Welcome to The Daily Cup a movie blog/writing project by Kyle B. Dekker, presented by Hot Chocolate Media. You can read series concept here. The basic rules, Kyle must watch 365 movies in 2018 and write about all of them. 292 of them have to be movies he's never seen before. Thanks for reading.
Movies from your youth often carry a nostalgia value, that value often doesn’t hold up to viewings later in life. Let’s face it we all liked terrible movies when we were kids. I watched Highlander (1986) in high school and remembered loving it, and the mythology it created. What’s not to love about immortal humans fighting each other with swords throughout history, culminating in an ultimate final duel in modern New York? The answer is there is everything to love, this film holds up to the notalgia love. There are some seriously 1980s elements and cheese to it, but it’s pure fun. (I highly recommend the recent Junk Food Cinema episode about it).
The gents from Junk Food Cinema pointed out Connor dresses like McGruff the Crime Dog, and now I see nothing else.
Almost every nerd I know can recite the line “there can be only one” verbatim. The tagline and main theme of this film. This film builds a ton of mythology in under two hours and does it well. We understand who these immortals are, what they can and can’t do, and we learn what the prize they are fighting for is. Often the film feels like an excuse to have a bunch of people fighting with swords in modern New York, but oddly it works.
The opening fight scene is pure popcorn fun. Two immortals, including our lead Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) square off in a parking garage. They cleverly hide tha neight actor is a great sword fighter with a sprinkler system downpour, and dark lighting. They enhance everything by add spark effects to the sword clashes, making for a visual spectacle. We learn right away something is different when the cars in the garage explode after Connor defeats his enemy and draws his power.
Like Flash Gordon early in this project Queen composed this score for this film as well. While the music isn’t as prominent in Highlander, it still packs a punch. Princes of the Universe drives big action scenes, and a eclectic and strange cover of New York, New York is played over a intense car driving scene featuring the main villain of the film. The music holds up on it’s own and is the highlight of the film for me.
The acting in this film is a mixed bag. Christopher Lambert continues to have the strangest accent and most cardboard face of almost any actor alive. In film the accent is even acknowledged in the film by one of the cops interrogating Connor early in act one. Sean Connery plays Ramirez an Egyptian immortal with a Spanish name, all with his signature Scottish accent. The top performance of the film goes to Clancy Brown as the villain The Kurgan. A force of nature, brutal, sadistic, and terrifying. One of the best living character actors, and he delivers big time in this film.
This is everything I want in an 80s action/fantasy film. It’s packed to the brim with cool mythology, exciting action scenes, and cheesy lines. A fun Queen soundtrack fills your earspace, and the final fight sequence on a rooftop is the perfect example of 80s overindulgence and style.
Tally
Movies new to me watched: 18/292
Other movies: 7/73
Total movies watched: 25/365
Have your own thoughts or opinions on this movie? Comment below or contact Kyle at kyle@hotchocolatemedia.net or on Twitter at @kbdekker.