In New York City, the owner of a sophisticated antique shop Russell Edwin Nash is challenged to a sword fight in the parking lot of the Madison Square Garden by a man called Iman Fasil that is beheaded by Russell. He hides his sword and is arrested by the police while leaving the stadium. Russell recalls his life in the sixteenth century in Scotland, when he is Connor MacLeod, and is fatally wounded in a battle against another Clan. However, he surprisingly survives and his Clan believes he has a pact with the devil and expels him from their lands. Then he meets Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, who explains that he is immortal unless he is beheaded. Further, the immortals dispute a game killing each other and in the end only one survives receiving a prize with the power of the other immortals. Russell is released by the police, but the snoopy forensic agent Brenda J. Wyatt is attracted by the case since she found fragments of an ancient Katana and follows Russell. But the also ...Written by
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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. See more »
Although Queen's songs have become closely associated with the franchise, they were not actually the original choice. Before Queen decided to do the soundtrack for the film, David Bowie, Sting (who was also considered to play Connor MacLeod) and Duran Duran were considered instead. The now largely forgotten prog-rock band Marillion, who had enjoyed a big success in the UK in 1985 with their "Misplaced Childhood" album, turned down an offer to record the soundtrack because they were busy on a world tour. Guitarist Steve Rothery later said in an interview this was "a really stupid thing for us to turn down." As well as his band being offered the soundtrack, Scottish singer Fish (then lead singer of Marillion) was also offered a part in the film and even grew a beard especially for the character, but touring dates with the band conflicted with the filming schedule. Fish revealed this in an interview by rock journalist Mick Wall, which is published in his book "Appetite for Destruction - Legendary Encounters with Mick Wall." See more »
Goofs
Just before Connor arrives at Brenda's apartment for dinner you see her place a gun in the second from the top drawer of a small chest. When Connor arrives and walks into the room he goes to the chest and opens the top drawer, removes the gun and holds it up. See more »
Quotes
Connor MacLeod:
[Paying his respects at church]
For you, my bonny Heather: Happy birthday. And you, Juan Ramirez: Take care of her, you overdressed haggis.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The European version also has a scene between Connor and Brenda talking at a zoo about how he's not willing to commit to another relationship after his wife's death. The most important thing about this scene is that Kurgan can be seen in the background trailing the twosome. This solves the continuity problem in the American version about how Kurgen finds Brenda's apartment in the next scene. See more »
Continuing my plan to watch every Sean Connery movie in order, I come to Highlander (1986)
Plot In A Paragraph: A group of immortals, who can only die via decapitation, duel through the centuries.
I love Highlander. Always have. Always will. It will always be a disappointment to me none of the sequels or the TV Shows lived up to the potential this universe offered.
Playing the Egyptian Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (with his normal accent of course) Connery Looks to be having a blast in his second mentor role in a row. He was only on set for 7 days (he had a bet, which he lost, with director Russell Mulcahy he would not finish his scenes in time and had a lucrative clause in place if he didn't) and his screen time is likely to be under twenty minutes, but his presence looms large in the movie
Considering he could barely speak English, Christopher Lambert (one of the nicest celebs I've ever met) is great, Clancy Brown's Kurgan is one of my favourite movie bad guys and Beatrice Edney is gorgeous. Oh and the soundtrack is by my favourite band of all time Queen.
Amazingly Highlander tanked at the domestic box office grossing only $5 million dollars. Highlander found its audience on video, and the rest is history. As for Connery, after his the time away from the screen, it would seem like his luck had not improved with his reinvention as the older, wiser mentor. Despite two great performances, the movies still did little business. That would all change with his next movie though.
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Continuing my plan to watch every Sean Connery movie in order, I come to Highlander (1986)
Plot In A Paragraph: A group of immortals, who can only die via decapitation, duel through the centuries.
I love Highlander. Always have. Always will. It will always be a disappointment to me none of the sequels or the TV Shows lived up to the potential this universe offered.
Playing the Egyptian Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (with his normal accent of course) Connery Looks to be having a blast in his second mentor role in a row. He was only on set for 7 days (he had a bet, which he lost, with director Russell Mulcahy he would not finish his scenes in time and had a lucrative clause in place if he didn't) and his screen time is likely to be under twenty minutes, but his presence looms large in the movie
Considering he could barely speak English, Christopher Lambert (one of the nicest celebs I've ever met) is great, Clancy Brown's Kurgan is one of my favourite movie bad guys and Beatrice Edney is gorgeous. Oh and the soundtrack is by my favourite band of all time Queen.
Amazingly Highlander tanked at the domestic box office grossing only $5 million dollars. Highlander found its audience on video, and the rest is history. As for Connery, after his the time away from the screen, it would seem like his luck had not improved with his reinvention as the older, wiser mentor. Despite two great performances, the movies still did little business. That would all change with his next movie though.