I discovered the TV show by accident one Saturday afternoon when I was about 10 while I was channel surfing. It was just my luck that it was a marathon on USA. What caught my attention was the music of Queen. They sing the show's theme song "Princes of the Universe'. I love Queen, I mean their practically the only reason why I even bother with Flash Gordon outside of the fact that it's the one movie guaranteed to break me out of my funk just due to the pure cheesiness of the overall movie.

The opening narration quickly catches you up on the main premise and was very comic book like. Now that I think about it Highlander is a little bit like Wolverine from X-Men's story. Which is probably why I got so into it. There was great character interactions, a fascinating mythology and the story was set in Europe so it felt "fancy" to me. By the end of the 6th hour of the marathon I was hooked. I look in the TV guide to find out when it came on and set my VCR to record it.

About a week or two later I was at Blockbuster and I ran across the movie version of Highlander and well the rest was history. This movie is (along with a lot of classic 80's music videos) where my love for Russell Mulcahy began.
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Year: 1986

Rated: R

Summary - When the mystical Russell Nash kills a man in a sword fight in a New York City parking lot, he leaves a sliver of an ancient weapon lodged in a car in the process. After brilliant forensics specialist Brenda Wyatt recovers evidence of the mysterious weapon, she and her partner, Lt. Frank Moran, embark on an investigation Of Nash that will land them in the middle of a dangerous, centuries-old feud between powerful immortals.

Directed by: Russell Mulcahy

Screenplay by: Gregory Widen/Peter Bellwood/Larry Ferguson

Story by Gregory Widen

Starring:

• Christopher Lambert - Connor MacLeod / Russell Nash
• Sean Connery - Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
• Clancy Brown - The Kurgan / Victor Kruger
• Roxanne Hart - Brenda Wyatt
• Beatie Edney - Heather MacDonald
• Alan North - Lieutenant Frank Moran
• Jon Polito - Detective Walter Bedsoe
• Sheila Gish -Rachel Ellenstein
• Hugh Quarshie - Sunda Kastagir
• Christopher Malcolm - Kirk Matunas
• Peter Diamond - Iman Fasil
• Billy Hartman - Dougal MacLeod
• James Cosmo - Angus MacLeod
• Corinne Russell - Candy
• Celia Imrie - Kate MacLeod

The Review
The funny thing about this movie is that I fall in love with more and more each time I watch it. It's hard to believe that while this movie technically didn't do so hot at the box office, it still went on to garner a television spin-off and numerous sequels (all of which did poorly and were critically panned (and mind you this was well before the days of Sharknado). I love action above almost anything else but at the same time a loathe empty action.

This movie has a great premise, interesting characters and fun fight scenes pretty much all you need for a fun film. Am I right? Now if you are into cinematography, the alone is worth the price of admission, especially during the Scottish highland scenes. I'm also a person who loves a non-linear structure because for some reason a lot of epic tales are told that way and the editing style of this movie very much falls into the category of non-linear. In my personal opinion I think Highlander is one of the most definitive modern-day, non-horror fantasy adventure films.

Now this film was watered down for an American audience so if you are interested in watching this film please be sure to find a director's cut version. All of those scenes are vital to the story. If I'm going to be honest, I'm probably remembering this through young, nostalgic glasses. If I were going to go all in I'd probably say kids will find this to be an epic (albeit cheesy) adventure flick while most adults will probably find it to be a B-Movie filled with over acting and cringe worthy classic 80's "chic" stylings.

Definitely worth a viewing or rewatch whatever the case maybe.

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Grade: B+

Aces for Acting

• Clancy Brown

MVP

• Sean Connery

Favorite Character

• Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez

Best Character Interactions

• Connor and Ramirez

Best Scene

• Who wants to live forever montage.

Notable Quotable
[after some passionate sex]

Heather: You can do that to me forever if you like, my Lord.

Connor MacLeod: Aye! I will.

Most Memorable Moment

Connor MacLeod: I don't like boats, I don't like water. I'm a man, not a fish.

Ramirez: So you complain endlessly.

Connor MacLeod: You look like a woman you stupid haggis.

Ramirez: Haggis? What is haggis?

Connor MacLeod: Sheep's stomach stuffed with meat and barley

Ramirez: And what do you do with it?

Connor MacLeod: You eat it!

Ramirez: How revolting!

[Ramirez sneezes]

Connor MacLeod: Be still for God's sake! You'll tip us over.

Ramirez: So?

Connor MacLeod: I cannot swim you Spanish peacock.

Ramirez: I'm not Spanish, I'm Egyptian.

Connor MacLeod: You said you were from Spain! You're a liar!

Ramirez: You have the manners of a goat and you smell like a dung-heap. And you've no knowledge whatsoever of your potential. Now, get out!
[Throws MacLeod into the lake]

Fun Facts

• Gregory Widen wrote the script for Highlander, then titled Shadow Clan, as a class assignment while he was an undergraduate in the screenwriting program at UCLA. Widen sold the script for $200,000.
• The film has one of the most recognizable taglines in modern film history, "There can be only one".
• A remake is in the works. 
• Director Russell Mulcahy filmed it using music video techniques including fast cutting and pacy music.

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Did I whet your appetite to watch Highlander for the first time or maybe just the first time in a long time?

Be sure to come back tomorrow when I discuss I Woke Up Early The Day I Died.

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