Architect Maggie Walsh (Katharine Ross) and her boyfriend Pete Danner (Sam Elliott) travel to England for a vacation prior to starting a mysterious job that has lured them away from America. Once there, they have a motorcy... more »cle accident and are taken to the estate of a strange gentleman in the remote English countryside, supposedly just for tea. However, to their surprise they find that not only was their arrival expected, but also that other guests have been invited as well. Their skepticism soon turns to terror and horror when the guests start dying in odd and violent fashions, until it becomes obvious that Maggie has been chosen for a supernatural legacy left by the mysterious owner of the estate.« less
Sam Elliot and Katharine Ross - Legacy of their Own
Brett D. Cullum | Houston, TX United States | 09/30/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"
This is a pretty original 70s horror movie starring two very likeable and attractive stars of the era - Katharine Ross and Sam Elliot. It's just fun, not really all THAT scary or even too tense. Basically Sam and Katharine end up unwilling guests in a spooky mansion where the guests are dropping off like flies while waiting for an old spooky man to pass away and leave them an inheritance. Roger Daltry makes an appearance. The deaths are all way over the top, and it's just fun.
DVD is the movie plus a trailer. That's about it, but the transfer is great considering the age of the movie. Great spooky flick for a cold night by the fire."
I'm sorry, but this is a great movie!
Christopher J. Brimelow | Sunnyvale, CA | 09/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Granted, it's no "Gone With The Wind" but this stylish thriller is both enjoyable and scary. I'm just glad it's finally come to DVD!
I won't get too much into the plot but it's basically a Satanic/Supernatural/Big Old English Mansion movie with a whodunnit twist. (with some very imaginative ways of people getting killed!) The film is very nicely shot, with a great music score, (sometimes a bit campy, but it was the 70's after all) and sports a great cast. The story isn't what I'd call original, but basically it's a QUALITY movie, not a cheesy slasher flick... I think this movie has stood the test of time quite well (Except for Sam's haircut and 'stache maybe!) and would still hold up today.
Just seeing how Sam Elliot deals with England and it's natives (with his famous country-western demeanor) makes it worth watching!
Although there's very little in the extras department (besides a VERY dated trailer) the Audio and Video quality are very nice. I highly recommend this DVD!"
PROMISING MATERIAL GONE BAD
Parisonn of Atlantis | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 09/01/2000
(2 out of 5 stars)
"While the original script, something called "The Devil's Doorway," showed promise, various re-writes and compromises have resulted in a movie which makes so little sense that it's best viewed as an "in-flight" movie. One of those things you halfway watch while doing something else.The movie begins with a basic implausibility. Interior decorator Katherine Ross is lured from L.A. to England by a lucrative but mysterious job offer. She and boyfriend Sam Elliott decide to fly over a few days early to see some of the English countryside. They're involved in a minor motor accident on a rustic lane and are taken by the other driver to his nearby home to await repair of their vehicle. What do you know, this home just happens to be the very place where Katherine Ross was intended to go all along!Therein follows some murky activities involving other guests at the home who seem to be part of a Black Magic cult. Gruesome death follows gruesome death culminating in an ending which doesn't really resolve questions raised by the preceding plot.On the plus side, the two leads are attractive sorts and they're surrounded by a competent British cast which gives a better effort than circumstances warrant. What's more, the large countryhouse in which the action occurs provides just the right atmosphere.One curious note. While Katherine Ross is warmly dressed throughout with turtleneck sweaters and long skirts, co-star Sam Elliott gets to strip for a rather-extended shower scene. As he crosses the bathroom toward the shower, the camera lingers on the back of his naked body, even though this part of the scene serves no plot purpose whatsoever.Fortunately Elliott, at about age 33, has the necessary buns-by-Michelangelo to make this moment more of a highlight than an embarrassment."
Just enjoy the scenery
Christopher J. Brimelow | 07/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Katherine Ross & Sam Elliott are a true joy to watch (as always). The plot of this movie could have been much much better but you grab the storyline after a while and just enjoy it. As with these type of movies, it is just for your enjoyment and not to be analyzed to death. If anything, ladies just watch it for the sole purpose of seeing Sam Elliott!!!!"
A Major Plus
Edward J. Miller | Miami, Florida USA | 03/05/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Briefly, there's something else about this movie, that if you're a Sam Elliott fan, you'll want to have. His shower scene alone is worth the price of the DVD. When this is shown on television, the pan-and-scan cuts all the nudity out."