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Amph It's A Kind Of Magic... Highlander (The Remake Thread)

Discussion in 'Community' started by dp4m, Jun 17, 2013.

  1. Ender Sai

    Ender Sai Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2001
    It helped Wayne's World too.
     
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  2. Darth_Invidious

    Darth_Invidious Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 21, 1999

    For some reason that scene reminded me of Boris from Guy Ritchie's "Snatch". I'm not quite sure if Vinnie Jones' character actually managed to kill him after shooting him at near point blank range 7-8 times, so in my head Boris is a kinsman to the Kurgan. :p
     
    Aegon Starcaster likes this.
  3. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    "Stop...stop, sir. I apologise for calling your wife a bloated warthog, heh-heh-heh ... and I bid you good day!"
     
  4. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    He and Lorenzo Lamas can deathmatch it out for the role.
     
  5. Aegon Starcaster

    Aegon Starcaster Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 27, 2013
    Bassette? D'at you? Hehehehehe.

    Lambert had such a creepy laugh. It was great!

    If they can figure out what Highlander is about, sure, do a remake. But not until they can figure it out!
    I don't want to see anything about aliens, or men banished to the future from the past, or the damn source,
    or anything like that when it comes time to make sequels.
     
    Jedi Merkurian likes this.
  6. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Only the theatrical cut. He supports "The Renegade Version".

    It wasn't meant to be. The first couple of drafts had a more original film. But then director Andy Morhan was hired and he opted to recreate quite a bit of the first film. Panzer and Davis were busy working on the series and thus didn't have as much say regarding that.


    Except it's not. It's a different universe. Think of it as the multiverse. In one universe, the first film happened as is and Connor MacLeod grows into an old man. In another universe, the first film happened, but not all of the Immortals are dead. It was just the Kurgan hunting those who had eluded him throughout the centuries and one of them was Connor. Connor takes out the Kurgan and goes off to live in London with Brenda, before her tragic death.

    A lot of people missed it in the 80's. That's why the film bombed in 86. Fortunately, the 90's kept it alive and drew interest.

    Bob Anderson was the swordmaster on the first film and Peter Diamond played Iman Fasil. Not to mention you had a guy with poor eyesight, an aging actor and three guys with limited fighting experience doing the film. This was the opposite with Adrian Paul who not only has 20-20 vision, but had trained with a sword a year before landing the role of Duncan MacLeod. As to the Quickening, the film's budget was limited. They didn't have enough money to animate additional Quickenings to look similar to the Prize. Namely the swirling energy at the start of the final Quickening.

    How so?

    His reaction has to do with the Kurgan showing up. He realized that since he is around, then he cannot let himself fall in love again. He allowed himself a moment of weakness and the Kurgan was the reality. That's why later on, Brenda says that he's not afraid to die, but he's afraid to live.

    Precisely. Ramirez had fought the Kurgan three times before and each time, he couldn't beat him and had barely survived. But Ramirez knew that the Kurgan could be beaten and so did the Kurgan. A part of the film that was cut out reveals that the Kurgan feared Connor and thus came after him before he was trained. "Highlander Origins: The Kurgan" later filled in the gap that the Kurgan had killed his first teacher who had occasional visions of the future and in doing so, the Kurgan had gained it through the Quickening and saw Connor killing him. Ramirez found out during one of their fights and thus was on the lookout for Connor.

    It's about Connor, not Christ. Kurgan realizes that Connor is not only a selfless man, but one of great compassion. The Kurgan realizes that Ramirez had lied about Heather because he knew that Connor would be deeply affected by this. That's why he goes after Brenda, because he believes that he can beat Connor through her. What he doesn't realize is that her love strengthens Connor's own love for her and his loved ones, thus giving him the strength to power on through and beat the Kurgan.
     
  7. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    Not really new news as such, but I came across this comment from Christopher Lambert when they asked him about the Highlander remake:

    Lambert shared some advice: "You can redo Highlander but don't make a copy of the first movie; try to reinvent the movie -- and more importantly, try to find the new Queen".

    Now there's an actor who knows his franchise.
     
  8. jp-30

    jp-30 Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Like Adam Lambert + Queen?
     
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  9. Sarge

    Sarge Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 1998
    There can be only one good Highlander movie.
     
  10. Eeth-my-Koth

    Eeth-my-Koth Jedi Grand Master star 9

    Registered:
    May 25, 2001
    I'd like to see Christopher Lambert duel Lance Henrikson in a battle to the death. There can be only one!
     
  11. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    Screw Lambert. I want a Clancy Brown cameo!
     
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  12. soitscometothis

    soitscometothis Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2003
    I'd like to see Lambert duel a monstrous Lance Armstrong, pumped to the gills with grey-area drugs and other people's blood, and I want the duel to happen on bicycles.
     
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  13. Eeth-my-Koth

    Eeth-my-Koth Jedi Grand Master star 9

    Registered:
    May 25, 2001
    Would you settle for unicycles?
     
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  14. soitscometothis

    soitscometothis Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2003
    Who wouldn't?
     
  15. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001

    Based on what I know of the project, the film at one point, was leaving heavily towards what Gregory Widen wrote in his first draft over what was done in the final film.

    In Widen's draft, for instance, the police are witness to the final fight between Conor McCloud and the Knight. In the remake draft, the police learn about Connor's Immortality and the fight against the Kurgan travels across New York City.
     
  16. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Because 80s special effects never get old, yo.


    [​IMG]

    Because spinning your goddamn broadsword is always cool, yo.
     
  17. Darth_Invidious

    Darth_Invidious Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 21, 1999

    I always found it creepy and silly in equal measure how the Kurgan's headless body still managed to linger to the point of saluting Connor before finally collapsing. Yes, we know he was a badass. But at the same time, if he was such an evil bastard of a badass, how come he didn't try to do something....bolder. Like actually trying to rule the world (or at least a country). Instead, he settled for being a grungy drifter? I wish he had been given more character development, at the very least.
     
  18. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    More character development would've been cool, but I could completely understand his not wanting to rule a country and so on. For a start, if you rule a nation, you have to stand still. You're a target. And while a single other immortal remained, he was always in danger. More to the point, his character was that of a pure, evil bastard who just lived to fight. He didn't have to fear anything from mortals or weapons, so he could just indulge his bloodlust century after century. Generals don't get to go in the front line of battles; footsoldiers do, and he was always a footsoldier.
     
  19. Darth_Invidious

    Darth_Invidious Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 21, 1999

    Was he always a footsoldier? I don't know, since the movie never disclosed much on the Kurgan's actions throughout the centuries. He seemed to be some sort of mercenary when fighting alongside the rival Scottish clan, but other than that, I don't know diddly about what he did with himself between then and the time of the Gathering (unless there are other official or unofficial sources that might shed light on the matter).

    If you rule a nation, you can make yourself an army even if just by sheer force of will, fear or simply by attracting evil bastards like yourself to fight for you while enjoying the spoils. With him entrenched in a castle or bunker with who knows how many loyal troops at his disposal, why would he be in danger? Any rival immortal that'd want a shot at his head would have to go through them first and in a way, that would make for an easier pruning of rivals. And if you're Da Big **** of an entire country, well, indulging yourself openly and without fear of reprisal wouldn't be an issue, would it? If, for example, the Kurgan had somehow managed to get himself a into the Wehrmacht, who would've stopped him from taking the heads of every jerk between Goebbels and Hitler and set himself as the new Fuhrer? And if after a while he got bored with the throne and perks, well, he'd simply pack his **** up and leave because, again, who's gonna stop him?

    But hey, if the guy wanted to be a bum instead, so be it. He probably needed better professional assessment. :p
     
  20. Sarge

    Sarge Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 1998
    But if you're nothing but an evil b*****d 24/7, you won't attract loyal troops. You'll only attract more evil b*****ds who are only watching and waiting to backstab all rivals (including you) so that they can be on top.
     
  21. Darth_Invidious

    Darth_Invidious Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 21, 1999

    Yes, that might be an occupational hazard for many an evil dictator. But you'd only have to worry as long as nobody knows that the only way to take you out is by slicing your head off. Besides, I figure that the Kurgan is sort of the archetypal Darwinian bastich that believes in the survival of the fittest/strongest and might welcome such challenges if only to alleviate the boredom of ruling over insignificant mortals.
     
  22. JoinTheSchwarz

    JoinTheSchwarz Former Head Admin star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2002
    Dunno, I really liked that the barbarian of the past had become a 1980s punk.
     
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  23. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    This was part of an abandoned ending where the Kurgan's body explodes and reveals a snake demon that had a head similar to the Kurgan's helmet. Connor would then fight this creature before taking it's head and winning the Prize. It was dropped for being too silly and too expensive to make.


    The point of the Game is that the Immortals fight to be the last and the one at the end, will then have enough power and knowledge to rule the world if they so desired. That's what the Prize is. The Kurgan sought to be the last by eliminating his kind and thus would rule over mankind. He had no desire to be part of an Immortal army lead by Darius, nor be part of the Four Horsemen. When he wasn't head hunting, he was serving under various military generals throughout the ages. He served under Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte and even as part of the Soviet military in the mid 20th century. From 1964 until 1985, he had just concentrated on the Game and his quest for the Prize. Many an Immortal would go through a period of living off the grid. Connor MacLeod had been a sea captain quite often. Duncan MacLeod had lived on holy ground for ten years. Xavier St. Cloud had been passive for a number of years, prior to going on a killing spree in 1653.

    Well, he did have the survival of the fittest mentality due to having been tossed into a pit with hungry dogs, when he was six. It was one born from an abusive father who finally bashed his head in with a rock, which then triggered his Immortality and resulted in the Kurgan killing him.

    Anyway, if you want to read the bio of the Kurgan, read "Highlander Origins: The Kurgan". It has all the known material to date.
     
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  24. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    Thing I wondered about was: did the Immortals know what the Prize was? I got the impression from the film they knew it was something seriously major, but that nobody ever actually knew precisely what. (Although in passing it's yet again another satisfying end to the Highlander film: after becoming the last of the immortals, the Prize is to be "at one with all living things -- each man's thoughts and dreams are yours to know", while being mortal). The Quickening must've given a hint of what the Prize would be, but I thought also that the Quickening was that "energy" within them that allowed them to defeat death. There was a hint that the Quickening allowed for a certain degree of empathy with another lifeform -- that whole "race along the beach" sequence -- but the Prize seemed to be more than that. Anyone want to kick it around a bit?
     
  25. dp4m

    dp4m Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2001

    I think, though, the Prize was individual for each immortal -- basically what they wanted most in the world. Hence Ramirez's warning to MacLeod about what would happen if the Kurgen won it.