better than Burnt Offerings 1976 ??

I have watched the Changeling many times, but only just recently watched Burnt Offerings. I find the former very unnerving, and fell asleep during the later. Just my opinion, but I saw the ending coming with BO, and didn't find it very scary, but thought the actors did a great job, with what they had to work with.

It's funny you should mention that because I just watched Burnt Offerings the day before yesterday and then watched this film today. Out of both films, I definitely prefer Burnt Offerings. Though The Changeling is very good, I would say Burnt Offerings is absolute perfection. It has everything you could want in a horror film; good story, wonderful music, suspense, interesting characters, and great actors that have brilliant onscreen chemistry. While I do really like The Changeling, Burnt Offerings is my favorite horror film of all time and it can't be beaten.

The changeling is my fave movie of all time so I am biased. But any karen black movie is a winner in my book, or any in a grand old mansion. I consider them different grades of apples with their own texture, appearance, and taste.

The changeling was a lot more frightening I thought, burnt offerings was fun but the pacing was a little too slow

Hard to beat Burnt Offerings in my book, although I do respect the Changeling and the fans who prefer it.
I can see why people say BO was slow paced, but you have to admit the same for TC. I mean, GC Scott seemed to spend half the movie asking questions, researching at the library, etc. There's even a scene where he goes to the house where the well is, nobody is home, so he goes back later. Why on earth would the filmmakers include that initial scene of no one being home?
As far as being frightening, that chauffeur in BO is among the creepiest MoFos in movie history. And then to watch Karen Black get more and more eerie each scene? To me, that was far more frightening than the ghost of an innocent child. Jospeh never seemed threatening to me. He annoyed GC Scott and wanted justice from the Charmicahels, but it's not like GC was ever near death.

I'm surprised to see so many Burnt Offerings fans.

Somehow I'd missed seeing The Changeling all of these years, until last night. I thought it was very good. George C. Scott was excellent, very convincing, and I loved the story line.

With apologies in advance to Burnt Offerings fans (no offense intended). I saw Burnt Offerings in the theater when it was released. Loved the house and the early scenes, and I like Karen Black so thought it was going to be good. But about mid-way through and especially the end, I thought it was silly and I was rolling my eyes. Not at all scary to me, and I did not enjoy the acting.

So for me The Changeling is heads above Burnt Offerings.

Wow... I must say, it's not even close.


Beneath the rubble and madness that is Burnt Offerings, there is decent horror material there. But that film needed much trimming. The actor who plays the father in that film needed to be replaced by someone less stiff and more sympathetic (he should stick to military roles with his clunky demeanor and awkwardly brooding look).

Burnt Offerings had some decent scares and decent directing and a nice location, but the movie trudged along far too much. Slow is good. Slow is great. But Burnt Offerings was just tedious. It also needed a different realization of its characters (at least in the case of the father and son), and it needed conciseness. The Changeling is masterfully and tightly crafted by comparison. Although, ironically enough, George C. Scott's performance also was a bit sub-par; somehow it still doesn't detract from the latter being a fantastic film.

Burnt Offerings also has no majesty, whereas The Changeling has mystique and is more carefully shot from scene to scene.


If you want films similar to Burnt Offerings or The Changeling, I could recommend some, and I'd love to hear some of you share your reactions to each:

The Woman in Black (1989)
A Cold Night's Death
A Warning to the Curious
A View from a Hill
Whistle and I'll Come to You


I'm sure most of you have already seen 1979's Salem's Lot, Poltergeist, and The Sixth Sense.






'm not a control freak, I just like things my way