Welcome to alt.tv.highlander where we discuss Highlander in all its
incarnations. This is generally a safe place to state an opinion,
comment or observation, although there may be disagreements or
differing views in discussions. I hope you enjoy hanging out with us.
These are the frequently asked questions (FAQ) of alt.tv.highlander
(ATH). I'm not the original author, just one in a long list of people
who've posted this through the years.
All the info and links are current as of 26th November, 2007.
Updates:
Looking for news on Highlander projects for 2006?
http://highlander-thesource.com/
http://www.imagi.com.hk/movie/web/highm.htm
Added:
Looking for the Official Highlander Fan Club?
http://www.highlanderworldwide.com/news/index.shtml
ATH welcome pail is now here-
http://home.comcast.net/~717becky/welcomebkt.html
~Confused by all the abbreviations used and need a translation?
Quick reference guide for abbreviations is here-
http://home.comcast.net/~717becky/qrg.html
~Binaries (images, executables, sounds, etc.)
alt.tv.highlander is a discussion only (text) news group. Post a
message announcing the URL for the picture/wav sound you want to share.
~Where can I purchase new HL:TS box sets of Seasons 1-6 or HL:TR?
Highlander Store Info http://www.highlander-official.com/
Phone: (800)871-2732 to place an order FAX: (708)478-2478 (USA)
Customer Service: 1-800-959-2481 (USA)
Overseas Phone Orders: 801-371-6968 Overseas FAX: 801-371-6969
Holzheimer's Distribution http://www.holzheimers.com/index.php
280 S. Oakland Ave Suite 4, Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone (626) 568-8744 Fax (626) 405-1066
Email Info: otherhi...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Email Orders: ord...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
videos include the Euro-minutes (about 4 minutes of extra footage
added to each episode). Sometimes key points in the story, sometimes
dreck. NTSC videos only.
~Is the series available on DVD?
Highlander The Series is being released on DVD and
is available through some stores as well as
http://www.highlander-official.com/
This site also has details on all the extras that are included on the DVDs
~ I have heard that there are more than one versions of the DVDs. I am
confused. What are these different versions?
The versions available from the Highlander store and from retail outlets
have the same content, in different packaging.
The ones from the store are in individual plastic jewel cases, the ones
from
retail outlets are on fold-out cardboard sleeves called "digipaks" in the
industry. The retail ones are slimmer while the HL Store ones are
sturdier.
(This applies to Season 1; I'm not sure how Season 2 was handled. It may
be
all digipaks now, in which case a season in jewel cases won't quite match
visually on the shelf, if you care.
Most of the "extras" content -- Video Interviews about the episodes, Audio
Commentaries, and whatever cut scenes and other bonus footage we had -- is
on all the available versions.
BUT, if you buy it at Best Buy, they do have a special edition, which
should
say on it: Exclusive Material. On season 2, that's a recent Interview
with
AP, AV, and SK, done just for the DVD's.
~Full Highlander FAQ
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is an in-depth guide to All Things
Highlander. It was last updated 12 Sept 1997.
Get it at http://www.highlander.org/FAQ/
~How can I find the name of a song from Seasons One through Five?
Try Roger Bellon's Bellchant Music Cue Sheet Database.
They provide a complete and accurate record of any music ever used in any
episode of Highlander:The Series (Season One through Five).
http://www.bellchant.com/html/database.html
~How can I find that cool song in "Homeland"? (Bonny ****tmore)
It's a traditional Celtic folk song called "Bonny ****tmore."
The version in "Homeland" was arranged by series composer Roger Bellon and
sung by Laura Creamer. It's available on Highlander: The Original Series
Scores Volume II. Check out Roger Bellon's web page
at http://www.bellchant.com
for more details. Another version of "Bonny
****tmore" is available on Loreena McKennitt's album, "The Visit." Her web
page is at http://www.quinlanroad.com
~What is Fanfiction? And where can I find it?
Stories based on Highlander, where writers take our favorite characters
and
create new challenges and experiences for them.
Sometimes the stories fill in plot holes or exist to explain the stuff
going
on behind the scenes or expand on things we've seen on the show.
Seventh Dimension Highlander Fiction Archive
http://www.seventh-dimension.com
Subscribe to HLFIC-L (Highlander Fiction List)
Send an email to LISTS...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
with SUBSCRIBE HLFIC-L
[your name here] in the body of the message. The listbot will take it from
there.
It's uncommon for fan fiction to be posted here. If you want to share what
you've written, post the URL where we can find it.
No website? Post your story to alt.tv.highlander.creative
news:alt.tv.highlander.creative news group or access it through
http://news.interbulletin.com
or
http://groups.google.com/googlegroups/deja_announcement.html
~Clan MacMoose and the Nutella Moose?
The Clan MacMoose is about unity and humor, not division. Anyone is
welcome
to join. The only requirement is your willingness to work on an upcoming
project.
Clan MacMoose Fun Page link can be found at
http://clanmacmoose.nacrimosse.com/
Nutella Moose is the symbol of the HL VR Con and the Clan MacMoose. It's A
Museum http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/9018/
~Sword Info
For more information on swords and purchases, definitely check out the HSG
-
HIGHLANDER Sword Shopper's Guide
http://www.angelic.org/highlander/
WarAngel is the Editor. It's NOT a store and they don't sell anything or
have catalogs.
This do***ent on the web at
http://hometown.aol.com/rosebudsal/private/infoposts.html
****
> This EFAQ was orginally compiled by Noah Johnson
~Still have more questions? Read on for more HL info...
This is the ATH Extremely Frequently Asked Questions file. Please take the
time to read it if you haven't before; it'll help all of us.
Thank you.
Asterisks indicate subjects still open to debate, non starred subjects are
firmly established and _ non-contradictable._
~Continuity and Past Events Questions
What happened to Tessa and Richie?
They were both shot fatally by a street-corner mugger; Tessa died and
Richie's latent Immortality was activated. Tessa is buried in Paris, BTW.
Tell me a little about:
Duncan MacLeod - Adrian Paul ****trays The Highlander Duncan MacLeod, a
400-year-old Immortal who is forced to face both friend and foe in a quest
for survival.
Tessa - Alexandra Vandernoot ****tays Tessa, Duncan MacLeod's live-in
girlfriend of 12 years, who was tragically killed by a street punk.
Richie - Stan Kirsch ****trays Richie Ryan, a former street kid from the
wrong side of the tracks who is constantly trying to learn how to adapt to
life as an Immortal with help from his teacher and friend, Duncan MacLeod.
Amanda- Elizabeth Gracen ****trays Amanda, a charming and devious Immortal
who always seems to bring trouble to her friend and sometime lover, Duncan
MacLeod.
Joe - Jim Byrnes ****trays Joe Dawson, a member of a secret organization
known as The Watchers, who is assigned to record the life and history of
Duncan MacLeod.
Methos - Peter Wingfield ****trays Methos, the 5,000-year-old Immortal who
must often help MacLeod to accept the realities of their destiny.
Q: Why don't the series and the movie match up?
A: Although the Highlander series shares some of the same characters and
incidents as the feature films, it takes place in an alternative universe,
where its own rules supersede those created for the movies.
Most notably it ignores the ending of the original film, which saw Connor
became the last surviving Immortal. A good analogy is the relation****p of
the Batman movies to the Batman comic books. Both deal with the same
characters and concepts, but with different continuities.
Q: Doesn't Connor have to be the last one, since he won in the movie?
A: NO.
If you've never seen the movies before, here's a brief synopsis:
Highlander, 1986: It told a story that spanned more than four centuries,
but
was about one character, a Scottish clansman, Connor MacLeod, born in
1518.
MacLeod is mortally wounded in battle by the Kurgan, but, against all
odds,
survives. Suspected of witchcraft, he is banished from his village, but is
befriended by Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, who tells Connor that he's
an Immortal, one of a race of people who cannot be easily killed. Ramirez
teaches Connor about "The Game", a contest
between a race of Immortals, and prepares him for the many battles ahead.
The Kurgan is also an Immortal, one who thirsts for the power that
becoming
the last of their race would afford him. The Immortals can be killed by
beheading, so their weapon of choice is the sword.
In modern-day New York Connor is living as "Russell Nash". When several
headless bodies turn up, Nash becomes police's prime suspect in a murder
enquiry. The Kurgan has tracked Connor to New York, where the
final duels will be fought: The Gathering.
Highlander II: The Quickening, 1991: The film was set in 1999, but begins
five hundred years in the past, on another planet, Zeist, from where, it
is
revealed, the Immortals originated. The film's script makes little sense,
however, and contradicts some of the lore established in
the original movie. In 1997 a revised version of this film was released
entitled Highlander II - The Renegade Version. This version eliminates the
more controversial elements of the film, deleting all references to the
planet Zeist, and replacing them with the slightly less controversial
theory
that the Immortals are an ancient race, capable
of time travel.
Highlander III: The Sorcerer or H3: The Final Dimension (US), 1994
While the series was on the air, this film was released. It pitted Connor
against a Mongol magician, Cane. It ignored the fantastical elements
introduced in Highlander II and didn't integrate itself with the TV
Series.
Highlander IV: Endgame- Connor and Duncan together for the first time
since
The Gathering. The movie is meant to bridge the TV series with the
movies.
Joe and Methos are in the movie as well. Kell is an immortal from
Connor's
past who has been stalking him through the centuries. An immortal with an
impressive number of kills who wants revenge on Connor and Duncan. The
story
spans centuries and continents telling the early stories of all
three immortals including Connor and Duncan's first meeting and early
relation****p.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has hidden some interesting hidden features
on their release of 'Highlander 4: Endgame.'
The hidden features are presented in the form of
'Watcher Files.' In total there are 6 six clips that will eventually also
help you solve the trivia game on the disc.
The Watcher Files are placed all over the disc's menus where they can be
highlighted using the remote control. Check the Main Menu for example,
where
pressing the left arrow key will highlight the Watcher symbol which gives
you access to the footage. Additional Watcher symbols can be found in the
'Sneak Peek' menus, the 'Captions' menu and the DVD-ROM menu.
The last two Watcher files are located under the 'Bonus Materials.' Check
out the 'Audio Commentary' section and 'Deleted Scenes' for these two
Watcher symbols.
HL:TAS - In 1995 an animated series of Highlander, aimed at children, was
broadcast, but had little in common with any previous versions. Set 800
years in the future, after an apocalyptic event, the series featured
teenager Quenten MacLeod and his friend and mentor Ramirez, who battled
against a recurring villain, the power-crazed Kortan.
~Series Policy Questions:
Q: How does one become Immortal?
A: One is born, or actually appears as an infant under mysterious
cir***stances, and lives for a while, and then dies, and after that you
get
the Full Immortal Package. No series Immortal has natural parents they can
find.
Q: What is the Full Immortal Package?
A: You are sterile from birth, you don't age, you heal damn fast from
almost
any wound, you can't die from anything other than decapitation, and you
can
sense and be sensed by other Immortals (aka the 'Buzz').
We have no firm indication that any other powers come with the package.*
Q: What if a pre-Immortal dies of old age?
A: *It's been established in both the Raven and Endgame that a
pre-immortal's immortality can only be triggered by a violent death.
Without
that, a pre-immortal will simply grow old and die.
*Updated July 9,2002
Q: Can Immortals sense pre-Immortals?
A: Not always, apparently. It is established that some Immortals can sense
or spot pre-Immortals, at least some of the time, maybe.
This point remains a tad fuzzy.
Q: Do you become Immortal by killing an Immortal?
A: Absolutely not.
Q: What about scars and scarring?
A: A near beheading will often leave a scar, but any other scars seen date
from before the subject became Immortal. Note the phrasing: "Near
beheading". Not just any damage to the neck, a near beheading.
Q: What about Immortals/Pre-Immortals and illnesses, healing, aging?
A: An Immortal will 'die' from anything that will kill a mortal.
However, they will regenerate and recover. The more extensive the injury,
the longer regeneration will take. A pre-immie would heal at the same rate
as a mortal.
An immie remains at the same physical age forever. A pre-immie ages
normally. A pre-immie can catch illnesses, like a cold, but it's never
been
said whether they could die from an illness. It's been implied that they
can, since slow poison would be quite similar).
Q: Where do they hide their swords?
A: The swords are _very_ cleverly concealed in their clothing. Duncan and
Richie do not have gateways to another dimension tucked into their
armpits.
This has been made a point several times on the series.
Q: What is the Quickening?
A: Heck if we know. Heck if the Immortals know. Heck if TPTB (The Powers
That Be) know. Heck if anyone is even supposed to know.
What the Quickening is: Really cool.*
Destructive as all hell. Some kind of power of some kind or another, I
guess
kinda maybe.*
What the Quickening isn't: The dead Immortal's soul.*
Specific memories or skills or knowledge of any kind.
Q: What about holy ground?
A: Immortals can't fight there. Not other Immortals, not
mortals, not nobody. We don't know what happens if they do. We don't know
where this rule, or any of the rules, came from. We do know that any
ground
considered holy counts.
When Duncan killed Cahill in "Avenging Angel", that was _not_ a church, it
was a _museum_ dedicated to the Templars, and was NOT holy ground.
Q: Can Immortals tell each other apart by sensing?
A: No. Nor can they tell how old, how powerful, or how evil the other
Immortal is. All they know is that another Immortal is nearby. Any sound
effects you may have heard on the show do not affect this in any way.
Q: What happens when a mortal kills an Immortal?
A: There are a few possible answers to this question. First of all, if an
Immortal is killed by the hands of a mortal, such as the case of Darius,
and
there wasn't another Immortal present to receive his quickening, we assume
it was lost. We still don't know what would happen if only mortals were
present.
However, if an Immortal is killed by a mortal, and another Immortal is
nearby, (Duncan present at his friend Jacob Galati or Jacob present at his
wife, Irina's death for example) the Quickening will go into other
Immortal.
(The events listed above happened in "One Minute to Midnight"
and have made this canon.)
Q: What happens to all the headless Immie bodies?
A: We really don't know where they go.
Q. I was watching the movie trailer for "Highlander: Endgame", which shows
a
number of special effects scenes. These include: Duncan & Connor jumping
through a ****mmering "****tal"; Connor cutting Jacob Kell in half, which
splits into two Kells; the "Highlander" claymore flying towards Kell and
him
stopping it in middair; and Kell with a floating crystal ball with
Connor's
screaming head in it, which then explodes. However, none of these scenes
were seen in the theatrical, video or DVD versions of
the movie. What's going on?
A. None of these scenes exist as part of "Endgame". By nature, the
"Highlander" franchise has never relied on big special effects to tell its
story. However, to the promoters of the film this had the side effect of
having a fantasy film which doesn't look as visually appealing to new
audience members compared to bigger-budget films. It was therefore decided
to film these scenes only for the movie trailers, to "spice them up" with
impressive-looking special effects. These scenes were filmed during the
London reshoots, after the conclusion of principal photography in Romania.
They have nothing to do with the actual movie
and do not figure into the story in any way, other than to make the
trailers
look cool.
Interestingly enough, this is not the first time the movie producers have
done this with a "Highlander" movie. The "Highlander: The Final Dimension"
(the third film, also known as "Highlander: The Sorceror") movie trailers
included several effects scenes which were not included
in the proper film, in the effort to make the film look more visually
appealing. Whether or not these efforts worked more to satisfy or confuse
the audience is a subject of debate in Highlander fandom, however.
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