Writer Ben Rolf (Oliver Reed), his wife Marian (Karen Black), Ben’s aunt Elizabeth (Bette Davis) and their 12-year-old son Davey (young Lee Montgomery from Ben) rent a fascinating, somewhat run-down mansion for the summer at a real discount rate. The only catch: the sibling owners’ elderly mother will continue to live upstairs in her private bedroom. In short order, the evil energy of the house begins to claim the young family. How will they survive? Can they escape?

If you learned that there was a mid-‘70s scary-house supernatural horror starring Karen Black, Oliver Reed, ¾ EGOT Eileen Heckart, Burgess Meredith, the house from Phantasm, the most memorable chauffeur since Collateral and Bette dang Davis, you probably wouldn’t believe it was a flop, right? But Burnt Offerings didn’t find its audience until much later. Davis was always famously a challenge to work with (she called Oliver Reed “one of the most loathsome human beings I have ever had the misfortune of meeting” and she seems to have hated Karen Black even more than that), but the entire production was troubled and chaotic, and United Artists didn’t really know what to do with it. Still, it’s a fascinating summertime take on The Shining and it deserves a lot more attention than it got.

Before the screening, Film Historian Rob Kelly will provide a brief introduction to the film.

This screening is held in the Taylor Screening Room. At ticket purchase, you will be asked to select your reserved seat(s). Seating is limited; it is recommended to purchase tickets ahead of time.

VIEW the full 2026 “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” series lineup.