MovieChat Forums > Burnt Offerings (1976) Discussion > The Scenes With The Chauffeur, Most Frig...

The Scenes With The Chauffeur, Most Frightening of All Time! (SPOILERS)

posted 15 years ago by jbartelone
22 replies | jump to latest

I think that the scenes where Anthony James shows up may be among the most frightening scenes I have ever seen in any movie! In fact, years ago TV Guide ran a survey about the top most frightening scenes in movie history, and I think that this was #1 on the list.

That face is so terrifying that I have to shut my eyes when the chauffeur scenes comes. Oh that damn face and grin! Pure Horror!

And in the scene flashback with Young Ben at his mother's funeral, if you can bare to watch it because it is so frightening there is another guy that grins just like Anthony James before you see the hearse and you see "The Chauffeur."

Joe

[–] chatanuga 15 years ago

Yeah, that guy was creepy in those scenes. The way he was grinning and the fact that you couldn't see his eyes made it even more effective.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Thorsten_B 14 years ago

That's him ;)! Frightening resemblance. He must have quitt his daytime driving job and turned to sports instead... or how else would one explain that even the glasses are there? So, how about "Burnt Offerings 2 - Pitching in the Dark"?

[–] Kaijubait 12 years ago

Meh... he just looked like Ric Ocasek to me.

Couldn't scare me cause I kept hearing Cars songs when I saw him.

[–] ElectricWarlock 12 years ago

I agree. A man standing there wearing black sunglasses and grinning in a sinister way doesn't sound scary in itself, but when you actually see it in the context of this film, it is quite horrifying.

Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings.

[–] Cultfilmfeverforever 11 years ago

He seems skeletal, like The Grim Reaper showing up happy at another funeral. The Grim Reaper puts the Fun in Funeral.

[–] cbarnes91 11 years ago

I remember it was very frightening back in the 70's but I doubt that it holds the same amount of terror for today's young horror fans. Times change.

Another creepy character was "the man" in the Carnival of Souls.

[–] craiggors 11 years ago

I just watched this movie for the first time today and I was terrified at the appearances of the Chauffeur. Easily one of the most chilling characters I've seen, and I'm a pretty big horror fan.

Oh, and I'm 22, if that counts as "today's young horror fans" haha

[–] icaptainchaos 11 years ago

I was 12 when this came out & I do somehow remember seeing this in the cinema (don't know how) but yes, the chauffeur caused me many nightmares.

I now have to google image search him to see if he's as scary as I remember him.

[–] icaptainchaos 11 years ago

y-y-y-y-y-y-yes he is ....

Google Image search for "Burnt Offerings Chauffeur" and there he is hahahahaha

[–] ElectricWarlock 11 years ago

I actually wasn't afraid of the chauffeur while watching him onscreen. But if I were to encounter someone in real life who smiled at me in such a sinister way, I would be very disturbed.

Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings.

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 11 years ago

You're not alone, I think a lot of people would be terrified of the Chaffeur.

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit me!"- Hudson in Aliens.

[–] Henahey41 11 years ago

The man in carnival of souls was very creepy and the albino in foul play was as well.And the chauffeur still scares me.All three do not speak

[–] theoriginalskinnyrinny 11 years ago

The behinds the scenes bit had the idea born out of one of the majors (writer, director, etc) attending his mother's funeral and catching a glimpse of a driver yucking it up while the service went on.

I do some part time stuff at a local banquet hall and it's funny how quickly you see the attendees of an event as just a number.

[–] KutWrite (1241) 4 years ago

Dar Robinson, who did the one stunt in this film, also played the albino "Moke" in the Burt Reynolds film "Stick." He did an extremely high-fall stunt in that film.

The albino in "Foul Play" was Cooper Huckabee.

[–] SWLinPHX-2 11 years ago

NO F#CKING SH#T!!!

I was only 8 when I saw this movie when it was released and that scene scared me to tears. Then, when I heard the sputtering of the chauffeur's car coming up again in subsequent scenes I wanted to cry in anticipation of that face. I Googled the image and it still scares me today as a grown adult. Damn!

[–] Danimal_77 9 years ago

Seeing it as an adult, I found it more comical than scary, but I can see how a kid would be scared by it.

[–] grt2009 9 years ago

Same here. Creeped me out as a kid, big time. Having rewatched it 40 years later (!), not so much these days. But memorable, definitely.

[–] omega_21 8 years ago

I wondered if this is some kind of joke... In this collection of cliche that is that dull movie.... (hardly go to the end and felt asleep two times watching it)The only funny thing is the chauffeur, the actor seem so stupid in this uniform that it make me laugh each time he appears.