“Highlander Director’s Cut: 30th Anniversary Edition” is for those who loved the first film and are wanting to see a restored version of the director’s cut (preferably on Blu-ray) but also wanting to see newer special features including recent interviews with filmmaker Russel Mulcahy and actor Christopher Lambert and the two hour making of featurette. Recommended!
© 1986 Highlander Productions Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
DVD TITLE: Highlander Director’s Cut: 30th Anniversary Edition
YEAR OF FILM: 1986
DURATION: 116 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: 1:85:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio, Subtitles: English, English SDH and Spanish
COMPANY: Lionsgate
RATED: R (Strong Action Violence, A Scene of Sexuality and Some Language)
AVAILABLE ON: September 27, 2016
Directed by Russel Mulcahy
Story by Gregory Widen
Screenplay by Gregory Widen, Peteer Bellwood, Larry Ferguson
Produced by Peter S. Davis, William M. Panzer
Associate Producer: Eva Monley, Harold Moskovitz, John H. Starke
Executive Produced by E.C. Monell
Cinematography by Gerry Fisher
Edited by Peter Honess
Casting by Diane Dimeo, Michael McLean
Production Design by Allan Cameron
Art Direction by Martin Atkinson, Tim Hutchinson
Set Decoration by Ian Whittaker
Costume Design by James Acheson
Starring:
Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod/Russell Edwin Nash
Roxanne Hart as Brenda J. Wyatt
Clancy Brown as Victor Kruger/The Kurgan
Sean Connery as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
Beatie Edney as Heather MacLeod
Alan North as Lt. Frank Moran
Jon Polito as Det. Walter Bedsoe
Sheila Gish as Rachel Ellenstein
Hugh Quarshie as Sunda Kastagir
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the original cult classic that inspired movie and TV franchises! An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled “Prize.â€
Back in the ’80s, Russell Mulcahy (“Teen Wolf” TV Series, “Resident Evil: Extinction”) was known for directing popular music videos from Duran Duran’s, The Tubes, The Buggles and Bonnie Tyler and his popularity of his music videos shown on MTV would easily lead to Mulcahy to feature films.
His second feature film, “Highlander” (1986), based on the story by Gregory Widen, may have not been a huge box office hit, but it would eventually become a cult classic and a film that people would eventually see countless times on cable TV.
Meanwhile, an actor named Christopher Lambert, who shot many films in France, would star in the 1984 American film, “Greystroke: The LEgend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes” and would eventually lead to other prominent lead role in his second American film “Highlander”.
The film would also star Roxanne Hart (“Letters from Iwo Jima”, “The Verdict”, “Chicago Hope”), Clancy Brown (“The Shawshank Redemption”, “Starship Troopers” and voice of Mr. Krabs in “SpongeBob SquarePants”), Sean Connery (“Dr. No”, “The Hunt for Red October”, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, “The Rock”) and Beatie Edney (“In the Name of the Father”, “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”, “Prime Suspect: The Lost Child”).
And the original “Highlander” would lead to four more film sequels and a television spin-off series, an animated series and two animated films.
With the 30th Anniversary of “Highlander”, the film has been restored and will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Lionsgate.
“Highlander” is the title and the name given to Connor MacLeod. An immortal who has lived for hundreds of years and is now living in New York City, year 1985.
While leaving a wrestling match, he comes across another immortal named Iman Fasil and Connor decapitates him. But because of the energy surge caused by the defeat of an immortal, it leads to a lot of damage and police arrest him.
As police interviews Connor, the story shifts back to the 16th century in the Scottish Highlands. A place where Connor and his clan, Clan MacLeod prepare for a major battle.
Meanwhile, in 1985, a detective named Brenda Wyatt (portrayed by Roxanne Hart) finds Fasil’s sword and as an expert in metallurgy, realizes it’s an extremely rare Toledo Salamanca broadsword. When Connor goes back to retrieve his own personal sword where he fought Faisle, he sees Brenda investigating and examining the sword and metal shards left behind from the battle.
We find out that Connor is madly in love with his wife Heather (portrayed by Beatie) and we learn that the main nemesis is an immortal known as The Kurgan (portrayed by Clancy Brown) who assists Clan Fraser in fighting Clan MacLeod for the sole right to slay Connor.
While the Kurgan injures Connor, his men save him from being decapitated by the Kurgan. But when his men takes him back to the village to prepare for Connor’s expected death, instead, he recoveries from his wounds and the village thinks it may be thee work of the devil, and the people of his village want him dead.  But because he is the clan leader, he is exiled and he leaves with his wife.
Through his travel, he meets a mysterious immortal named Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (portrayed by Sean Connery) who trains Connor on how to sword fight.  And learns about the game of immortals. Immortals must be decapitated and the last survivor becomes the winner and for each immortal they beat, they receive a transfer of power known as “The Quickening”. And that the Kurgan is the most powerful immortal and must not ever die by him or else mankind will enter a dark age.
Fastforward to 1985 and the Kurgan has arrived and wants nothing more but to decapitate Connor MacLeod.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
It’s important to note that if you want the best picture and audio quality for this 30th anniversary edition of the “Highlander”, then the Blu-ray version is the way to go. As for the DVD, the picture quality for “Highlander Director’s Cut: 30th Anniversary Edition” is as good as one can expect on DVD. Comparing to older DVD release, picture quality is evident and the film doesn’t look so aged.
The film is presented in 1:85:1 aspect ratio and audio is in English 5.1 Dolby Digital is primarily dialogue-driven and there was good use of the surround channels for the film.
Subtitles are in English, English SDH and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Highlander Director’s Cut: 30th Anniversary Edition” comes with the following special feature:
- Audio Commentary with Director Russell Mulcahy
- Interview with Director Russell Mulcahy – (23:00) Interview with the director of “Highlander”.
- Interview with Christopher Lambert – (20:33) Interview with “The Highlander”, Christopher Lambert.
- The Making of Highlander – A two hour documentary about the making of “Highlander”.
- Deleted Scenes – (6:09) Five deleted scenes
- Archival Interview with Christopher Lambert – (8:52) Older archived French interviews with Christopher Lambert.
- Trailer – Theatrical trailer for “Highlander”.
When it comes to LD, VHS, DVD and Blu-ray releases, “Highlander” is one of the films that I tend to repurchase.
Along with films from my childhood, “Star Wars” films, “Indiana Jones” films, “Back to the Future” films, “The Goonies”, “Karate Kid”, “Rocky” films, “Mad Max” and others that were part of the 1980’s, that you would catch on cable many times during the day, “Highlander” was a film that occasionally was shown and a film I enjoyed.
It had everything that a lot of people enjoyed. From its action, a humorous protagonist, a scary antagonist, a cool teacher thanks to Sean Connery’s performance and who can’t forget the use of an excerpt from Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages” hit song, “It’s better to burn out, than fade away”.
And for those who grew up in the MTV years, the fact that the film was directed by popular music video director, Russel Mulcahy was a major plus at the time.
And back in 1986, as a freshman in high school when this film came out, I thought of “Highlander” as a cool action film!
Who wouldn’t like a film about an immortal named Connor MacLeod who has been in this endless game of fighting other immortals to be the last one standing. The guy who get’s all the girls and a crazy, tall antagonist known as “The Kurgan” who was quite wicked and wild. And you can’t help but be excited for this film.
And here we are in 2016 and the film is celebrating it’s 30th anniversary and receives another Blu-ray and DVD release, but this time, the film has been restored and you also get a number of special features including a more recent interview with director Russel Mulcahy and actor Christopher Lambert. Plus a two-hour making of, deleted scenes, archival interviews and an audio commentary!
And while watching this film again, sure, the acting was not all the best at times, but yet, you can’t help but enjoy the humor and also the violence in the film. The characters have always been the best thing of the film and each moment seeing Lambert with Sean Connery was very cool to watch and you can’t help but think but how cool suave Connery was in his role as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez.
But also how awesome Clancy Brown was as the main antagonist, Victor Kruger/The Kurgan. From the facial expressions, his way of words and knowing that he is one heck of a crazy, powerful antagonist.
And while I still find the “Highlander” to be a very cool film, I see it as a cool ’80s film, while the film does hold up 30th years later, similar to when I watch other ’80s films, I have found a few scenes to feature so-so acting and the flow of the film was not as smooth when it comes to scene transitions. But considering what Russel Mulcahy had to work with, in terms of budget and also the technology of its time, he did a great job.
But I wish that for this 30th anniversary, they would have included the original version of the film as well. But for this DVD release, you get the director’s cut and another DVD with the making of featurette and other special features.
And last, Christopher Lambert embodied the role of Connor MacLeod and would set him up for future films as an action star and if anything, Connor MacLeod continues to be a major character today as “Highlander” still lives on, may it be film, TV series, animation, etc.
Overall, “Highlander Director’s Cut: 30th Anniversary Edition” is for those who loved the first film and are wanting to see a restored version of the director’s cut (preferably on Blu-ray) but also wanting to see newer special features including recent interviews with filmmaker Russel Mulcahy and actor Christopher Lambert and the two hour making of featurette.
Recommended!
