Highlander The Source to compete at Drake Film Festival this month

[Tessa]

This is in Naples Italy. It looks like they've got an official poster for *The Source* now and it looks great with a gorgeous shot of Duncan with the Butterfly knives! They have Adrian credited with starring in *The Matrix Reloaded* though. Hmmm, they should get their facts straight!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/Highlandlassie/Highlandercoverart.jpg

[SimplyAdrianL0ver]

Oh Tessa I have to agree the cover is so much nicer than the Russian Version! I wonder if this is the final edit that Adrian and DP were talking about?

[Beatrice]

The DIFF Drake International Festival Film is in it first edition and
I and Antonella are asking info to the director, but at nowdays
we haven't had any notice. Probably there are few info in
Italy and WorldWide too.
I hope have news to tell you asap.
Love,
Bea.

[StephyC]

Oh Tessa I have to agree the cover is so much nicer than the Russian Version! I wonder if this is the final edit that Adrian and DP were talking about?
I've been watching the trailer for The Source on the DIFF website and trying to see if anything looks different from the Russian release. Its really hard to see any major difference but (and it may be wishful thinking:rolleyes: ) I do think the fight with The Guardian looks a little slower and clearer.

[RottieGirl]

The artwork for it looks great! I hope that when it finally does get released, that it gets cleaned up a bit. I haven't seen that leaked Russian copy, yet, but what I have seen it doesn't look very good. :(

[StephyC]

I haven't seen that leaked Russian copy, yet, but what I have seen it doesn't look very good.
I don't think the DVD, that was perfectly legally released in Russia, was leaked. The distribution company there bought the rights to that particular edit and released it on DVD as was their right.
Some parts of it did leave rather a lot to be desired and I hope that the further editing, done on future releases by other distributors, will have put that right. I liked the storyline but some of the special effects, particulary towards the end were dreadful.
It will certainly be interesting to see what has changed and what hasn't. On Imdb they are saying it will be released in the UK on August 19th but I haven't seen that date firmly mentioned anywhere else and Imdb often seem to get these things wrong.:confused:

[Vernon Gaunt]

"There are some new lines for Anna in the western cut. Anna/Thekla provides lines for the start and end of the film." JM, HLBB.


So there you go!

[StephyC]

Oh VG I wonder if that means they have scrapped Peter's voice-over from the beginning of the film. That was one of the bits I really liked, I love to listen to PW's voice even if I'm not fond of his looks.:D

[Vernon Gaunt]

Nah! at the beginning she says Hellooo I'm Anna, so you get to know who she is. Then at the end she say's "looks like you were barking up the right tree Duncan!" PW does his Holby City doctor stuff whips out his stethoscope and pronounces "You are the one!" Well something like that!

[Rottweiler]

Rottiegirl said:

>>>>I haven't seen that leaked Russian copy, yet, but what I have seen it doesn't look very good.

I have seen it and it is..............embarrassingly bad.
I say that as one who loves [and owns] everything Adrian Paul is in. He is his usual beautiful self in this but the movie???? Ouch.

[Tessa]

I've heard that it's *bad* from some who have seen it and I've heard that others liked it so I guess it's a matter of opinion. I personally haven't seen it yet. Adrian told us in the news conference from Vilnius way back in late 2005 that in his opinion it was the best Highlander film yet and that he felt the fans were going to love it. He seemed really pumped and optimistic about it. I guess it just goes to show you that editing is what will make or break a film, because he felt that they had some fantastic material to work with.. The film was shot with some sort of digital method and I recall that he said it allowed them to get a lot more material to work with. Maybe the official cut that we will see later this year will be an improvement on the Russian version of the film.

[MissyMacLeod]

I have seen the Russian cut....and I like it. Altho, I might be a bit prejudiced when it comes to anything Adrian Paul. :D I thought it was a very cool wild ride.

SPOILERS! Don't read down if ya don't wanna read SPOILERS!
















The ending was predictable because the storyline is "the greatest story ever told" redux. LOL! But who cares? I thought it made perfect sense that Duncan MacLeod was the one who was worthy to be the father of the messiah. Why? Because he has always been a god to me. LOL!

[pepeperfume]

So it's being release in August in UK--and in the US????
Is September still firm???

[Tessa]

Very nicely put MissyMacLeod! I couldn't agree more, and I haven't seen it yet, but I do know the plotline so well I feel as though I have seen it. I think we fans always knew that Duncan was special and destined for a higher purpose. ;)

I don't know exactly what the fans would have liked most to have seen in this film following Endgame which was also controversial and I think more people hated EG than liked it. Highlander has a fanbase that consists of people who love Highlander for different reasons. There's the wonderfully romantic aspect with the flashbacks over 400 years, and Duncan and his many romantic exploits and relationships with women over his long life, as well as his lonliness and how the burden of immortality weighs on him. Then there are the fans who love it for the action and the *good against evil* theme, with our noble hero fighting the villain every week. They love the swordfighting and martial arts more than anything else. Although I know that like myself, many fans particularly those of the female persuasion, love ALL the aspects of Highlander with it's wonderfully written stories that explore some big questions which we all ask ourselves at some time in our lives as seen through the eyes of a man who has lived such a long life and could potentially live forever. (There are also the fans of the original 3 Highlander films who expect something different from what the fans of the series expect from a Highlander movie it seems! And the Christopher L fans as well as the Adrian Paul fans!)

It must be a challenge to find a balance that will appeal to all fans within the same film. Maybe The Source tips the scales too much to the action side (?) and there is definitely a large part of the fandom that really don't want to know the answer to the big question *Where do Immortals come from?*. (I'm not completely sure they even do fully answer that question in the film!) I could be quite happy myself if the mystery were to remain, because I've always felt that this mystery is what gives Highlander it's magic and mystique. But I suppose it can't go on forever, and so they have to find a way to bring the story to a conclusion. Still, I'm hoping to be entertained by this film, and I've no doubt I will be. I know that Adrian will be superb as Duncan MacLeod, as he always has been and I just LOVE to watch Adrian act in anything. I'm looking forward to seeing Duncan in a new adventure. :) It's been too long. ;)

[Rottweiler]

Too long? Yep. It's been 7 years. But for all the problems of Endgame [which I liked], it is Oscarworthy compared to the Source.

The fault lies not in the actors, but in the script and the direction. The former is lame and the latter is disjointed. Can't wait till everyone has seen it on DVD [I do *not* believe it will ever make it to theaters in the US], then we can all talk about it.

[pepeperfume]

Source.

The fault lies not in the actors, but in the script and the direction. The former is lame and the latter is disjointed. Can't wait till everyone has seen it on DVD , then we can all talk about it.

[I]I agree completely Dorothy and it is a real shame! There is a review I ran across on eyeborg where the review mentioned that The source would be released in the states as a Theatrical release....there is a webpage from the Cannes Film Festival that says the same thing....

I am sure it is--all speculation--but I am still hopeful!

[fgh2157]

Oh Dear
When they first announced there was going to be another HL film i was over the moon but ever since all the news has been bad and now i dont even think i want to see it. I loved the way the series ended and (dont yell at me) i even quite liked Endgame. But i dont like the sound of this one at all. Shame.
Fi

[StephyC]

Sadly I have to agree as well, the Russian edit of The Source was a huge disappointment and I'm not at all sure that re-editing some of it will be enough to solve the problems.
Adrian was great as Duncan as usual and most if not all of the rest of the cast gave pretty sound performances to. But the story, direction, editing and special effects were a different matter.
I've read on several sites that it will be released in the UK on the 19th August and in the US in September. A couple have said that the UK release will be in Theatres but I take that with a huge pinch of salt.
What amazes me is that if any kind of release, DVD or Theatre, is less than 2 months away there is no pre-release promotion of any kind that I can find yet and no mention of the movie at all on Lionsgates own website.

I was in London in June 2005 on the day Adrian spoke publically for the first time about doing this film. He was so excited and enthusiastic about it and so were we. Its all very sad that it didn't turn out better.

[Matthew MacLeod]

Well I have a copy of the russian cut.. and I have seen it.. It is definately something different. There are a couple things that are going to make some fans really upset. I can think of two that really stand out. There are things that are just out there that make you wonder too. The ending was not much of a surprize except how it was done. It has you thinking one thing happens but thats not why it happens. It does leave things open for taking things in a new direction if they ever wanted too as in making the rest of the planned trilogy they originally wanted. But that always hinged on how this one did. In some ways The russian cut kind of leaves you like WTF? Now what? Thats it? Finish it! Don't leave it hanging like that. Re-editting can do a little but not much because of how the story goes. Your just adding more footage. Unless it takes things in a new direction that was left out in the storyline or if there was more to it at the ending. A re-edit might not do alot it all depends on what they add to it. I guess we'll see. But editting does make or break a film. I know that from expirience.

Personally I just chalk it up to how all the highlander movies have been. Each one takes Highlander in a new direction and ending. Kind of like the old choose your own adventure books. Which way do you want to go with the story. Turn to this page to go this direction. Turn to this other page for that direction. Turn to this movie for that direction. Turn to another movie for a different one.

[StephyC]

Well I have a copy of the russian cut.. and I have seen it.. It is definately something different. There are a couple things that are going to make some fans really upset. I can think of two that really stand out. There are things that are just out there that make you wonder too.

I guess which ever direction the story was taken in a new Highlander film there would be those that liked it and those that didn't.
Personally I'm not really bothered what direction it took so long as it was well done. I'm not really bothered if they stick to previous 'Highlander Lore' or not, I actually liked Endgame and wasn't concerned about the Kate/Faith marriage senario that bothered so many fans.
I'm not concerned if they use a very modern style of presentation either, I love the modern techniques used in such movies as Sin City or 300.
The problem I have with The Source is the actual quality of the film. Like them or not the previous Highlander films at least looked like big theatrical release movies while The Source looks like a cheap TVmovie.
If you are going to rely on a lot of lavish special effects in a film you have to spend the money required to make them work. For me its about 'cutting your cloth to suit' If you don't have a big enough budget for spectacular special effects it would be better not to try and use so many of them.
I'll hold my final judgement until we see the final edit but I'm not very optimistic about it at the moment.
JMHO

[ena]

I have seen a copy of the film and I enjoyed it although not a good as I hoped it to be the ending was a bit all over the place really a bit confusing (well for me anyway) and what happened about mid way through was really disappointing and upsetting. But I also had an open mind as regards to this isn't finished yet so the proper one will be better and clearer I also remembered that Adrian said they might do something with the ending at the Leeds con last year. So give it a chance people as It cant be as bad as 2.

[bradtisme]

I've seen the cut released in Russia and do hope that this new cut for September in the US is improved but don't expect much. The storyline just fails to fulfill what I suspect most fans expect from Highlander. Is it too much to ask to get a story set in our present with the elements that made the series stories so loved by the fans? Highlander 2 proved, if nothing else, that fans don't want an origins story. I do hope for the best for the future of Highlander.

Sincerely,

A devoted fan

[Tessa]

I don't think it would ever be possible to please all of the Highlander fans with so many varied expectations of what a Highlander film should be. Some are still whining and complaining because Connor is dead! LOL

[CaDonna]

This sounds like a great topic for Vancouver. At least it sounds like it MIGHT be out by then.

[bradtisme]

I don't think it would ever be possible to please all of the Highlander fans with so many varied expectations of what a Highlander film should be. Some are still whining and complaining because Connor is dead! LOL

All? Certainly not...but the majority? Yes.