Highlander

markpud

Former Ascifi.com mod
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The first and best of the Highlander saga.

This is a beautiful and soulful film exploring the life of the immortal Conner McLeod, and how he sees his loved ones grow old and die... and also the immortal "game", a battle to the death between all immortals, with the ultimate prize at stake....

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091203 - Starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery
 
Low budget, but beautifully done with a cast that makes it all worthwhile to watch.

Music that was written on the go, more or less, that just adds to the story so well. After watching the dailies, Queen was in their car driving home. Freddie Mercury was in the backseat and the scene where Connor buries his wife, burns his home, and leaves the Highlands kept running through his mind. He basically wrote "Who Wants To Live Forever" in the backseat of their car. Everytime I hear that song, it makes me tear up. It so wonderfully caught the feeling of the film.

If you haven't seen the director's cut with all the footage that was taken out for the US audiences, you should see it. There were some scenes that really should have been left in because they answer a few questions.

BTW, Clancy Brown who plays the Kurgen, almost didn't take the part. He is incredibly allergic to the glue used to hold on the prosthetics. The last show that he did where he had to use it put him in the hospital. I'm glad they talked him into doing the part. I don't think anyone else could have done it quite as well as him.

Cheers,
 
I love the soundtrack, it really does make the film, I didn't know that about how "Who Wants..." was written though, thats really interesting, thanks MythingLink :)

"Princes of the Universe" is also great, at least the 1st minute or so (the bit that is used in the opening credits of the series), the rest of the song goes a bit "Queen" if you know what I mean, and loses its power and force, IMHO.
 
The soundtrack is fantastic. I'm a big Queen fan and when I first heard it, I had to get the music.

It really is interesting when you get the director's cut to listen to them talk over some of the scenes. They have little stories about almost all of them.

The final battle between Connor and the Kurgen was really very artistically shot using a very sophisticated use of the camera.

One person would stand at one end of the room and kick the camera to get it rolling across the floor. Then someone else would stand at the other end of the room and catch it. ;)

Christoffe and Clancy each received several burns while filiming that scene. You notice they are both wearing gloves. It's for a reason. There are wires snaking up through their clothes that are attached to the swords at one end and car batteries on the other end. Each on a different pole. It's what caused the sparks. I guess after awhile the swords got incredibly hot. And they say acting is easy. :D

Cheers,
 
wow cool :D

I've got Highlander on vid, but I think I;ll be getting the Directors Cut, it sounds really good :D:D
 
I've got every version they've made: original, Director's Cut, 25th Anniversary, DVD ...

Each one has something a little different on it. ;)

They answer the question about who the secretary is and why she knows about Connor and keeps his secret. There is one scene that was specifically cut for the US audiences because they felt that we wouldn't like it or accept it. Personally I think that both of those scenes should have been left in.

I don't think you'll be disappointed by it at all.

Cheers,
 
the scene of where she comes from is on my video editon, and I think it is included when its shown on TV over here...

I cant imagine why they would remove it for the US audience??

He rescues her from WWII as a small girl, and she knows what he is, as he gets shot in the process, but recovers, of course..
 
Nope that one was left out in the US for time. The one that was left out here because of content was

When Kurgen licks the priests hand. They thought that US audiences might be offended by it. They don't know us very well. ;)

BTW the priest is in RL a Jewish rabbi if memory serves.

Cheers,
 
that was left in every time i've seen the film...I guess the US censors must be even wussier than the British ones ;)
 
I liked this film too. The second one wasn't so hot. I after that, I haven't even seen the TV series.

I'm a Queen fan. I didn't know they were so heavily into the film. They had a bad experience with 'Flash' because they scored the whole film, and they were constantly asked back, again and again, to make very minor changes. So they said they were never going to do that again, just to write odd tracks for films, such as 'Highlander' and 'Iron Eagle'.
 
you should watch the series, and the 3rd (& 4th) film, they're much better than no 2 :D

The Queen music is a huge part of what makes this film great, as I said before...but the story is also unique and beautiful, yet thrilling and actio packed, and also well acted....

yup, I think I love it :D
 
The music for Flash is also high up on my list of favorites, but then again it's Queen. ;)

Good to see someone else in here besides Markpud and myself.

Cheers,
 
i just love Queen as well, there music is second to none
the soundtrack to highlander was great, i listen to it often, talking of Queen, has anyone listened to the "mr bad guy" cd? its brillient some of the highlander film was shot up in Fort-william, i got to see the scottish village they had made there, it was cool...peachy
 
I just heard on the radio station 'Capital Gold' that there is going to be some sort of Queen Musical in London, starting late 2001. Brian May is going to do an interview about it, but I missed the rest.
 

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