Overview
Queen Involvement
Cast
Storyline & Chapters
Standard DVD Extras
30th Anniversary DVD/Blu-ray Extras
'The Immortal Edition' DVD
Directed by Russel Mulcahy
Produced by Peter S. Davis and William N. Panzer
Screenplay written by Gregory Wilden, Peter Bellwood and Larry Furguson
First released in 1986
Length 116 minutes
Filmed at Jacob Street Studios, London, England, and various locations in Scotland and New York.
So far, this film has been released as a European DVD, a US 'Immortal Edition' DVD/CD set, a 30th anniversary DVD/Blu-ray, and available free in the UK through the 'News Of The World' newspaper on 22 January 2006 (this has the basic film with no extras, in a card sleeve).
'Highlander' was Queen's second major film soundtrack, after 'Flash Gordon' in 1980. Queen wrote, recorded and produced seven new tracks for the film. Six of these tracks would later be remixed or re-recorded for the 'A Kind Of Magic' album, and in some cases the film versions are significantly different. The film also uses a short excerpt of 'Hammer To Fall', although this is no different to the album version.
Full details of the music can be found on the A Kind Of Magic album page.
The approximate position of each track is as follows (for the 30th anniversary Blu-ray) - Princes Of The Universe - 1:04
- Gimme The Prize - 23:40
- One Year Of Love - 28:17
- Who Wants To Live Forever (long version) - 69:00
- Hammer To Fall - 77:49
- Don't Lose Your Head (short version) - 82:00
- Who Wants To Live Forever (short version) - 95:05
- Don't Lose Your Head (long version) - 97:45
- New York, New York - 100:00
- A Kind Of Magic - 113:20
Unfortunately, despite one being advertised in the credits of the film, a full soundtrack album has never been released. The only film version to be officially released, outside the DVD, is A Kind Of Magic, which appears on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD on one of the menus, and as a bonus track on the 2011 double-disc reissue of 'A Kind Of Magic'.
Connor Macleod (Christopher Lambert)
Russell Nash (also Christopher Lambert)
Juan Sanchez Ramirez (Sean Connery)
Victor 'Kurgan' Kruger (Clancy Brown)
Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart)
Heather Macleod (Beattie Edney)
Sunda Kastagir (Hugh Quarshie)
Storyline & Chapters
The chapters below refer to the 2001 UK DVD release, and the song titles in brackets refer to the tracks that start in each. The scenes involving Connor MacLeod are set in Scotland in Medieval times, those involving Russel Nash are set in New York City in the 1980's. - Introduction (this is not part of the film, but an introduction before the DVD menu)
- Credits ('Princes Of The Universe')
Start titles. Russell Nash attends a wrestling bout at Madison Square Garden. - Car Park Clash
Nash leaves to the car park, where he has a battle with, and defeats, another immortal. - Into Battle
The clan Macleod go into battle against a different clan, which includes Kurgan. Kurgan severely injures Connor. - Investigation
Nash drives at speed out of the car park, but is captured by police. Connor is mourned on his death bed. The police investigate the swordfight scene, and forensic expert Brenda Wyatt discovers an ancient sword. Nash is interrogated about the swordfight. - The Gathering ('Gimme The Prize' and 'One Year Of Love')
Kurgan arrives in New York, and books into a hotel. Nash returns to the car park to look for the sword and sees Brenda taking additional samples from the scene. Nash follows Brenda to a pub, where he asks about Madison Square Garden. She leaves, hides, and follows Nash when he leaves. - Banished
Kurgan finds Nash and they fight in a scrapyard, but the fight is interrupted by the police. Connor makes a miraculous recovery, and is banished from the village as they believe he is the devil. - Ramirez
Connor is working on his 'farm' with Heather, when Ramirez approaches on horseback. Connor experiences the 'quickening'. Brenda steals the police file on Nash, the main suspect in the swordfight case. At his flat, Nash discovers that Brenda is an expert in swordmaking and metallurgy. - The Quickening
Ramirez explains to Connor about his immortality and trains him as a highlander. - Fight To The Death
Ramirez tells Connor that he cannot have children and that he must leave Heather. Kurgan discovers Ramirez at Connor's home. Kurgan defeats Ramirez. - Brenda Wyatt
Brenda traces Nash to his flat and they arrange dinner. Nash talks to his secretary, we see Nash saving a little girl during a war. Nash goes round to dinner at Brenda's, where he discovers that she has bugged the flat. - Who Wants To Live Forever ('Who Wants To Live Forever')
Connor spends his last days with Heather before she dies. Connor sets fire to their home before leaving. - Duelling
Nash meets Kastagir, another immortal. They reminisce about The Duel On Boston Common, and we see his opponent's attempts to defeat Connor. Meanwhile, a 'survivalist nutter', Kirk Matunas, discovers Kastagir and Kurgan fighting in a backstreet. Kurgan defeats Kastagir and then Matunas shoots Kurgan, seemingly dead. Kurgan injures Matunas and then steals the car of a passing elderly couple. - A Discovery About Nash ('Hammer To Fall' and 'Don't Lose Your Head')
The police question Matunas about the swordfight. Brenda discovered that Nash died shortly after birth. A handwriting expert reveals from Nash's signature that he has been alive for 290 years. Nash goes to a church to light a candle to remember Heather, but he is found by Kurgan. Kurgan tells Nash that he raped Heather after killing Ramirez. - Afraid To Live ('Who Wants To Live Forever', 'Don't Lose Your Head' and 'New York, New York')
Brenda visits Nash at his flat, where Nash reveals that he is immortal by stabbing himself. Kurgan kidnaps Brenda from her flat and drives her to the Silvercup building. - It's A Kind Of Magic
At his flat, Nash hears a tape from Kurgan of Brenda screaming. Nash finds Brenda on top of the 'Silvercup' building. Kurgan and Nash battle, falling through the roof, before Nash finally defeats Kurgan. - There Can Be Only One ('A Kind Of Magic')
Nash experiences another 'quickening', and we see clips and dialogue from various points within the film.
- Filmographies of Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Russel Mulcahy
- Original Trailer (which includes a short excerpt of 'Don't Lose Your Head' and 'Princes Of The Universe')
- Posters (5 promotional posters used to promote the film)
- Photo Gallery (22 still photos from the film)
- Interview with Christopher Lambert
- Audio commentary with director Russell Mulcahy
- Interview with Russell Mulcahy (22:06)
- Interview with Christopher Lambert (19:44)
- Archive Interview with Christopher Lambert (in French, with subtitles) (8:32)
- Original Trailer (which includes a short excerpt of 'Don't Lose Your Head' and 'Princes Of The Universe')
- The Making Of Highlander (4 part documentary) (1:55:41)
- Deleted Scenes (video only, with orchestral music) (6:13)
- Photo Gallery (22 still photos from the film)
The film was re-released in the USA in 2002 in a special edition set, which came in a special embossed metal box, with a card surround, a colour booklet, and a three track companion CD of Queen tracks (oddly, one of which has no connection to the film).
The menu on the DVD contains a 56 second edit of 'Princes Of The Universe' and the extras menu includes a 1:38 edit of 'A Kind Of Magic'. The extended version of 'One Year Of Love' on the companion CD is exclusive to this set. - 'Highlander' film, digitally remastered with Surround Sound
- Audio commentary by director Russell Mulcahy and producers Peter Davis and William Panzer
- Two original theatrical trailers
- Talent biographies of Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Russell Mulcahy
- 'Highlander' photo gallery
- Queen photo gallery, featuring photographs from the three music videos and albums/singles sleeves
- Queen music videos for 'Who Wants To Live Forever', 'A Kind Of Magic' and 'Princes Of The Universe' (identical (including the title screen) to those on 'Greatest Flix II' and 'Greatest Flix III')
- Princes Of The Universe
- One Year Of Love (extended version)
- Friends Will Be Friends
