Russell Mulcahy Movies

A comedy performance by one of England's favorite comedy duos, replete with expletives undeleted. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

With the ultimate throw-down, "There can be only one," Highlander captured the imaginations of fantasy fans seeking a well-executed swordplay epic, becoming a cult classic in the process. Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) is one of a waning few survivors of a clan of immortals. The breed have been dueling each other for centuries in the quest to be the last one remaining, and hence achieve a supreme enlightenment that would be dangerous in the wrong hands. The immortals can only die by decapitation, so they hunt each other through time and across continents to meet for each decisive duel, which will bring one of them a step closer to ultimate power. In present-day America, the troubled hero MacLeod lives a brooding and lonely existence, having lost his true love centuries ago. The evil Kurgan (Clancy Brown), an immortal who plans to use his power toward unspeakable ends, has fought MacLeod before but is still trying to finish him off. After emerging victorious from a parking garage skirmish with the third-to-last immortal, MacLeod knows that only Kurgan is left, and the two are on a collision path toward the inevitable. In the film's numerous flashbacks to the past, Sean Connery plays Ramirez, the immortal who first tutors MacLeod after the hero survives a mortal battle wound, prompting his fearful village to banish him. Roxanne Hart plays MacLeod's modern-day love interest, who tries to help him while struggling to believe his incredible story. The director's cut runs four minutes shorter. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

At the end of Highlander, Juan Ramirez (Sean Connery) died and Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) was rendered mortal. "Highlander 2: The Quickening begins in 1999 when Connor solves the problem of an ever-depleting ozone layer on the earth by devising a giant shield around the entire planet. The earth is saved, except for the fact that it is now a continual 99 degrees, and the earth is plunged into 24 hours of darkness. 40 years later, Connor is an elderly man with liver spots, heading out for the opera. Then there is a flashback of Connor recalling his halcyon days on the planet Zeist hundreds of years earlier. Back on Zeist, Connor and Ramirez led a futile coup against the ruling dictator, Katana (Michael Ironside), that caused them to be banished to Earth. Back in the future, Katana sends a pair of wacky goons to kill Connor. When Connor lops off their heads, he is now young again...and immortal. Just the right time to meet the attractive scientist Louise Marcus (Virginia Madsen), who has discovered that the shield around the earth is no longer needed since the ozone layer has repaired itself. But, unfortunately, the shield is in the clutches of an evil cartel who wants to control the earth's resources. Connor and Louise team up to battle the cartel while Katana sends out more emissaries to get Connor. Ramirez, although supposedly dead, also makes an appearance in the 21st century -- garbed in full Scottish regalia. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Released in the US on cable television, Blue Ice stars Michael Caine as an older, tireder version of his 1960s "Harry Palmer" character (his name, in fact, is Harry Anders). An M16 agent-turned-nightclub owner, Caine is a man of steadfast loyalties. Thus he takes it personally when several friends from his espionage days are mysteriously killed. Caine investigates on his own, which brings him in very close proximity with enigmatic consul's wife Sean Young. Befitting the fact that Caine's character is a jazz fancier, Blue Ice boasts an evocative musical score by Michael Kamen, of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard fame. Watch for jazz great Bobby Short and an unbilled Bob Hoskins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A crime fighter created in the 1930s and popularized in movies, pulp novels, and a radio show starring a young Orson Welles, The Shadow came back to life in 1994 in this slick, well-cast production. Alec Baldwin stars as Lamont Cranston, a murderous opium dealer reformed by a Tibetan mystic, who teaches him how to use his keen mental powers to manipulate others. As penance for his past misdeeds, Cranston masquerades as a degenerate New York City playboy by day and secretly plays the heroic Shadow by night, staving off evildoers with a network of agents and a cab-driving sidekick (Peter Boyle). A greater challenge arrives when Cranston must fight Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the final descendent of Genghis Khan, who has received training from the same Tibetan master who instructed Cranston. Shiwan plans to use atomic weapons to take over New York and then the world. At the same time, Cranston meets socialite Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller), and, although he's instantly enamored of her, he discovers that her psychic abilities render his secret identity vulnerable. The Shadow was directed by former music video creator Russell Mulcahy, whose feature film debut Highlander (1986) was a cult classic. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Christopher Lambert stars in this thriller about a psychotic serial killer whose M.O. is unusual even by the standards of his deadly trade. Beginning shortly before Easter, he begins accumulating body parts for a bizarre, grisly religious ritual -- he intends to reassemble the body of Christ in time for his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Directed by Russell Mulcahy, who previously worked with Lambert on the original Highlander. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The romantic misadventures of a handful of gay and lesbian friends living in a working-class section of Pittsburgh set the stage for this made-for-cable series, based on a popular (and controversial) British television serial. Brian (Gale Harold) is a professionally driven advertising executive whose take-charge attitude extends to his love life; he's looking for a good time and has little use for commitment. One of Brian's few close friends is Lindsay (Thea Gill), a photographer and art instructor he met in college; Lindsay and her longtime lover Melanie (Michelle Clunie), a lawyer, recently had a child using sperm donated by Brian. One of Brian's biggest admirers is Michael (Hal Sparks), a comic-book artist and bookstore manager who has known Brian since high school; Michael, however, has just entered into a relationship with David (Chris Potter), a sensible older doctor who has only been out of the closet for a few years (after divorcing his wife) and is looking for a stable, long-term relationship. Justin (Randy Harrison) is a 17-year-old high-school student who was picked up by Brian at a club; Justin is convinced he's in love, though Brian hardly feels the same way. Rounding out Brian's circle of acquaintances are Ted (Scott Lowell), a shy accountant who has had bad luck with relationships and spends too much time looking for lust on the Internet, and Emmet (Peter Paige), a flamboyant club maven and owner of a cutting-edge boutique. Queer As Folk kicked off with a two-hour movie on December 3, 2000, and subsequently aired as a series of one-hour episodes; the show's appearance on the premium cable network Showtime allowed the producers to approach the material in a much bolder fashion than any conventional network would allow. As a result, the series is recommended for adults only. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The gang is talking about tonight's King of Babylon contest. David (Chris Potter) doesn't want to go, but he changes his mind when Michael (Hal Sparks) tells him how everyone makes jokes about his age. When they get to the club, Blake (Dean Armstrong) is immediately approached by Dino (Peter Charles Nurse), his old dealer, who offers him crystal meth. Blake insists to Ted (Scott Lowell) that he can handle the pressure of being at the club. Brian (Gale Harold) continues to take Justin (Randy Harrison) for granted. Meanwhile, Uncle Vic (Jack Wetherall) spurns the advances of a man in the mall men's room. Emmett (Peter Paige) meets and instantly falls in love with Brent (Dave Tomlinson) in a moment straight out of West Side Story. When Brian hears David complaining about gay culture's obsession with youth and beauty, he accuses David of being jealous, and David tries to goad Brian into entering the strip contest. Blake steps away, and Ted walks off, angry at everyone, especially Michael, for not giving Blake a chance. Debbie (Sharon Gless) gets an urgent call from Vic, who's been arrested for indecent exposure. She goes to Melanie (Michelle Clunie) for help. The contest hostess, Sheba (Salvatore Migliore), sees Justin pouting and offers to help him teach Brian a lesson. Everyone thinks Brian signed up for the contest, but he actually entered David's name. David takes him up on the challenge. Mel and Debbie get to the police station, where the homophobic desk sergeant won't let them see Vic. Desperate to raise bail for him, they head to Babylon. In a scene straight out of The Way We Were, Emmett and Brent break up. Justin competes in the King of Babylon contest, winning over the crowd, including the guy Brian was about to have sex with. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, the made-for-cable feature The Lost Battalion is set in 1918 during the final months of WWI. Assigned to capture an enemy stronghold in Charlvaux at the height of the Argonne campaign, the men of the AEF 308th Battalion, 77th Division, are led by young American major Charles Whittlesey (Rick Schroder), an inexperienced but dedicated "citizen soldier." Totally cut off from the other allied troops, unaware of their vulnerability, and barraged by "friendly fire," the 500-plus men of the 308th bravely hold their position, suffering incredible losses and unspeakable deprivations in the process -- while the battalion's superior officers, far from the firing line, callously prepare to write off the men as expendable casualties. Fairly graphic and horrifying by basic-cable standards, The Lost Battalion was filmed on-location in Luxembourg, and made its American TV debut courtesy of the A&E Channel on December 2, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Showtime cable series Jeremiah was set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, 15 years after a mysterious virus had killed off everyone past puberty. The only survivors of the holocaust were teenagers and twentysomethings, with the eponymous Jeremiah (Luke Perry) falling into the latter category. Following fragmentary clues left by his father, Jeremiah navigated the dismal, ravaged countryside in search of the "Valhalla Sector," an idyllic locale which may or may not have held the key to a brighter future. He was joined in his quest by the glib, supremely untrustowrthy Kurdy (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), and, on occasion, by other youthful remnants of the human race, both friendly and antagonistic. Co-executive produced by horror film specialist Joe Dante and Babylon 5 maven J. Michael Straczynski, the weekly, 60-minute Jeremiah was launched with a 100-minute pilot episode on March 30, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Romeo and Juliet was updated to contemporary Beverly Hills in this typically stylish Jerry Bruckheimer TV series. This time around, Juliet was Jewel Goldman (Olivia Wilde), the stunning teenage daughter of Larry Goldman (Ron Silver), a successful producer of steamy adult films. As for Romeo, he was Adam Roane (D.J. Cotrona), the hot-hunk son of district attorney Michael Roame (Kevin Anderson), a staunch anti-porn crusader. Yes, the elder Goldman and Roame were longtime enemies. Yes, both men forbade their children from seeing one another. And yes, Jewel and Adam managed to sneak in a few torrid balcony scenes -- though not always on the balcony. Created by Jim Leonard, Skin made its FOX network bow on October 20, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Barry Pepper stars as stock-car racing legend Dale Earnhardt in this made-for-cable drama. Dale was raised by Ralph Earnhardt (J.K. Simmons), a proud man who worked at a mill to feed and clothe his family but found true satisfaction rebuilding jalopies in his garage and racing them at local events on the weekends. Ralph was a minor legend in Southern stock-car racing, and when Dale dropped out of high school to follow his own passion for racing, he started out in his father's shadow -- and with no illusions about the odds stacked against him. But after more than a decade of struggle, Dale finally began to break into the big leagues in the late '70s, and in time he became the biggest money maker in NASCAR history, tying with the great Richard Petty as the winner of the Winston Cup trophies. But the lessons Dale learned from his father took on a deeper meaning when his own teenage son, Dale Jr. (Chad McCumbee), also decided to take up racing at the age of 16 -- and Dale tried to keep his hot-headed son away from the track. Named for Earnhardt's racing number, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story debuted on the ESPN cable network on December 11, 2004, and was released on home video shortly afterward. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide