state categorically it is a lesser film than Burnt Offerings - with so many Kubrick fanatics out there... Yet I would say Burnt Offerings is a better horror movie - which doesn't reduce its merits in my book, at all.
spoilers for both movies ahead
The reason it works so incredibly well are the characters and the performances of the actors. It is definitely superior in that respect, because it gets the viewer involved on a more emotional level. Compare Jack Nicholson, who's on the brink of madness from the beginning, to no one's surprise soon regressing into a grimacing homicidal maniac - to Oliver Reed, a straight man trying to keep a grip on his sanity in increasingly surreal and threatening circumstances. Compare the weak Shelley Duvall who's apparently oblivious and/or in denial about all sinister goings-on until it's almost too late, with Karen Black, slowly coming under the influence of the house's evil spirit and channelling it, a powerful presence in her own right. That is, rather, compare Jack's 'new personality' to Karen's, Wendy's attitude to Oliver's, then it's even more obvious which movie has more potential for suspense.
In The Shining, the family is dysfunctional from the start - Jack Torrance has broken Danny's arm before they ever got to the Overlook. The Rolfs, on the other hand, though not cheap tv movie-perfect, seem, on the whole, fine. That makes their reactions to each other's increasingly *uncharacteristic* behaviour much more interesting. And that's also why, for example, the scene where Ben almost drowns Davey comes as a real shock, not just to the audience, but to the protagonists as well. Much scarier!
In an aside, although the Shining twin sisters etc. are much more iconic, many posters here will agree none of that movie's images come close in creep-outery to the sinister chauffeur...
Different films are based on different premises, writers and directors have different intentions, therefore comparison is difficult and often a bit pointless. Imo, the criteria for a good horror film are the atmosphere and how much I care for the characters. (Ideally, it should look good, too.) Burnt Offerings scores very high on both counts - it is definitely a classic, and sadly underrated it would appear.
clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...
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