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Got questions
about the movie? Where did Connor come from, what did he drink?
Did the Kurgans exist as a group of people? Hopefully the
under-noted will answer some of those questions.
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What are the differences between
the European and the American release?
At least three different
cuts were made of this movie: the American version, the European
version, and the English/Japanese subtitled version. The Japanese
subtitled version has the longest running time with 118 minutes.
The American version is 110 minutes.
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English/Japanese Highlander Extra Material
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Battle flashbacks during wrestling
match. 60s
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End-to-end tumbling run during fight
in garage. 15s
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Scot girl (same one that says he's
in league with Lucifer later) tells Connor that God is
on his side before big battle. Tells Angus to watch after
him. 60s
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3 head-butts just before Angus stops
the beating of Connor for being a witch. 15s
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WWII Flashback/Saves Rachel (as little
girl) from Nazis. 120s
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** Scene Missing From Euro Version,
included in Amer Version ** !! Right before Connor arrives
at Brenda's for dinner. Cop sitting in car outside Brenda's,
drinking coffee. -10s
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After Connor walks away from Duel
in 1783 flash- back, the other guy's second trys to get
Bassett to shoot Connor in the back. Bassett shoots the
Second (Hotchkiss) instead! 60s
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Wacko Marine impaled on blade for
extra time 10s
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In the Church, Kurgan licks the back of the Priest's hand.
10s
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After sex scene and before Kurgan
kidnaps Brenda, scene at Zoo where Connor breaks off relationship
with Brenda (pictured left) with Kurgan in background. 60s
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Rachel says 'Goodbye, Russell Nash'
after Connor says 'Hey, it's a kind of magic' from the
elevator on his way to final fight with Kurgan. 5s
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Final fight scene. Underwater
bit between when the "I" and the "S"
on the sign fall. 30s
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Dialogue Missing From Euro
Version included in Amer Version **!! After fight, as
Connor lies on the floor, just before he puts his head
in Brenda's lap. She's looking
down on him
and he is not
in frame. Connor's voice says, "I want to go home."
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Is there a soundtrack available
for HIGHLANDER?
 Despite the reference
in the credits at the end of the movie, there never was an
'official' soundtrack released for HIGHLANDER. There are reports
of an orchestral version floating around and there were promos
given out when the movie was first released. But an official
soundtrack INCLUDING the Queen songs was never released. Most
of the Queen songs appeared on their album 'A Kind of Magic'
(1986; re-released 1991) which is currently available.
However, negotiations
are currently in progress (Oct. 93) between the relevant parties
(Davis/Panzer Productions and the interested record company)
to finally release an official soundtrack.
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Was HIGHLANDER based on
a book or a short story?
No, HIGHLANDER originated
as a screenplay that Gregory Widen wrote for a screen-writing
course that he took at UCLA.
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 What is Ramirez' full name?
Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos
Ramirez and he states that he is the Chief Metallurgist to
Charles V of Spain. When he meets Connor in 1541 he is 2,437
year old. He says that he is Egyptian so Ramirez is probably
just his latest name. His sword was made in 593 BC by Masamune
and his last wife was Shakiko, daughter of Masamune. He was
killed by the Kurgan in 1542.
There was a family (actually
more of a dynasty) of sword makers by the name of Masamune
in Japan. But by the dates the one referred to by Ramirez
pre-dates the great master Japanese sword smith of that name
by a few centuries.
In earlier versions of the film, Ramirez says he's "...chief metallurgist of King Phillip II of Spain" while in later versions and the Uncut DVD he says he's "...chief metallurgist of Charles V." This change is shown in Highlander Two Ramirez still says the first version.
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How many Immortals were in
the movie?
 Five, but a sixth was
mentioned. The five were Connor Macleod, Ramirez, the Kurgan
(Victor Kruger), Iman Fasil, Sunda Kastagir. Fasil is the
Immortal that Connor battled in the parking garage; Connor
meets Kastagir on the bridge and reminisces about 'boom-boom.'
Kastagir later loses his head to the Kurgan. The sixth Immortal
was "Wasilycz" (pronounced Vasilich), a Polish national
who was killed in New Jersey two nights before the swordfight
with Fasil in the Madison Square Garden parking garage. Of
this list only Ramirez dies before the Gathering.
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Does the book 'A Metallurgical
History of Ancient Sword Making' actually exist?
No. There are numerous
librarians on the HIGHLA-L mailing list who have searched
all through the various library databases for it with no luck.
It's purely fictional.
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What year did the
duel between Connor and Bassett occur?
1783 and the duel was held on Boston Common. The cause of
the duel? Connor had called Bassett's wife a 'bloated wart
hog'.
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Did the Kurgans, as a people,
really exist?
Yes. According to the
movie they were 'an ancient people from the steppes of Russia.
For amusement, they'd toss children in pits with hungry dogs
to fight for meat.' According to research, the Kurgans, a
semi-nomadic pastoralist culture from Russin steppes to Danubian
Europe c. 3500 BC. Around 2300 BC the Kurgans arrived in the
Aegean and Adriatic regions. They buried their dead in deep
shafts and were known as horse breeders. In addition, the
term 'kurgan' is usually used to refer to ancient stone-age
burial mounds found in Russia.
Also 'Kurgan' is a city of over 200,000 in southwestern Siberia.
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Are there any Highlander-related
books available?
There was a novelisation
published in England 'The Highlander' by Garry Douglas (Garry Kilworth) (1986),
Severn House, London PR6054.082.
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 Why was Fasil's sword so
special?
Fasil's sword was a rare
Toledo Salamanca supposedly worth over a million dollars.
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Why was Ramirez'/Connor's katana so special?
The Ramirez' katana was made for him in 593 BC by Masamune the father if his Japanese wife Shikiku using a technique
that supposedly wasn't developed until the Middle Ages. The metal in the blade was folded over 200 times. Brenda
calls it 'the Samurai' with a tone of reverence and awe.
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