HIGHLANDER : les films jamais vus | avec @videoclub58 – LIVE

Before becoming the cult classic directed by Russell Mulcahy, starring our very own Lambert, Highlander was a project developed during his student days by screenwriter Gregory Widen, future author of Backdraft—he himself came from a family of firefighters. Upon graduating, Widen sold his screenplay for $300,000, a success that would long be cited by his professors to motivate their new generations of students. With my colleague from @videoclub58, we invite you to revisit this original screenplay by Gregory Widen, before the rewrites by Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson. And you'll discover a Highlander very different from the one we know: darker, sometimes surprising, but above all incredibly rich in ideas. A fascinating screenplay that also allows us to understand how the film we love gradually took shape. We'll also discuss the multiple drafts and projects surrounding Highlander II, before turning our attention to another film that could have been very different: Highlander III. We'll be analyzing Brad Mirman's screenplay, which I find far more successful than the final cut, and which included several characters and ideas directly linked to the first Highlander film. With this show, I especially wanted to revisit a stage that's rarely discussed when talking about filmmaking: the writing process. Because before filming, actors, special effects, and editing, there are screenplays, rewrites, abandoned ideas… and sometimes entire films that we've never seen. CONTENTS: 00:00 - Introduction and welcome from Jonathan (@videoclub58) 01:18 - The concept: analyzing Highlander through its original screenplays 02:02 - Tribute to Christophe Lambert: a true French star 06:52 - The casting: Kurt Russell, Mel Gibson, and Mickey Rourke considered? 09:12 - Gregory Widen's original screenplay: a darker vision 13:17 - The major differences: family, children and mortality 17:23 - The importance of the police investigation in the initial script 20:02 - The character of Ramirez and the mythology of power 22:42 - The Knight vs The Kurgan: comparing the antagonists 28:39 - Brenda's role and the development of the female characters 29:58 - Why was there no "Prize" in the first draft? 35:07 - Christophe Lambert's animalistic nature vs. the tormented hero of the script 41:01 - The film's relative failure in the United States and the role of Cannon 48:14 - Highlander II: the sequel's conundrum and the Planet Zeist 52:19 - The various rejected drafts and the idea of ​​aliens 55:10 - Filming problems and the "Renegade Version" 01:03:00 - Highlander III: the return to a more logical continuity 01:09:50 - The guillotine and the defining scenes of the third installment 01:16:11 - Why did the saga become so complex? 01:21:40 - Recommendations: Nirvana and the filmography of Christophe Lambert 01:28:55 - Highlander 4 & 5: the decline and producer battles 01:34:08 - Review of Russell Mulcahy's directing 01:41:50 - Conclusion and upcoming episodes (Christopher Nolan?)