Highlander

Artist: Brian Bysouth
Format: UK Quad (30"x 40")
Condition: Excellent
Year: 1986

Description

One of Brian Bysouth’s most celebrated and collectable works is his UK Quad design for 1986’s “Highlander”. Bysouth expertly conveys an epic sense of fantasy and wonder. The blurred effect of the brush strokes makes the poster an attention-grabbing piece whilst also cleverly alluding to the film’s transitions between past and present storylines. In common with many of Bysouth's poster illustrations, the enire poster is covered with colour & detail, the "explosion" of light from the centre being particularly striking. For another excellent design by Bysouth from the same year see his gruesomely OTT Quad for “Class of Nuke ‘Em High” shown below courtesy of www.moviepostermem.com.

French actor Christopher Lambert took the lead role in the film, a UK-US co-production, alongside Sean Connery. Lambert’s performance would arguably become his best known whilst Connery’s role was the first in what would become many ‘mentor’ type roles that he would take in his career (“The Untouchables”, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, etc). Though unsuccessful upon initial release in the US, the film gained wide popularity in Europe, establishing a cult-following that saw the release of several sequels and spin-offs.

In comparison with the Quad’s bold and colourful design, the US 1 Sheet presents a decidedly grittier image of the film with just a black and white photograph of Lambert being used (see below courtesy of emovieposter.com). Perhaps it was the rigidity of the film’s marketing campaign in the US that failed “Highlander’s” chances of success but it is plainly obvious why Bysouth’s design provides the now better appreciated poster.