Episode 154 - Highlander II: The Quickening LIVE!

[Cameron H. 23786]

While I get this movie is insane, I honestly think the moment it truly lost me to its madness was when MacLeod and his associate where communicating to each other on the see-through monitor, they capitalized the first letter of EVERY SINGLE WORD! They even capitalized articles and short prepositions! I mean, what the fuck? Who does that? So either this guy has a word processor that is defaulted to capitalize everything or these two chuckledicks need to take it easy on that 'Shift' key--especially on a surreptitious communique.

[Elektra Boogaloo 3371]

The sound quality of this episode and the last one is so clear that sometimes I'd forget that I was listening to a live ep and thought I was listening to a studio ep.

 

 

Looks like June and Paul will have to re-introduce themselves to each other. June is in D.C. for the Women's March. She will also be performing later to raise money for Planned Parenthood. Hats off June and all the ladies performing at the Laugh. Dance. Then Get to Work! show. Marching is exhausting and to perform after that? Whew! Love to June, Casey Wilson, Morgan Walsh, and all the other performers for their dedication to the good fight.

I was really hoping those signs were gonna say "We made you! We made you!"

[Cameron H. 23786]

First of all, I'm absolutely thrilled that, in the Hellish nightmare that is 2024, attendance to the theater appears to have gone up. Both the opera and Hamlet seemed to be packed! It's nice to know that although the rest of the world is a flaming mess, people still want to get some goddamn culture.

 

Anyway...

 

When Macleod was driving home from the opera and was watching the news, did anyone else think the breaking news was absolutely ridiculous?

 

For the night's top story, the anchor reports that, "Today's satellite readings from above the shield confirm that highly dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation continue to bombard the planet in the absence of the ozone layer. But here below the shield, we are protected and safe."

 

Um...yeah, guy, we know! That's pretty much been the situation, unchanged, for the past twenty-five years! We don't need a nightly freaking reminder!

[KeithGarabedian 3]

Hey Paul, June and Jason!

 

Boy, oh boy what an unholy mess you all walked into with Highlander 2! I’m actually one of three hosts of a weekly Highlander Podcast called Highlander Rewatched. Yes…there is that much to talk about with Highlander that it deserves it’s own podcast….5 movies (most are awful), a pretty great TV show, and an absolutely atrocious animated series in which the highlander rides a dinosaur and has a “Snarf” like sidekick. Anyway, just wanted to share a few notable facts and observations about Highlander 2 with you!

 

First, off, let’s start with Christopher Lambert’s insane old man voice. In the original movie, which takes place in 1985, he is supposed to be the age of an18 year old. The movie starts in 1999 when he creates the shield, making him 32 years old. Then we jump ahead to the year 2024 - making him only 57! FIFTY SEVEN?!?! He sounds like he is 105 years old! His voice makes no sense at all!

 

When Connor and Ramirez approach the Super Max prison in their car there is a sign at the front entrance that says “No unauthorized (spelled UNAUTHORISED) persons to proceed beyond this point” There is a HUGE typo on the screen! They couldn't even spell unauthorized correctly. Could anything more have gone wrong on this film? Of course! As you mentioned Christopher Lambert got injured a number of times during this shoot. During the final battle you can actually see he is still wearing his hospital bracelet! Guess he couldn't be bothered to take it off.

 

Finally, just a little tidbit. If your turn up the volume, in the “Special edition” of this movie (there are about 4 versions of this movie!) you can hear Sean Connery whisper in the woman sitting next to him on the plane’s ear “I hear dark haired women like to SIT ON MEN’S FACES” Holy shit! But what is the best part of all of this? In the original theatrical version of this movie they edited that last part of his line to you never really know what Sean Connery says. The Producers, and Director of this movie decided when making the special edition DVD which came out years later - ”Hey you know that really crude line that we took out of the movie? Yeah, let’s put that back in!” GROSS!

 

We also included a little supercut we made of Christopher Lambert's awful old man voice! Enjoy!

 

Thanks again, you are the best and we always look forward to your show every single week!

 

Best,

Keith and the Highlander Rewatched Crew

[jarrycanada 2483]

Looks like June and Paul will have to re-introduce themselves to each other. June is in D.C. for the Women's March. She will also be performing later to raise money for Planned Parenthood. Hats off June and all the ladies performing at the Laugh. Dance. Then Get to Work! show. Marching is exhausting and to perform after that? Whew! Love to June, Casey Wilson, Morgan Walsh, and all the other performers for their dedication to the good fight.

 

That's June's memento thing she's got, she's got to look at her tattoos on her body to remember whos she's married too in the morning.

 

You've got two children, your married to actor Paul Scheer, You are not in the movie sunshine! don't believe Jason's lies!

 

[KennyHitt 5]

OK, I've skipped the previous 4 pages of replies so someone else has probably said this, but it seriously grated on me every time someone called a character other than Macleod a "Highlander." The Immortals are not all called "Highlanders," only Macleod because he's from the Scottish Highlands and he's the main character, therefore THE HIGHLANDER.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Okay, here's something straight up crazy and I can't believe that it hasn't been brought up already. When the eco-terrorist makes her way into MacLeod's Museum of Mementos the first thing she sees is a picture of him with a bunch of guys in old-timey football uniforms. Then, and this is insane, in voice over, we hear MacLeod barking out a play. Specifically, he says, "On three...Break! Red 36, Blue 21! Hike! Hike! Hike!"

 

How in the holy fuck is she hearing his memories?

 

(This all happens at 1:06:51.)

[Cameron H. 23786]

Here's one that might just be for the Highlander nerds out there since it gets a little bit into the first movie....

 

At the beginning of this movie, back in the past/Zeist, Connery's character is asked, "Will you lead us Ramirez?" What's significant about this question is that that means that "Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez" isn't just some assumed name he picks up during his exile, but that it is his actual name. Similarly, this implies that "MacLeod" is Conner's real name. But, in the first movie, he's apart of the clan MacLeod. And, according to IMDb, in the first movie there is an Angus, Dougal, and Kate MacLeod (I think they are supposed to be his father, brother, and sister respectively).

 

So...what's going on there? How did his family pick up a new member without anyone noticing?

[tomspanks 9039]

When a Highlander meets another Highlander, do they know that the other is a Highlander?

[NathanGordon 1096]

 

This was Roger Ebert's pic for worst movie of 1991. I think he nails it this movie.

@2:00:

 

Ebert: "You know, as a matter of fact, I don't think a zombie would like this film."

 

Siskel: "[incomprehensible drunken slurring]"

 

Ebert: "That's probably why you didn't like it."

 

 

Meow! Ebert, you catty bitch!

[NundercoverBrother 174]

Here's one that might just be for the Highlander nerds out there since it gets a little bit into the first movie....

 

At the beginning of this movie, back in the past/Zeist, Connery's character is asked, "Will you lead us Ramirez?" What's significant about this question is that that means that "Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez" isn't just some assumed name he picks up during his exile, but that it is his actual name. Similarly, this implies that "MacLeod" is Conner's real name. But, in the first movie, he's apart of the clan MacLeod. And, according to IMDb, in the first movie there is an Angus, Dougal, and Kate MacLeod (I think they are supposed to be his father, brother, and sister respectively).

 

So...what's going on there? How did his family pick up a new member without anyone noticing?

The writers of Highlander 2 didnt watch Highlander 1. Thats speculation and you should ignore anything from pt 2 nor should you think it will align with any origin of pt 1.

 

Angus is a relative.

Dougal is another relative who helps Conner escape his village after declare him a demon.

Kate is his first wife who turns on him immediately at the thought of him being a demon. Literally goes from crying over his corpse to "KILL HIM! HES THE DEVIL!"

 

Connor Macleod is born like any other person is born. His immortality isnt not revealed until he first dies.

 

When a Highlander meets another Highlander, do they know that the other is a Highlander?

Its kind of like a Spidey Sense, but they can tell when one another are close by.

[Wil Dride 121]

When a Highlander meets another Highlander, do they know that the other is a Highlander?

 

Probably by the accent and the fact that they are speaking Gaelic. Oh, also: Immortals do sense each other.

[Cam Bert 8145]

This movie is so insane to pick just one or two crazy things near impossible. So quickly here are three things that stand out to me that nobody has brought up yet.

 

1. Was the angry lady in the bar not alive 25 years prior when the solar radiation was killing all the people? She's so angry at MacLeod for sending them into this perpetual red sky world which I guess led the world into chaos, but what was the alternative? For them not to build a shield, the ozone layer to disappear and everybody die horribly? Given the option between long painful death and red skied dystopia you think she'd pick the latter but I guess not.

 

2. So we've talked about how confused/unconfused Sean Connery's character was suddenly appearing in the future, but yet he knows and seemingly doesn't know he's in a play when he first appears. It's not until the audience starts laughing that he seemingly looks around and notices he's on stage. However it seems to be on a thrust stage, so three fourths of the stage has audience around it. In fact we see the audience behind Hamlet when we cut to Connery's point of view. Connery's character lived through the time of Shakespeare so while he might not know Hamlet he still knows what a theater is.

 

3. So the location of this point that is "above the shield" is 33 degrees 26 minutes north. Even if we give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're not in America and that they are in some other country with mountains on the 33rd parallel they are still no where near the highest points on on earth. They wouldn't even crack the top 100. So how is that the only point that is above the shield? Does the shield somehow prevent you from climbing mountains? Also, who built that ladder and for what purpose? It just went to out on the top of the mountains, but there was nothing there. It was like somebody in SHIELD wanted to climb the mountain but didn't want to deal with the elements, so they had the staff just drill straight to the summit and install a ladder.

[Cameron H. 23786]

This movie is so insane to pick just one or two crazy things near impossible. So quickly here are three things that stand out to me that nobody has brought up yet.

 

1. Was the angry lady in the bar not alive 25 years prior when the solar radiation was killing all the people? She's so angry at MacLeod for sending them into this perpetual red sky world which I guess led the world into chaos, but what was the alternative? For them not to build a shield, the ozone layer to disappear and everybody die horribly? Given the option between long painful death and red skied dystopia you think she'd pick the latter but I guess not.[it

 

Would it surprise you to learn that she's only 17?

 

3. So the location of this point that is "above the shield" is 33 degrees 26 minutes north. Even if we give them the benefit of the doubt and say they're not in America and that they are in some other country with mountains on the 33rd parallel they are still no where near the highest points on on earth.

 

Not only that, but airplanes still exist! And, according to the quick Google search "average plane altitude," planes are usually assigned a cruising altitude of 39,000 ft--higher for longer flights (which I assume would include a transatlantic flight from Scotland to New York) In other words, the average altitude for flight is 10,000ft higher than Mt Everest--which is still considered to be the tallest mountain in the world. So either all the mountains in the world suddenly had a massive growth spurt or people should be flying over the Shield all the damn time...

[Cameron H. 23786]

So, at the very end of the movie, MacLeod decapitates Katana by the Shield Generator--thus ushering forth The Quickening. And, as lightning and other nonsense swirls around MacLeod, we hear Ramirez's voice say, "It'll take the power of you both to destroy the Shield." Wait a second, was that their PLAN?* That seems crazy specific.

 

So I guess if Ramirez had lived, he and MacLeod would have had to fight to the death to generate the same amount of energy? But since Ramirez dies on the way, they just have to hope that Katana follows them (preferably alone) to the roof of the Shield generator? What were they going to do had Katana chosen not to follow?

 

Maybe next time they should consider bringing some explosives or something...I just feel like their Plan A was leaving way too much to chance

 

*Or, at least it's Ramirez's plan. Since MacLeod has to be reminded from beyond the grave, apparently he didn't have a clue. I guess Ramirez just assumed that while MacLeod was glowering at the Shield and shaking his fists, he could sneak up and decapitate him from behind--thereby taking all the glory for himself. I mean, considering all MacLeod had to do to resurrect his friend was call his name ONE TIME over the course of 500 years, I can't say I really blame Ramirez for being a little bitter.

[Cam Bert 8145]

 

Would it surprise you to learn that she's only 17?

 

Must have been all those prosthetics she had on.

[ChunkStyle 1160]

This movie is so insane to pick just one or two crazy things near impossible. So quickly here are three things that stand out to me that nobody has brought up yet.

 

2. So we've talked about how confused/unconfused Sean Connery's character was suddenly appearing in the future, but yet he knows and seemingly doesn't know he's in a play when he first appears. It's not until the audience starts laughing that he seemingly looks around and notices he's on stage. However it seems to be on a thrust stage, so three fourths of the stage has audience around it. In fact we see the audience behind Hamlet when we cut to Connery's point of view. Connery's character lived through the time of Shakespeare so while he might not know Hamlet he still knows what a theater is.

 

 

I can't remember if they gave the years in the first Highlander movie when the action was set back in Scotland but Ramirez might have actually died before Shakespeare was writing. Knowing that I think we can all agree this movie actually makes a lot of sense.

 

Actually this movie has me thinking we need a new term for something beyond "plot hole" in the case where the script is about 85% hole and 15% coherent plot.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Now I believe somebody may have already mentioned this, sorry for repeating, but as this is the biggest plot hole in the movie to me so it bares mentioning again.

 

When Ramirez and MacLeod are being sentenced they are told that once there is one left alive they will have the choice to either stay in the future, become mortal, grow old and die or they could return to the past with their freedom and faith restored and live on as an immortal. MacLeod is clearly an old man, and has been aging and presumably dying since he defeated the Kurgan and becoming the one. 39 years later they decide to look in on him and say "He has still yet to decide" but isn't his decision obvious? He clearly decided to grow old and die because that's what he was doing. Did they think he was going to pull a fast one and on his deathbed magically repent and be whisked away back to the past? When he became the one, was he suppose to shout "I decided to grow old and die" like Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy and hope they were watching him at that moment? They left him no way to get in contact with them so how was he suppose to notify them of his decision? Why did they wait 39 years to get his decision? Then when Katana calls for the Porcupine twins and tells them to find him in the future they say "You said he was mortal and would never return." See they get it! Katana gets it too. So why not just send them to the future and bring them back and say "Oh, yea he decided to stay there." Why is this an issue? Also, Katana clearly hates MacLeod and wishes him dead, so why task him with the job in the first place? And for that matter Katana knows he's going to die so why bother having the porcupine twins murder him when he could wait another few years.

[Cam Bert 8145]

This is the last one for the night for me, I swear to god once I start going I can't stop.

 

So the movie starts with them at the opera and in the program they put on the first page of the "In the presence of Dr. Alan Neyman." Alan and MacLeod spot each other and share a friendly wave. Then the following day MacLeod shows up in his office looking forty years younger than he did at the opera the night before and Alan is unfazed. He simple says he's looking good and asks if he's been working out. Then when Dr. Cox shows up he's like "I've forgoten you were still alive." So he knows who he is and he isn't concerned or curious why he's so much younger. That's not the kind of comment you'd make to a middle aged man.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Now I believe somebody may have already mentioned this, sorry for repeating, but as this is the biggest plot hole in the movie to me so it bares mentioning again.

 

When Ramirez and MacLeod are being sentenced they are told that once there is one left alive they will have the choice to either stay in the future, become mortal, grow old and die or they could return to the past with their freedom and faith restored and live on as an immortal. MacLeod is clearly an old man, and has been aging and presumably dying since he defeated the Kurgan and becoming the one. 39 years later they decide to look in on him and say "He has still yet to decide" but isn't his decision obvious? He clearly decided to grow old and die because that's what he was doing. Did they think he was going to pull a fast one and on his deathbed magically repent and be whisked away back to the past? When he became the one, was he suppose to shout "I decided to grow old and die" like Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy and hope they were watching him at that moment? They left him no way to get in contact with them so how was he suppose to notify them of his decision? Why did they wait 39 years to get his decision? Then when Katana calls for the Porcupine twins and tells them to find him in the future they say "You said he was mortal and would never return." See they get it! Katana gets it too. So why not just send them to the future and bring them back and say "Oh, yea he decided to stay there." Why is this an issue? Also, Katana clearly hates MacLeod and wishes him dead, so why task him with the job in the first place? And for that matter Katana knows he's going to die so why bother having the porcupine twins murder him when he could wait another few years.

 

What's crazy about all of this is that Katana is willing to execute them right away and they tell him he can't. Fast forward a few hundred years and they're like, "Shit, he may choose to come back. We should probably kill him." I imagine it took Katana a great deal of self-restraint to not say, "That's what I've been saying!"

 

Also, their rules of exile have a very Gamer-esque flaw. Basically, all these Immortal political prisoners are exiled to another time/planet/plane of existence where they are left to accumulate power by killing one another, but doesn't this means that only the most powerful Immortal--with the most experience murdering people--will be allowed to return to their time/planet/plane of existence? I mean, I get that's why they're concerned, but those were the rules they set up--which are really stupid.

 

Finally, who cares if he DOES choose to return, you've mastered fucking time travel! If it looks like he's going to make that choice, just send some guys back--I don't know--a few days, weeks, months, whatever before he makes that decision. Jesus! Time travel is wasted on the chronically dumb.

[dickhoff3 81]

I don't really understand the business model for John Mcginley's company. So they charge each country a fee to protect them with their shield but there's only one shield station beaming off of one satellite making it basically all or nothing. I don't see how they could specifically exclude say, Kenya, should they decide they don't want to pay? Are they going to power down the whole thing if one country is late on it's payments?

 

Also, it's not common knowledge that the radiation levels outside of the shield are now safe, correct? So as soon as that shield stations exploded, as Lambert and Virginia Madsen were gleefully walking off to have some quick street sex, we'd be looking at mass chaos and fear on a global level. Anywhere in the world where it was still night would likely plunge into mass riots, violence, and a total breakdown of law and order as people wait for what they believe to be a deadly sunrise, condemning everyone to a horrible death by dangerous UV rays. Places where it's daytime there would be mass confusion and fear as people clamor for shelter, it just seems like maybe someone should have alerted the media to get the word out that it's safe to be outside.

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

I know there was a twitter link in a previous page but this is the guy Jason hates and he tweeted the meme and then the @htdgm account re-tweeted it

 

[Herself 107]

I'm surprised that Jason didn't watch the TV show. It seems like the kind of dopey sci-fi that he enjoys.

[Geans 193]

When I first saw the strange woman at the bar that confronts Christopher Lambert I too thought she was wearing some kind of prosthetic. Later as she goes to confront him I realized this was not the case but that first scene when she's yelling at him from the table it looked that way to me. Maybe it was the red tinted lighting and the shadows or something, but my first thought was "Oh, this is Virginia Madsen in makeup trying to see if this really is Connor MacLeod." You're not alone Paul.

 

I specifically came here to say the same thing. I thought it was VM, too. Granted, I really enjoyed the all shit they gave Paul for it, but still.

[Geans 193]

Paul really nailed "Louise," no problem, each time. How far we've come from Teen Witch!