Stars:
Derek de Lint, Martin Cummins, Robbi Chong, Patrick Fitzgerald, Alexandra
Purvis, Helen Shaver, Jordan Bayne, and William Sadler
Writer:
Brad Wright
Based
On A Story By: Richard B. Lewis
Director:
Stuart Gillard
Executive
Producers: Richard B. Lewis, Pen Densham, and John Watson
Feature
length: 86 minutes
Languages:
English Stereo
Subtitles:
N/A
Packaging:
Two-Disc Jewel Case
Sound:
Stereo Sound
Year
of VCD Release: 1998
Home
Video Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment Through Movie Magic
(In Malaysia Only)
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
After
the success of “The New Outer Limits” on cable television’s Showtime
Network with syndicated repeats on broadcast television, Richard B. Lewis along
with Executive Producers Pen Densham and John Watson resurrected the
“Poltergeist” franchise with a new cable television series that also ran on
Showtime as well as broadcast syndicated television and eventually the Sci-Fi
Channel in the United States of America. However this is not a sequel to the
trilogy of films that appeared in the 1980s, but rather a spin-off in name only
much like the 1980s’ broadcast television series “Friday The Thirteenth,”
which never featured nor had it anything to do with the “Jason Voorhees”
signature character of the theatrical series. The Legacy refers to a secret
society that keeps a balance in the mortal world between the darkness and the
light by preventing malevolent forces from conquering the spirits of mortals on
Earth.
There
were five fallen angels who were imprisoned ages ago for forsaking God’s
commandment to watch over humanity. If the five demons should ever be freed they
would unleash Hell on Earth. Dr. Derek Rayne (Derek de Lint) leads his team to
secure the five antique chests that imprisoned the creatures, but one of the
chests is missing and has in fact been opened, setting free the malevolent
spirit within. Now in a race against time, Dr. Rayne and his “Legacy” team
must find a way to prevent the escaped demon from freeing the other four
creatures or all are doomed.
Using
a mix of practical and CGI effects that are beyond anything that was available
to be created for the original feature film trilogy in the 1980s,
“Poltergeist: The Legacy” is spooky fun. To be fair to MGM Home
Entertainment, which has released such popular series as “Stargate: SG-1”
and both the “Original” and “New Outer Limits” to DVD-Video in America,
this VCD set containing the feature length two part pilot was released in 1998
through Movie Magic in Malaysia only, but has yet too have seen a DVD release in
America. Back in 1998 the DVD format was only a year old and no one had really
realized the demand for television programs on DVD-Video yet. In fact other than
the first “Poltergeist” film, “Poltergeist II: The Other Side,”
“Poltergeist III,” and “Poltergeist: The Legacy” have only been made
available on VCD and are not yet available in America on DVD. The two theatrical
sequels to “Poltergeist” were only recently released to VCD this year from
MGM Home Entertainment.
The
VCD edition of “Poltergeist: The Legacy” presents the two part series pilot
each on its own disc in the original (1.33:1) television broadcast aspect ratio
with English CD quality digital stereo sound. The picture quality is about equal
to standard NTSC VHS with only a little MPEG-1 artifacts visible, which is
normal for the format. The stereo sound is well mixed and clear of analogue
background hissing. There are no captions or subtitles encoded on to either
disc.
This Video-CD is PAL formatted and will only work in DVD players capable on PAL VCD playback as well as computers with a CD-ROM drive. Check your manufacturer’s documentation to make sure your DVD player is backwardly compatible with NTSC and PAL Video-CDs. “Poltergeist: The Legacy” is available on VCD now and is perfect for Halloween viewing. It can be ordered directly online from www.EurekaMovies.com.
© Copyright 2002
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.