Synopsis

Connor MacLeod, born in sixteenth-century Scotland, discovers that he cannot die and is destined to battle other immortals throughout the centuries. In 1985 New York, he faces his most dangerous enemy, the brutal Kurgan, in a final contest for the mysterious Prize. Along the way, Connor's memories reveal the friendships, losses, and centuries of swordplay that shaped his life.

Factoids & Trivia

• Filming took place from April through August 1985 in Scotland, England, Wales, and New York. Eilean Donan Castle, Glen Coe, Loch Shiel, and the Isle of Skye supplied much of the Scottish scenery.

• Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, doubled for Madison Square Garden during the wrestling scenes. A New Jersey Nets banner can reportedly be seen in the arena.

• Christopher Lambert trained extensively for the role, studying English pronunciation for several hours each morning and practicing sword fighting under Olympic fencer Bob Anderson.

• Sean Connery's scenes were completed in approximately one week because of his schedule. He reportedly bet that the work could not be finished in seven days, but production completed the scenes within that period.

• The sparks produced when the swords clash were created with electrical wiring connected to the blades and a car battery.

• Queen initially expected to contribute only one song, but the band became inspired after viewing footage from the film and wrote several additional songs. "Who Wants to Live Forever" was composed by Brian May after seeing the film's romantic material.

• The Queen songs associated with the film were later released primarily on the band's 1986 album A Kind of Magic, rather than on a dedicated soundtrack album. "Hammer to Fall," heard in the film, came from the earlier album The Works.

• Although the film performed poorly during its initial theatrical run, it developed a strong cult following and became the starting point for a franchise that included sequels and a television series.