Highlander™
                I N F O R M A T I O N

                     Version 1.0

              ©1994, Sheri L. Richardson

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         Highlander

Highlander is a classic tale of Good versus Evil.

Our Hero is Connor Macleod, “born in 1518 in the village of Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel”, played by Christopher Lambert, pronounced “lamb-bear”.

Connor and a few others are immortal, in that they can only die by beheading. Three things make this not so unlikely: 

• There seems to be a compulsion felt by all 
  immortals -- some more, some less -- that, in 
  the end, only one immortal may remain alive.

• Beheading an immortal gains the victor the 
  “quickening”, and an increase in their power, 
  knowledge, and ability.

• The immortal who survives to the last gains 
  “power beyond imagination”, a giant quickening 
  referred to as the Prize.

The film is primarily set in New York City, with major flashbacks to 16th Century Scotland where Connor was befriended and trained in the ways of immortals by Juan Sanchez Villalobos-Ramirez, played by Sean Connery. Connor is trailed by the Kurgan, played by Clancy Brown, an exceedingly strong and evil immortal.

 Highlander 2: The Quickening

Considered by most fans as a poor shadow of the original.

Our Hero is again Connor Macleod, with Christopher Lambert reprising the title role. Back also is Sean Connery as Ramirez.

Set in the future, there is a shield about the planet, protecting its inhabitants from the effects of the depleted ozone layer. Several years later, the atmosphere may have healed itself but the Shield Corporation covers it up. Connor endeavors to turn off the shield and restore the Earth, calling upon his old friend, Ramirez.

A hokey bit of science-fiction is thrown in, trying to say that immortals were transported to earth from the planet Zeist. Fans were unconvinced.

Though questionably a failure as a sequel, Highlander 2 does contain several nice scenes -- such as the well-choreographed swordplay in the final fight sequence -- and is worth a look as an action/adventure film.

 Highlander 3: The Sorcerer

Principal photography of this third Highlander entry completed in April 1994 and included such varied locations as Toronto, New York, and Japan. The film is currently slated for a Fall 1994 U.S. release. Though the working title was Highlander 3: The Magician, trailers shown at performances of The Crow displayed the title change.

Christopher Lambert returns as Connor Macleod. Sean Connery does not return as Ramirez, nor does Adrian Paul appear as Duncan Macleod.

The latest reports are that Highlander 3: The Sorcerer is set partially in the past, when Connor travelled to Japan 350 years ago to learn the Power of Illusion from an ancient magician. Our Hero’s nemesis this time is evil-immortal Kane, played by Mario van Peebles, who confronts Macleod in the hidden cave where he is receiving his final lessons. The mountain is destroyed in the ensuing battle and Kane, along with his three henchmen, are buried.

Back in the present day, construction unearths the cavern, releasing Kane who promptly moves to settle the score with Macleod. Complicating matters for Our Hero is investigating archeologist Alexandra Smith, played by Debra Unger, who has Connor recalling feelings he’d hoped were long-forgotten.

It has been reported that Highlander 3 will return to the tone set in the first film. When asked about events raised in the second film, Highlander 3’s producers apparently answered “What second film?” Good news for fans.

      Highlander: The Series

Our Lad in the series is Duncan Macleod, played by Adrian Paul, a somewhat younger clansman to film-hero Connor. His objective is simple: to stay alive each week.

The series pilot also features Christopher Lambert as Connor Macleod, who it seems has been Duncan’s friend and mentor. An evil immortal, Slan Quince played by Richard Moll, lurks nearby, waiting to take a Macleod head. Also near is Richie Ryan, played by Stan Kirsch, a troubled teen with the seed of immortality within him who accidentally witnesses the battle. Connor bids Duncan to watch over Richie.

Among the changing list of regular players are:

• Alexandra Vandernoot as . . . Tessa Noel
• Amanda Wyss as  . . . . . . . Randi McFarland
• Werner Stocker as . . . . . . Darius
• Jim Byrnes as . . . . . . . . Joe Dawson
• Philip Akin as  . . . . . . . Charlie DeSalvo
• Michel Modo as  . . . . . . . Maurice

Highlander: The Series is filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, and in Paris, France.

                        * * *

Following are lists of Highlander episodes. For detailed synopses of each episode’s contents, please refer to HIFAQS.TXT which can be downloaded from CompuServe’s SCI-FI forum (LIB12) or from its original home on the Internet.

                   First Season

Ep# Title                     Week of   Prod#
------------------------------------------------------
01  The Gathering             10/03/92  92102-01
02  Innocent Man              10/10/92  92103-04
03  Road Not Taken            10/17/92  92108-03
04  Bad Day in Building A     10/24/92  92107-06
05  Free Fall                 10/31/92  92101-05
06  Deadly Medicine           11/07/92  92111-08
07  Mountain Men              11/14/92  92110-07
08  Revenge is Sweet          11/21/92  92109-10
09  The Sea Witch             11/30/92  92112-09
10  Eyewitness                12/07/92  92115-12
11  Family Tree               12/14/92  92106-02
12  See No Evil               12/21/92  92114-11
13  Band of Brothers                    92118-13
14  For Evil’s Sake                     92117-14
15  For Tomorrow We Die                 92116-15
16  The Beast Below                     92123-16
17  Saving Grace                        92120-17
18  The Lady and the Tiger              92121-18
19  Avenging Angel                      92122-20
20  Eye of the Beholder                 92124-19
21  Nowhere to Run                      92125-21
22  The Hunters                         92126-22

                 Second Season

Ep# Title                     Week of   Prod#
------------------------------------------------------
23  The Watchers              09/27/93  93201
24  Studies In Light          10/04/93  93202
25  Turnabout                 10/11/93  93203
26  The Darkness              10/18/93  93204
27  Eye For an Eye            10/25/93  93205
28  The Zone                  11/01/93  93206
29  Return of Amanda          11/08/93  93207
30  Revenge of the Sword      11/15/93  93208
31  Run For Your Life         11/22/93  93209
32  Epitaph For Tommy         11/29/93  93210
33  Bless the Child           01/24/94  93213
34  The Fighter               01/31/94  93211
35  Under Color of Authority  02/07/94  93212
36  Unholy Alliance I         02/14/94  93214
37  Unholy Alliance II        02/21/94  93215
38  Vampire                   02/28/94  93216
39  Warmonger                 03/07/94  93217
40  Pharaoh’s Daughter        04/25/94  93218
41  Legacy                    05/02/94  93219
42  Prodigal Son              05/09/94  93220
43  Counterfeit I             05/16/94  93221
44  Counterfeit II            05/23/94  93222

                   Third Season

          Tentative HIGHLANDER '94 schedule.

Ep# Title                     Week of   Prod#
------------------------------------------------------
45  The Samurai               09/26/94  94301
46  Line of Fire              10/03/94  94302
47  The Revolutionary         10/10/94  94303
48* The Cross of St. Antoine  10/17/94  94304
49* Rite of Passage           10/24/94  94305

*Episode order may be swapped.

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          Highlander: Canon

In discussing the Highlander mythos, it is often asked “What is considered ‘canon’, or without question?”

The answer, unfortunately, is complex. Because the films and the television series have entirely different production teams, there is no unified “canon”.

However a common concensus has been arrived at by the Watchers of CIS and other groups of fans.

Films

Highlander (HL1), often subtitled by the Watchers of CIS as “There can be only One,” is considered canon. However, much controversy remains regarding the “Laws” of being Immortal as we were first introduced to them by Juan Sanchez Villalobos-Ramirez.

Highlander 2: The Quickening (HL2), also known as “The Sickening” or “That Which We Shall Not Name,” is not considered canon. The general concensus, at this time, is that a case of bad haggis caused Connor, after receiving the Kurgan’s quickening, to have a bad dream of one possible future. Even the producers are denying that HL2 ever occurred.

Highlander 3: The Sorcerer (HL3) is, at this writing, an unknown quantity. Rumor has it that the producers aim to tie HL3 directly to the first film. More after its release....

Television

All events of Highlander: The Series (HL:TS) are considered canon, though separately. The producers of the series state that it takes place in an “alternate universe” and therefore isn’t bound by the events of the film(s). The Watchers of CIS continue, as do other fan groups, to try to resolve the series to the film(s).

For example, immortals in HL:TS seem to experience a real “death” when dealt a fatal blow -- pain, unconsciousness, loss of vital signs -- and only later “reviving”. In the film(s) a fatal blow, though certainly painful, has little or no effect on the immortal.

                    The Laws

Several Laws govern an immortal’s life. The exact origins of these Laws is unknown; one is even called “tradition”, which creates much speculation.

• Immies can only truly be killed by beheading.

• Immies cannot have children.

• Immies will not fight on holy ground.

• In the end, there can be only One.

Known Facts

Though not truly Laws, many other consistencies have been observed in immie-lore:

• Immies can sense other immies (“the Buzz”) to 
  varying degrees.

• When an immie beheads another immie, they receive 
  all of that immie’s knowledge and power in what’s 
  called “the quickening”.

• Immies don’t know where they come from (certainly 
  not Zeist!) or why they’re immortal.

• Immies must duel one-on-one.

• Battles are private; "Our Game is not for 
  spectators".

• Only a violent death triggers the immortality 
  present since birth (often referred to as their 
  “First Death”).

                    More Info!

• For info on the official Highlander fan club:

  For membership & convention information send an 
  SASE to:

  THE GATHERING
  THE OFFICIAL HIGHLANDER FILMS & SERIES FAN CLUB
  P.O. BOX 123
  AURORA CO 80040-0123

• For info on the official Adrian Paul fan club: 

  PEACE - The Adrian Paul Fan Club
  12439 Magnolia Blvd. #159
  North Hollywood, CA 91607

• To write to other actors in HL:TS:

  SSA PUBLIC RELATIONS
  15060 VENTURA BLVD
  SUITE 360
  SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91403

• To voice your comments regarding HL:TS:

  KEITH SAMPLES
  RYSHER TPE
  3400 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
  SUITE 600
  BURBANK, CA 91505

• Questions about Highlander (HL:TS) “canon”:

  WILLIAM PANZER
  RYSHER TPE
  3400 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
  SUITE 600
  BURBANK, CA 91505

• For info on the Highlander film serialization:

  Ordered through:  Tiptree Distributing
  Phone:            0621-819-600 (see your phone
                    book for direct-dial info)

  Title:     Highlander
  Author:    Gary Douglas
  Copyright: 1986
  Publisher: Severn House Publishers, Ltd.
  ISBN No.:  0-7278-1396-X 
  Cost:      approx $19.50 US 
             (depending on the exchange rate).
             VISA/MasterCard accepted.

  This book is NOT LISTED in “Books in Print”!

• For info on Highlander replica swords:

  For $4.00 (U.S.) one can obtain a dealers catalog 
  directly from Marto U.S.A. The catalog has both 
  medieval and oriental swords.

  Marto U.S.A.
  2874 Hartland Rd.
  Falls Church, VA  22043

  (703) 698-8603
  (703) 698-8606 (FAX)

• For a faux Highlander soundtrack:

  There is no “official” Highlander soundtrack; but 
  the following CD contains all songs, except “New 
  York, New York”.

  Artist: Queen
  Title:  A Kind of Magic
  Label:  Hollywood Records
  US CD:  HR-61152-2

• For everything else:

  Visit CIS’ GO SCI-FI forum and peruse the files 
  available for downloading in Library 12 - 
  Highlander. Start with HIFAQS.TXT and the many 
  issues of THE PRIZE.

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       The Watchers of CIS

A congregation of followers of the continuing adventures of the Clan Macleod, found on the CompuServe Information Service in Section 12 of the Science Fiction/Fantasy Forum (GO SCI-FI). We exchange messages on All Things Highlander. We claim no official status whatsoever and disclaim everything.

Common Terms

First Death     Original fatal blow that triggers 
                immortality
Immie           An immortal
Inviso-Sword    A sword drawn seemingly from nowhere
KYH             Keep Your Head
MAA             Martial Arts Abilities; admiring the
                (shirtless) skills of Connor & Duncan
MYN             Mind Your Neck
Pre-Immie       Potential but not yet activated 
                immortal
SACWOTW         Sexually Aggressive Career Woman Of 
                The Week
SMC             Sterling Moral Character; admiring the
                (shirtless) honor of Connor & Duncan;
                see also MAA
Spooze          Lightning storm seen during a 
                quickening
TCBOO           There Can Be Only One
TWWSNN          That Which We Shall Not Name; 
                Highlander 2
YAHBUT          Yet Another Highlander Blooper, Using
                Tachyons; historical inaccuracies
YAHIS           Yet Another Highlander Inviso-Sword
YAHOO           Yet Another Highlander Odd Occurrence
YAHOOIE         Yet Another Highlander Odd Occurrence,
                In Extremis

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This is the first version of this desk accessory. Any and all comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

And mind your neck. :j

• Sheri Richardson
  Keeper of the Connor Flame
  The Watchers of CIS

  CompuServe: 70703,2746
    Internet: 70703.2746@compuserve.com
         AOL: SheriR17

Special thanks to Samantha Lynn, Goddess, and Helva Peters, Head Hacker, of the Watchers of CIS for their invaluable assistance in compiling this DA!

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