The Legacy - Indicator Series Limited Edition July 22

[The Great Owl]

Shortly after Maggie and Pete, a couple played by Katharine Ross (The Graduate) and Sam Elliott (A Star is Born), travel from America to England, they are drawn by seemingly random circumstances to a sprawling mansion estate that is owned by a dying man. Our unwitting protagonists are soon joined by five incredibly wealthy guests, all of whom share a mysterious connection and have somehow anticipated Maggie’s arrival to the house. As these guests begin to die one by one in inexplicable accidents, and as a terrifyingly malevolent force reveals itself, Maggie realizes that her presence is no coincidence and that her unknown benefactor has sinister plans in store for her.

The 1978 British-American feature, The Legacy, which was directed by Richard Marquand (Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi), is a nifty outing that blends the supernatural occult horror trends of its decade with a murder mystery aesthetic in the vein of Agatha Christie’s novel, And Then There Were None, or the 1959 William Castle film, House on Haunted Hill. As a horror movie, this one takes an uncanny tonal approach because of its almost-cheerful music score and because its cinematography gives it the feel of the television shows from the same era, but the kill scenes, despite a lack of outright gore, are supremely shudder-inducing. The most iconic and unforgettable sequence, a swimming pool death that occurs early in the film, will compel most viewers to stay away from water indefinitely. If, like me, you have chills down your spine at the mere mention of a tracheotomy, then a later moment will have you curled in a fetal position on the floor of your living room.

The biggest star of The Legacy is the location itself. Singer Roger Daltrey allowed the filmmakers to use his mansion as the setting in return for casting him as one of the houseguest beneficiaries of the family curse. The expansive residence, especially its amazing indoor pool, works wonders with regard to the narrative at hand. Daltrey himself lends a contemporary edge to this otherwise quaintly Gothic affair, since the filming took place back when The Who was still the biggest band in the world.

Be on the lookout for Charles Gray, whom all of you know from the James Bond 007 films, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever, in a scorchingly memorable appearance as one of the ill-fated visitors.

Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott fell in love after meeting on this set, and were married in 1984.

This Powerhouse/Indicator Blu-ray sports a solid improvement over its already decent Scream Factory predecessor, with a nicely filmic look and an audio presentation that brings out the most in the underwhelming music choices. A historian commentary track, an exhaustively thorough booklet, and several crew interviews complete this excellent package.