Highlander (1986)

Country of Origin: USA / UK
Year of Production: 1986
Running Times: 111 mins (USA - theatrical) 116 mins (Europe - theatrical; USA - video director's cut)
Length: 3079 metres
Format: Technicolor 35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: A Davis Panzer Production / 20th Century Fox / EMI Films Ltd / Highlander Productions Limited
Executive Producer: E.C. Monell
Producers: Peter S. Davis, William N. Panzer
Associate Producers: Harold Moskovitz, John Starke, Eva Monley
Production Manager: Paul Sparrow

SCRIPT
Script: Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson
Story: Gregory Widen

DIRECTION
Director: Russell Mulcahy
2nd Unit Director (London and Scotland): Stephen Hopkins
1st Assistant Directors: David Tringham, Stephen Hopkins
2nd Assistant Director: Michael Stevenson
3rd Assistant Directors: Jane Studo, John Lawlor

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gerry Fisher
2nd Unit Photography: John Harris
Camera Operators: Douglas Milsome, Mike Rutter
Aerial Camera Operator: Peter Warrilow
Clapper Loader: Paul Kenward
2nd Unit Clapper Loader: Simon Mills
Cameras: J-D-C Cameras

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Peter Honess
Assistant Editors: Annabel Ware, Catherine Hodgson, Martyn Robinson, Paul Hodgson

MUSIC
Music: Michael Kamen
Additional Music: Queen (John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor)
Songs: John Deacon (One Year of Love); Brian May (Who Wants To Live Forever; Hammer To Fall; Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)); Freddie Mercury (Princes of the Universe); Roger Taylor (A Kind of Magic; A Dozen Red Roses for my Darling)
Songs Performed By: Queen (John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor) (A Kind of Magic; One Year of Love; Who Wants To Live Forever; Hammer To Fall; Princes of the Universe; Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme); A Dozen Red Roses for my Darling; New York, New York)
Music Supervisor: Derek Power for OSS

SOUND
Production Sound Mixer: Tony Dawe
Re-Recordists: Clive Pendry, Don J. Bassman, Hugh Strain, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton
Sound Editor: Peter Pennell
Assistant Sound Editors: Peter Brennan, Stefna Smal
Dialogue Editor: Bob Risk

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Supervisor: Lois Burwell
Make Up: Graham Freeborn, Ilona Herman, Sandra Exelby
Hair: Bobbie Smith, Jeanette Freeman
Costume Designer: Jim Acheson

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Effects Make Up Designers: Bob Keen, Nick Maley
Make Up Effects Technicians: Denise Horsham, Geoffrey Portass
Make Up Effects Mechanical Design: Robert Verner Gresty
Make Up Effects Mould Design: John Schoonraad
Make Up Effects Artwork: Alex Harwood
Special Makeup Effects Storyboards: Tony Beasley
Optical Effects: Chris Blunden

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Bob Keen, Bert Luxford, Garth Inns, Graham Longhurst, Martin Gutteridge
Special Effects Production Manager: Paul Sparrow

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Allan Cameron
Art Directors: Martin Atkinson, Tim Hutchinson
Assistant Art Director: Mark Raggett
Set Decorator: Ian Whittaker
Title Designer: Keith Hodgson

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Marilyn Clarke
Nurse: Babs Scarlett
Stand-By: Second Unit: David Balfour
Sword Master: Bob Anderson

LOCATIONS
Studio: Jacob Street Studios, London, UK
Locations: 59th Street Bridge, New York City, New York, USA; Central Park, New York City, New York, USA; New York City, New York, USA; British Columbia, Canada; Eilean Donan Castle, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland, UK; Glencoe, Scotland, UK; Loch Kishorn, Applecross, Scotland, UK; Rannoch Moor, Scotland, UK; Slioch peak, Scotland, UK; Trotternish Ridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK; London, England, UK; Wales, UK

STUNT
Stunt Coordinator: Peter Diamond
Stunts: Peter Brace, Andy Bradford
Rock Face Climbing Operator: Tony Riley

CASTING
Casting: Michael McLean, Diane Dimeo and Associates

CAST
Christopher Lambert (Connor MacLeod / Russell Nash)
Roxanne Hart (Brenda Wyatt)
Clancy Brown (Kurgan / Victor Kruger)
Sean Connery (Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez)
Beatie Edney (Heather MacLeod)
Alan North (Lieutenant Frank Moran)
Jon Polito (Detective Walter Bedsoe)
Sheila Gish (Rachel Ellenstein)
Hugh Quarshie (Sunda Kastagir)
Christopher Malcolm (Kirk Matunas)
Peter Diamond (Aman Fasil)
Billy Hartman (Dugal MacLeod)
James Cosmo (Angus MacLeod)
Celia Imrie (Kate)
Alistair Findlay (Chief Murdoch)
Edward Wiley (Garfield)
James McKenna (Father Rainey)
John Cassady (Kenny)
Ian Reddington (Bassett)
Sion Tudor Owen (Hotchkiss)
Damien Leake (Tony the hotdog vendor)
Gordon Sterne (Dr Willis Kenderly)
Ron Berglas (Erik Powell)
Louis Guss (newsvendor)
Peter Banks (priest)
Ted Maynard (newscaster)
Anthony Mannino (boisterous drunk)
Helena Stevens (old woman in car)
Frank Dux (old man in car)
Prince Howell (drunk in hotel)
Anthony Fusco (barman)
Ian Tyler (lab technician)
Corrinne Russell (Candy)
Buckley Norris (derelict)
Jim Brunzell, Greg Gagne (themselves - both uncredited)
Sam Fatu, Jimmy 'Jam' Garvin, Terry 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Michael Seitz (professional wrestlers - all uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

Highland warrior Connor McLeod is astonished when, following a brutal battle with a rivbal clan, he is mortally wounded but fails to die. Cast out by his superstitious clansmen, he meets the wandering Egyptian Ramirez who tells him that they are both members of a race of immortals who can only be killed by decapitation. As the centuries pass, the time of the Gathering approaches, when the surviving immortals - including McLeod's sworn enemy, the monstrous Kurgan - must fight to the death for 'the prize.' Eventually just McLeod and the Kurgan are left to face each other in combat...

One of the most innovative and exciting action movies of the 1980s. Stripped of its flashy cross-cutting and electrifying visuals, Highlander is a standard adventure / romance, but director Russell Mulcahy imbues the action with such excitement and energy that one tends to overlook the script's shortcomings. The increasingly irrelevant spin-offs and sequels are best ignored, but the original remains an exemplary action piece. (Full Review)

Japan
Laserdisc Distributor: King Video (K88L-5070)

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment

USA
Theatrical Distributor: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Video Distributor: Home Box Office Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video; Image Entertainment Inc (ID 6679 HB); Republic (LV 25892); Republic (25895; includes - scene specific audio commentary by the producers and director; theatrical trailers; video commentary by the producers, director and cast members; stills gallery)
DVD Distributor: Republic (45895; includes - audio commentary by Russell Mulcahy, Peter S. Davis and William N. Panzer; behind-the-scenes photos)

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R (for strong action violence, a scene of sexuality and some language)

West Germany
Rating: 18

1986
March
26: France - theatrical release

August
28: West Germany - theatrical release

September
5: Sweden - theatrical release

November
28: Finland - theatrical release

1987
June
4: Argentina - theatrical release

1993
December
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release (Republic (LV 25892))

1996
September
3: USA - laserdisc distributor (Republic (25895))

1997
November
Day Unknown: USA - DVD distributor (Republic (45895))

He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod. He is immortal.

There can be only one.

Don't lose your head

Duelo Imortal - Portugese title
Hegylakó - Hungarian title
Highlander - Es kann nur Einen geben - German title
Highlander - kuolematon - Finnish title
Highlander, bara en överlever - Swedish title
Highlander, l'ultimo immortale - Italian title
Highlander: Akuma no senshi - Japanese title
Los inmortales - Spanish title
Niesmiertelny - Polish title

SEQUELS
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
Highlander (1992)
Highlander III: The Sorcerer (1994)
Highlander: The Animated Series (1994)
Highlander: The Raven (1998)
Highlander: Endgame (2000)

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique January 1986 p.11 (USA)
article

Empire June / July 1989 p.99 (UK)
review

Première March 1986 p.9 (France)
review (by Michèle Halberstadt)

Smash Hits 27 August - 9 September 1986 p.51 (UK)
review

Sounds 10 January 1987 p.19
review

Video Today October 1986 p.57
review

Starburst no.95 pp.14, 16

NEWSPAPERS

Daily Mirror 29 August 1986 p.A6 (UK)
review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

immortality; immortality; swords; sword-fights; magic; chrysler building; new york; world war ii; nazis; art dealers; wrestling; scotland; helicopters; decapitations; police

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008