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Prize Magazine #11

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THE PRIZE

Newsletter of the Watchers Of CIS

DECEMBER, 1914

ISSUE #11 -- ANOTHER YEAR OVER

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NOTES FROM THE EDITOR'S CAGE

I suppose, given that we have come to December, that you are expecting a
traditional Christmas Address from the Editor in this space. Unfortunately,
that's not the sort of show we're running.

HIGHLANDER III: THE SORCEROR has for some mysterious reason already been
released in the United Kingdom. According to "The Hollywood Reporter", as
discovered by Sheri Richardson, "HL3, showing on 217 screens in the UK,
brought
in $942,453 US in the 3-day gross," which was enough to make it the #1 film
for
the weekend. Let us hope, then, that this result is enough incentive to
polish
up a few reported jaggies by the time it arrives on US shores this coming
spring.

So far as Our Show is doing, we have arrived once again at the Mid-Season
Hiatus, and on something of a cliffhanger at that: what, oh what, do They
mean
to do with good doctor Lindsey? Melanie Ogle's informal survey of CIS
Watchers
revealed the following picture of our collective reactions to her:

#1 Like Dr. Anne and want to see more of her.........5 (1 with reservation)
#2 Like Dr. Anne but only as a friend................3
#3 Like the character but not the actress............7
#4 Would prefer to see Duncan with somebody else.....6
#5 Don't want Duncan involved at all ................0

Obviously the Front Office need to do some serious thinking over the winter
break if they mean Doctor Lindsay to be an ongoing part of Duncan's life.
Time,
as always, will tell.

The summing up of mayhem conducted in November:

The last few episodes have spawned a cousin of the YAHOO, namely, the YAHUS:
Yet
Another Highlander Underwear Sighting. Not, mind you, that we're complaining.
;)

For various dreadful offences against Nature, Robert Green has been awarded
the
Order of the Sword and the Pen.

Our most hearty blessings upon Janine Shahinian, Keeper of the Watchers, for
her
gracious assistance in the production of THE PRIZE #9 and #10 in its hardcopy
incarnation while the Press is in the process of setting up more permanent
Arrangements. Now, if I could only find someone to babysit the photocopying
process, I'd be ahead of the Game. ;)

In this issue:

Now that RITE OF PASSAGE has aired, the Powers have granted Mario Azzopardi
the
authority to release his Director's Diaries for more general circulation, and
he
has kindly granted his permission for them to reappear here.

A newcomer delurked to us with his tale of how he came to be Watching, and
triggered a few fond memories.

From the depths of somewhere has surfaced a filk suitable to our theme of
year's
end summation and rememberancing.

An index to the past year's run of THE PRIZE, though of somewhat doubtful
utility, appears below nevertheless.

In response to several requests, we proudly present the full and official
roster
of the Officers of the Watchers of CIS.

And last but certainly not least, the upcoming air schedule.

Next month: Robert Burns and the return of the Grues. Not, however, in the
same
article. I hope.

-- Samantha Lynn, 73524,43

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IT'S A KIND OF MARIO

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One evening last June we discovered amongst the scattered messages on the
Virtual Bulletin Board a revelation to chill the blood and stop the heart: as
we
watch HIGHLANDER, so are *we* watched. Impressed with our powers of insight
and
perception, the producers had sent unto us for tutoring one Mario Azzopardi,
soon to direct an episode of HIGHLANDER. The following is his account of the
making of RITE OF PASSAGE.

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Tue, 19 Jul, 1994

I am finally in Vancouver where I have started pre-production on RITE OF
PASSAGE, an episode of Highlander, written by Karen Harris. The script, with
only two swordfights, compensates for its lack of special effects and action
by
clashing characters together. A very welcome change at least for me
personally.
I will be working with some excellently drawn out characters and dialogue.
Casting starts tomorrow. I cannot say much about plot except for the
following. A young girl's coming of age is complicated by her realization of
her
immortal status. Added into the fray are "generation gap" complexities, an
ages
old immortal frozen in his youth preying on the young and innocent, and an
interesting flashback into a turn of the century gilded saloon. So far so
good.
The crew and production staff are top notch. There is a very healthy
adherence to the mythology and although I have been encouraged to experiment
with style, it has been made very clear that there are limits, these being
the
mythological precepts that have been established in the previous seasons.
The usual problems of fitting a gruelling schedule into a limited but
healthy budget loom ahead of us. Nothing new here. Tomorrow I will finalize
some
location choices and attend a script meeting and will begin casting. I have
some
nagging problems with a couple of scenes but it is nothing serious. I have
asked
for and been allowed to call for a half day rehearsal. This is not common on
TV
but Ken Gord, the producer, agrees that we should do our best to get one done
according to availability.

Thu, 21 Jul, 1994

4th day of prep and all is OK... well, almost. We start shooting my
episode on Wednesday and we still have to cast two major roles. This is not
serious but unless we lock all the cast by tomorrow I'll have to hit the
panic
button. Producers did not like a particular choice regarding the villain in
the
piece so the search had to start from scratch. We practically agree on
everyone
else. Sorry fans, cannot give out names but I will post the names of all the
cast once this is locked.
Locations: The final location, in which we are to shoot a quickening is
supposed to happen on a yacht. Tough going here. We have chosen the site but
there is no decision made on the boat. I want a 110 foot sailboat, we can
only
find a 65 foot one. Again unless we find what I am looking for by the end of
tuesday next week, we'll be......in cold water......!!!!
I am toying with the idea of a watery quickening! Some problems with tides
and special effects. I want to boil up the water around MacLeod. There are
some
safety concerns to solve before the prods accept that one.
I've chosen the lobby of the Orpheum theatre for the gilded club
flashback. Discussion re huge velvet curtain which gets ripped during a fall
took the whole of a two hour meeting yesterday. Production Manager Brent
Clackson feels we should adapt the stunt to something cheaper. Total cost of
35
foot velvet curtain, to be torn to shreds as villain falls over a balcony is
$10,000.00. Ooops!
Anecdote. We have to shoot a car going over a cliff in the show. We found
the right car and after some minor engine adjustments and a new coat of paint
it
will look exactly as we want it. The kid who owned it wanted to sell it for a
thousand bucks. We agreed. When he came over to hand over the keys he learned
that we were going to trash it. The look on his face said it all. He was
about
to start crying but managed to hold back his tears, utter an discreet
obscenity,
grab his keys back and roar out of the studio grounds. We are now searching
for
another car.
I have met Adrian only once so far and very briefly. I will see him on
Monday for a read through. Still have some problems with some script points.
I
must make sure to address all this during the next script meeting. The
problem
is when?... Have to rush into another casting session.

Sat, 23 Jul, 1994

Updates: Curtain. Had to compromise this one. It will now be 15 feet long.
Quickening: The biggest obstacle is the fisheries dept in Vancouver.
Explosions in water are out since that could damage water life in the cove.
So,
we will resort to water jets in special canisters hidden in the shore line.
This presents us with other problems. The tide will be on its way in at
the time we want to shoot. So by the time the special effects are prepared,
cameras set and actors in position these canisters may well be under water
and
the effect will not be accomplished. My First AD (Assistant Director -- my
right
hand man) James Marshall will be spending time with the EFX dept to assess
and
determine what time is needed.
We shall also create a wall of fire behind Adrian on shore. Now this
curtain can only be sustained for 5 secs max. That means I have to place
several
cameras with different lenses on a floating dock out in the middle of the
cove.
Three cameras will give me 15 seconds of the effect but again this causes a
hell
of cost jump, that is, 3 camera crews, a barge rental, a barge operator etc.
Will have to rethink that one.
Special effects also suggested we explode sparklers on the shore. I am not
sure about this one. Could be too carnivalesque. I think I will try that with
only one colour, blue. The boiling water effect is not as easy as I thought
only
because the machinery used to create such an effect is very cumbersome and
must
be hidden from camera of course. Now if I insist on a wide angle shot of the
effect, this machinery will have to be placed too far from the location,
which
will force us to use longer air pipes which will weaken the effect. Must
think
about that too.
The guys at SEFX are great and they can do anything I ask. They too
however have to work on a budget and they feel pretty frustrated when the
director asks for an effect which they know they can create but are hampered
by
problems outside their control.
This quickening starts on a sailing boat, which I have found, thanks to
Darla Nathorst, our transportation coordinator. It is a 70 foot beauty. The
sword fight starts on the deck, continues on the floating dock, up another
gang
plank, onto a narrow wooden bridge. MacLeod and the villain will fight it out
there and tumble into the water below. As MacLeod resurfaces (it is only
three
feet deep), he swings the sword, timing his swing with the villain's
resurfacing. And there goes another 400 year old head!!!!
Oh yes, this is episode four of season three. Apparently in episode one,
the quickening happened on a rocky shore line. SPFX did succeed to create a
lovely watery havoc for that episode. In this one however they will actually
be
in the water.
Someone asked my about my next project. It will be MANTIS, for universal
followed by several episodes of Kung Fu for Warners. But I understand that
there
is talk for another couple of episodes of HL in Paris in Feb/March 95. Total
time of involvement. Seven working days for prep, seven days of shoot. All
editing is done by the company. I get to submit my notes after the first
assembly and give notes re post. Decisions at that point belong solely to the
company. TV directors are rarely consulted after their last day of shoot.
Such
is the beast. we hate it but it is a lost battle. The better companies, such
as
Filmline, doing HL, give directors the most input I have experienced.
Rehearsals. We will rehearse on Tuesday at 4.00 pm. Adrian will be hacking
another head on the current episode at that time so he will not attend but we
are all having a read through on Monday at 8.00 pm after the day's shooting.
Adrian will be there but the poor man will have just finished 12 hrs of
shooting. Whoever said that this life is glamorous must have been a
journalist,
that is, a fiction writer!!! (Now now, off with the director's head!)
Casting is done minus the villain of the piece. Will post the whole list
probably on Tuesday. There are ideas but it is going to be too close for
comfort. I hate it when it is so close to shooting time because it really
screws
up my prep. This is not unusual in TV, or other major motion pictures for
that
matter. When I directed the pilot for the hit Canadian series ENG, we cast
one
of the lead characters, a leading recurring role, the night before shooting,
8
hrs before cameras rolled to be exact. They went on to do four seasons of
that
show.
Had dinner with Marla Ginsburg, the exec producer from Gaumont, Ken Gord,
the producer and other execs the other day. The ratings for HL have recorded
the
biggest jump in Syndicated TV. Champagne flowed effusively. In the words of
Ms.
Ginsburg, this show has another three years' life in it. It all depends on
you
guys I guess. Keep watching and get those ratings up there!
At seven thirty tonight I have been invited for cocktails at Adrian's
place. The cast in the current episode which finishes shooting on Tuesday, we
start Wednesday, will be present together with some crew keys. It will be a
relaxed affair.
I wish Therese, my wife, was here. If there is one thing I hate with this
life is the constant separation from my family. The business has become so
international that production happens all over the globe. Jan will be spent
in
Florida, Feb/March in Paris, April in New Zealand.
Tomorrow I'll post again. I'll tell you about one of the stickiest
production problems, (no I should not call them problems, but challenges! :)
),
on the show, namely, transitions between present and past. I think I've got
this
one licked pretty good, and, I am told, in a very original way.

Wed, 27 Jul, 1994

This is tuesday July 26. 8.00 pm. Tomorrow we start shooting. They'll pick
me up from the hotel at 7.30 a.m. It is not a difficult day and we should
wrap
around five, five thirty. Won't bet on it though.
The last two days have been tough ones. Meeting after hastily convened
meeting. What for the outside observer could look like absolute chaos is
really
the workings of professional people putting the hundreds of final details
together. We finished casting only a couple of hours ago. Too close for
comfort
if you ask me, but now it's locked.
Yesterday we went over all the locations with the heads of dept and
basically went over what and how we were to shoot. This helps give an
overview
of the day's work load. Lighting dept decides what windows have to be blacked
out, where to bring in the cables from the generator, where to park the
circus,
access, green rooms, lunch facilities, order of scenes to be shot, and a
hundred
other logistical considerations. This basically took the whole day, then I
rushed into a script meeting with Bill Panzer, one of the creators and
executive
producers of the show...
The script meeting uncovered a couple of major plot sore points. We ironed
out these creases this afternoon. There were enough changes, mainly dialog,
to
cause the writers to reissue another new version of their script, printed on
pink pages. Every time there is a change, the page affected is printed on a
different colored page. So all changes on day one goes on pink colored pages,
all changes decided upon on day two go on green pages etc. You could end up,
and
you generally do anyway, with a multicolored script.
After that script meeting we went into a script read through which ended
at 10.30 at night. The read through gives the actors a chance to voice any
concerns with dialogue. They did and we all argued character points,
motivation
and all the other goodies that everyone talks about. That was a full fourteen
hour day at which point I was ready to crash.
This morning the new pages were issued, which of course caused a domino
effect into all the depts. Some of the changes involved scenes which will be
shot tomorrow. A flurry of panicked activity solved the problems... I think!
We'll see.
One of the nightmares in TV is location moves. They could consume a lot of
time which is spend travelling from one location to another, so you try and
find
sets that you can walk to without having to move the circus. This is not
always
possible and depending on the availability of your major locations, a script
has
to be changed to fit into what is available around your main spot.
We have had to juggle a couple of locations today. Tempers flared somewhat
at one time, only because of the we're so damn close to the shoot that if one
of
these changed locations doesn't pan out (they could be too costly, the owner
could hate the film industry -- you'd be surprised -- etc etc) the production
could be jeopardized. Hopefully Scott, our locations manager will be able to
solve these irritating problems.
Rehearsals went fine and I think, I repeat, *think* we're all set to go.
Oh yes. One other snag. One major location is available to us only on
Thursday.
Adrian is busy with us on set all day tomorrow which means he will not be
able to rehearse a sword fight. That could be dangerous to the actors,
especially since Adrian does all his fights and yes guys, they are done using
real swords. We cannot risk any injury so this particular fight will have to
be
simplified. A challenge which the writers rose up to with all their magic.
The scene involves our bad guy who uses inexperienced female immortals to
lure age old ones into bed at which point he dispatches them into oblivion.
MacLeod sees through the trap and a fierce fight ensues culminating into the
curtain fall I talked about previously. But there is no time to rehearse the
fight. So, our writers thought up of having the "abused" woman ward off
MacLeod
attack giving her abuser time to escape. The cat and mouse CHASE that ensues
results into the same fall. A clever solution I think and a much more
realistic
outcome of a familiar yet painful circumstance wherein an abused woman would
defend her own tormentor rather than accept help offered her.

Sun, 31 Jul, 1994

It is Saturday July 30. Four more days to go to finish this episode of
Highlander. We will resume on Tuesday after this much appreciated long
weekend.
Circus: Helva, what I meant by that is the caravan of trucks carrying
equipment, props, costumes, mobile changing rooms, mobile makeup-hair
facilities, catering etc etc etc that makes up the on site production
company.
We call the ensemble the circus...
Wednesday. First day. Location Hospital morgue. On Tuesday I visited my
good friend Miguel Fernandes who was guest staring as that episode's bad
immie.
While there I took some time to meet the crew. Many familiar faces from past
shows, as far back as fifteen years ago.
I chatted with Adrian as he sat in the makeup chair. He was getting ready
for one helluva quickening sequence. We both like computers and we compared
systems. I pointed out he needed more memory (!). I knew then that this was
going to be a great collaboration. He is friendly, accessible and very
committed
to the show. He is very careful to preserve the mythology of the show. I had
a
couple of questions which he answered very easily.
We then went onto the set. The pyro guys were getting ready to set off
their fire crackers. It was quite a show with Adrian in the middle of it. All
the explosions were placed at a safe distance and by using long lenses, the
distance is shortened on film. Even so, as he moved away from it, Miguel
asked
him, "gee man, do you go through THAT every week?". Adrian admitted that this
particular one was quite powerful and he felt it more than the others. It
looked
great but hey, that first explosion felt rather....well close!
Call was at 8.00 am on Wednesday. Adrian had to pull a corpse from a
morgue drawer, in time for her to wake up for the first time into
immortality. I
wanted to shoot Gabrielle Miller, the actress playing Michelle, on the tray,
with the camera pointing straight down at her then crane down to inches away
from her, filling the screen with her eye. A complicated shot which will take
exactly four seconds on the screen but took the good part of an hour to
achieve.
I am proud of that shot.
Of course, bodies in a morgue have no clothes on; a difficult situation
since nudity is a no no on North American TV. I actually always thought that
North America would be much more liberal in these matters. It was quite an
interesting surprise to learn that the opposite is quite true. Strange isn't
it.
It's ok to see an act of violence but the powers that be cringe at the sight
of
a nipple!
We ended the day ahead of time.
Thursday. 8.00 crew call. Location: the Lobby of the Orpheum theater in
Vancouver which the art dept. turned into a gilded saloon. We had around 100
extras all in turn of the century costume. The art dept has been working here
since three o clock in the morning getting the place ready for us. Renting
the
place for an extra day ahead was too prohibitive.
We started with the sword fight which was to lead to the fall and the
curtain rip. Damn curtain caused us unending problems. It just would not rip.
As
the stuntman went over the balcony, he took hold of the curtain but it
stopped
him in mid air and flipped him. Thank goodness he is an experienced stuntman
and
was able to adjust his fall. We tried it again the second time. It ripped a
couple of feet then again held fast.
Obviously we had to score the curtain in a better way, a process which
would have caused us lots of time which we did not have. Consequently we had
to
abandon the stunt. Not a very auspicious start for the day. By the time we
abandoned the curtain stunt we were two hours behind schedule.
And that's how we stayed for the rest of the day. We wrapped on time with
those two hours worth of work plopped onto tomorrow's schedule. Not a very
wise
thing to do.
Friday. Back at the Orpheum. The mandate was to pick up those two lost
hours and still end on time by 7.00 pm. Hate working like this but hey, this
is
tv land. The budget is more important than any artistic aspirations.
We shot the transition shots that I came up with. Basically they consist
of taking a piece of the modern set, placing it in the flashback set and have
the actors walk from one set into another. Coupled by the right sound effects
this promises to be quite an original transition. Of course the success or
failure of this device will be decided upon in the editing room.
As I said before, this production insists that directors work on a first
cut. A pleasure. So many other productions really do not give a damn. Once
their
director calls the last cut, they want him on a plane and outta the project.
Threw a tantrum, albeit a small one, still a tantrum on set. I needed to
shoot a sequence outside the Orpheum at a gas station in the afternoon and I
could not use the angle I wanted because there was another crew working on
the
other side of the street. Pissed me off real bad. It was Cannell, shooting
THE
COMMISH (a show they refused to hire me on!!!!! -- A great show nevertheless
of
course). I was very upset with the locations manager for not checking out the
availability of the location. There are about 25 shows using the streets of
Vancouver as we speak so this is bound to happen, but discovering the fact
that
you're sharing the same street corner on the day, hour, you show up to shoot
is
inexcusable.
Anyway, a couple of compromised angles, actually suggested by Adrian who
was very instrumental in calming things down - told ya, he's a great guy!!!
--
we proceeded to finish the day with just an hour overtime. Will have to face
a
irate production manager for that on tuesday. Not to worry though, Brent
Clackson is a gentleman... well, most of the time! (Pity Brent is not a
Compuserve member, I'd let you guys talk him into being gentle with me!!!!)
I invited the whole crew to drinks after hours. Most everybody came
(except for Brent who went to join his family in Victoria earlier in the day
for
the long weekend). It was really great meeting these great guys off work,
including Scott, our locations manager, who is really a great guy with a
wonderful sense of humour. So much depends on the willingness of a crew, and
believe me, guys, a lot of the success of this show is due to this dedicated
bunch of artists, technicians behind the camera.
I'm gonna veg out for a couple of days and hope to resurface sometime on
Sunday. We will be in the DOJO on tuesday and Wed. The hardest day of all is
Thursday where Adrian will again have to go through yet another Quickening,
in
the water.
Oh yes, I did say last time that the sword fights are done with real
swords. Well, that is not exactly true. They are made of hard aluminum and
not
heavy steel. If hit by them however they can really cause some major damage
and
still remains the most dangerous stunt in the show. There is a lot of
rehearsal
that goes on in between setups and during off days.

Sun, 7 Aug, 1994

Sunday morning. Back in Toronto. Directing an episode for HL was one of
the best and most enjoyable jobs ever. It seems the producers liked my work
on
it because my agent is negotiating an offer they made for me to direct
"several"
other episodes in Paris, France. No, I am not complaining. As promised the
following are the entries into my diary for the last four days.
Tuesday. Location Dojo. After a long weekend the crew should have returned
pretty relaxed and ready to kill. It seems they had a helluva weekend. The
brilliant sunshine, the great Vancouver "mood", all helped to relax them
beyond
a point which makes returning back to work on Tuesday a painful experience.
We
drudged through the morning at a slower than slow pace.
We filmed the most difficult scenes today. Michelle, a new Immortal hides
in the dojo while her adoptive father talks to Duncan. It is a heartbreaking
scene and I must admit that it was very difficult to keep tears back. There
were
many wet eyes in the crew too, all of us trying to hide it from everyone
else.
Alan Scarfe gave a wonderful performance as the father. Young Gabrielle
Miller,
playing the feisty and rebellious daughter Michelle, rose to the occasion
stupendously. I am sure we shall see her name often in the future.
Emotional scenes really are the hardest because rather than being labour
intensive, cameras hardly move at all; getting the right emotion means wading
through different levels of emotional outbursts which can leave you pretty
devastated at the end of the day.
I made the mistake of shooting Adrian's side first and Gabrielle's next.
By the time we came for her closeups she had already peaked and was too tired
to
sustain the scene. So I decided to break for fifteen minutes, clear the air,
have a coffee and relax. It made sense, but still the average takes on each
shot
on this day was eleven. Too high for TV, but this scene simply demanded it. I
felt I could sacrifice a bit of coverage (number of different angles) as long
as
I was sure I got the right performance. And boy did we ever!
Wednesday. Duncan's loft. Still a slow day. This was the first time the
crew lit a NIGHT scene in Duncan's loft; we had day scenes at the top of the
day
then continued to shoot the night scenes. The light changeover took almost
two
hours. This brilliant set has one drawback: none of the walls fly so access
to
it is rather limited.
Again, both Adrian and Gabrielle gave excellent performances. The final
shot of the day required Gaby to remove her sweater. (in the scene Duncan
tells
Michelle to go to sleep -- She was staying at his apt overnight. Michelle
takes
this to mean in his bed, at which point, Adrian takes a pillow and moves to
the
couch) I could see she was very uncomfortable doing this, but we managed to
go
through it, at a price: an hour of overtime. An unfortunate no no on this
show!
Brent wasn't amused. He made me promise to be on time in the following
days. But honestly, how can I promise to be on time on any given day. As if I
purposefully decide to go over! But that's his job, to crack the whip when
necessary.
Thursday. The day started with a bit of a temper tantrum. Since we were
supposed to shoot the quickening today Brent wanted us to dedicate the whole
afternoon to it which meant a seven page shoot before lunch. In the hundred
episodes I have directed so far, I have never managed to do more than 4. He
insisted, I got angry, we decided to keep calm and with some major rewriting
and
restructuring we managed to shoot almost 6; a personal record. Not the best
six
pages I ever directed still it is a statistic!
Moving onto the sailboat proved to be an agonizingly slow process. I see
now why Brent insisted we leave a whole afternoon for this. it was very sunny
and hot which made things worse. The sword fight between Adrian and Robert
was
awesome. There were lots of spectators around the dock where we were shooting
and they applauded after every take.
Then came the quickening. Nothing worked! Everything went against us. The
tide, faulty equipment, unexpected rough waters, the cumbersome procedure of
moving a 70 foot sailboat in the dangerous confines of a cove etc etc etc. At
one point, I just sat down, closed my eyes... and whistled a happy tune. It
still did not make things better.
With three cameras shooting everything that moved we managed to end the
day with the knowledge that we had tried our best and when all is said and
done,
quite successfully. Even Brent, although not that happy to have to log in
more
overtime, admitted that it was an awesomely impressive achievement. We went
for
a well deserved drink which became two, three, four.
Friday. The last day. A bitch of a hangover! The biggest stunt today was
the car crash. Took some extra time but it was spectacular. The car went over
the cliff and hit the ground two hundred feet below and stood there for
several
beats before crashing on its top. The lights held and as the dust cleared
they
were pointing right back into the camera. Had we planned it we'd never have
achieved that effect. Very eerie. After that the main camera zoom went
berserk
and had to have it replaced -- twice in one day!
As we moved into the cemetery to shoot the tag scene we had to wait for a
real funeral service to finish before we were given access. We partied till
four
in the morning and I barely made my flight back home at eleven the same
morning.
My luggage did not.

Mon, 15 Aug, 1994

Saw the cut on Friday. I am very excited. It is going to be a good
episode. I spend three hours with Lara on Friday. She promises to have
another
cut on it by late Monday which will include all my notes. I must say I feel
very
proud of this piece of work...


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A LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDUE

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The end of the year is a time to reflect, so it seems fitting that we
inaugurate
here an ongoing series on our recollections of how we came to be sitting in
front of these boxes typing about *this* show and not the show down the hall.

MARK SALANDRO:

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't been around since the beginning of the
Series. I loved H1, and H2 was so *BAD* I didn't want to be disappointed
again
with the new Series. I should have at least given TS a try. I love science
fiction, I was a Trekkie before it was fashionable to call oneself a
"Trekker".
I also watch TNG, DS9, Quantum Leap, Time Trax, Alien Nation, etc, etc etc
whenever I get the chance. HL is a lot of things to a lot of people, but I
would classify it as a science-fiction adventure/drama. But I digress...

I thought it might be amusing to let you know how I got hooked by The Series.
I
was channel surfing one day and a scene with a scantily clad women caught my
eye. Yes, I know what you're thinking; but, hey, I'm not ashamed to admit
I'd
rather watch some T&A rather than a rerun of Kojak. Anyway, this particular
episode had Amanda in it with some of Duncan's more amorous flashbacks. I
ended
up watching the rest of the show, and didn't realize until it was half over
that
I was watching Highlander. Boy was I surprised. I liked the premise, I
liked
AP, I liked Amanda. I haven't missed an episode since, which is saying a lot
because for a while there my VCRs were on the blink and work has been keeping
my
very busy. I even got my wife hooked too, although I think she secretly
watches
it for AP and his long hair!

So that's it. I'm a loyal viewer, albeit a little after the fact. I don't
know
if I'll drop back down into lurkdom after this or not, but at least I got
this
off my chest... Thanks for the help, and keep up the good work with THE
PRIZE.
It's read by more people than you think.

CATHRYN BAUER-KAHN:

<<OK, you go first. <EG>>>

The seventh season of Star Trek was rapidly going downhill. The episode
which I
shall call DANCES WITH WESLEY was, well, not to be borne.

At this point, my husband, knowing my love for all things Scottish, happened
to
comment, "There's this show about this guy from the Highlands..."

The rest, as they say, is history.

SAMANTHA LYNN:

I had heard about the show now and again, but I could never find it -- I
think
they were jumping the schedule a lot, which they do here. I saw a couple of
episodes, but nothing really clicked (I found out later that I had seen THE
BEAST BELOW, SEE NO EVIL-- not exactly two of the best -- and the tail end of
THE HUNTERS [3x! I thought for months that they lived under that @#!!@
viaduct!]).

Then, one night, I was sitting on the sofa channel-surfing for something to
listen to while I was knitting (I can't quite see the TV from that distance
<G>), and there's this show again. Now, I sort of know that Mac's an
immortal,
like the movie, and Tessa's his girlfriend, right?

So, I'm sitting there, sort of listening, not really watching, and I hear a
gunshot. What? What was that? Where are my glasses? In the @#!$$ bedroom? By
the
time I found them, Duncan was talking to Richie outside the shop. What just
happened? Did they kill off the girlfriend like I think? I DON'T KNOW.

And then, now I'm curious about a show that would take such a risk as killing
a
major character, I can't find it again for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, my
father's gotten me a CIS membership. In the Sci-Fi forum there, I find a lot
of
threads in the TV section labeled "Highlander". I eavesdrop for a while (OK,
about three messages <G>), and then I get cut off of CIS for a week.

SO, since I wasn't there long but this Highlander show sure sounded neat from
the way they were talking, I got the TV Guide out and tracked down all the
showings. I can't remember exactly which episode I saw first, but it may have
been REVENGE OF THE SWORD. I recall thinking at the time that Adrian was kind
of
funny-looking. (If you're listening, Adrian -- let the hair *down*! Let the
hair
*down*! <G>)

And I watched. And they turned my CIS account back on, and I read, and I
watched. And I watched, and I read, and I borrowed a set of first season
tapes
and watched those, and I watched. That was last November...

Now, Highlander has its own message section in the SF Media forum on CIS, I
edit
a Highlander newsletter, and our Watchers of CIS, which I helped to form,
have
acknowledged me as the One, the only One, the Goddess of Kingdom Come. Life
is
strange.

(P.S. I still think he's funny-looking. But I can live with funny-looking. ;)
)


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NOT A CHRISTMAS CAROL

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If we sometimes have a rough time as the days grow shorter and colder and
thoughts of better times creep in, what, then, must the coming of another
winter
be for one who has seen four hundred...?

"Elegy"

I see once more
all who came before me and who now are gone;
All I've loved;
never more to see them, how will I go on?
Dust in the wind;
all they are is dust in the wind.

Don't let go:
mem'ry is forever when all else has passed;
Fading dreams --
even this small comfort slipping from my grasp.
Dust in the wind;
all we are is dust in the wind.

Moving on,
watching from the shadows as forevers fly;
Wond'ring why
I still see them every night I close my eyes.
Dust in the wind;
all we are is dust in the wind.
Everything is dust in the wind.
Dust in the wind;
all I am is dust in the wind.

(words c. 1994 by Samantha Lynn, after "Dust in the Wind" by Kerry Livgren.)


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THE PRIZE 1994 ARTICLE INDEX

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As the end of this year has arrived, it seems no more than simple prudence to
provide here an index to the topics covered thus far. After all, it's long
enough *without* procrastinating.

ISSUE #1 -- COLLECTOR'S EDITION! [February, 1642]
(STARLOG, January 1993 -- "Duncan hasn't been back to Scotland in 350
years.")

takes on the grand unified theory of highlander
a highlander timeline -- first draft, 1/94
how I'd fight Duncan MacLeod for fun and profit
forever...

ISSUE #2 -- DOWN THE LONG HARD ROAD [March, 1970]
(Putative birth date of the Goddess.)

first updates to the timeline -- 2/94
Duncan MacLeod: more lives than a cat...
tomorrow, the world...
theory update

ISSUE #3 -- PARIS IS LOVELY IN SPRINGTIME [April, 1783]
("1783 was a very good year..." -- Connor MacLeod)

highlander: the lost episodes
the drinks are on Duncan...
"...and what do you do with it?"
bagpipe fingering chart
known rules of immortal conduct
a Watchers of CIS glossary
our Officers' list

ISSUE #4 -- A-MAYING WE WILL GO [May, 1959]
(Birth date of Adrian Paul.)

beyond the veil
Duncan's immie journal
grues R us
"Another time, highlander!"
a word on heads

ISSUE #5 -- DEEP THOUGHTS [June, 1899]

I know it when I see it...
our story thus far...
revisions to the Officers
additions to the glossary

ISSUE #6 -- 9 THERMIDOR [July, 1794]
(Downfall of Robespierre ends the Reign of Terror.)

bride of grues R us
grand unified theory, take three
to know him is to love him
titling rules

ISSUE #7 -- SURELY YOU CAN'T BE SIRIUS [August, 1816]
(Volcanic eruptions pre-empt summer.)

holy ground revisited
money makes the world go round
"More wine, wench!"

ISSUE #8 -- BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL [September, 1744]
("Last time I saw you, you and FitzCairn were just learning to read." --
Mako)

the immie awards
"Continuity? Whuzzat?"
naked came the highlander
the curious case of the highlander stripper

ISSUE #9 -- DANSE DIABOLIQUE [October, 1627]
(Early proposed year of Duncan's First Death.)

adventures in steno
another you
everybody's a critic
the four degrees of stupidity

ISSUE #10 -- DUST IN THE WIND [November, 1991]
(Freddie Mercury dies of AIDS.)

"Women, sir."
"Buh, buh, buh..."
gloating
auction record

ISSUE #11 -- ANOTHER YEAR OVER [December, 1914]
(First Christmas in the trenches, World War I)

it's a kind of Mario
a la recherche du temps perdu
not a christmas carol
the prize 1994 article index
the officers of the Watchers

THE PRIZE 1994 has been a production of Woodhull & Desmoulins Press.

VICTORIA CLAFLIN WOODHULL wrote extensively upon such unorthodox subjects as
equal rights for women and free love in her newsletter, *Woodhull and
Claflin's
Weekly*. In 1872 she ran for president of the United States, nearly fifty
years
before American women were granted the vote.

CAMILLE DESMOULINS espoused the cause of the Cordeliers in his newspaper, the
*Vieux Cordelier*, during the French Revolution. Having thus offended
Robespierre, he went to the guillotine with Danton on April 5, 1794.

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An accounting of the year's explosion of titled Officers:

SAMANTHA LYNN -- the Goddess
HELVA PETERS -- Head Hacker
MARY-ELIZABETH PETERS -- Agent Provocateur and Nanny
BARB GALLER-SMITH, ODC -- Axewoman
LYNN FERNANDEZ -- Cardinal Fang
JEREMY GOLDSTEIN -- Cardinal Biggles
ADRIAN GLANVILLE -- Ceremonial Bearer of the Haggis
LAURA DIDIO -- Defender of Duncan's ...Honor
CATHRYN BAUER-KAHN, ODC -- the Doorkeeper
BILL O'BRIEN, OSP -- the Eggman
CLAUDE -- Grand Inquisitor
MARTIN HIGGINS, OSP -- Head Protector of Heads
MARIO AZZOPARDI -- Headmaster
SHERI RICHARDSON -- Keeper of the Connor Flame
JANINE SHAHINIAN -- Keeper of the Watchers
ROBERT GREEN, OSP -- Lord Wobert, Jack of Napes
PAUL AUSTIN -- Master of the Heavenly Herd
LINDA WALTON -- Merchandising Manager
BARBARA JOHNSON -- Muse of Secret Longings
MELANIE OGLE -- Muse of Wishful Thinking
ALDIN -- Punster
GARY SCHARFE -- Sharpener of Swords
JAMES R. BURKS -- Swordmaster
SUE HOLLOWAY -- Tailor's Assistant
BEN ROBERTO -- Treasurer
TINA WHITECOTTON -- the Unmatchmaker
LIZ P. -- Watcher of the Ponytail
KIM CRAWFORD -- Watcher-watcher and Keeper of the George

Untitled Knights and Honorary Watchers

Edward Bryant
Georgia Foster
Filmline International Highlander, inclusive
Meilani Paul, ODC

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WEEK OF (AIRS WGN) TITLE

12/05/94 The Samurai
12/12/94 Line of Fire
12/19/94 The Revolutionary
12/26/94 Cross of St. Antoine
01/02/95 Rite of Passage
01/09/95 Courage
01/16/95 The Lamb
01/23/95 Obsession
01/30/95 (02/12/95) VENDETTA
02/06/95 (02/19/95) THEY ALSO SERVE
02/13/95 (02/26/95) BLIND FAITH
02/20/95 (03/05/95) SONG OF THE EXECUTIONER
02/27/95 (03/12/95) [to be announced]

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THE UNCLASSIFIED ADS

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In this library [SF&Fantasy Media #12, HIGHLANDER] -- C1030A and C1030E:
transcripts of our monthly Gathering. Topic: the Arrival of Elaine.

In this library -- DARIUS.JPG: JPEG format image of St. Julien-le-Pauvre
church
in Paris, used as Darius's chapel in the series. Thanks to David Sattar for
this
photograph. Requires Quicktime to view on the Macintosh.

In this library -- HL09.GIF and HL10.GIF: two teases from HIGHLANDER 3.

Now taking submissions: THE FIFTH CHRONICLE is looking for Highlander fiction
and start-up funds. Inquiries, submissions, pre-sales and outright donations
may
be addressed to the Editor.

We have negotiated a reciprocal distribution agreement with CLAYMORE, a
Scottish
HIGHLANDER fan club; inquiries to Elaine Nicol, 100425.1552@compuserve.com OR
107 Cairnswell Ave, Halfway, Cambuslang, Glasgow G72 8SP.

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FINE PRINT

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THE PRIZE is a house organ of the Watchers Of CIS. We are not funded by
anybody
or sanctioned by anybody. If we get in trouble, I'm changing my name and
moving
to Lapland.

The Watchers of CIS are a floating pool of HIGHLANDER fans on the Compuserve
Information Service. We make no claims to official status or knowledge, but
we
know what we like.

We hereby absolve Compuserve Information Services of all blame for the
content
of this newsletter.

THE PRIZE may be freely distributed in hardcopy form ONLY across the seven
seas
of space so long as no alterations are made to the text thereof, save any
required translations into languages other than the original American
English.
Any violations of this caveat will result in the wrath of the Goddess and
more
importantly the wrath of CIS, so please don't spoil our fun.

The Watchers of CIS exist on the Compuserve Information Service. For info on
the
network and the SF Forum (where the HIGHLANDER message-board section is),
call
1-800-848-8990 and ask for representative 186.

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Here are the addresses that will accept mail for the series:

Rysher TPE, 3400 Riverside Drive, Suite 600, Burbank, CA 91505
Please write Keith Samples at this address to express your support for the
show.

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This issue's contributors:

MARIO AZZOPARDI -- 73500,2323
MARK SALANDRO -- 70534,2370
CATHRYN BAUER-KAHN -- 72734,1403

and myself, the eternal Goddess Samantha.

E-Mail -- 73524.43@compuserve.com OR [email protected]
SnailMail -- C/O Woodhull & Desmoulins Press, 25830 Village Green #304,
Harrison
Township, MI 48045

Computers by Apple Computer
Elves by Woodsprites-R-Us
For Entertainment Purposes Only

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HIGHLANDER, for those of you just tuning in (the rest of you could skip this
bit), is a television series based somewhat loosely upon a film of the same
name, concerning a man from 1500's Scotland who discovers that he is
immortal,
and cannot die. There are others like him, he finds, and they are engaged in
a
fight to the last immortal, for the power of the Prize. In the end, there
can
be only one.
The movie and the series diverge at this point: in the film, our man is
Connor
MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), and he lives at the time of the last days, the
Gathering, when all the remaining immortals are coming together for the fight
to
the death.
In the series, however, our immortal hero is Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul)--
"Same clan, different vintage" -- and the Gathering is not yet at hand.
Duncan's
task is to keep his head from week to week.
For that is the only way to slay an immortal. From any wound but one, even
unto
death, they will recover -- but "if your head comes away from your neck, it's
over." So says Connor's immortal mentor, Ramirez (Sean Connery).

-- THE PRIZE, Issue #1

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WATCH YOUR HEAD

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