Have always managed to slide another book on top of the pile whenever The Crow is up next. Shame on us. Need to reprioritize the stack. Thanks for this insightful deconstruction!
I honestly wouldn't blame you for delaying it. It's a tough read and not exactly rewarding. I've got an anthology of Chekov stories on my bedside, but somehow Anne Rice and Joe Abercrombie keep getting in the way. :D
What a fantastic essay! I read the original comics when I lived in NY - a friend of mine was a huge fan. The movie and the tragedy of Lee's death was very affecting at the time. The original movie had that 'lightning in a bottle' feeling, like the comic, and they rarely translate well into sequels or reboots unless the people in charge of the project stare deep into the bones of the work and reimagine it for this moment in time (but that requires them to not cynically think of it as another pull on the 'franchise/brand' slot machine).
Thanks, Maura. I think I was in sixth form when Lee died and was way more upset about that than when Kurt Cobain passed. Totally agree on needing to reimagine old works if they're going to fly again. Look at John Carpenter's The Thing vs. the Howard Hawks original. I think the issue with The Crow might be that there's such a pall of tragedy overhanging the comic and the original movie that they just beg to be left alone. (Maybe more so the movie than the comic, which has been spun-out quite successfully.) Maybe Lionsgate thought enough time had passed and audiences were unfamiliar, that it was time to put together a new John Wick? I confess to not having seen the new one yet, but I am intrigued. Have you seen it, Maura...? Sounds like the filmmakers may have had good intentions, but a production clusterf*** did for it. Who knows.
I've seen the trailer for the new one and I'm not impressed. The problem is always going to be executing your original vision once the pressure of the higher ups is exerted. All the creatives (including actors) end up just wanting to get it made and concessions start to domino. If you have a tough producer this can be stopped but it often isn't. With a film like this with a lot of emotion attached to it people get leary and afraid and that is not a good place in which to make smart or innovative decisions.
Wildness might be necessary for such a project and that would be too unstable for most people. To be fair, that's a hard dynamic to corral.
I'm still not over the death of Brandon Lee. So much potential and talent gone because of an accident. I like to think that in another universe he escaped and has lived a happy and fulfilling life.
I've never read the comic. I thought the film was pretty average when I saw it at the cinema, and my opinion of it has since lowered upon further viewings. It's style over substance, with an inconsistent narrative and clunky dialogue.
From what I could gather the main character is sad because his girlfriend is dead and that sadness is strong enough to bring him back to life - if you can call it life. It doesn't make sense. The Crow himself is dull and melancholic. More annoying than cool. I guess I'm just not emo enough to find the protagonist appealing.
I'm sure it was hurt by the loss of Lee and the subsequent re-shoots, but it's not a well made film, in my opinion. A good idea, poorly executed.
It's interesting how polarising opinions can be on films like this. I think that Prince of Darkness is one of John Carpenter's best films, and I'm often told I'm wrong for thinking that. So what do I know?
Sure, that’s fair enough. Like The Lost Boys, it’s vibe over narrative. But what a vibe! Some movies can carry that off. It does make me wonder, though, if Lee hadn’t lost his life on this movie, just how well it might be remembered today. They wouldn’t have cut the ‘skull cowboy’ scenes (look those up if you can be arsed), which sounded horribly cheesy. Maybe slightly better sequels would have followed and the recent reboot perhaps better received (and possibly better made). Frankly, I’d rather that than the actor have lost his life.
Yeah. I re watched Lost Boys the other week. That feels weirdly timeless. I think it's because the young people in that have exactly the same hair and clothes as most of the young people I see in the highstreet today.
I remember when this movie came out and the soundtrack was EVERYWHERE, almost eclipsing the movie itself. So many fantastic needle drops that really enhance the grim, moody atmosphere of the movie.
Had no idea about the Crow comic. This was very informative and well written!
Thanks, Mikhail!
Have always managed to slide another book on top of the pile whenever The Crow is up next. Shame on us. Need to reprioritize the stack. Thanks for this insightful deconstruction!
I honestly wouldn't blame you for delaying it. It's a tough read and not exactly rewarding. I've got an anthology of Chekov stories on my bedside, but somehow Anne Rice and Joe Abercrombie keep getting in the way. :D
Actually u should check out George Saunders book where he dissected Chekov short stories - made me go back n read some
What a fantastic essay! I read the original comics when I lived in NY - a friend of mine was a huge fan. The movie and the tragedy of Lee's death was very affecting at the time. The original movie had that 'lightning in a bottle' feeling, like the comic, and they rarely translate well into sequels or reboots unless the people in charge of the project stare deep into the bones of the work and reimagine it for this moment in time (but that requires them to not cynically think of it as another pull on the 'franchise/brand' slot machine).
Thanks, Maura. I think I was in sixth form when Lee died and was way more upset about that than when Kurt Cobain passed. Totally agree on needing to reimagine old works if they're going to fly again. Look at John Carpenter's The Thing vs. the Howard Hawks original. I think the issue with The Crow might be that there's such a pall of tragedy overhanging the comic and the original movie that they just beg to be left alone. (Maybe more so the movie than the comic, which has been spun-out quite successfully.) Maybe Lionsgate thought enough time had passed and audiences were unfamiliar, that it was time to put together a new John Wick? I confess to not having seen the new one yet, but I am intrigued. Have you seen it, Maura...? Sounds like the filmmakers may have had good intentions, but a production clusterf*** did for it. Who knows.
I've seen the trailer for the new one and I'm not impressed. The problem is always going to be executing your original vision once the pressure of the higher ups is exerted. All the creatives (including actors) end up just wanting to get it made and concessions start to domino. If you have a tough producer this can be stopped but it often isn't. With a film like this with a lot of emotion attached to it people get leary and afraid and that is not a good place in which to make smart or innovative decisions.
Wildness might be necessary for such a project and that would be too unstable for most people. To be fair, that's a hard dynamic to corral.
I'm still not over the death of Brandon Lee. So much potential and talent gone because of an accident. I like to think that in another universe he escaped and has lived a happy and fulfilling life.
Great article - I can see why there was criticism of the current Crow movie
Great article, Alec.
I've never read the comic. I thought the film was pretty average when I saw it at the cinema, and my opinion of it has since lowered upon further viewings. It's style over substance, with an inconsistent narrative and clunky dialogue.
From what I could gather the main character is sad because his girlfriend is dead and that sadness is strong enough to bring him back to life - if you can call it life. It doesn't make sense. The Crow himself is dull and melancholic. More annoying than cool. I guess I'm just not emo enough to find the protagonist appealing.
I'm sure it was hurt by the loss of Lee and the subsequent re-shoots, but it's not a well made film, in my opinion. A good idea, poorly executed.
It's interesting how polarising opinions can be on films like this. I think that Prince of Darkness is one of John Carpenter's best films, and I'm often told I'm wrong for thinking that. So what do I know?
Sure, that’s fair enough. Like The Lost Boys, it’s vibe over narrative. But what a vibe! Some movies can carry that off. It does make me wonder, though, if Lee hadn’t lost his life on this movie, just how well it might be remembered today. They wouldn’t have cut the ‘skull cowboy’ scenes (look those up if you can be arsed), which sounded horribly cheesy. Maybe slightly better sequels would have followed and the recent reboot perhaps better received (and possibly better made). Frankly, I’d rather that than the actor have lost his life.
Yeah. I re watched Lost Boys the other week. That feels weirdly timeless. I think it's because the young people in that have exactly the same hair and clothes as most of the young people I see in the highstreet today.
I remember when this movie came out and the soundtrack was EVERYWHERE, almost eclipsing the movie itself. So many fantastic needle drops that really enhance the grim, moody atmosphere of the movie.