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The Crow

The Crow (1994)

May. 11,1994
|
7.5
|
R
| Fantasy Action Thriller

Exactly one year after young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals, Draven—watched over by a hypnotic crow—returns from the grave to exact revenge.

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Yusuf Piskin (yusufpiskin)
1994/05/11

The question is, would The Crow be the cult movie it is today without Lee's untimely death? Possibly not, although interest in the character was strong enough to generate a dire sequel with Vincent Perez in the title role, as well as a TV series with chop-sockey C-lister Mark Dacascos. What is certain though is that, like River Phoenix and James Dean, Lee entered the grim pantheon of fast-lived good-looking corpses and thus gained a morbid immortality which no doubt adds to his popularity among his adolescent, angsty fan base. It's a popularity significantly reinforced by Lee's eerie musing on mortality during his final screen interview just days before his death. "Because we do not know when we will die we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well," he said. "It all seems limitless."

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Joshua Belyeu
1994/05/12

The tale of "The Crow" begins almost fifty years ago, with the birth of the man who'd later become its creator...self-taught writer and artist James O'Barr.Born in a trailer to an unwed, alcoholic mother, the baby boy wasn't taken to a hospital until almost a week after his birth. James later recalled, "She was so drunk and out of it, she couldn't remember the exact day I was born." Told by his mother it was between Christmas and New Year's Day, the local authorities gave him the birthday of January 1st, 1961.Growing up in an orphanage, James wasn't adopted until he was seven years old. He was often "loaned out" to various families for the weekend, as was a common practice in those days. Upon his adoption by hard-working blue-collar Southerners, James rapidly became a self-imposed loner, who preferred to spend his free time absorbed in horror films or his burgeoning artwork. But his parents differed, seeing art as the equivalent of playing cards: a hobby, nothing more. James would later say, "It got so bad that I was forbidden to draw in the house." Working different jobs at auto-body shops or nursing homes, he stayed within himself, becoming what he would later describe as a "brooding and sarcastic" person.However, that began to change when, at age 16, he met a young woman named Bethany. Described by James as a "bright light" who "never said a word against anyone", their connection was apparently the embodiment of the phrase "opposites attract". When James would verbally assault someone, Bethany would point out their good or positive attributes. It was a balanced relationship that James clearly loved and cherished. They were together for three years, and planned to marry after graduation.But then, tragedy struck. While crossing the street one night, Bethany was killed by a drunk driver. James was not present at the time; he was later told by her father. The emotional stability that James had once craved was now gone in his life, and shortly afterward, he enlisted in the Marines, where he hoped the regimented lifestyle overseas would help him vent his anger. Instead, it only made him feel worse. Drawing combat manuals by day, James would immerse himself in nightly barfights, hoping that one of them would end his life as well. Upon his return to the States, James had one intention: to kill the driver who'd taken Bethany from him. But when he discovered the driver had died from natural causes, his anger and rage threatened to destroy him. Desperate for some kind of cathartic release, he channeled his pain and hatred into his artwork as a form of personal therapy. Explaining years later, he said, "It was a lot cheaper than seeing a therapist or something."Honing his artistry, James opted against using comic books as his inspiration, citing common illustration methods as "an exaggeration of an exaggeration...twice removed from life." Instead, he studied ancient paintings and marble statues of the human form. However, James was uncomfortable sketching scenes of himself, so to better express his inner darkness, he created an avatar named Eric. The role was visually reminiscent of James' enjoyment of hard rock music, with bands like Joy Division, The Cure, and Iggy Pop all serving as cultural models for the character's appearance and mannerisms. In the pages of his "therapy", Eric often spoke in lyrical statements and poetic flair. But his temperment was not so subtle: he was a deadly avenger of untold violence, with little compassion to speak of, if any at all.The story which eventually became "The Crow" was first put to paper in 1981. However, due to the immense pain and anger James felt, he could only complete so much of it at a time. The book was finally finished in 1989, eight years later. In it, the story is that of Eric and his love, Shelley, who are murdered by ruthless gang members when their car breaks down on a desolate road. Eric is mortally wounded, powerless to intervene as Shelley is raped and killed by the sadistic criminals. But Eric's soul does not rest, and one year later he is resurrected as an immortal being with one agenda: those who destroyed he and Shelley's lives will die. No trials, no appeals, none of what mass society would consider proper justice...only death. James would later intone, "There is pure anger on each page."Sadly, the completion of "The Crow" didn't really grant James the peace he had hoped for; instead, it made him more angry and depressed, in various ways. But another shift took place when he was working as a T-shirt artist in a comic shop. The owner liked his work very much, and aksed if he had any comics at home. On a whim, James presented "The Crow", and the owner asked for permission to publish it under his emerging company, Caliber Comics; James agreed. Within two years, offers were being made from various studios, who were interested in filming the project. But things got progressively worse as the higher-ups of American cinema desperately sought to rework the concept. Having sold the film rights, James had very little say in the matter; at one point, producers even suggested the film as a musical, with Michael Jackson as Eric and Julian Temple directing. It looked as if the film would bear little resemblance (if any) to O'Barr's work...until director Alex Proyas stepped in. Soon, another talent was brought into the mix, who was a self-described fan of the book, and wanted to preserve it as closely as possible. This was actor Brandon Lee, son of famed martial artist Bruce. At Lee's and Proyas' insistence, the film was reined in, and returned to an approach more in line with James' original story. James and Brandon would foster a close friendship over the course of the production...but tragedy would soon strike again.As Proyas' film of "The Crow" neared its final days of principal photography, a terrible disaster shook everyone involved. During the filming of a flashback scene to Eric and Shelley's murders, Brandon Lee was to enter the apartment with a bag of groceries. Conatined in the bag was a "squib", or a small bag of fake blood rigged with a tiny, remote-controlled explosive. Actor Michael Massee (who played the villain "Funboy") was to fire in Brandon's general direction, and the squib would be detonated to simulate Eric being shot. But instead, Lee crumpled to the floor, and when he didn't get up, the crew realized the unthinkable had happened: Brandon had been shot for real. Twelve hours later, he died in the hospital from internal bleeding. Even more painful was the timing of his death: he was set to wed his long-time girlfriend, Eliza Hutton, just two weeks after filming wrapped.Police officials later ruled Brandon's death an accident, explaining that a "dummy bullet" (powderless shell casing) had become lodged in the barrel of the gun which Massee had held. When powder was inserted for a close-up scene so the weapon would flash, both ingredients combined in a deadly manner. For everyone involved, Lee's death was heartbreaking beyond words...and of them all, the four who likely took it the hardest were Lee's mother Linda, his sister Shannon, fiancee Eliza Hutton, and James O'Barr. To James, it was like Bethany being killed all over again, and infinitely worse. To add further insult, Miramax Films failed to pay full royalties to O'Barr; what little cash he made from the project, he donated to charity, considering it "blood money". Offered the chance to scrap the film if he so chose, director Alex Proyas consulted Linda Lee, who asked it be finished in Brandon's memory. Released in 1994, the movie became a box-office smash, due to both the visceral, emotional story, and the media-fueled notoriety brought about by the death of its star.But for James, he felt worse than ever. After fighting Miramax for the money he was rightfully owed (which still has not been delivered in full), James began making his living as a "starving artist", touring the convention circuit, selling custom sketches and small memorabilia based on the book. He later married, and now has two young children. While his character has been reinvented multiple times in sequels and spinoffs, O'Barr has seen none of the rewards (save for a small amount from Miramax, and a minor contract job for the third film's soundtrack). Today, he says, "I'm actually happier than I've been since I was 16 years old", in reference to his wife and family. At nearly 50 years of age, he continues to make the rounds at conventions, now residing near Granbury, Texas.

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LeonLouisRicci
1994/05/13

Director Alex Proyas Delivers a Gloomy, Street World Filled with Unfortunates, Low-Lifes, Murders, Rapists, Anarchists, and some Assorted Good Folks Trapped in a Hell's Kitchen during "Hell Night".Its Bleak and done at Break-Neck Speed. It's Brutal, Bloody, and Depressing. It's Perpetually Night in a Perpetual Rain ("It can't rain all the time.").The Aforementioned Quote is from Eric Draven's Rock Album and is used to Connect an Adolescent Girl (Rochelle Davis) and the Reincarnated Draven who has Returned from the Grave to Avenge the Rape and Murder of His New Bride Shelly (Sofia Shinas). Eric and Shelly had Befriended the Street Urchin Sarah.The Movie Creates a Cinematic World of its Own, Cribbed from the Comic-Book by James O'Barr. The Crow Comics were an Underground Hit. Independently Produced and Apart from Mainstream Superhero Stuff.The Movie is Ultra-Stylish, Ultra-Violent, but does Attain and Maintain a Heart and a Soul. It is Touching at times when it Needs. Just Enough to keep the Film from Drowning in the Blood and Rain and Sinking to the Pits of Hell.Quite an Accomplishment from all involved. It's Well Acted All Around and the Script is Sharp, Never Pretentious, and to the Point. The Surreal Imagery Dominates alongside the Thuggery.The Ghouls are out In Force on Hell's Night and to Venture onto the Mean Streets of this Dystopia is Not for the Faint of Heart.Note...Brandon Lee Stars as "The Crow" and suffered a fatal gunshot wound during filming.

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Mark T.
1994/05/14

Eric Draven and his newlywed wife Shelly are brutally murdered in their apartment. Eric was the first to die, being stabbed, shot and thrown out the window. Shelly was repeatedly raped and beaten by the four culprits, later dying in excruciating pain in the hospital. This is not the end of a story, but the beginning. The Crow is one of the rare comic book films made in the early 90s that holds true to the essence of its source material.Based off of the popular comic book series by James O'Barr and directed by Alex Proyas, The Crow merges the Gothic with the mythical in a modern backdrop. Even though the movie is set in Detroit, it is extremely stylized with black stone architecture under never ending rainfall. The city seems like it is warped back to the middle ages, where crime has become the institution, and evil is commonplace. Eric Draven comes back not only as a grim reaper, but to give some small measure of hope to the few good people left. There is a haunting pull of real darkness in this film. This heavy feeling looms because of Brandon Lee's accidental death during filming. There are scenes where body doubles were used to finish shooting, and as the plot progresses to the middle of the film, Draven's face is seen less and less, as if he is more of an apparition than flesh and blood. There is something ominous about seeing shadows and silhouettes in place of a man that already ceased to exist. The Crow is not a horror film, but the menacing acts and the tragic story behind the camera create the atmosphere of one.

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