Tuesday night and time for this week's vampire movie. And I decided to go with .... Highlander.
We open with a wrestling match and a close up of a fan. He starts having strange flashbacks to when he was alive hundreds of years ago. Then suddenly, odd feelings make him jump out of his seat and head to the parking lot where a guy is waiting for him with a large sword. We learn his name is Connor as they fight, and he decapitates the guy. This is followed by the dead guy's lifeforce filling the parking area and being absorbed into Connor. The police arrive and arrest him, finding one of the swords.
Back at the crime scene, we learn that the medical examiner has a background in weaponry, specifically swords. She learns that the weapon used to behead the guy should not even exist.
Connor is released from jail and we follow him back to his loft. Here, another few flashbacks reveal that he first died in battle hundreds of years before and learned that he was in fact immortal. We see his training to be a faster better swordsman, and are introduced to the characters of Heather, his long dead wife, and Ramriez the other immortal who trained him. We also are introduced to Kurgan, the one immortal who has been after him since he first turned.
Back to modern day, and the police realize they have a serial killer on their hands. Many headless bodies have appeared in the last few months in the general area of New York. All accompanied by the strange electrical storms.
Brenda, the female medical examiner, has figured out that Connor is not who he says he is, and uncovers part of the truth. That he's some sort of creature that's been alive for a few hundred years. She decides to go to see him at his store, only to be conned into inviting him over to her place for dinner. Connor out smarts her and they end up starting a sexual relationship. All the while, unaware that Kurgan is following them, getting to know Connor's weaknesses.
There is a confrontation between Connor and Kurgan at a church, but since they can not battle on holy ground, Kurgan instead kidnaps Brenda, forcing Connor to chase them.
The two end up in an old warehouse for the final battle, and Connor takes his head draining Kurgan of his lifeforce becoming the only immortal left.
Let's start with the make-up and costume design they put the character Kurgan in. He looks like Frankenstein. And the trenchcoat that Connor wears throughout the modern scenes, very much in line with Dracula's cape. (also one of the trend setters for many vampire wardrobes to come)
With that in your mind, you have a classic case of vampirism with the taking of the lifeforce of the other immortals. Much the way a psy-vamp would. Decapitation being the only way to finally kill them, and by silver. (as all swords pretty much are made from silver) Both ways in folklore to destroy a vampire. (This is almost like a precursor to the tv show Angel, a vampire slaying it's own kind.)
They gain all the memories, strengths, knowledge, skills, of the other immortals once they've absorbed their life into them. There is also the idea that as immortals, they are unable to have children, this is an frequent element in vampire stories. (but not always folklore)
You can't mention this movie and not mention the soundtrack. I have to admit, I've never been much of a Queen fan, but you just can not imagine this movie done with any other music to it. There is just this electric connection between the film and the soundtrack. One of those it was meant to be rarities.
till next time
No comments:
Post a Comment