Retro Review: The Crow

There's a new track by the band Ice Nice Kills called A Grave Mistake, which is based on the 1994 Alex Proyas movie The Crow. It's a great track, which captures the sadness and savagery of the film, and the James O'Barr comic that inspired it. If you haven't heard it, seek it out!

I've listened to the song dozens of times in the two weeks, and was compelled to go back and watch the movie again, having not seen it in probably 15 years. I was a bit hesitant going in. Would it's dark beauty remain? How about the emotional impact, which isn't just brought on by the sad nature of the story, but by the resonance of star Brandon Lee's tragic on-set death?

Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about.

The Crow is still one of the best pieces of dark cinema ever made. It's been compared to 1989's Batman and the original Blade Runner. It's easily better than both of those movies. For one, the pacing and editing are spot on. This movie MOVES and there's never a dull moment. And director Proyas and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski make sure every frame is a painting you could hang in your living room.

But it's the film's tragic love story, and the tragedy surrounding the death of Lee, that gives the film a death-imitating-life vibe. Pretty much every scene shot with Lee before he was killed in that on-set accident is of him playing The Crow, a character that has risen from the dead. Words cannot describe how it feels to know that, but it's a hell of a tribute to the man. His performance is so good, and his physicality so amazing to watch. Had he lived, this movie would have made him a big star.

Every performance is spot on, especially Michael Wincott's lead villain. And the action is expertly handled. Seriously, I couldn't find one weak link in this movie, and it was made almost a quarter of a century ago (fuck I'm old).

Halloween is almost upon us, and this makes a great seasonal watch. Hell, watch it any time of year. It's that Good.

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