FORMAT: HARDCOVER | RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 17TH

With its original box office failure and its steady stream of dodgy sequels, the first Highlander film has always been a cult hit struggling for mainstream recognition. But, as proven by Jonathan Melville’s new book, it’s the cult films that have the most interesting stories to tell. As a die-hard Highlander fan, this writer has been waiting for a book like A Kind of Magic for nearly two decades, and it’s a delight to finally read it.

This thoroughly researched book takes us through the making of this weird and wonderful film, showing us previously unseen photos and doing a lot to uncover forgotten information and dispel old myths. For example, debunking a trivia titbit some of us have trotted out for years – Sean Connery’s echo-filled voiceover was not in fact recorded in his bathroom. I also learned that the widely ridiculed backflipping in the first scene was actually planned, rather than just improvised on the day as many had assumed. Nuggets of information like this will keep you engrossed throughout, no matter how much you think you know about the film’s production.

It’s hard to believe that it’s taken nearly 35 years for a definitive history to come out, but Melville has written one which every fan should read. The end result is for anybody who thought they knew everything about Highlander. They’ll be happy to be proven wrong.