Review of Legacy, The

Introduction

There was a time in the 1970`s when your local flea-pit ran just one feature a week, and many of us would slavishly attend regardless of what was on the bill. This was the fag-end of the British cinema industry before it enjoyed an unexpected revival in the mid-80`s which shows no signs of abating.

Against this backdrop, many sub-standard British features were turned out - TV spin off movies, rushed-through and under-funded horrors and cheesy soft-core romps.

This was the era in which `The Legacy` was spawned; a surreal British horror of the `old school`. All the ingredients are here, though it`s a strange concoction. There are elements of Agatha Christie (a remote old mansion with victims being bumped off one by one); a sniff of `The Exorcist` (with demonic and malevolent forces at work); and even a sprinkling of `The Prisoner` (check out the escape in the Rolls Royce where all roads and routes eventually lead back to the house!).

The atmosphere is pure 1970`s; from the slightly off-kilter camera angles through to the dull and muted tones of the print mixed with the graininess of the stock, a visual look popular at the time. There`s even a Kiki Dee song to kick off proceedings in case you had any doubt about this movies historic origins.

The story starts when a handsome young couple, crazily in love, get a mysterious offer to travel to England (from native America) on an unspecified `interior design` consultancy contract. The mystery customer also deposits $50,000 directly into their bank account as an act of good faith. Naturally they decide to embark on what is bound to be a fun trip.

Sam Elliot (seen most recently as General Ross in `The Hulk`) is the moustached poor-man`s Donald Sutherland, playing a constantly sighing cynic opposite hopelessly optimistic partner Maggie, played by Katherine Ross (The Stepford Wives, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).

Once they arrive in England, they are knocked off their motorbike by a Rolls Royce as they travel through the glorious British countryside. The owner of the car insists that they join him for tea whilst their bike is sent for repair at the local village.

They arrive at the house - and then things start to get really weird!

Their host disappears, a spooky house nurse assumes that they are staying and more guests arrive by helicopter, seemingly unsurprised to see them there.

Perhaps most notable amongst the supporting cast are Roger Daltrey (fresh from playing in absurd rock opera `Tommy`) as a rock impresario, and Charles Gray (Bond nemesis Blofeld) playing a stereotypical ex-Nazi businessman.

Interestingly the film is directed by Richard Marquand, who went on to direct `Return of the Jedi`, and in fairness he tries hard despite a perplexingly confusing narrative.

Video

A satisfying 1:85.1 widescreen transfer that`s pretty clean throughout. There`s certainly some grain but I feel sure that this is just a feature of the period stock.

Audio

Basic Dolby Digital 2.0 but it`s fine. Entirely in keeping with the movie. Original dialogue sound is good, even on wide shots with live sound.

Features

Just a trailer that was peculiarly satisfying in a nostalgic way - grainy, mis-leading, and sheer dreary 70`s flea-pit in atmosphere, you might want to give it a spin after watching the main feature.

Conclusion

This is a curious addition to the seventies horror canon, clearly cast with an American audience in mind - especially as the box-office returns in British cinemas provided slim-pickings indeed during this end of the decade.

Katherine Ross and Sam Elliot make a handsome couple in this typically British surreal horror which boasts a large spooky stately home, serial murders, creepy cats, malevolent forces and creepy clawed hands.

The resulting movie is an entertainingly complex affair that leaves many questions unanswered, and I feel sure that it will delight fans of the truly surreal (The Prisoner, The Avengers etc) along with fans of seventies horror.

For the rest though, there is little here but confusion.

On a final note, it does over-use the `sentimentally romantic music as a prelude to shock` technique ad nauseum (ala `Carrie`) and this gets more than a little tiresome.