Highlander is a 1980s cult classic, which is getting a 4K release for 40th Anniversary.
Directed by Russell Mulcahy; Highlander tells the story of an immortal man McCloud (Frenchman Chrisopher Lambert) who walks through centuries of woe on the way to the eventual Gathering in New York City where all the world’s immortals meet in one place until one survives.
A cult hit upon release in the 1980s; the film touches notes of greatness but has a lot of campy elements throughout. From Lambert’s woeful performance (helped by English not being his first language); an unbelievable Sean Connery cameo as an Egyptian (the next year he will win an Academy Award for The Untouchables) and Clancy Brown bringing menace and Superman II energy to his big bad role as Kurgan.
Oddly, when the film has flashbacks to McCloud’s past lives in the Scottish Highlands of 1536, to the Barry Lyndon-like period to Nazi Germany; those set designs and costumes are well done and look good in daylight camera. The modern day NYC look is grimy and cheap in comparison.
Featuring a Queen soundtrack (‘Who Wants To Live Forever‘) and a good Michael Kamen score, Mulachy does attempt to show some visual flourish in his shot selection, which many would have seen in his Duran Duran music videos.
Built around duelling set pieces and action, the film features a selection of people you will recognise for their future work from Jon Polito (Miller’s Crossing) to Hugh Quarshie (The Phantom Menace).
Sadly, Mulcahy who helped make this into a profitable film did not garner much work in Hollywood afterwards. Lambert struggled to become an A-list star and his performance is the problem with the film; had it been a JCVD performance it might have been better than the B-film it sadly remains.
Highlander is getting a special cinematic 4K re-release from 4 May and Collector’s Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray available on 29 June.
The Collector’s Edition will feature new artwork by Sophie Bland, 2-discs, 2 posters, a 100 page booklet along with special features/documentaries and an audio commentary by Mulcahy himself.
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