buckikris I caught this movie on T.V. back in the early 80's when I was about 9. I forgot all about it until about five years ago. I loved the movie so much from a young age I just had to get the DVD; and it still has that creepy chill factor to it. It especially gives you that tingling up and down your spine around Halloween/winter. The movie is about this young American couple who get a job offer in England. Maggie( Kathrine Ross) and Pete(Sam Elliott). Once there they check out London, before taking off to the English countryside. Once there everything seems to be going fine. They are traveling on this old country road when they get into an accident involving Jason Mt. Olive( John Standing). Jason takes them to his mansion while their motorcycle gets repaired. Once there they make themselves at home. They meet this creep nurse, nurse Adams(Margaret Tyzack). She is not only weird and standoffish; but she seems to have the ability to transform into a cat. Later that day they realize they are not the only guests to arrive. Four others arrive by helicopter, while a fifth comes later, Clive( Roger Daughtry). It seems they have all arrived because Jason is very ill. I have no idea what he is suffering from, at first I thought Leprosy, but no; the movie never explains his illness. Once the six individuals arrive they get to know each other a little. They all seem to have some bond with Jason. Once there strange killing begin, such as, a drowning, choking, stabbing; and burning. The killings all have something to do with each individuals background. It is a pay you dues type judgment each will receive. The one that sticks out the most Clive's. It's dinner time and the main meal is chicken or ham. Clive has some ham and pate, no chicken. He suddenly begins to choke, when all else fails Nurse Adams comes in. In a last ditch effort she preforms a tracheotomy. She pulls out a small chicken bone, he only had ham and pate. Pete is outraged at her, because of the procedure he demands she call the cops. Maggie discovers that all the people at Jason's house practice some sort of black magic. Later in the movie she finds this picture of a Lady Margaret Walshingham. This freaks her out, so some how she is a descendant. Lady Margaret Washingham was Jason Mt. Olive's mother, she supposedly was burned at the stake for her involvement in witchcraft. It seems that once the others meet their demise at the hands of Jason, Maggie is the one who is granted the ultimate power. I guess because she had nothing bad in her background; and she looks exactly like his mother. Before Jason passes he explains to her about the ritual. He tells her now that she is granted the ultimate power she will need to find six people to continue this rite of power. It's a find six people buy their lives. She will know everything about them and when it comes to pass the torch she will pick one of her minions to continue the cycle. I love this movie because it has a great plot and it's very suspenseful. The ending is awesome because she as well as Pete both have the power. The Legacy has stood the test of time, a great horror film. It has it all minus the excessive gore, you might see in SAW or Hostel. It truly is a shame they don't make horror films like The Legacy anymore, Thank GOD for DVD's.THX, Kris L. CocKayne

AaronCapenBanner Katharine Ross & Sam Elliott play Margaret Walsh and Pete Danner, a young couple who become involved with a mysterious man, who invites them, along with five others, to his country estate, where one of them will inherit his "legacy", all the while being watched by his mysterious servants, who seem overly close to the master of the house, and when, one by one, the guests start dying in brutal and bizarre ways, does Maggie begin to learn the sinister truth, one that she feels destined to uncover...Ho-Hum thriller is strongly derivative of other similar films like "The Omen", "Rosemary's Baby", "The Exorcist", etc. but with far less successful results. Nicely filmed on location, but that's all in this mostly tepid and unsatisfying film.

stuartdonna36 This movie doesn't seem to compare to the horror movies of today but I remember really liking this film when it came out. It may have been considered much better back when the film was released. I had read the book first when it came out before seeing the film and thought it was fantastic. I found it to be a great story and played very well in my mind. Though most seem to have a complaint about the special effects/ cheesiness of the film. I think they fair well in the time frame that the movie was made, plus to this day the swimming pool scene still gives me a chill. If the special effects don't work for you try reading the book and see if your imagination doesn't bring this story to life for you. I gave it an 7 because I felt it was a good solid movie and that is what I would have rated it back in 1978.

GroovyDoom How much you like this movie will probably depend on how many times you saw it on television in the early 80s. It also helps if you like Gothic overtones, spooky stories about black magic, and Sam Elliott's naked butt circa 1979. I like all of the above very much, and I do remember "The Legacy" fondly from its extensive run on HBO.It's not a very good movie, though. Watching it recently gave me a new perspective on it, and it makes very little sense. It's not quite as disjointed as Argento's "Suspiria", and nowhere near as bloody, but it was most definitely influenced by "Suspiria"--right down to a scene where Katharine Ross approaches an ominous bed, which is swathed in white sheets, and a pair of withered hands lunge out to grab her. Even though the film doesn't quite work, it's still got a couple of gruesome moments, and is often enjoyably campy. Really could have benefited from a more gratuitous approach....like "Suspiria".