1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:08,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 2: Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. This is Rob Lamb. 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 3: And I am Joe McCormick. And today on Weird House Cinema, 4 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 3: I am so excited because we're going to be talking 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 3: about the nineteen ninety one sci fi fantasy action film 6 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 3: Highlander two The Quickening, starring Christoph Lambert, Sean Connery, Virginia Madsen, 7 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 3: and Michael Ironside. This is the weird, dank, detested sequel 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 3: to the original Highlander from nineteen eighty six, and I 9 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,279 Speaker 3: have butterflies in my stomach. I'm so happy to talk 10 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 3: about this today. 11 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: Now, some of our longtime listeners might say, WHOAOA, WHOA. 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 2: Didn't you guys already cover Highlander two? We have not 13 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 2: covered it for Weird House Cinema. We did a pre 14 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: Weird House Cinema Stuff to Blow Your Mind episode back 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: when we really had to shown a weird movie into 16 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: a core episode if we really had it in our 17 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 2: hearts to do so. But we did not get to 18 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: give it the Weird House treatment. 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: I think we ended up talking about some of the 20 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 3: science of proposed geoengineering projects and stuff like that, which 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 3: is a plot point in the film. 22 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 4: Yeah. 23 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we'll probably do less of that in this 24 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 2: and focus more on everything else. But fortunately Highlander two 25 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: is a film with plenty of everything else. 26 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 3: Now, a little note at the top here, this episode 27 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 3: of Weird House Cinema may well go to two parts. 28 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 3: We don't usually do that on Weird House. We did 29 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 3: recently do it when we talked about David Lynch's Dune, 30 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 3: and we promised it would not become a regular thing. 31 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 3: But David Lynch's Dune seemed deservingly massive, and while we 32 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 3: still don't plan on making it a regular thing to 33 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 3: split weird House movies into multiple episodes, Highlander two just 34 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 3: kind of seemed on par with Dune, you know, equally majestic, 35 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 3: equally epic, equally deserving. So, while this is still not 36 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 3: what we're usual going to do on the show, we're 37 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 3: gonna split today's episode into part one and part two 38 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 3: as well. It'll make more sense once we start talking. 39 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, So. 40 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 3: Highlander two is a movie that I have seen I 41 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 3: don't know how many times, at least a dozen times, 42 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 3: maybe two dozen times, if I'm honest, many many times, 43 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 3: going back to my high school years. This was a 44 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 3: favorite movie of mine to watch with my friends. When 45 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 3: I was younger. I had a VHS tape of it 46 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 3: that I would just show to everybody every time I 47 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 3: made a new friend. It's like, let's watch Highlander two. So, 48 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 3: despite the fact that this movie is infamous for its 49 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 3: awfulness and hated by most Highlander fans, this is a 50 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 3: movie I positively adore, and I really mean that. As 51 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 3: Roger Ebert said in his review, Highlander two is a 52 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 3: movie quote almost awesome in its badness. This is not 53 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 3: just like your run of the mill bad movie. Bad 54 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 3: movies can be dull, they can be off putting, they 55 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 3: can be boring or distasteful. In Highlander two, it's like 56 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 3: all great badness. The badness itself takes on characteristics that 57 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 3: we really associate with greatness and specifically great storytelling. The 58 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 3: badness of Highlander two is zesty, invigorating, hilarious, thought provoking, 59 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 3: and emotionally powerful. This movie is completely malfunctioning in ways 60 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 3: that make me want to live my life to the fullest. 61 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 3: And so in that way, I think the closest thing 62 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 3: I could think of to compare it to is like 63 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 3: the best films of ed Wood. It's sort of like 64 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 3: Plan nine from Outer Space. It's so dumb it becomes brilliant. 65 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 3: It's so ugly it becomes beautiful, and every time I 66 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 3: watch it it just puts a spring in my step. 67 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 3: I love Highlander two. 68 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I don't disagree with the positive spin on 69 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: Highlander two at all. I will throw in there that 70 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 2: it's especially in some of its best sayes, it's far 71 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 2: more technically proficient Plan nine from Outer Space. 72 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, certainly. 73 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, But but it is it is still a train 74 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: wreck of a film. Not only is it a train wreck, 75 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: it features a train wreck with a sword fight on 76 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: top of it. 77 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 3: That's right. And then it has it has one of 78 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 3: the most creative train related I can't even finish that 79 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 3: sentence here. We'll just have to get into it with 80 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 3: the plot. So holand or two is the story of 81 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 3: a man in a downward spiral of loneliness, abjection, and 82 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 3: physical decay. It is the story of an act of 83 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 3: love and genius meant to save the world, that instead 84 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 3: only damns the world to a state of living hell. 85 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 3: It is the story of people whose lives are governed 86 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: by forces that can't really be understood either as natural 87 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 3: or supernatural. It's a world where magic is random and 88 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 3: new rules are constantly revealed, and every time you learn 89 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 3: something new, Sean Connery is just standing there winking at you, like, 90 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 3: didn't you know? This is how it worked? And I 91 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: love that quality about it. There is a capriciousness to 92 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 3: the rules of magic in this movie that is really intoxicating. 93 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 3: It's like, what are we going to find out next? 94 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 3: So this is going to preserve our long running tradition 95 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 3: of jumping straight into a sequel without covering the original film, 96 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 3: but in this case, to really understand Highlander two, to 97 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 3: understand its surprising narrative choices, it's little cranky, little quirks, 98 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 3: and what you might call its reception history by the 99 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 3: fans and the general public, I think we do need 100 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 3: to start with a basic rundown on the original Highlander, 101 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 3: like what was this story about and how did it 102 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 3: find such an enthusiastic fan base. 103 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 2: Well, I'll try and keep it reasonably short, because we 104 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 2: could easily do a whole weird Outs episode on nineteen 105 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: eighty six as Highlander, and we even we discussed it, 106 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: we still might do it. Someday, because ultimately Highlander is 107 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: a weirder and more ridiculous film than I think a 108 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 2: lot of people remember, especially when comparing it to Highland 109 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 2: Er two. Like you forget the like three dozen backflips 110 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 2: that one of the immortals does in an early fight. 111 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 2: You forget that it opens up in the bowels of 112 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 2: a wrestling arena, and so forth. There's a lot of 113 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 2: weird choices in the film. 114 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 3: The first fight is like guys who are trying to 115 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 3: cut each other's heads off in a parking garage at 116 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 3: a wrestling event at Madison Square Garden. 117 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 2: Is it's Madison Square Garden, and it's like the fabulous 118 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,919 Speaker 2: Freebirds are wrestling. 119 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 3: And and they're trying to chop at each other, and 120 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 3: you're right, one of them is doing backflips over the 121 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 3: hoods of cars or something. 122 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 2: So it's a film that's full of action movie machismo. 123 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 2: But it also boath just a deliriously fun queen soundtrack, 124 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 2: and I think is perhaps understudied as a film potentially 125 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 2: exploring themes and subtext of gay identity in the nineteen eighties. 126 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 2: I keep looking around for examples of like Center must 127 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 2: study scholarship that really digs into this, and I've found 128 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 2: some passing references to Highlander, but nobody's really gotten in there, 129 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 2: so I keep hoping that somebody will. 130 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 3: Maybe it's not your destiny to rite. 131 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 2: I'm not the person to write it, but I would 132 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 2: love to read someone's take on it. But anyway. Highlander 133 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 2: one nineteen eighty six is the tale of a sixteenth 134 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 2: century man in the Scottish Highlands by the name of 135 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 2: Connor MacLeod who just lives seemingly ordinary life until he 136 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: suffers a fatal wound at the hands of a strange 137 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 2: foreign mercenary on the battlefield. But hey, it looks like 138 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: he's going to die, but he miraculously recovers miraculously. But 139 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: that's not how the locals interpret it. They think this 140 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 2: is witchcraft because he is completely healed from a fatal wound, 141 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 2: so he is exiled from his community, and while he's 142 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: wandering in sadness, he encounters a benevolent traveling immortal by 143 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 2: the name of Ramirez, who played by Sean Connery, who 144 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: initiates him into the secret knowledge of the game. Here 145 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 2: so sprinkled throughout time, he learns are individuals who can 146 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 2: miraculously recover from almost any wound and can only be 147 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 2: killed via beheading. These individuals, these immortals, are drawn to 148 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 2: each other to engage in single combat, with the victor 149 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 2: absorbing the powers of the loser. So that strange alien 150 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 2: mercenary that cut into him on the battlefield, we learn 151 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 2: that this is the Kurgan, one of the more powerful 152 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 2: and ruthless immortals out there, and he was drawn to McLeod. 153 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 2: And so this game of immortals is going to continue 154 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 2: on through time until at some point in the future 155 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 2: when the remaining immortals will be drawn to a place 156 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 2: of final battle. In the end, there's going to remain 157 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 2: only one, and that immortal individual will not only claim 158 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 2: the accumulated power of all the immortals that ever lived 159 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 2: before them, but they shall claim quote the prize. More 160 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 2: on the prize in a second. 161 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 3: Okay, So this is all information that Connor does not have. 162 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 3: He doesn't know about any of this. He's explicitly being 163 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 3: taught about all of these magical rules by Ramirez, by 164 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 3: Sean Conners. 165 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 2: Yes, he's being initiated into the world of immortals by Ramirez, 166 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: and Ramirez trains him. He's like I knew the Kurgan 167 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 2: was after you, so I found you so that I 168 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 2: could train you, so that you could stand a chance 169 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: against him. 170 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 3: The Kurgin played by Clancy Brown, by. 171 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: The way, yes, yes, so fabulously over the top like snarling, 172 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 2: spitting performance. So unfortunately, in the midst of all this training, 173 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 2: the Kurgan returns. He wants to kill McLeod, but instead 174 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 2: he kills Ramirez. So then we go centuries later in 175 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 2: mid eighties New York City. This is where the last 176 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 2: of the immortals have gathered to battle it out, and 177 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 2: of course the last two end up being Connor McLeod 178 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 2: and the Kurgan. McLeod is ultimately victorious and claims the 179 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: mysterious prize and we get to find out what the 180 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 2: prize is. We are told that this prize seems to 181 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 2: give him two man features. First of all, he's finally mortal. 182 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 2: This playing on the like a long running theme and 183 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 2: myth making and storytelling that immortality is also a curse 184 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 2: because you you know, and that's something that the film 185 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 2: explores and at times rather beautifully, that you end up 186 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 2: living longer than the people that you love, and the 187 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 2: world that you love falls behind you, and therefore getting 188 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 2: to become mortal again, getting to age and have children. 189 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 2: We're told that immortals can't have children, but now he 190 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 2: can if he wants. These things are opened up to him, 191 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 2: So that's part of the prize. But more essentially, he 192 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,319 Speaker 2: can now read the thoughts and feelings of people around 193 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,559 Speaker 2: the world, and he can like orchestrate things, bring these 194 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 2: people together and try and create a brighter future for 195 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 2: all of humanity. 196 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 3: Highlander one a brilliant summary, Rob, I think that gets 197 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 3: all of the high points. Now, It's funny that I'm 198 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 3: much more familiar with Highlander two than I am with 199 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 3: Highlander one. I think I've seen Highlander one one or 200 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 3: two times, whereas I've seen Islander two who knows how 201 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 3: many times? But you know, so, I'm kind of coming 202 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 3: at the series backwards. But it's interesting that a lot 203 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 3: of the core features of the first movie are going 204 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 3: to be completely ignored in the second one. Is there 205 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 3: any indication in Highland or two that Connor McLeod can 206 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 3: read people's thoughts. 207 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 2: Only? I guess in the very beginning, there's this idea 208 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: like he didn't himself create the key technology that saves 209 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 2: the world and becomes a major plot point of Islander two, 210 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 2: but he brought people together to do it. So it 211 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 2: is kind of like, if you know, Connor McLeod is 212 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 2: able to realize, Okay, this person needs to work with 213 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 2: this person. We need to get these people together. I 214 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: know who has what knowledge, who has what sensibilities, and 215 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 2: so he's able to sort of facilitate the whole thing, 216 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 2: but they don't get into the details about how this 217 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 2: actually works. 218 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 3: Okay, I want to have follow up on that, but 219 00:11:57,720 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 3: actually there's something we have to address before we go 220 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 3: any further talking about Highlander two, which is the question 221 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 3: of which Highlander two are we talking about? Because Highlander 222 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 3: two is a movie that does not really have a 223 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 3: canonical form. There are at least three major cuts, officially 224 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 3: sanctioned cuts of this film that have been released, maybe four, 225 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 3: I'm not sure. And it gets especially confusing because when 226 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 3: you go looking to watch Highlander two today and you 227 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 3: find a streaming option or you find a disc or whatever, 228 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 3: it seems to me that it is often not made 229 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 3: clear in the made clear in like the title which 230 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:39,079 Speaker 3: cut you're looking at, So there is a lot of confusion. 231 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 3: But I found as a very helpful resource, an incredibly impressive, 232 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 3: nearly exhaustive guide to the different cuts of Highlander two 233 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 3: as of the year nineteen ninety seven, at least, written 234 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 3: by a critic named Sean Murphy, originally published in the 235 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 3: video Watchdog magazine, which was like a magazine about like 236 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 3: laser disc and video releases. So I can't keep track 237 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 3: of all the different cuts of the movie, but here 238 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 3: are at least several major ones. First of all, you 239 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 3: had Highlander two the Quickening, the original theatrical cut released 240 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 3: in the United States. This is sometimes called the American version. 241 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 3: We will have a special name for it later. Then 242 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 3: there was also a version of Highlander two released in 243 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 3: the UK. It's sometimes called the British version, which has 244 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 3: some differences. And then significantly later, like several years later, 245 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 3: there was a home video release known as Russell Mulcahy's 246 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 3: Renegade Version, also known as Highlander two the Director's Cut, 247 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 3: which is significantly longer, and so the major differences are 248 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 3: that the British cut has about ten minutes more of 249 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 3: material than the American theatrical cut, and it has a 250 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 3: different edit. It rearranges some of the scenes in the 251 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 3: movie in time and cuts them differently, and also has 252 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 3: a different ending, which I want to discuss when we 253 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 3: get to that part of the outline. But some of 254 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 3: the differences in the British cutter that it contains flashbacks 255 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 3: about the death of Connor's wife, Brenda, so it just 256 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 3: has more sort of character development and backstory on Connor, 257 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 3: and it makes some changes that are supposed to make 258 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 3: better sense of the events in the story. Because the 259 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 3: theatrical release, which is the one we're going to be watching, 260 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 3: is famously a quite butchered edit that splices together scenes 261 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 3: that were not originally the same scene in the script 262 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 3: or in how they were shot, and makes them the 263 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 3: same scenes, so like suddenly in the middle of a scene, 264 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 3: characters are wearing different clothes. Then after all that, there's 265 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 3: the Renegade version, which is I think eighteen minutes longer 266 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 3: than the American cut, has major editing differences. It moves 267 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 3: different scenes around in time within the story, and most notably, 268 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 3: it removes all references to a couple of very important 269 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 3: plot points that we'll get to in just a moment. 270 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 3: So the version and we are watching is the original 271 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 3: theatrical cut of the American version, which we shall hereafter 272 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 3: refer to as the Zeist cut, and which as I 273 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 3: can't be sure about this, so I'm sorry if I'm wrong, 274 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 3: but as far as I can tell, is not available 275 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 3: on Blu Ray, or at least not in US region 276 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 3: Blu Ray. So why would this be called the Zeist Cut. Well, 277 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 3: it's because the theatrical cut is in one major sense 278 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 3: true to the script of the film, even though it 279 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 3: deviates in other ways. And the way in which it 280 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 3: is true to the script is that it answers one 281 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 3: of the burning mysteries raised by the original story. It 282 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 3: tells us where the immortals of Highlander come from. It's 283 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 3: got to be a huge question, right, you know Connor 284 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 3: MacLeod in sixteenth century Scotland or whatever. He wakes up 285 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 3: and he's like, oh, I'm immortal. 286 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 4: Why? 287 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 3: Well, this movie has the answer. They are aliens and 288 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 3: they come from the planet Zeist. They've always been aliens, 289 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 3: supposed to, They've always known they were aliens, and they 290 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 3: the specific flavor of alien they are is Zeistians. And 291 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 3: this is the thing that the renegade version cuts out 292 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 3: of the movie. Just takes out all references to the 293 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 3: planet Zeist and to the fact that the immortals are aliens. 294 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, oftentimes and kind of hilarious and choppy ways. For instance, 295 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 2: there's a scene where Connery's Ramirez in the Flashback is 296 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 2: on the planet speaking to the freedom fighters and says 297 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 2: the line freemen of the planet zeist And then when 298 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 2: they cut that, they cut it so that he says 299 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 2: freemen of the planet, which is absolutely something no one 300 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 2: has ever said. 301 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, so in that so in the Renegade version, Sean 302 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 3: Connery is talking to guys on Earth long ago and 303 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 3: I don't unspecified time and place in history, but he's 304 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 3: just talking to people and says freemen of the planet. 305 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, yeah, And I'm not even gonna go down, 306 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 2: I mean, because obviously I watched part of the Renegade 307 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 2: cut after finished our cut, the z Ice cut, and yeah, 308 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 2: I mean, it's like you still have them battling with 309 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 2: gas masks on and with guns and with explosions. But 310 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 2: it's the ancient past. It also, it doesn't streamline anything. 311 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 2: It just creates even more problems for the plot, and 312 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 2: there were already plenty of problems present. Now. 313 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 3: Something raised in that video Watchdog article is that this 314 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 3: plot detailed the fact that the immortals are aliens and 315 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 3: they come from the planet Zeist is something that Highlander 316 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 3: fans especially hated about highland Er two. This was a 317 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 3: detested plot innovation, but these fans were apparently the reason 318 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 3: it happened. This article quotes Bill Panzer, who was a 319 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:45,919 Speaker 3: co writer on the script and co produced the movie, 320 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 3: and Panser says the following quote. The question we were 321 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,439 Speaker 3: most asked by fans after the first film was where 322 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 3: did the immortals come from? It made sense to answer 323 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 3: that question in the second film. We we didn't realize 324 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 3: that the time was that the fans didn't really want 325 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 3: to know their origins, meaning the origins of the immortals, 326 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 3: because then the romanticism and mystery of the story was 327 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 3: stripped away. And I gotta say, I think Bill Panzer's 328 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 3: right on the money there that that is often how 329 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 3: storytelling works. Fans want questions answered, and I think as 330 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 3: a storyteller you often have to tell the fans no, 331 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 3: it is better not to have an answer to that. 332 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 2: But it's also interesting to think about how, like long 333 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 2: term these things can go. Like I think a great 334 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 2: thing to compare this to is in the Star Wars 335 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 2: prequels the introduction of the Midichlorians as being this aspect. 336 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 2: There'st of micro organisms and the blood of a forced 337 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 2: sensitive individuals that explains why they have the force and 338 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 2: such quantities, and it's something that can be detected and 339 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 2: like a blood test. 340 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 3: Rob this is I was thinking of comparisons to the 341 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 3: innovation of Zeist and that is literally exactly what I 342 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 3: thought of. As the Midichlorians, it's like it answers a question, 343 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 3: but do you like having this answer now? I don't 344 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 3: know if that improves the story. 345 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,120 Speaker 2: But it's interesting how the how it's gone with both 346 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 2: of these franchises. So with Highlander, we get Highland or two, 347 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 2: they introduce an answer and the fans dec I, actually, 348 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 2: we didn't want that answer, And then seemingly most of 349 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 2: the people involved in the film are like, yeah, you're 350 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 2: you're right, You're we shouldn't have answered it. We'll go back. 351 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 2: We've changed it again, and and now we're at this 352 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 2: point where we're like, that doesn't feel sufficient. I kind of, 353 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,159 Speaker 2: I mean, stick to your guns on it. And with 354 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 2: the Midichlorians, I think you see a similar thing in that. 355 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: When the Star Wars sequels came about. There seem to 356 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 2: be this deliberate attempt to just sort of skip over 357 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 2: most of the prequel stuff just comment on the original trilogy. 358 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 2: And I didn't hate the sequels. I rather liked the 359 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 2: second one. But then you can see where the storytelling 360 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 2: is now in the Star Wars franchise, particularly with like 361 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 2: the Ahsoka A series and the Mandalorian and in some 362 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 2: of the animated shows, they've gone back and they're they're 363 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,880 Speaker 2: doing stuff with miny Chlorians again, while at the same time, 364 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,880 Speaker 2: to be clear, also building on things that were introduced 365 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 2: in the sequel trilogy, but bringing it all together and 366 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 2: kind of like sticking to it all, and it's all 367 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 2: really good, and fans seem to be digging it. So 368 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 2: I think, I don't know, there's a lesson in here 369 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 2: somewhere about, you know, sticking to your guns, on your 370 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 2: weird choices and like go with it, like make it 371 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 2: work in the long term. 372 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 3: I think they should have stuck with their guns. Yes, 373 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 3: it's funny, yeah, whatever, I mean. I say to the 374 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,640 Speaker 3: Highlander fans in question, you got what you asked for, 375 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 3: and maybe you didn't like it, but I like it. 376 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 3: I like the planet Zeist let me have that. 377 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 2: Because real quick, one of the things that they did 378 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 2: do with Highlander is they came back and made a 379 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,679 Speaker 2: third Highlander movie that was like, okay, we ignored the 380 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 2: sequel completely. Yeah, and then and then we have the 381 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,439 Speaker 2: TV series. And I remember rather liking various episodes of 382 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 2: the TV series various reasons, like they often were in 383 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 2: a much more limited scope in the story like tell 384 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: a story that takes place in the past and in 385 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 2: the present concerning an immortal character, tended to work. Often 386 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 2: had some nice guest stars, but for the most part, 387 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 2: like the Highlander film franchise has not gone anywhere great 388 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 2: since they since they cowardly gave in to the Highlander 389 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 2: two criticism. 390 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 3: Right, So the director's cut slash renegade version of the 391 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 3: movie does away with this, removes all references to the 392 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 3: planet Zeist, removes all references to the immortals being aliens. 393 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 3: Also apparently removes all references to the Quickening. I don't 394 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 3: know why, it's that's some of the funniest stuff in 395 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 3: the movie, come on, But I guess the deal is 396 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 3: the Highlander fans, many of them, did not want the 397 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 3: movie to be funny, Like they didn't want anything that 398 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 3: might seem silly or you like, or out of continuity 399 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 3: with the rest of the series, which I get. Okay, 400 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 3: I guess I can partially understand that, But on the 401 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 3: other hand, I think that the removal of these elements 402 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 3: really SAPs the life from the film. The theatrical cut, 403 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 3: while quite silly, has this infectious, fun, crazy rhythm of 404 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 3: plot developments, these weird lines of dialogue and hilarious shots 405 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 3: in the first fifteen minutes. It's just amazing, and upsetting 406 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 3: that flow by making the movie less silly and less 407 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,920 Speaker 3: offensive to the continuity of the rest of the series 408 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 3: ultimately undercuts the flow of this movie as a movie, 409 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 3: and I just consider it a crime against art. 410 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know. I also fondly look back on Highlander 411 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 2: two in part because I think this was sort of 412 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 2: my first experience with Highlander. So I to be clear, 413 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 2: I did see Highlander one before I saw Highlander two, 414 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 2: but it was only because I vaguely remember seeing the 415 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 2: trailers for Highlander two and seeing like this scene with 416 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 2: flying apocalyptic bird dudes with swords and instantly being like, 417 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 2: I'm in I've got to see this. But I didn't 418 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 2: get to go to the theater to see it. So 419 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 2: I just had to go to the local video store 420 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 2: and rent a VHS copy of Highlander, and of course 421 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 2: that won me over. I mean, I think at the 422 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 2: time I was just getting into Queen. I was just 423 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 2: getting into dungeons and dragons. So you know, there was 424 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 2: plenty to love in Highlander one. 425 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 3: There clearly is, though I would say I would suspect 426 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 3: that would be a surprising experience because you see a 427 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:35,639 Speaker 3: trailer for Highlander two it's just full of like Blade 428 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 3: runnery sci fi weirdness, you know, porcupine headed guys flying 429 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 3: around on rocket boots with swords and all that, and 430 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 3: then you rent Highlander and you're like, where are the 431 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 3: rocket boots? There's nothing sci fi in it. 432 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 2: I vaguely remember being kind of maybe not disappointed, but 433 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 2: just kind of like, oh, I really thought there was 434 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 2: gonna be future stuff in this, and there's not. But 435 00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 2: it was still still amazing, and for various reasons, I think, 436 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 2: possibly because I didn't know it at the time, but 437 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 2: I had already been introduced to the work of this 438 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 2: director due to his work in music videos. 439 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 3: Oh he's got some really good music videos in the 440 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 3: wizard Bag here doesn't he but to come back to 441 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 3: the leap from Highlander one to Highlander two again for 442 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,719 Speaker 3: reasons related to difficulties with the production and all that, 443 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 3: and problems with the script. Yes, the movie is ridiculous 444 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 3: and it is silly, but I respect the choices. I 445 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 3: respect them going in a different direction with it. I 446 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 3: like the switch to sci fi. I think that's a 447 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 3: great idea, and it could have worked. It could have 448 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 3: been not just like a great bad movie. It could 449 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 3: have been a great good movie. You know, I realized 450 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 3: a little bit different. And so there's actually a quote 451 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 3: I came across that was in that video Watchdog article 452 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 3: from Russell Mulkahy, the director, and he's talking about these movies, 453 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 3: and he says, quote, all I can remember about the 454 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 3: original Highlander is lots of guys in various eras bashing 455 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 3: swords about That worked the first time, but Highlander two 456 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 3: has to transcend that with more originality and the ability 457 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,679 Speaker 3: to turn unknown corners. And you know what, that is 458 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 3: exactly what we got. There is more originality, It definitely 459 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 3: turns unknown corners and respect for trying. 460 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 2: I mean, that's the only way to do a sequel 461 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 2: to a movie that wrapped everything up, you know, And 462 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 2: I think it really isn't that all an unexpected direction 463 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 2: to go in, because I want to point to two things. 464 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 2: First of all, again, the first movie ends with our 465 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 2: man becoming prince of the Earth with psychic powers, and 466 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 2: you know he's going to start bringing people together. He's 467 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 2: like a messiah figure. And the Queen song, and I 468 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 2: do believe that all of the Queen songs on the 469 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 2: soundtrack for Highland or are canon and ARKEI to understanding 470 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 2: the film, we have those lyrics here. We are born 471 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 2: to be kings, We're the princes of the universe. So 472 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 2: Highlander two is the natural extrapolation of those lyrics. Well said, 473 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 2: all right, do you have an l vator pitch? Is 474 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,480 Speaker 2: an elevator pitch even necessary? At this point? 475 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 3: I got one for you. Okay. So the formerly immortal 476 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 3: head chopper Connor McLeod is now mortal because he has 477 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 3: chopped all the other immortals and now he is old. 478 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 3: An ancient enemy from another planet sends more immortals to Earth, 479 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 3: thus making Connor young and strapping again. For some reason, 480 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 3: Connor must fight this ancient enemy, who, for some reason 481 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 3: also comes to Earth himself. He must also destroy a 482 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 3: geoengineering project that he invented decades before because it sucks 483 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 3: and is no longer necessary. Also, various people travel across 484 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 3: space and time and come back from the dead and 485 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 3: experience the year twenty twenty four? Can I get that 486 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 3: in a robot voice? 487 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 2: The year twenty twenty four? All right, let's go ahead 488 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 2: and have a taste of that original theatrical trailer for 489 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 2: Highlander two, The Quickening. 490 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 5: Greeting Chilada, Let's have some fun. 491 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 4: In all, there's centuries on Earth. Nothing could have prepared 492 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 4: them for the Quickening. Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Highlander two, 493 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 4: The Quickening. 494 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 2: All right, Now, normally this is where we tell you 495 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:55,400 Speaker 2: exactly where to go see it, but as we've already discussed, 496 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 2: it's it's a bit difficult. In terms of the original 497 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 2: theatrical We had to depend on YouTube for it, and 498 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 2: I think in the past we had to depend on 499 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 2: a VHS tape. I know that's how I originally saw it. 500 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 3: I've got the VHS tape of Islander too, the Quickening, 501 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:17,120 Speaker 3: so I have the means to view the correct cut myself. 502 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,360 Speaker 3: If I had a functioning VCR right now. 503 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 2: And there are tons of There are various threads online 504 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 2: with people discussing the different cuts where to find them. 505 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 2: I'm to understand that the French DVD is mostly the 506 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:33,400 Speaker 2: z Ice cut. There was also recently some excitement over 507 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 2: the fact that a British Amazon Prime stream of the 508 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 2: film appeared to be and I'm not certain on this 509 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 2: either the z Ice cut, the theatrical cut, or something close 510 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 2: to it fitting the UK audience. 511 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 3: I think it is so looking at that you can 512 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 3: only judge by like the run times, unless you're actually 513 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 3: going to watch the whole thing. But I think that 514 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 3: version on Amazon was the British cut, which is different 515 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 3: than what we're calling the Ice cut, but does also 516 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 3: have Zeis. Don't take out Zeis. That's the renegade cut 517 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 3: that does that, But the British cut adds in the 518 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 3: x it re edits. The film, adds in the extra 519 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 3: stuff about Connor's wife dying in the past, adds in 520 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 3: a few other character moments, and has the so called 521 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 3: fairy tale ending where Connor MacLeod and Virginia Madsen fly 522 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 3: away into space and go to the planet Zeist. 523 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 2: There are also plenty of fan edits with people putting 524 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 2: together recutting the film to create like the ultimate Zeist 525 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 2: cut and so forth. I saw one person who apparently 526 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 2: had put together a queen cut where and kudos to 527 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 2: this individual, because I very much agree there is not 528 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 2: enough queen music in this movie, and this person felt 529 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 2: the same, so they added queen music to it. So 530 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 2: there's a lot of stuff like that. I can't speak 531 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 2: to its actual quality because I haven't looked at it. 532 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 2: In My advice would be kind of weird on this 533 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:55,719 Speaker 2: because not everyone needs to see this movie more than 534 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 2: once to scratch that itch, but you would all think 535 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 2: you might need to, or you have any nostalgia for 536 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 2: the film. I would recommend like rewatching the theatrical cut 537 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 2: in whatever quality you can get, and it's not going 538 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 2: to be great, and then potentially grab that renegade cut 539 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 2: to rewatch your favorite scenes or particular scenes in a 540 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 2: superior picture quality, because as we'll discuss, like, there are 541 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 2: plenty of scenes in this film that look amazing. There's 542 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 2: some great sets, great costume, and great lighting, and it 543 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,959 Speaker 2: is a shame that we can't watch that theatrical cut 544 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 2: with the best possible picture quality. 545 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 3: It's funny how some of the best looking stuff in 546 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 3: the movie is kind of incidental to the story, like 547 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 3: the opera scene where Connor goes and watches Wagner Is. 548 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 3: The sets on the set within the movie are amazing. 549 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 3: They look really cool, and the opera house is beautiful, 550 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 3: and there are some of like there are clearly lots 551 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 3: of indoor sets of streets that they created for Life 552 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 3: under the Shield where they're in a sound stage where 553 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 3: they were shooting in Argentina, and there's like eats with 554 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 3: storefronts and all that that are. You could argue about 555 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 3: how effective they are as sets like that. They're they 556 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 3: look they're very dimly lit, so you don't see a 557 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 3: lot of detail, but they do create I think the 558 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 3: right kind of moody atmosphere that the movie was going for. 559 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 3: There are other sets that feel a little more confusing 560 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,479 Speaker 3: because it's like you'll be on the planet Zeist, but 561 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 3: you appear to be in like an office. 562 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, or that's there's that dungeon scene where General 563 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 2: Katana strangles. 564 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 3: An eel and that's what I was thinking of. 565 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, oh was that in an office? 566 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 3: I don't know what that room is. 567 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 2: Whatever it was, it felt suitably alien and that's one 568 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,719 Speaker 2: that I had to go back and watch again on 569 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 2: the renegade cut just to see all those like all 570 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 2: that glorious glistening, you know, blackness in a superior picture quality. 571 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 3: Oh, in all the executives' offices in the Shield Corporation buildings. Yes, 572 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 3: it'd be way too dark to read in this room. 573 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 3: I don't know why anybody would work in there, Like 574 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 3: just super dark rooms with like the only light source 575 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:05,080 Speaker 3: being a window through which moonlight is shining and there 576 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 3: are giant fan blades cutting in front of it constantly, 577 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 3: so it's just like an intermittent light source. 578 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, Russell McKay likes his fan blades. There's more than 579 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 2: There are at least two major scenes in this that 580 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 2: have big, big rotating fan blades. All right, well, since 581 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 2: we're already talking about him, Yeah, let's get into the 582 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 2: connections here, starting with the director. Russell McKay born nineteen 583 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 2: fifty three, Australian director who initially made his name directing 584 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 2: some of the and most and I'm not over I'm 585 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 2: not exaggerating here, some of the most iconic music videos 586 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 2: of the nineteen eighties, like if you were watching MTV 587 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 2: and then later VH one. During the eighties and nineties, 588 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 2: you saw so much of this band's work. I'm talking 589 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 2: some of the weirdest, most stylish examples of music video artistry, 590 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 2: such as Duran Durand's Wild Boys amazing track, amazing video. 591 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:07,479 Speaker 2: This is the one that has post apocalyptic windmills, you know, 592 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 2: Simon Labon strapped to one of them, and like strange 593 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 2: tribes of lads running around and android heads and so forth. 594 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 3: Almost seems an inspiration for the war Boys in Mad 595 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 3: Max Fury Road. 596 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 4: Yeah. 597 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, similar vibes, and there are a number of direct 598 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 2: connections between Wild Boys and Hilander two. Another big one, 599 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 2: super weird, super stylish Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart. 600 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 2: I defy you to follow the plot of that music video, 601 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 2: but it's so gorgeous to watch. 602 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 3: You might not understand it, but you will feel it. 603 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, don't forget nineteen seventy nine's video Killed the Radio Star, 604 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 2: the first music video ever played on MTV. And I 605 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 2: didn't realize this until I was just researching it yesterday, 606 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 2: But Hans Zimmer is in that music video. He's playing 607 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 2: the keyboard. Huh yeah, yeah, Ida Hans Zimmer of of 608 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 2: Doune Fame and so many other films. So Russell McKay plenty, 609 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:06,959 Speaker 2: I'm not even I'm barely scratching the surface on all 610 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 2: the artists that he worked with, some of the biggest 611 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 2: music artists of the day. His first film, however, was 612 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 2: the nineteen eighty four Australian killer pig movie Razorback. 613 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 3: I've seen this one. Did you watch this rope? 614 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 2: I have not seen Razorback. 615 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 3: Razorback. I sort of hesitate to recommend it just because 616 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 3: it is texturally gross, Like it's a cross between Jaws, 617 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 3: but with a pig instead of a shark, and an 618 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 3: Australian version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So you're dealing 619 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:41,479 Speaker 3: with just like disgusting sort of outback hillbillies who work 620 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,560 Speaker 3: in a dog food factory, and so there's like gross 621 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 3: gore stuff at the dog food factory, you know that 622 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 3: TCM kind of kind of slop. But also I remember 623 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 3: some elements of the movie, apart from just the general grossness, 624 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,400 Speaker 3: being really compellingly funny. 625 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,800 Speaker 2: I mean, there is often a sense of humor sprinkled 626 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 2: in there somewhere. 627 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, all right. 628 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 2: So anyway, he followed up razorback with Highlander in eighty six, 629 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 2: and he's continuing to do like high end music videos 630 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 2: the whole time, and then follows Highlander up in nineteen 631 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 2: ninety one with its sequel Highlander two. Now afterwards, Okay 632 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:21,800 Speaker 2: continued to direct TV in film through pretty much today. 633 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 2: His most recent credit was twenty twenty three's teen Wolf, 634 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 2: the movie spinning off from the TV series Teen Wolf 635 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,320 Speaker 2: that he directed forty episodes of. So he's remained highly 636 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 2: prolific and I've read no indication that he's done. Other 637 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 2: credits of note include nineteen ninety four as the Shadow. 638 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,759 Speaker 3: Oh is that the one with Alec Baldwin as the 639 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 3: Shadow YEP? 640 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,719 Speaker 2: That's it, which I haven't seen since the since it 641 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:49,240 Speaker 2: came out, I remember it being I remember finding it enthralling, 642 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 2: but also kind of lackluster in some respects. So I 643 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,320 Speaker 2: don't know, I haven't revisited it. He did four episodes 644 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,319 Speaker 2: of Tales from the Crypt, including the excellent People Who 645 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 2: Live in Brass Versus, starring Bill Paxton, Brad Dorif, and 646 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 2: Michael Lerner. You know, it's it's pretty much your standard 647 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,320 Speaker 2: Tales from the Crypt in many ways, you know, awful 648 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 2: things happen to awful people. But with a cast like 649 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 2: that and with a solid director, you're good to go. 650 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 2: He also did the nineteen ninety nine seven inspired This 651 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 2: is the Movie seven, often with the numeral seven in 652 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:24,439 Speaker 2: the middle, so I guess you could technically pronounce it 653 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:31,799 Speaker 2: seven seven inspired Resurrection. This starred Christoph Limbert and also 654 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 2: featured David Cronenberg in a small role. 655 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 3: I always love it when he shows up in the cast. 656 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:36,839 Speaker 4: Yeah. 657 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, this was a kind of again very seventy of 658 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:43,760 Speaker 2: kind of a flick, you know, had that kind of grungey, grimey, 659 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 2: semi sort of ninety sleazy quality to it about a 660 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 2: serial murder trying to build a body for the second 661 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 2: coming of Christ. 662 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 3: Oh, okay, cool, Yeah, it sounds about right for a 663 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:56,800 Speaker 3: movie inspired by seven then. 664 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh, and then you know. He also did two 665 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:04,240 Speaker 2: thousand and seven's Resident Evil Extinction, which I haven't watched 666 00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,120 Speaker 2: in full. I think I started watching at one point 667 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:09,279 Speaker 2: and didn't finish it, but I will say that it 668 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 2: is easily the most visually appealing of the Resident Evil films. 669 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 3: I tried one or two of the Resident Evil movies 670 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 3: and I never could get into them. I've liked a 671 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 3: couple of the games, though, I feel like the games 672 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 3: really feel like they would adapt well into movies and 673 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 3: it just doesn't translate for some reason. 674 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I really enjoyed the most recent Resident Evil game. 675 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 3: Now, this is in no way a knock on Russell 676 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 3: Mulkahee at all, but in thinking about his relationship to 677 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 3: the creative material here, it feels significant and correct to 678 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 3: me that he did not, like write the script for 679 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,320 Speaker 3: Highlander or Highlander two. This is not like his story, 680 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 3: his narrative, passion project that he's bringing to the screen. 681 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:53,720 Speaker 3: He is a professional director and he's realizing a story 682 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 3: that came from somewhere else. Does that feel right to you? 683 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:56,719 Speaker 4: Yeah? 684 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I believe so. I mean it varies from director 685 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:04,360 Speaker 2: to director, I mean exactly how much they are ultimately 686 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:10,320 Speaker 2: impacting or influencing the shape of the story and characterizations 687 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 2: on screen. But yeah, he does not have a writing 688 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 2: credit on this film or the first film, no official 689 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 2: writing credit anyway. 690 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 3: Though clearly does have creative influence and has some sense 691 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 3: of ownership over the creative direction. Because again, as we 692 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 3: saw on that quote he said earlier like he felt 693 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:28,760 Speaker 3: like Highlander two had to go in a different direction, 694 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,239 Speaker 3: had to turn those unknown corners. 695 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so let's talk about the folks who are credited 696 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:39,000 Speaker 2: on Highlander two and its kind of telling. So, first 697 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:42,160 Speaker 2: of all, we have a character credit for Gregory Widen 698 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 2: born nineteen fifty eight. This is the American screenwriter who 699 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 2: wrote the screenplay for the original Highlander, initially as a 700 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 2: class assignment in the writing program at UCLA. So basically 701 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 2: the idea is, you know, he wrote it for class, 702 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,800 Speaker 2: his instructors and other folks encouraged him on the project 703 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,839 Speaker 2: and said, hey, you should fix us up a bet 704 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 2: and start submitting it places, and so eventually it salve 705 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:10,840 Speaker 2: the light of day with some other writers involved as Highlander. 706 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,280 Speaker 2: Subsequent credits included nineteen ninety one's Backdraft, nineteen ninety five's 707 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 2: The Prophecy, This is the Angel movie with Christopher Walkin 708 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 2: in it, which I'm very tempted to revisit on Weird House. 709 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 2: And yeah, he also directed that one, and he also 710 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,160 Speaker 2: wrote twenty seventeen's Other Life. 711 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 3: You know, thinking about him writing both Highlander and The Prophecy, 712 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,640 Speaker 3: it seems that he's got an attraction to the idea 713 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:42,840 Speaker 3: of these outsider beings who have special powers and knowledge 714 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,440 Speaker 3: but sort of are limited in their interactions with the 715 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 3: human world and must sort of wander among us. And 716 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,040 Speaker 3: I don't know, exploring themes of alienation in some way, 717 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 3: people living among us with like special abilities and special 718 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:58,399 Speaker 3: destiny but not really being able to be a part 719 00:39:58,400 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 3: of us. 720 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, so, And there are a number of things 721 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:06,400 Speaker 2: you can compare on the Prophecy films and the Highlander franchise, 722 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:09,319 Speaker 2: you know, right down to if I remember correctly, you 723 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:11,839 Speaker 2: have to kill the angels in a special way. They 724 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 2: only dive to, like rip their heart out or something. 725 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:15,359 Speaker 2: It's been a while, could have that wrong. 726 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know. I like how he got to 727 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:21,040 Speaker 3: do a movie with both Christoph Lambert and Christoph Walcom. 728 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,760 Speaker 2: Now the story credit. One of the story credits here 729 00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 2: on Highlander two goes to Brian Clemens, who lived nineteen 730 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:33,360 Speaker 2: thirty one through twenty fifteen. British screenwriter and producer with 731 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,879 Speaker 2: credits going back to the late nineteen fifties. He did 732 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 2: a lot of great TV work, including thirty two episodes 733 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 2: of The Avengers. He also worked on a number of 734 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,880 Speaker 2: nineteen seventies horror films, including Robert Foists and Soon the 735 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,040 Speaker 2: Darkness in nineteen seventy see No Evil and the sex 736 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:52,560 Speaker 2: Flipping Doctor Jekyl and Sister Hide. Both of these last 737 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:55,320 Speaker 2: two were seventy one. He also worked on seventy threes, 738 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,240 Speaker 2: The Golden Voyage of Sindbad in nineteen seventy four's Captain 739 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 2: Cronos Vampire Hunter. We can also go ahead and throw 740 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:04,840 Speaker 2: in Walt Disney's nineteen eighty chiller Watcher in the Woods. 741 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:07,720 Speaker 2: So a very established name here, at least in TV 742 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:09,920 Speaker 2: and B cinema of the sixties and seventies. 743 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:12,000 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, a lot of good titles in there. 744 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 2: Man. 745 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 3: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is fun. 746 00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:16,720 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, absolutely, that's an all timer. 747 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:20,960 Speaker 3: That's got some really fantastic ray Harry Housen stop motion 748 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:21,880 Speaker 3: monsters in it. 749 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 2: All right. We also have William N. Panzer credited with 750 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 2: a story credit. He is also one of the producers, 751 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 2: So yes, we have a producer in the story credits here, 752 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:36,040 Speaker 2: which is sometimes something to give you pause. I'm not 753 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,880 Speaker 2: saying all producers that have story credits or writing credits 754 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 2: are overreaching, but I think at the very least you 755 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:45,080 Speaker 2: have to wonder if that is the case when you 756 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,360 Speaker 2: encounter it and This is certainly a film where there 757 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:51,640 Speaker 2: are stories about producers becoming involved and so forth in 758 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:52,320 Speaker 2: troubled production. 759 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, if you want to know more about the troubled production, 760 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 3: there's plenty you can read online about that. But famously 761 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 3: it was shot in our Gentina, I think for financial reasons, 762 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 3: and there was some various changing of hands of creative 763 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 3: control over the movie and what official what cut was 764 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:12,200 Speaker 3: eventually released. 765 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:15,720 Speaker 2: So Panzer I lived nineteen forty two through two thousand 766 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:18,360 Speaker 2: and seven. He was mostly a producer with hands and 767 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 2: everything Highlander, so like, he was definitely one of the 768 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:26,400 Speaker 2: helmsmen of the Highlander franchise, and he has story credits 769 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:30,400 Speaker 2: on the third film and the fourth film. In addition, 770 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:33,480 Speaker 2: his only other writing credit is for nineteen seventy nine Steel, 771 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,640 Speaker 2: which he also produced. And then finally on the writing 772 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:39,560 Speaker 2: side of things, we have Peter bell Wood on the screenplay. 773 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:43,160 Speaker 2: Bellwood also worked on the screenplay for Highlander, having previously 774 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 2: written on nineteen eighty's Phobia in nineteen eighty one's Saint Helen's. 775 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 3: Now, I think it's time we get into the cast 776 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:54,280 Speaker 3: because there are some wonderfully charming actors in this movie, 777 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:57,360 Speaker 3: even if they don't always seem like they really understand 778 00:42:57,400 --> 00:42:59,360 Speaker 3: what's supposed to be going on in the scene or not. 779 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:02,680 Speaker 3: But right at the top of the cast list here 780 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:05,719 Speaker 3: Highlander two as the same star as the original Highlander, 781 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:09,279 Speaker 3: which is Christoph Lambert as I've been calling him. That 782 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:11,879 Speaker 3: is the sort of the French pronunciation of his name. 783 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,279 Speaker 3: But it's okay if you call him Christopher Lambert. He 784 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:17,479 Speaker 3: said that in interviews he doesn't mind the American pronunciation either. 785 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:19,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's how I always thought it was 786 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:21,880 Speaker 2: pronouncing I was a kid. It's like a Christopher Lambert's 787 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:24,200 Speaker 2: great want to see more Christopher Lambert films. 788 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm sort of half joking when I call 789 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,359 Speaker 3: him Christoff Lambert, even though I guess that is what 790 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:29,360 Speaker 3: they call him at home. 791 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:37,239 Speaker 2: Yeah. So born nineteen fifty seven, actually us born technically 792 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 2: a French actor seen here playing a Scottish man whose 793 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 2: credits in French cinema go back to nineteen seventy nine, 794 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:48,400 Speaker 2: but his first big international break came with the Academy 795 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 2: Award winning nineteen eighty four Tarzan movie Gray Stoke, the 796 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 2: Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. This, of course, 797 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:57,439 Speaker 2: we previously mentioned this in our Dragon Slayer episode because 798 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 2: it co starred Sir Ralph Richardson, among other several among 799 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 2: several other. 800 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:03,279 Speaker 3: Big names, Ian Holmes in that too. 801 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:05,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's got a great cast. I've never seen it, 802 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:09,239 Speaker 2: but it was highly thought of, at least at the time. 803 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:12,200 Speaker 3: This is one of those caught parts of on TV 804 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:13,280 Speaker 3: back in the day. 805 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:16,600 Speaker 2: But it was apparently this role as Tarzan, you know, 806 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:20,280 Speaker 2: his unique look and I think ultimately his just natural 807 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,840 Speaker 2: ability to play this sort of outsider character, like a 808 00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:28,440 Speaker 2: charming like it's weird that he hasn't played a vampire, 809 00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:31,840 Speaker 2: right because all these things we're talking about with Christoph Lambert, 810 00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 2: these are the qualities of casting a great vampire as well, 811 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:38,440 Speaker 2: like slightly aloof, a little bit weird, but also very 812 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:41,640 Speaker 2: very handsome and charming and charismatic. 813 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 3: There's a very strange duality to Limbert and the way 814 00:44:45,520 --> 00:44:49,080 Speaker 3: he specifically in the way he plays the Connor McCloud role, 815 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:53,400 Speaker 3: which is that he alternates between being very kind of 816 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:57,320 Speaker 3: sad and do wide having this kind of you know, tearful, 817 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:03,280 Speaker 3: herbivorous sort of demeanor, shifting out of that into a 818 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:07,359 Speaker 3: a twinkle of the eye, wise cracking gunna guy who 819 00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:10,800 Speaker 3: just reacts to everything with a joke, saying like something 820 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:12,000 Speaker 3: like that, Oh. 821 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:16,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, his little laugh is wonderful, creepy, almost Peter Laurie 822 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:20,360 Speaker 2: esque laugh. Yes, I love it, you get it in 823 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:22,440 Speaker 2: most of his roles. And I think it's kind of 824 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:25,799 Speaker 2: key to like the energy of Lambert, because I feel 825 00:45:25,840 --> 00:45:29,839 Speaker 2: like everything he's in he feels at least slightly miscast, 826 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:32,719 Speaker 2: in part because he, like his co star here, is 827 00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 2: not exactly known for his chameleon li likeability to take 828 00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 2: on different accents and nationalities, and his performances. You know, 829 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:44,440 Speaker 2: he's always Christoph Lambert, always a bit weird, always feels 830 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:47,400 Speaker 2: a bit like an odd character actor who just somehow 831 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:49,600 Speaker 2: came out a little too handsome to play anything, but 832 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:54,319 Speaker 2: leads I like that, Yes, yeah, And like I said, 833 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:56,600 Speaker 2: I see this energy in most of the films that 834 00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:58,719 Speaker 2: come to mind, like just to name a few. Here, 835 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:01,840 Speaker 2: in nineteen eighty seven, The Sicilian, he plays an Italian 836 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:05,960 Speaker 2: mobster perfect. In nineteen ninety two's Night Moves that's spelled 837 00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:10,440 Speaker 2: like night Like an Armor, he plays a womanizing I 838 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:14,879 Speaker 2: think American chess master Oki Doki nineteen ninety five's Mortal 839 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 2: Kombat he plays a fictionalized, highly fictionalized Japanese thunder god. 840 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:21,120 Speaker 3: Wait, is he supposed to be a Japanese thunder god? 841 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:23,720 Speaker 3: He plays Raydon right? Is that rights in origin? 842 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:27,560 Speaker 2: Rayden is loosely related to an actual thunder deity in 843 00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:31,080 Speaker 2: Japanese mythology. But I didn't know that heavy emphasis on 844 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 2: the looseley here because we're talking about Mortal Kombat. 845 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:37,000 Speaker 3: I just assumed invented for the Mortal Kombat mythoughs. So, yeah, 846 00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:39,680 Speaker 3: a resident of outworld or maybe beyond out world. 847 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:41,000 Speaker 2: Oh, he's a god of Earth. 848 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:45,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, he's an Earth guy. Okay, I apologize, but he uh, 849 00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:49,600 Speaker 3: he's so Mortal Kombat. The nineteen nineties Mortal Kombat is 850 00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:51,799 Speaker 3: also really funny to go back and watch. I think 851 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:53,960 Speaker 3: maybe we could do that on Weird House one day. 852 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:59,600 Speaker 3: But Lambert and it is just perfect. He's like a 853 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:02,200 Speaker 3: he's got an attitude, you know, he's got that nineties 854 00:47:02,239 --> 00:47:04,839 Speaker 3: movie attitude. So like the bad guy comes and does 855 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,760 Speaker 3: something and he suddenly the camera cuts to him sitting 856 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:10,080 Speaker 3: there and he wags a finger and little like lightning 857 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:12,840 Speaker 3: bolts come out of it and he goes, heck, I don't. 858 00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:18,279 Speaker 2: Think so, let's see nineteen ninety nine's Beowolf as some 859 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:22,120 Speaker 2: sort of a futuristic Beowolf, a film that's a movie. 860 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:24,680 Speaker 2: I can never make it through this one because the 861 00:47:25,239 --> 00:47:29,640 Speaker 2: sort of like the futuristic, grungy aspect of it, like 862 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,960 Speaker 2: some sort of like futuristic medieval sci fi that always 863 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:35,120 Speaker 2: draws me in. And then I get to the part 864 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:38,440 Speaker 2: with the CGI and it's just like truly terrible CGI. 865 00:47:38,920 --> 00:47:41,839 Speaker 3: It's that it's the worst of that, like nineteen ninety 866 00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:44,920 Speaker 3: nine CGI. It's really bad. The Grendel monster, I recall, 867 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:51,800 Speaker 3: looks terrible. The Grendel's Yeah, it's it's it's very dark 868 00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:54,400 Speaker 3: and confusing, and nothing much happens in it from what 869 00:47:54,440 --> 00:47:55,839 Speaker 3: I recall. But it's been a long time. 870 00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, box art is promising, but it does not meet expectations. 871 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:02,160 Speaker 2: See in two thousand and one's Druids he plays a 872 00:48:02,239 --> 00:48:05,640 Speaker 2: golf and he also plays the President of the United 873 00:48:05,680 --> 00:48:10,920 Speaker 2: States in twenty thirteen's action Nosferatu spy movie Bloodshot. This 874 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:13,319 Speaker 2: one also has Brad dorifin it. I think we've looked 875 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:15,400 Speaker 2: at this one before but are not brave enough to 876 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:16,399 Speaker 2: actually check it out. 877 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:19,000 Speaker 3: Doesn't he play? Does he play like a film director? 878 00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:20,600 Speaker 3: Or something in Hail Caesar. 879 00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:23,480 Speaker 2: He does, Yeah, I mean there's some other yeah credits 880 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:27,600 Speaker 2: of Note twenty sixteen's Hail Caesar Cohen Brothers film. There's 881 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:32,520 Speaker 2: a two part sci fi franchise, Fortress that a lot 882 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:36,279 Speaker 2: of people like. Ninety two was the originally NATed A 883 00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 2: two thousand sequel, and then, of course, as we mentioned earlier, 884 00:48:38,640 --> 00:48:44,399 Speaker 2: he's in Resurrection playing the cop in this seven esque film. 885 00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:47,360 Speaker 3: I gotta see some more of these B movie outings 886 00:48:47,640 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 3: by Lambert, so I let's see. I don't know if 887 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:53,000 Speaker 3: I could try to watch the Beowulf again. Druids is 888 00:48:53,040 --> 00:48:54,360 Speaker 3: more of like a historical drama. 889 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:56,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't, And I don't have a good read 890 00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:59,120 Speaker 2: on that one. If it's at all fun or indeed great, 891 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:02,000 Speaker 2: I just don't know much about it. And Bloodshot, ooh, 892 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:03,279 Speaker 2: I don't know. I'm just not. I don't know if 893 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:05,279 Speaker 2: I'm it's got to be a special. We have not 894 00:49:05,440 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 2: watched a film from the twenty teams the Weird House, 895 00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 2: and I think there are reasons for that. I don't 896 00:49:11,600 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 2: think Bloodshot is going to be our first selection from 897 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:14,520 Speaker 2: that decade. 898 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:19,400 Speaker 3: Okay, well, anyway, My short review on Lambert in Highlander 899 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:24,600 Speaker 3: two is he has some surprisingly poignant moments of acting 900 00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:27,359 Speaker 3: that don't really fit in with how hilarious the rest 901 00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:29,759 Speaker 3: of the movie is like, But there are moments where 902 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,640 Speaker 3: you really get that dough eyed sadness coming through. You 903 00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:36,400 Speaker 3: feel for him, You feel the pain of his immortality 904 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 3: and now the immortality being lost, that he's just sort 905 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:44,040 Speaker 3: of decaying physically while being emotionally alone, and it really 906 00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:47,000 Speaker 3: is kind of sad. But also he does the wise 907 00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:52,840 Speaker 3: cracking attitude, raid and things, saying little like ridiculous one liners. 908 00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:55,200 Speaker 3: You can't believe the lines he says. 909 00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:58,120 Speaker 2: Oh, everybody, all the immortals in this film are just 910 00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:00,520 Speaker 2: here for a good time and just cutting up. Crazy. 911 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:05,719 Speaker 2: General Katana has all sorts of laughs. The assassins, the 912 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:10,080 Speaker 2: bird guys also are real cutups. Yeah, there's just there's 913 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:10,960 Speaker 2: really too much of it. 914 00:50:11,360 --> 00:50:13,840 Speaker 3: Oh and of course, how lest we forget one of 915 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:16,160 Speaker 3: the greatest of the wise crackers, Ramirez. 916 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:19,239 Speaker 2: That's right, played by the great Sean Connery who lived 917 00:50:19,320 --> 00:50:25,520 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty through twenty twenty, legendary Scottish actor. Obviously, there's 918 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:28,960 Speaker 2: a lot to discuss with Sean Connery's career, very long career. 919 00:50:29,640 --> 00:50:31,160 Speaker 2: You know, one of one of the most famous actors 920 00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:33,680 Speaker 2: of his generation. But I will say there was an 921 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:36,839 Speaker 2: old Mystery Science Theater three thousand sketch that had Mike 922 00:50:36,920 --> 00:50:39,960 Speaker 2: and the Bots plot the careers of Sean Connery and 923 00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:43,680 Speaker 2: his brother Neil Connery in response to the nineteen sixty 924 00:50:43,719 --> 00:50:48,400 Speaker 2: seven Italian bond ripoff ok Connery aka Operation Kid Brother 925 00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:51,160 Speaker 2: that they were watching on the show. So they have 926 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:52,960 Speaker 2: like the line grafts of the ups and downs of 927 00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:57,520 Speaker 2: their careers. And the big gag was that Highlander two 928 00:50:57,640 --> 00:51:01,240 Speaker 2: is the only point at which Shawn's career trajectory dips 929 00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 2: below Nils. And I think you know, I was looking 930 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:08,320 Speaker 2: at Sean Connery's filmography in full here and you can 931 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:10,680 Speaker 2: kind of look at it in terms of pre and 932 00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:13,920 Speaker 2: post Highlander two. Though to be fair, it's a very 933 00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:16,240 Speaker 2: long career with various shifts and changes. 934 00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:19,680 Speaker 3: I have seen him in movies that I enjoy far, 935 00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:22,960 Speaker 3: far less than I enjoy Highlander two. He's the like 936 00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:25,640 Speaker 3: get second Billing is the voice of the dragon in 937 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:28,759 Speaker 3: Dragonhart to the movie that I was getting confused with 938 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,799 Speaker 3: Dragon Slayer when we were doing Dragon Slayer on the show. 939 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,560 Speaker 3: I saw that in the theater as a kid, I mean, 940 00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:37,160 Speaker 3: I haven't seen it recently, but I recall that being 941 00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:41,000 Speaker 3: just a mess and Highlander two is so much a 942 00:51:41,239 --> 00:51:44,000 Speaker 3: much better use of your time than watching Dragonheart. 943 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:46,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. Dragonhart was a ninety six film that was post 944 00:51:46,760 --> 00:51:49,120 Speaker 2: Highlander two, And indeed, you look at some of the 945 00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:52,120 Speaker 2: other post Highlander two films and then include, well, there 946 00:51:52,160 --> 00:51:54,120 Speaker 2: was Robin Hood Prince with Thieves the same year. He 947 00:51:54,160 --> 00:51:56,359 Speaker 2: has an uncredited cameo in that. But then it's stuff 948 00:51:56,520 --> 00:52:00,120 Speaker 2: like ninety two's Medicine Man, ninety three's Rising Sun, his 949 00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:04,480 Speaker 2: First Night, The Rock in ninety six, The Avengers in 950 00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:07,879 Speaker 2: ninety nine, and I'm sorry, The Avengers in ninety eight, 951 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:11,240 Speaker 2: and Trapman in ninety nine, Finding Forrester in two thousand 952 00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:14,120 Speaker 2: and then finally two thousand and threes, The Leave Extraordinary, gentlemen, 953 00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:16,680 Speaker 2: And we don't have to talk about twenty twelve, Sir Billy, 954 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:20,040 Speaker 2: that was his final vocal performance. 955 00:52:20,840 --> 00:52:24,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, that nineties to early two thousands Connery arc is 956 00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:24,840 Speaker 3: a little rough. 957 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:27,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, So not to say that there weren't entertaining or 958 00:52:27,719 --> 00:52:30,840 Speaker 2: even great films. I mean, Finding Forrester got a lot 959 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:33,880 Speaker 2: of great reviews at the time, but does anyone The 960 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:36,279 Speaker 2: Rock is really fun The Rock is fun. But does 961 00:52:36,320 --> 00:52:40,400 Speaker 2: anyone consider these great Connery films. I don't know that 962 00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:44,960 Speaker 2: they do. Meanwhile, just looking at his pre Highlander two films, 963 00:52:44,960 --> 00:52:47,880 Speaker 2: going back no further than nineteen eighty there's a lot 964 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:51,040 Speaker 2: of great stuff in there. There's nineteen eighty one's Outland, 965 00:52:51,239 --> 00:52:54,440 Speaker 2: the sci fi western, There's Time Bandits from the same year. 966 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:57,560 Speaker 2: There's eighty seven's The Untouchables, eighty nine's Indiana Jenes and 967 00:52:57,600 --> 00:53:00,279 Speaker 2: The Last Crusade nineteen nineties. The Hunt for Rock Red 968 00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:04,520 Speaker 2: October in nineteen eighty six is alone pretty impressive because 969 00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:09,520 Speaker 2: you have Connery playing both the dashing mentor Ramires, who 970 00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:11,719 Speaker 2: I think, if I'm using the term correctly, is like 971 00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:16,560 Speaker 2: in pure Zaddy mode in Highlander one, so you have 972 00:53:16,719 --> 00:53:18,880 Speaker 2: you have that role as a mentor. But then at 973 00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:21,879 Speaker 2: the same year he's playing Sir William of Baskerville in 974 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:24,560 Speaker 2: the Name of the Rose, and I think these are 975 00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:28,239 Speaker 2: both peak you know, and he also rather different performances 976 00:53:28,239 --> 00:53:29,120 Speaker 2: from Sean Connery. 977 00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:31,640 Speaker 3: It is hard to believe he made Highland or two 978 00:53:31,719 --> 00:53:34,239 Speaker 3: the year after he made The Hunt for Red October. 979 00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:37,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I haven't seen The Hunt for October in 980 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:39,560 Speaker 2: a while, but I have a friend who just very 981 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:43,279 Speaker 2: recently was just insisting that it is. It's really really good, 982 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:44,879 Speaker 2: and you know. 983 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:48,920 Speaker 3: It's like the military thriller is not really my genre 984 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:50,920 Speaker 3: of choice, but I got to give it credit, like 985 00:53:51,040 --> 00:53:53,800 Speaker 3: as an example of that genre. I think it's top notch. 986 00:53:54,000 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, Well, anyway, I think Sean Connery may come 987 00:53:57,640 --> 00:53:59,400 Speaker 2: up again on Weird House Cinema at some point in 988 00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:01,759 Speaker 2: the future. So we're gonna leave the rest of his 989 00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:04,799 Speaker 2: filmography for later, but suffice to say that his pre 990 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:08,120 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty filmography is perhaps best known for his defining 991 00:54:08,120 --> 00:54:11,680 Speaker 2: performances as James Bond, but even then there's still a 992 00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:14,920 Speaker 2: lot of weirder and more daring work sprinkled throughout that 993 00:54:15,040 --> 00:54:18,000 Speaker 2: time period. You know, like he was playing Bond, but 994 00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:21,160 Speaker 2: he was also at times trying some really weird things. 995 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:24,719 Speaker 2: Not everything worked. There's some strange choices in there as well. 996 00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:36,440 Speaker 2: Going through the rest of the cast here of note, 997 00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:40,839 Speaker 2: Virginia Madsen is in it playing Louise Marcus. She's our 998 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:46,120 Speaker 2: environmental terrorist slash love interest for Connor. Born nineteen sixty one. 999 00:54:46,160 --> 00:54:49,800 Speaker 2: We recently talked about her because she is Princess Roulan 1000 00:54:49,920 --> 00:54:53,920 Speaker 2: from David Lynch's doune Oscar nominated actress for two thousand 1001 00:54:53,920 --> 00:54:56,680 Speaker 2: and five Sideways, whose credits also include nineteen ninety two 1002 00:54:56,719 --> 00:55:00,680 Speaker 2: S Candy Man, nineteen ninety five's The Prophecy to be 1003 00:55:00,719 --> 00:55:03,480 Speaker 2: Sure Not the Mutant Bear One, and in various TV 1004 00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:04,359 Speaker 2: projects as well. 1005 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:08,400 Speaker 3: I think her relationship with Connor MacLeod in this movie 1006 00:55:08,440 --> 00:55:12,520 Speaker 3: is one of the most unearned romances in all of 1007 00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:16,359 Speaker 3: movie history. They literally just they don't know each other. 1008 00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:19,279 Speaker 3: They just meet and like get into a fight with 1009 00:55:19,320 --> 00:55:22,160 Speaker 3: some aliens who fly in from out of nowhere, and 1010 00:55:22,280 --> 00:55:25,520 Speaker 3: within moments they are kissing. It is unbelievable. 1011 00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:29,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is ridiculous. So this is, as is often 1012 00:55:29,239 --> 00:55:31,799 Speaker 2: the case with films like this, not a great showcase 1013 00:55:31,840 --> 00:55:34,440 Speaker 2: for her talents. But she is as good as you 1014 00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:35,759 Speaker 2: might expect in this role. 1015 00:55:36,239 --> 00:55:39,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, Virginia Madison is a great actress, and she brings 1016 00:55:39,280 --> 00:55:41,960 Speaker 3: a levity to this role. And like there's even a 1017 00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:44,920 Speaker 3: part where she's quite literally just a scene where she 1018 00:55:45,160 --> 00:55:49,600 Speaker 3: is explaining back the premise of the movie to Christuff 1019 00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:54,040 Speaker 3: Lambert in his apartment and commenting on the fact that 1020 00:55:54,080 --> 00:55:57,240 Speaker 3: it doesn't make any sense. Yeah, and he just replies 1021 00:55:57,280 --> 00:55:59,760 Speaker 3: by quoting the name of a queen song that's mentioned 1022 00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:02,040 Speaker 3: for or five times in the movie. He's like, it's 1023 00:56:02,160 --> 00:56:03,400 Speaker 3: just kind of magic. 1024 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:07,319 Speaker 2: It's a great song. It's a great song. 1025 00:56:07,520 --> 00:56:09,680 Speaker 3: H But yeah, So in a way, she's sort of 1026 00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:13,719 Speaker 3: like the regular the observer character who's like looking on 1027 00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:16,879 Speaker 3: this with the audience and being like, what what are 1028 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:20,399 Speaker 3: you saying? Here? They come here and now you're immortal again. 1029 00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 3: But if you chop their heads off, you become mortal. Okay. 1030 00:56:23,360 --> 00:56:26,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, Without her everything makes even less sense because there's 1031 00:56:26,360 --> 00:56:28,520 Speaker 2: no one to explain it to. All Right, So when 1032 00:56:28,520 --> 00:56:31,080 Speaker 2: it comes to villains, how do you top Clancy Brown 1033 00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:34,520 Speaker 2: as the Kuragan for to shear over the top evilness? 1034 00:56:34,800 --> 00:56:37,239 Speaker 2: I would argue that you don't. But what you can 1035 00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:42,040 Speaker 2: do is cast Michael ironside and let him absolutely dial 1036 00:56:42,200 --> 00:56:44,280 Speaker 2: everything he does up to eleven. 1037 00:56:45,200 --> 00:56:48,440 Speaker 3: Rob I am offended. How dare you say eleven? He 1038 00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:53,040 Speaker 3: is at twenty six? There is not a single line 1039 00:56:53,120 --> 00:56:55,640 Speaker 3: he says in this movie where you don't see his teeth. 1040 00:56:56,400 --> 00:57:01,880 Speaker 3: He's just like and it's all like he's in full 1041 00:57:01,960 --> 00:57:02,720 Speaker 3: clown mode. 1042 00:57:03,120 --> 00:57:03,319 Speaker 4: Yeah. 1043 00:57:03,360 --> 00:57:08,200 Speaker 2: I've seen interview snippets from him where he was like, yeah, 1044 00:57:08,680 --> 00:57:11,239 Speaker 2: didn't like the script, nobody liked the script, but you know, 1045 00:57:11,320 --> 00:57:13,440 Speaker 2: I was going to make sure that I was the 1046 00:57:13,480 --> 00:57:15,799 Speaker 2: most memorable part of any scene I was in, you know, 1047 00:57:16,240 --> 00:57:18,320 Speaker 2: And you got to admire that, you know, someone who's like, 1048 00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:20,840 Speaker 2: they're not going to phone it in, they are going 1049 00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:25,080 Speaker 2: to make sure that they are just delivering it completely 1050 00:57:25,080 --> 00:57:29,640 Speaker 2: gift wrapped to you the full Michael Ironside experience. Now, 1051 00:57:29,640 --> 00:57:32,680 Speaker 2: we previously discussed Ironside in our episode on nineteen eighty 1052 00:57:32,680 --> 00:57:36,480 Speaker 2: one Scanners, in which he played the rogue scanner Darryl Revick, 1053 00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:40,280 Speaker 2: and that's the film that helped propel him into villain 1054 00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:44,240 Speaker 2: roles like this one, like Total Recall and so forth. 1055 00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:46,920 Speaker 2: I think he's, without a doubt, one of the best 1056 00:57:46,960 --> 00:57:50,200 Speaker 2: heavies of all time and certainly of this time period. 1057 00:57:50,240 --> 00:57:52,000 Speaker 2: Like this is the type of villain role that he 1058 00:57:52,040 --> 00:57:53,440 Speaker 2: could just absolutely inhabit. 1059 00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:57,560 Speaker 3: He is an all time movie villain. Got love Michael Ironside. 1060 00:57:57,560 --> 00:58:00,200 Speaker 3: Gotta love the menace he brings, and I love how 1061 00:58:00,240 --> 00:58:04,320 Speaker 3: in all of his movies from this period he plays 1062 00:58:04,360 --> 00:58:06,520 Speaker 3: a character whose name could be the name of a 1063 00:58:06,600 --> 00:58:12,000 Speaker 3: knife company. So he's always He's Richter, he's Katana, he's 1064 00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:14,720 Speaker 3: revoc like all the names that have like these hard 1065 00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:17,200 Speaker 3: angles in them and suggest cutting. 1066 00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:21,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean even his actual name Ironside, Yeah, yeah, 1067 00:58:22,080 --> 00:58:25,320 Speaker 2: could be a knife company, but yeah, and certainly his 1068 00:58:25,400 --> 00:58:29,440 Speaker 2: performance is cut. He's always a treat in anything he's in. 1069 00:58:29,480 --> 00:58:31,640 Speaker 2: And there are a number of other iron Side films 1070 00:58:31,640 --> 00:58:33,680 Speaker 2: on the sort of waiting list for weird house cinema 1071 00:58:33,720 --> 00:58:36,560 Speaker 2: that we'll have to get to, all right. A couple 1072 00:58:36,560 --> 00:58:39,280 Speaker 2: of other actors worth mentioning in passing here at least. 1073 00:58:39,400 --> 00:58:41,640 Speaker 2: Alan Rich plays the character name in this is one 1074 00:58:41,640 --> 00:58:45,520 Speaker 2: of the scientists of the Shield Corporation m He lived 1075 00:58:45,560 --> 00:58:48,240 Speaker 2: nineteen twenty six through twenty twenty character actor, with credit 1076 00:58:48,280 --> 00:58:52,680 Speaker 2: stretching from nineteen fifty three till twenty fourteen. His roles 1077 00:58:52,680 --> 00:58:56,280 Speaker 2: include roles in such films as seventy three, Cerpico, ninety 1078 00:58:56,280 --> 00:58:59,840 Speaker 2: four's Disclosure, and Quiz Show. He also did a little 1079 00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:02,440 Speaker 2: I think mostly like some short film projects. 1080 00:59:03,040 --> 00:59:07,480 Speaker 3: He does a really unceremonious cinematic inst to death in 1081 00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:10,120 Speaker 3: this movie, where you know, he just delivers a final, 1082 00:59:10,240 --> 00:59:15,760 Speaker 3: bittersweet final line and this then goes uugh falls over. Okay, 1083 00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:16,400 Speaker 3: done with him? 1084 00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:19,400 Speaker 2: All right? Then we also have John C. McGinley in this, 1085 00:59:19,520 --> 00:59:22,680 Speaker 2: playing the character Blake, who's like, what the CEO of 1086 00:59:22,720 --> 00:59:23,360 Speaker 2: Shield Corp? 1087 00:59:23,760 --> 00:59:26,280 Speaker 3: I don't know what John C. McGinley is doing in 1088 00:59:26,320 --> 00:59:30,120 Speaker 3: this movie. This is one of the weirdest performances in it. 1089 00:59:30,120 --> 00:59:32,840 Speaker 3: It's not as like up to eleven or up to 1090 00:59:32,880 --> 00:59:36,960 Speaker 3: twenty six as Michael Ironside, but he's doing something strange. 1091 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:40,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. This is an American actor, perhaps best known to 1092 00:59:40,040 --> 00:59:42,440 Speaker 2: many for his long running role as what one of 1093 00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:45,720 Speaker 2: the doctors on the TV series Scrubs, But he was 1094 00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:48,760 Speaker 2: also in eighty six is Platoon, eighty seven's Wall Street, 1095 00:59:49,240 --> 00:59:52,320 Speaker 2: ninety one's Point Break, and he was actually in nineteen 1096 00:59:52,400 --> 00:59:56,040 Speaker 2: ninety five to seven. He was also in nineteen ninety 1097 00:59:56,040 --> 00:59:58,760 Speaker 2: six Is the Rock Wow. A number of connections here, 1098 00:59:58,800 --> 01:00:01,880 Speaker 2: so much crossover, Yeah, and nineteen ninety nine's Office Space. 1099 01:00:02,320 --> 01:00:05,320 Speaker 2: I would say he's definitely a guy who's great at 1100 01:00:05,320 --> 01:00:07,320 Speaker 2: playing a good suit. You know, when you need like 1101 01:00:07,360 --> 01:00:11,560 Speaker 2: that suit character, that management, slimy CEO type, this is 1102 01:00:11,600 --> 01:00:12,520 Speaker 2: your guy. 1103 01:00:12,560 --> 01:00:15,200 Speaker 3: He I mean, yeah, he generally is, though in this 1104 01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:19,160 Speaker 3: movie he's he's a little weirder than you would expect 1105 01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:21,280 Speaker 3: for that kind of character, and he like there are 1106 01:00:21,320 --> 01:00:24,640 Speaker 3: scenes where he's he's kind of hammered it up. You know, 1107 01:00:24,680 --> 01:00:28,720 Speaker 3: when General Katana walks into the board meeting, he's like, Oh, 1108 01:00:28,840 --> 01:00:29,760 Speaker 3: I've had enough of you. 1109 01:00:31,440 --> 01:00:34,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean it's almost like they realize, like this 1110 01:00:34,200 --> 01:00:37,880 Speaker 2: is unbelievable, Like this, this straight up space barbarian has 1111 01:00:37,920 --> 01:00:40,800 Speaker 2: walked into your boardroom, and you're gonna pretend that you're 1112 01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:44,240 Speaker 2: still in charge. Like there is a comic energy to 1113 01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:48,560 Speaker 2: this that needs to be enhanced, not ignored, or at 1114 01:00:48,640 --> 01:00:50,520 Speaker 2: least that was my read on the situation. 1115 01:00:51,000 --> 01:00:53,000 Speaker 3: I think that's right. I think that's what he's going for. 1116 01:00:53,080 --> 01:00:56,720 Speaker 3: It just John C McGinley gives me the vibe. Whereas 1117 01:00:56,760 --> 01:01:00,360 Speaker 3: like Michael Ironside's playing the role pretty consistently that it's 1118 01:01:00,440 --> 01:01:03,960 Speaker 3: always cranked to like twenty six with dashes of clown. 1119 01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:07,440 Speaker 3: John C McGinley seems to be trying something different in 1120 01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:08,400 Speaker 3: all of his scenes. 1121 01:01:09,480 --> 01:01:13,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, see what sticks all right. Finally, the music on 1122 01:01:13,040 --> 01:01:15,560 Speaker 2: this one, So Michael came in did the score for 1123 01:01:15,600 --> 01:01:19,320 Speaker 2: the first film, and this time around it is American 1124 01:01:19,440 --> 01:01:23,720 Speaker 2: musician and composer Stuart Copeland born nineteen fifty two, best 1125 01:01:23,800 --> 01:01:25,760 Speaker 2: known as the drummer for the Police. 1126 01:01:26,160 --> 01:01:28,200 Speaker 3: Got to respect the Drummer from the Police. If you 1127 01:01:28,280 --> 01:01:31,520 Speaker 3: listen to them. They've got some really complicated, difficult drum parts. 1128 01:01:31,800 --> 01:01:32,919 Speaker 3: Copeland knows what he's doing. 1129 01:01:33,160 --> 01:01:35,920 Speaker 2: I'll have to go back and listen to some Police tracks. 1130 01:01:36,520 --> 01:01:39,479 Speaker 2: But he's also done a lot of film scoring as well. 1131 01:01:39,520 --> 01:01:42,800 Speaker 2: His first score was for nineteen eighty three's Rumblefish, directed 1132 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:45,520 Speaker 2: by Francis Ford Coppola, and he went on to score 1133 01:01:45,560 --> 01:01:49,520 Speaker 2: such films as Wall Street and Goudburger, then a lot 1134 01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:52,640 Speaker 2: of other stuff as well. No slam on Good Burger. 1135 01:01:53,160 --> 01:01:56,160 Speaker 2: I know people who are big fans of Good Burger. 1136 01:01:57,240 --> 01:02:00,240 Speaker 3: Couldn't get Hans Zimmer for Goudburger. 1137 01:02:00,400 --> 01:02:03,400 Speaker 2: Hans Zimmer has directed, as we've said, a lot of 1138 01:02:03,400 --> 01:02:06,640 Speaker 2: films and not I imagine some of them are maybe in 1139 01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:09,320 Speaker 2: like this same stratosphere as Good Burger. 1140 01:02:09,640 --> 01:02:12,640 Speaker 3: Can you imagine the trailer Welcome to Good Burger, Home 1141 01:02:12,720 --> 01:02:13,840 Speaker 3: of the Good Burger. 1142 01:02:16,960 --> 01:02:19,520 Speaker 2: Now? I would say in general this film suffers from 1143 01:02:19,560 --> 01:02:22,960 Speaker 2: a lack of queen tracks. There was. Upon rewatching it, 1144 01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:26,600 Speaker 2: there is more use of queen music than I remembered, 1145 01:02:26,840 --> 01:02:30,200 Speaker 2: but it's still not enough. You can't fault Copeland for 1146 01:02:30,240 --> 01:02:34,320 Speaker 2: this though. But interestingly enough, the Police were also originally 1147 01:02:34,360 --> 01:02:37,840 Speaker 2: considered for the Highlander one soundtrack before they ended up 1148 01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:38,400 Speaker 2: going with Queen. 1149 01:02:38,920 --> 01:02:41,120 Speaker 3: Oh, that would have been a different feeling, wouldn't it. 1150 01:02:41,480 --> 01:02:44,200 Speaker 2: Don't I don't want to imagine it, you know, all 1151 01:02:44,320 --> 01:02:46,280 Speaker 2: respect in the world of the police. But I mean, 1152 01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:49,600 Speaker 2: that's Queen's movie, and it's not even Highlander without that 1153 01:02:50,080 --> 01:02:53,240 Speaker 2: awesome soundtrack by Queen. I listened to the full It's 1154 01:02:53,240 --> 01:02:56,560 Speaker 2: a kind of Magic album yesterday whilst working on some 1155 01:02:56,640 --> 01:03:00,120 Speaker 2: of these notes, and it's just it's just a tree 1156 01:03:00,720 --> 01:03:11,680 Speaker 2: here we are, all right, Let's let's start getting into 1157 01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:14,920 Speaker 2: the plot here a little bit. Let's start discussing Highlander 1158 01:03:14,960 --> 01:03:16,360 Speaker 2: two in earnest. 1159 01:03:16,440 --> 01:03:18,479 Speaker 3: Knowing that we will have to break for time soon, 1160 01:03:18,560 --> 01:03:20,800 Speaker 3: but I think we find we'll find a natural place 1161 01:03:20,840 --> 01:03:21,520 Speaker 3: to do that. 1162 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:22,000 Speaker 2: That's right. 1163 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:25,240 Speaker 3: So, because the first act of this cut of the 1164 01:03:25,240 --> 01:03:28,800 Speaker 3: movie is so relentlessly excellent, I admit I might be 1165 01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:32,000 Speaker 3: a little too detail oriented in recounting it. We'll see, 1166 01:03:32,040 --> 01:03:35,480 Speaker 3: but I do want to capture in this episode and 1167 01:03:35,560 --> 01:03:38,919 Speaker 3: the next, like the rhythm of plot developments, especially once 1168 01:03:38,920 --> 01:03:41,480 Speaker 3: you get to the year twenty twenty four, at least 1169 01:03:41,560 --> 01:03:43,960 Speaker 3: up until the part where Connor McLeod becomes hot again, 1170 01:03:44,760 --> 01:03:46,920 Speaker 3: because everything up to that point is just like a 1171 01:03:47,000 --> 01:03:50,840 Speaker 3: relentless tickle of my brain and it's so good. 1172 01:03:51,120 --> 01:03:53,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, And then when he gets hot again, that's in 1173 01:03:53,560 --> 01:03:55,880 Speaker 2: the midst of one of the best sequences in the 1174 01:03:56,000 --> 01:03:56,600 Speaker 2: entire film. 1175 01:03:56,960 --> 01:04:00,960 Speaker 3: Yes, okay, So we open on a curse opaque sky 1176 01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:04,960 Speaker 3: filled with poisonous orange smog, and there's a dissonant minor 1177 01:04:05,040 --> 01:04:07,720 Speaker 3: chord playing on the soundtrack, and the title reads August 1178 01:04:08,040 --> 01:04:11,440 Speaker 3: nineteen ninety nine, and we hear the voiceover of a 1179 01:04:11,480 --> 01:04:14,960 Speaker 3: newscaster who says, good morning, Today's top story is the 1180 01:04:14,960 --> 01:04:18,560 Speaker 3: Ozone Layer. Can you imagine that being the top story 1181 01:04:18,560 --> 01:04:21,600 Speaker 3: in the news. It says, Today's top story is the 1182 01:04:21,640 --> 01:04:25,280 Speaker 3: Ozone Layer. It continues to disintegrate, taking with it our 1183 01:04:25,320 --> 01:04:29,760 Speaker 3: protection from the sun's rays. Then more voices join and 1184 01:04:30,080 --> 01:04:33,000 Speaker 3: we hear different news reports playing over one another about 1185 01:04:33,000 --> 01:04:35,680 Speaker 3: how it's too dangerous to go outside, the White House 1186 01:04:35,680 --> 01:04:38,160 Speaker 3: has declared a national emergency, etc. 1187 01:04:39,160 --> 01:04:41,360 Speaker 2: Now quick note here. If you want to hear us 1188 01:04:41,400 --> 01:04:44,760 Speaker 2: talk more about the Ozone Layer aspect of this plot, 1189 01:04:45,120 --> 01:04:47,680 Speaker 2: go back into the archives and find the Stuff to 1190 01:04:47,680 --> 01:04:51,000 Speaker 2: blow your mind episode about Highlander two, and that's where 1191 01:04:51,000 --> 01:04:55,200 Speaker 2: you'll find extended discussion on that aspect of the film. 1192 01:04:55,480 --> 01:04:59,560 Speaker 3: So then some newscaster says, in Africa, where shelter from 1193 01:04:59,560 --> 01:05:02,440 Speaker 3: the sun is almost non existent, the dead and dying 1194 01:05:02,560 --> 01:05:06,000 Speaker 3: number in the millions. I found that confusing. It's like 1195 01:05:06,400 --> 01:05:09,360 Speaker 3: we're shelter. There are buildings with roofs in Africa. What 1196 01:05:09,400 --> 01:05:13,320 Speaker 3: are they talking about? But anyway, we're told that people 1197 01:05:13,360 --> 01:05:16,560 Speaker 3: are dying from exposure to the sun. And we see 1198 01:05:16,560 --> 01:05:19,240 Speaker 3: what looks like a giant warehouse full of patients and 1199 01:05:19,280 --> 01:05:22,280 Speaker 3: sick beds with nurses running around, and a sign tells 1200 01:05:22,360 --> 01:05:26,280 Speaker 3: us this is the solar radiation ward. Then another newscaster 1201 01:05:26,400 --> 01:05:29,560 Speaker 3: comes in and says it's just a few months now 1202 01:05:29,720 --> 01:05:33,320 Speaker 3: until the ozone layer is completely gone. A team of 1203 01:05:33,360 --> 01:05:37,440 Speaker 3: international scientists led by doctor Allan Naman and supervised by 1204 01:05:37,440 --> 01:05:40,760 Speaker 3: Connor McLeod work around the clock. This may be the 1205 01:05:40,880 --> 01:05:44,520 Speaker 3: last chance for planet Earth. And here we see Christopher 1206 01:05:44,600 --> 01:05:48,360 Speaker 3: Lambert as Connor McLeod wearing a suit and tie. He's 1207 01:05:48,400 --> 01:05:51,560 Speaker 3: gathered with other scientists and some kind of concrete bunker 1208 01:05:51,960 --> 01:05:55,200 Speaker 3: with light pouring in from a horizontal window in the side, 1209 01:05:55,400 --> 01:05:57,640 Speaker 3: like they're about to observe the trinity test. It looks 1210 01:05:57,680 --> 01:06:01,560 Speaker 3: like that one of the nuclear observation bunkers, a shorter 1211 01:06:01,680 --> 01:06:04,400 Speaker 3: man in a bow tie hugs Connor and says they'll 1212 01:06:04,440 --> 01:06:07,840 Speaker 3: remember this day for a thousand years, the day we 1213 01:06:07,920 --> 01:06:11,680 Speaker 3: protected the planet from the Sun. I don't know why 1214 01:06:11,720 --> 01:06:15,440 Speaker 3: that's so funny, but it is from the Sun. So 1215 01:06:16,000 --> 01:06:18,760 Speaker 3: we hear a countdown began, and they're they're preparing to 1216 01:06:18,800 --> 01:06:22,160 Speaker 3: activate the shield which is going to protect the Earth 1217 01:06:22,520 --> 01:06:25,760 Speaker 3: from the Sun, and we see dudes in yellow devo 1218 01:06:25,880 --> 01:06:30,120 Speaker 3: suits sprinting away from the direction of a giant concrete pyramid. 1219 01:06:31,240 --> 01:06:33,240 Speaker 3: I don't know why they have to sprint again. This 1220 01:06:33,320 --> 01:06:35,240 Speaker 3: seems like a planned event, so they could be on 1221 01:06:35,280 --> 01:06:39,800 Speaker 3: a car or something, but a satellite in space rotates 1222 01:06:39,840 --> 01:06:43,960 Speaker 3: into position. We see technicians and operators in a command 1223 01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:47,240 Speaker 3: center all confirming that they are ready to go. I 1224 01:06:47,440 --> 01:06:50,120 Speaker 3: have to say a lot of the technicians really are 1225 01:06:50,240 --> 01:06:53,680 Speaker 3: dressed like LDS missionaries, like the crisp white shirt and 1226 01:06:53,720 --> 01:06:54,600 Speaker 3: the black tie. 1227 01:06:55,000 --> 01:06:56,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's a choice. 1228 01:06:56,920 --> 01:06:59,560 Speaker 3: And then we see we see the pyramid and the 1229 01:06:59,560 --> 01:07:03,960 Speaker 3: there's like the big concrete pyramid with sort of skyscrapers 1230 01:07:04,000 --> 01:07:07,360 Speaker 3: on top of the pyramid, and then a giant beam 1231 01:07:07,440 --> 01:07:10,040 Speaker 3: of energy starts shooting out of it, goes up into 1232 01:07:10,040 --> 01:07:14,440 Speaker 3: the sky and the shield is turned on and so 1233 01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:16,480 Speaker 3: it looks kind of like a lightsaber beam going out 1234 01:07:16,480 --> 01:07:19,280 Speaker 3: of the pyramid into space. It connects with the beam 1235 01:07:19,320 --> 01:07:23,200 Speaker 3: from a satellite and establishes some kind of multicolored laser 1236 01:07:23,320 --> 01:07:26,400 Speaker 3: aurora net that spreads out over the surface of the Earth, 1237 01:07:26,760 --> 01:07:30,160 Speaker 3: blocking the Sun's rays and shrouding the Earth in darkness. 1238 01:07:30,720 --> 01:07:33,560 Speaker 2: I want to throw in that if you watch carefully, 1239 01:07:33,640 --> 01:07:37,080 Speaker 2: at least one of these sci fi Ground Command guys 1240 01:07:37,400 --> 01:07:42,200 Speaker 2: is Russell McKay in a director's cameo, which is pretty fun. Oh. 1241 01:07:42,240 --> 01:07:45,720 Speaker 2: I don't know which one though, he says a line 1242 01:07:45,760 --> 01:07:49,360 Speaker 2: or two. So, but he's just one of the one 1243 01:07:49,360 --> 01:07:51,080 Speaker 2: of the crew there behind a computer screen. 1244 01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:54,240 Speaker 3: Wonder if he's the guy with the ponytail. 1245 01:07:54,240 --> 01:07:57,480 Speaker 2: This one in the still that you have in the outline. Yes, 1246 01:07:57,480 --> 01:08:00,120 Speaker 2: that's not in another guy, but he's in there somewhere. 1247 01:08:00,560 --> 01:08:02,240 Speaker 2: So as far as the prolog goes like, this is 1248 01:08:02,240 --> 01:08:06,240 Speaker 2: a success story, right, This is essentially how Connor McLeod 1249 01:08:07,080 --> 01:08:11,440 Speaker 2: uses the prize to save the world. He's able to 1250 01:08:11,720 --> 01:08:17,160 Speaker 2: orchestrate this massive technoscientific effort to save the world from 1251 01:08:17,160 --> 01:08:20,920 Speaker 2: its own depleted ozone layer and protect it from solar radiation. 1252 01:08:21,560 --> 01:08:25,280 Speaker 3: I really appreciate your reading of how the prize is 1253 01:08:25,320 --> 01:08:29,080 Speaker 3: actually being used in the setup of the movie here. 1254 01:08:29,120 --> 01:08:31,639 Speaker 3: I had never put that together before, but it makes sense. 1255 01:08:31,680 --> 01:08:34,719 Speaker 3: If he can read everyone's minds to establish peace and harmony, 1256 01:08:34,920 --> 01:08:38,160 Speaker 3: he would be a great uh well actually, and maybe 1257 01:08:38,200 --> 01:08:39,960 Speaker 3: I'm taking this for granted that that would make one 1258 01:08:40,000 --> 01:08:42,679 Speaker 3: a great organizer of people, But it seems like it could. 1259 01:08:42,880 --> 01:08:45,640 Speaker 2: It seems like it could. Yeah, Like, once you get 1260 01:08:45,680 --> 01:08:47,400 Speaker 2: down to the nitty gritty of it, I don't know, 1261 01:08:47,439 --> 01:08:51,440 Speaker 2: you're still dealing with very difficult problems of international cooperation 1262 01:08:51,800 --> 01:08:56,080 Speaker 2: and corporate interests and public sentiment and so forth. But 1263 01:08:56,439 --> 01:08:59,120 Speaker 2: if anybody can do it, it's the immortal guy who 1264 01:08:59,160 --> 01:09:00,720 Speaker 2: can read everybody mind. 1265 01:09:00,880 --> 01:09:03,160 Speaker 3: That's right. So he gets all of the scientists together 1266 01:09:03,479 --> 01:09:06,800 Speaker 3: and they're ready to protect the Earth. But as we 1267 01:09:06,920 --> 01:09:12,599 Speaker 3: learn as the film progresses, this protective shield does succeed 1268 01:09:12,680 --> 01:09:15,080 Speaker 3: in its goal. It does protect the Earth from the sun, 1269 01:09:15,360 --> 01:09:17,719 Speaker 3: but it comes with a lot of downsides, and those 1270 01:09:17,760 --> 01:09:23,720 Speaker 3: downsides will ultimately make everyone hate Connor MacLeod, make him 1271 01:09:23,800 --> 01:09:26,200 Speaker 3: very alone, and literally people come up to him in 1272 01:09:26,200 --> 01:09:29,160 Speaker 3: the streets saying, like, you put that puke in the sky, 1273 01:09:29,680 --> 01:09:32,559 Speaker 3: I hate you. You ruined my life. 1274 01:09:32,680 --> 01:09:36,280 Speaker 2: It makes me wonder if the screenwriters here were perhaps 1275 01:09:36,360 --> 01:09:38,800 Speaker 2: dipping a little bit into some of the themes and 1276 01:09:38,880 --> 01:09:43,040 Speaker 2: the Dune sequels, where you know, like in Doune Messiah 1277 01:09:43,120 --> 01:09:46,000 Speaker 2: and then also in God Emperor of Dune in post 1278 01:09:46,560 --> 01:09:48,880 Speaker 2: God impro of Doom books, where you know, you're dealing 1279 01:09:48,960 --> 01:09:54,400 Speaker 2: with interpretations of rulers and you know, major players in 1280 01:09:54,479 --> 01:09:58,000 Speaker 2: history that then cast them as devils and tyrants and 1281 01:09:58,000 --> 01:10:01,160 Speaker 2: so forth, you know, And it's like Connor does save 1282 01:10:01,240 --> 01:10:04,120 Speaker 2: the world, and does the world thank him. No, they 1283 01:10:04,200 --> 01:10:05,559 Speaker 2: really get sick of his solution. 1284 01:10:06,200 --> 01:10:08,719 Speaker 3: They literally throw bottles at him in bars. 1285 01:10:08,920 --> 01:10:09,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. 1286 01:10:09,360 --> 01:10:12,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, But it's also funny because it presumes anybody would 1287 01:10:12,640 --> 01:10:16,280 Speaker 3: know what a scientist looks like or the administrator of 1288 01:10:16,280 --> 01:10:19,320 Speaker 3: a scientific project looks like, like twenty five years after 1289 01:10:19,400 --> 01:10:19,880 Speaker 3: it's over. 1290 01:10:20,439 --> 01:10:22,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I guess he was that 1291 01:10:22,040 --> 01:10:25,000 Speaker 2: big of a celebrity. It's like knowing what Einstein looked like, 1292 01:10:25,080 --> 01:10:28,280 Speaker 2: except I don't know, except more handsome. 1293 01:10:28,640 --> 01:10:30,439 Speaker 3: So I think we're gonna have to end part one 1294 01:10:30,560 --> 01:10:32,880 Speaker 3: of our discussion of Highlander two the Quickening, but we 1295 01:10:32,960 --> 01:10:36,560 Speaker 3: will be back with more because right after what we've 1296 01:10:36,600 --> 01:10:39,320 Speaker 3: gotten to in the plot it cuts to twenty five 1297 01:10:39,400 --> 01:10:43,479 Speaker 3: years in the future, to the year twenty twenty four. 1298 01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:47,200 Speaker 2: That's right. Like this is a contemporary story. 1299 01:10:47,320 --> 01:10:49,880 Speaker 3: We're gonna have to leave you wondering until next week 1300 01:10:49,960 --> 01:10:52,559 Speaker 3: how future events such as these will affect you in 1301 01:10:52,600 --> 01:10:53,120 Speaker 3: the future. 1302 01:10:53,520 --> 01:10:56,400 Speaker 2: That's right. So make sure you go ahead and tune in. 1303 01:10:56,479 --> 01:10:58,640 Speaker 2: And hey, if you listen to this entire episode and 1304 01:10:58,640 --> 01:11:01,200 Speaker 2: you still haven't watched Islander two and full, here's a 1305 01:11:01,240 --> 01:11:03,720 Speaker 2: great chance to do it. Fill the time between this 1306 01:11:03,760 --> 01:11:07,120 Speaker 2: episode and the next watching some version of Highland or two, 1307 01:11:07,720 --> 01:11:10,840 Speaker 2: you know, preferably the theatrical cut, the zeist cut. But hey, 1308 01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:13,800 Speaker 2: work with what you got because some of these sequences 1309 01:11:13,960 --> 01:11:17,920 Speaker 2: are still going to be mindlessly stupid or just amazingly awesome, 1310 01:11:18,680 --> 01:11:20,360 Speaker 2: so you'll still be able to relate to what we're 1311 01:11:20,400 --> 01:11:21,000 Speaker 2: talking about. 1312 01:11:21,439 --> 01:11:23,040 Speaker 3: It'll be a good time no matter what. 1313 01:11:23,360 --> 01:11:26,519 Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, well just remind you here. The Stuff 1314 01:11:26,560 --> 01:11:29,040 Speaker 2: to Blow Your Mind is primarily a signs and culture podcast, 1315 01:11:29,080 --> 01:11:32,320 Speaker 2: with core episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, listener mail on Mondays, 1316 01:11:32,479 --> 01:11:34,800 Speaker 2: short form episode on Wednesdays, and on Fridays. We set 1317 01:11:34,840 --> 01:11:36,920 Speaker 2: aside most serious concerns to just talk about a weird 1318 01:11:36,920 --> 01:11:39,960 Speaker 2: film on Weird House Cinema. If you want to see 1319 01:11:39,960 --> 01:11:42,120 Speaker 2: a complete list of everything we've talked about so far, 1320 01:11:42,560 --> 01:11:45,320 Speaker 2: and sometimes a peek ahead at what's coming up next, 1321 01:11:45,600 --> 01:11:48,400 Speaker 2: go on over to letterbox dot com. That's L E 1322 01:11:48,479 --> 01:11:50,599 Speaker 2: T T E R B O x D dot com. 1323 01:11:51,360 --> 01:11:53,360 Speaker 2: Once you're there, you can look for our username, it's 1324 01:11:53,400 --> 01:11:55,840 Speaker 2: weird House. You'll find a list of everything we've covered. 1325 01:11:56,000 --> 01:11:59,320 Speaker 2: It's a pretty remarkable little website. You know, you can essentially, 1326 01:11:59,400 --> 01:12:02,920 Speaker 2: you know, blog against social media about the various films 1327 01:12:02,920 --> 01:12:05,479 Speaker 2: that you've watched or want to watch, and it's a 1328 01:12:05,479 --> 01:12:06,880 Speaker 2: great way to just see in a glance what we've 1329 01:12:06,880 --> 01:12:07,679 Speaker 2: been up to as well. 1330 01:12:08,200 --> 01:12:11,879 Speaker 3: Huge thanks as always to our excellent audio producer JJ Posway. 1331 01:12:12,200 --> 01:12:13,840 Speaker 3: If you would like to get in touch with us 1332 01:12:13,840 --> 01:12:16,400 Speaker 3: with feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest 1333 01:12:16,439 --> 01:12:18,719 Speaker 3: a topic for the future, or just to say hello, 1334 01:12:19,000 --> 01:12:21,920 Speaker 3: you can email us at contact at stuff to Blow 1335 01:12:21,920 --> 01:12:29,920 Speaker 3: your Mind dot com. 1336 01:12:30,040 --> 01:12:33,000 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For 1337 01:12:33,080 --> 01:12:35,880 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 1338 01:12:36,000 --> 01:12:39,280 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.