DISC 1- THE LEGACY, SINS OF THE FATHER, TOWN WITHOUT PITY, THE TENEMENT
DISC 2- THE TWELFTH CAVE, MAN IN THE NIGHT, GHOST IN THE ROAD, DOPPLEGANGER, THE SUBSTITUTE
DISC 3- DO NOT GO GENTLY, THE CRYSTAL SCARAB, THE BELL OF GIRARDIUS, FOX SPIRIT
DISC 4- THE THIRTEENTH GENERATION, THE DARK PRIEST, REVELATIONS, THE BONES OF ST. ANTHONY
DISC 5- THE INHERITANCE, THE SINGALMAN, THE RECKONING, A TRAITOR AMONG US
I first discovered POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY by setting the VCR and taping it since the channel that aired the season 3 episodes
had it placed at 3:30 am. I absorbed every type of sci-fi and horror show I could watch. The third season of PTL wasn't the
best, but the fourth season would be the best of the series. When the Sci-Fi Channel came to regular cable (in my area) finally,
I caught up on the second season. Now I hold in my hands the first season of PTL. Besides the pilot episode (which I rented
on VHS years ago, I haven't seen anything of the first season until now. Like any of the other three seasons, PTL is great
when the episodes are great. The same is true when it comes to bad episodes.
THE BONES OF ST. ANTHONY is one of the worst episodes of season one. THE INHERITANCE and THE RECKONING are among the best
while A TRATIOR AMONG US is the best of the clip show episodes that would show up at the pace of one or two episodes each
season. You will even notice a sound boom come into frame for a few seconds when watching THE BELL OF GIRARDIUS. PTL does
develop and follow up on their characters. It would be a constant thing for the five characters that would feature in every
season of the show (Derek Rayne, Nick Boyle, Dr. Rachel Corrigan, Alex Moreau, and Rachel's daughter, Kat. The first four
are part of a group called The Legacy that investigates the paranormal and fight the Dark Forces. Also helping the San Francisco
sect of the Legacy during the first season is Father Philip Callaghan, a Catholic priest who is torn between his duty to the
Catholic Church and his duty to the Legacy. Every character gets their chance to be in the spotlight during the season as
each one is explored. In a way, this series has one over many other shows since each character is given a chance to be developed
and not just some of them. Each character brings their own personality to the mix and their differences help fuel the stories.
VIDEO: 1.33:1 (Full Frame)
Grain is apparent in every episode. Sometimes it is more noticeable in some scenes more than others (especially in dark
scenes). Some of the grain probably has to do with what type of camera were used to shoot the show in. Image detail is great.
AUDIO: English 2.0 Stereo, French Stereo, Portuguese Stereo
Subtitles: English, French
Dialogue is very clear and stereo action is slight. I am amazed that subtitles are included. Many past MGM releases for
TV shows just had close captioning and no subtitles.
EXTRAS: None. Sigh. Only previews for MGM Horror movies, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Kingdom Hospital on disc
5.
PACKAGE ART: The art design for the box, disc sleeves, and discs are top notch. It captures the mood of the best episodes
of POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY. Thumbs up to the people who did the art for the set.
FINAL ANALYSIS: If you're a fan of POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY, there is no excuse for you not owning the first season on DVD.
If you're looking for a show about good vs. evil and into horror movies, check this one out.
this DVD review is (c)2-23-2006 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission (except for excerpts and a link
to the review). Look for additional content at http://enterlinemedia.livejournal.com and send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com
