“The Legacy” is a throwback horror film from the third choice to direct “Return of the Jedi”. Playing like a Hollywood attempt to ape Hammer, we have a lush English set story of creepy people doing creepy things in an old manor. Roger Daltry shows up as a friend of the rich weirdo. In between establishing mood and freaking out Americans about rustic Brits, we finally get to a movie. You won’t notice the off-pacing, as you’ll be enraptured with vintage Sam Elliott ‘stache.
Charles Gray and Roger Daltry die in neat ways, but the gore seems off. Almost like someone was trying to make a classic horror tale and then realized it wouldn’t sell halfway through production. Then, they backtracked and went to town with the effects. The late 1970s were a weird period for major release horror. They wanted to compete with the indie releases that were becoming classics, while also competing with the special effects laden super releases. No wonder so many horror films of that 1975-1980 period seemed so schizo.
The Blu-Ray comes with a new interview, trailer, TV spot and still gallery as the special features. The A/V Quality keeps up the amazing Universal pick-up trend at Scream Factory. The 1080p transfer is rich and looks far better than my old VHS. Plus, the DTS-HD mono master audio track is true to the original mix. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
Release Date: 9/15/15