[Released] Highlander II - European Theatrical Cut - Preservation - Version 2!

[HippieDalek]

Thanks! This project has been a lot of fun.

[Buddusky]

As I mentioned to you on pvt, you did an amazing job on this project for a version of the film that wasn't widely available in the first place and it seems to have been lost through time. This is the best version available until you possibly put out an HD version.

[Eku2Shen]

a very big thank you for the restoration work. is it possible to have a link

[HippieDalek]

a very big thank you for the restoration work. is it possible to have a link

 PM sent

[v-ger06]

Again, as for the US cut, congratulations for completing this one.
Unlike the US cut i already got a link and i just wanted to say thanks !

Cant wait for the 35MM version....

[Nuttster]

Version 2.1 is now available!

Consider this an early Christmas present for the niche of Highlander fans who don't hate this film.

I've managed to vastly improve the audio by using the full English language PCM soundtrack from the Hong Kong laserdisc. The laserdisc audio did have a few distortions and missing segments though so for the primary soundtrack I've patched these with higher quality sources. There's still a few minor bits I'm not entirely happy with, but they are beyond my skill for fixing, and even with these minor flaws this soundtrack is night and day better than the one I'd been using before.

As well as the restored English soundtrack I've also included the unmodified laserdisc PCM as a second audio track. This is the audio exactly as it is on the laserdisc with no tampering beyond what was required to sync the audio to the picture. As the laserdisc has been sourced from a 35mm theatrical print there are audio dropouts during the reel changes. It gives it a nice theatrical feel! The only other change that has been made to this second track is that they have been converted to 48 kHz. I used Davinci Resolve for syncing and I couldn't find a way to export the audio and retain the original 44.1 kHz.

But wait, there's more! I've also included the full German and Italian dubs! This cut of the film has never really been out of print in those countries so the soundtracks were easy to get hold of and include. The German release was heavily censored so I've patched the audio to extend it to full length. The Italian version is missing a small bit of dialogue between Ramirez and "Hamlet" so I've had to patch it using the English audio.

As well as improved audio I've also made a couple of minor visual fixes. The most noticeable changes will be right at the start; I always want to give this preservation a theatrical feel, so I've managed to include the original distributor logo and a reconstruction of the BBFC Black Card. (There is a YouTube user who recreates the Black Cards and takes requests, check him out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHJYFHj...YPLfnr6JYQ)

When I completed the first version of this preservation I wasn't fully happy with what I was presenting. With this update I'm not only more comfortable sharing it with you guys, but also fully happy that I've done the best I can to bring this forgotten cut of the film up to date.

Enjoy!

Hello! How do I find this version? I'd love to see it!

[HippieDalek]

Hello! How do I find this version? I'd love to see it!

Check your PMs

[Nuttster]

Hello! How do I find this version? I'd love to see it!

Check your PMs

Thanks for the fast response!

[v-ger06]

Just watched it today, terrific work.
Thanks again for sharing

[HippieDalek]

Just watched it today, terrific work.
Thanks again for sharing

I'm glad you enjoyed it!