Director: Ridley Scott
Notable Cast: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David
Bennent, Alice Playten, Billy Barty, Cork Hubbert, Peter O’Farrell, Kiran Shah,
Annabelle Lanyon, Robert Picardo
It’s no secret that Ridley Scott is one of the most prolific
directors still working. At the age of 83, the man is releasing two films in
the final quarter of 2021 (The Last Duel and House of Gucci for
those wondering) and his career is just as diverse in subject matter as the gap
between those two films. However, while his directorial trajectory over the
decades has had its roller coaster moments of quality, his early work is
essential viewing. Genre fans, in particular, owe a great deal to the
semi-auteur director. Whether it’s Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma
& Louise, or Gladiator, Scott has produced films that have a
significant legacy to them.
Of course, then there’s Legend.
Scott’s 1985 fantasy opus, starring an up-and-coming who’s
who of young talent and featuring a truly ethereal sense of whimsy, darkness,
and adventure, was actively met with disdain or apathy at the time of its
release. It was often compared by critics and audiences to his previous film, Blade
Runner, as a film lost in technicality and missing real characters or
plots. Keep in mind that the mentioned science fiction epic was also met with
disdain and/or apathy on its release. Yet, just like that film, Legend
has garnered a vivacious cult fan base since then for all of the same reasons
it was dismissed. Enough so that Arrow Video has deemed it worthy of a luscious
new 4K restoration and collector’s edition package.