Highlander
30th Anniversary Edition – Director’s Cut
Blu-ray
Directed Russell Mulcahy
Starring Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown, Sean Connery
Lionsgate Home Video
Release date: September 27, 2016

Russell Mulcahy‘s 1986 feature Highlander centers on Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), a man born in the Scottish Highlands in the 1500s who discovers he’s immortal after he miraculously recovers from a deadly wound he sustained during his first battle against a rival clan. The film seamlessly goes back and forth between MacLeod’s past in 16th century Scotland and his current life as antiques dealer Russell Nash in modern-day New York City, with a few other brief past-life flashbacks thrown in. Under the tutelage of Sean Connery‘s Ramírez, a fellow Immortal, MacLeod learns to swordfight and use his strength in preparation for the eventual Gathering, when all Immortals will be summoned together to fight for “The Prize.”

In modern-day, MacLeod comes under suspicion by the police after a man is found decapitated by an extremely rare broadsword, which was recovered at the crime scene by police forensics pathologist Brenda Wyatt (Roxanne Hart), who seeks to know more about the weapon and where it came from. Meanwhile, the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), the fierce warrior who dealt Connor that initial deadly blow back in Scotland, has arrived in New York City to seek the Highlander out and finish what he started so long ago.

Penn Jillette is a large man with long hair often pulled back into a ponytail who’s known for the magic act he and partner Teller have been performing together for decades, among other things. One of the things Jillette has dabbled in is movies, and he’s taken to one of the various crowdfunding websites out there to secure money for a horror movie he wants to make with Adam Rifkin.

As anyone who’s contributed to a crowdfunding project such as the ones found on Kickstarter knows, there’s goodies offered for each amount you donate to further entice you to chip in. Jillette took one of these offerings to another world, by offering the signature ponytail right off the back of his head. Rifkin’s ponytail as well. For $25,000. And, as it turns out, that offer has been accepted by Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox, the makers of the hit video game series, Borderlands. Pitchford will also be an executive producer on the movie, and get lots of other goodies for his donation.

Continue reading for more on the movie, and to see Jillette’s awesome pitch to you the potential donator.