Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		1.5

Legacy of Blood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 5, 2021

Note: This film is available as part of The Dungeon of Andy Milligan.

Lovers of what might be charitably termed Grade Z Cinema have had a number of outstanding releases by a variety of labels over the past few years. Arrow has offered fans surprisingly deluxe-ified (that's a word, I insist) editions of The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast and Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection, among others, while Severin Films has gotten into exploring this decidedly odd nook and/or cranny with releases like Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection. Severin's back with more, um, "masterpieces" with this inventively packaged homage to the late Andy Milligan, a kinda sorta auteur whose professional life had more than its fair share of hurdles, and whose personal life unfortunately ended up not being much better. The 14 films (with one bonus film in HD, Toga Party) aggregated in this set are exploitation outings at their "finest" (?), which means those with more patrician tastes are probably well advised to steer completely clear of this release. Those with grittier sensibilities will find some at times oddly entertaining movies and Severin's usual supply of appealing supplements.

As I jokingly referred to in the review of The Ghastly Ones (also included in the Milligan set), the basic premise of that film is promising enough that some guru (and/or mad monk) might want to revisit it, which is exactly what Milligan himself did with this interesting remake. For those interested in an overview of the plot, which remains more or less the same, I refer you to our The Ghastly Ones Blu-ray review, but it's the differences rather than the similarities which arguably give Legacy of Blood whatever energy it attains.

Once again a gaggle of sisters have been summoned to an isolated mansion where they must coexist for a few days before (hopefully) receiving an inheritance, and the through line of this film is very much in keeping with The Ghastly Ones. However, Milligan's technical expertise (?) had been improved over the years, and so the writing here, while awfully talky at times, is probably a bit more clear, and Milligan's camera technique, while still often literally askew, is also perhaps a bit better handled.

Legacy of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Legacy of Blood is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.84:1. Severin's booklet included with this release has the following information on the transfer:

Legacy of Blood is presented in two versions: the 1978 theatrical release, and the TV version, Legacy of Horror. The former has been scanned in 2K from the only known 35mm release print, from the collection of the film's producer Kenneth Lane. All pre-print materials are beleived lost or destoryed. The TV version is presented from a video master, as no film elements for this cut are believed to survive.

Both the incredibly thorough and exhaustive pamphlet/booklet by Stephen Thrower as well as the IMDb list this as a 35mm production (though curiously the IMDb lists release prints as "35mm blow-up"), though the somewhat fuzzy, gritty look here might strike some as more Super 16 material. Detail levels can be decent overall, but fall prey to some of Milligan's lighting, framing and focusing issues. There is occasional chunkiness in grain resolution, especially in some of the more dimly lit material. The palette is generally appealing enough, but struck my eyes as just a bit wan.

Legacy of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Legacy of Blood features another okay if somewhat underwhelming DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track, where what I'm assuming are source limitations simply can't be completely overcome. There's the same slightly bright sound that can make things overly reverberant and perhaps slightly uncomfortable for some, but dialogue is rendered clearly for the most part. Optional English subtitles are available.

Legacy of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Legacy of Horror (SD; 1:23:02) is the TV cut of the film.


• Legacy of Chris (HD; 10:35) is an interview with actor Chris Broderick.


• Blood or Horror (HD; 16:03) is an interview with executive producer Ken Lane.


• TV Spot (SD; 1:11)

Legacy of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If The Ghastly Ones is thought of as "at first you don't succeed", then the two versions of Legacy on this disc might arguably be thought of as Milligan's "try, try again", though it will be up to individual viewers to assess whether Milligan actually did succeed. As with many of the other presentations in this set, video and audio encounter some hurdles, but fans should be enthused about the supplements Severin has assembled, for those who are considering making a purchase.