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The Crow

  • 1994
  • R
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
223K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,005
73
Brandon Lee in The Crow (1994)
CT#3
Play trailer1:34
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark FantasySerial KillerSuperheroSupernatural HorrorTragedyActionCrimeDramaFantasyHorror

The night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a violent gang. On the anniversary of their death, Eric rises from the grave and assume... Read allThe night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a violent gang. On the anniversary of their death, Eric rises from the grave and assumes the mantle of the Crow, a supernatural avenger.The night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a violent gang. On the anniversary of their death, Eric rises from the grave and assumes the mantle of the Crow, a supernatural avenger.

  • Director
    • Alex Proyas
  • Writers
    • James O'Barr
    • David J. Schow
    • John Shirley
  • Stars
    • Brandon Lee
    • Michael Wincott
    • Rochelle Davis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    223K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,005
    73
    • Director
      • Alex Proyas
    • Writers
      • James O'Barr
      • David J. Schow
      • John Shirley
    • Stars
      • Brandon Lee
      • Michael Wincott
      • Rochelle Davis
    • 747User reviews
    • 130Critic reviews
    • 72Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos3

    The Crow
    Trailer 1:34
    The Crow
    The Crow: Blu-Ray
    Trailer 1:31
    The Crow: Blu-Ray
    The Crow: Blu-Ray
    Trailer 1:31
    The Crow: Blu-Ray
    'The Crow' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:06
    'The Crow' | Anniversary Mashup

    Photos143

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    Top cast65

    Edit
    Brandon Lee
    Brandon Lee
    • Eric Draven
    Michael Wincott
    Michael Wincott
    • Top Dollar
    Rochelle Davis
    • Sarah
    Ernie Hudson
    Ernie Hudson
    • Sgt. Albrecht
    Bai Ling
    Bai Ling
    • Myca
    Sofia Shinas
    Sofia Shinas
    • Shelly Webster
    Anna Thomson
    Anna Thomson
    • Darla
    David Patrick Kelly
    David Patrick Kelly
    • T-Bird
    Angel David
    Angel David
    • Skank
    Laurence Mason
    Laurence Mason
    • Tin Tin
    Michael Massee
    Michael Massee
    • Funboy
    Tony Todd
    Tony Todd
    • Grange
    Jon Polito
    Jon Polito
    • Gideon
    Bill Raymond
    Bill Raymond
    • Mickey
    Marco Rodríguez
    Marco Rodríguez
    • Torres
    Kim Sykes
    Kim Sykes
    • Annabella
    Rock Taulbee
    • Lead Cop
    Norman Max Maxwell
    • Roscoe
    • (as Norman 'Max' Maxwell)
    • Director
      • Alex Proyas
    • Writers
      • James O'Barr
      • David J. Schow
      • John Shirley
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews747

    7.5222.6K
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    Featured reviews

    didi-5

    There must be an angel ...

    I approached this film after reading the hype and controversy surrounding its making and release, not really expecting very much. Surprised to find it an intelligent, beautifully-filmed, engrossing and touching thriller. I'd recommend it to anyone who has a fondness for weird gothic mythological stories. I didn't find the horror aspect overdone - in fact it was believable, and the script was superior to other films of this genre I've seen. As for Brandon Lee, this really was a superb performance and it is a terrible tragedy that his life ended so abruptly. This film is a fitting memorial to what could have become a major star.
    uds3

    "Suddenly I heard a tapping, as of someone gently rapping...at my chamber door"

    THE CROW, like 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY separates those who see from those who do not! (who CANNOT). Alex Proyas will never achieve anything close to this masterpiece again and if Brandon Lee HAD to die, then there could never have been a better time and place (do not misinterpret my words or meaning here). Personally, I shall for ever be indebted to him for what he has left...a performance in a film that challenges, implores, conjures, paints. A surreal landscape of good and evil in almost equal proportions.

    I am no Goth, have never read the original comic strip, nor do I wish to. I simply regret watching the unspeakably pathetic and inappropriate sequels...do not make the same mistake!

    For all its grotesque violence, seediness and Gothic degeneracy, THE CROW is a pure love story, so pure, that even immersed within the blackest of adult fairy-tales its power cannot be dampened or lessened. Eric Draven's spiritual pursuit of those who murdered his beautiful girlfriend is less of a revenge story and more a reminder that karma balances out in the end.

    Perhaps the best performance, other than that of the crow itself, is from Michael Wincott, a very underrated actor, as the incarnately evil gang leader. It is the role of a lifetime for him.

    If I were in a position that I could see only two films again for the rest of my life, they would be 2001 and THE CROW. At no stage would I ever subsequently be able to say that I had seen EVERYTHING that either had to offer.
    9rooprect

    This movie will infect your soul

    What can I say. Each day I find myself quoting The Crow at least a dozen times. Usually people just give me strange looks. Sometimes (like when I say, "I got stabbed! I shot the sonnovabitch! I watched the bullet hole close by itself. And then my business gets blown up real good. Other than that, my day sucked!") people call security on me.

    This movie is a one-of-a-kind. It's grunge, it's goth, it's dark, it's funny, it's touching and it's inspiring... even if it merely inspires you to slap mime makeup on your face and walk the streets at night yelling, "I guess it's not a good day to be a bad guy, huh SKANK?!!"

    Seriously, as Roger Ebert said, it's an experience. Even though the plot is pretty straightforward (rockstar gets killed & comes back from the grave to seek revenge), it's done in a way that keeps you riveted every minute. The same way "Peewee's Big Adventure" is just about a guy looking for his bike, The Crow takes the same approach of using a minimalist plot and coating it in heaps of style, music and surreal visuals. Except The Crow has a few dozen more murders than Peewee.

    What makes this film a visual feast is the way it stylistically mirrors the comic book that inspired it. Like the comic, it's very monochrome... almost black & white, but with some icy tints to it. It has a very wet look to it, making it seem glossy and muted at the same time. Like another favourite film of mine "City of Lost Children", it achieves a certain vivid appearance even though the colour palette is very limited.

    As far as action flicks go, this is quite a literary extravaganza. Quotes from Poe's "The Raven", Milton's "Paradise Lost", Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" and who knows what else, lend an air of classiness and antiquity to the film. And of course the movie generates its own memorable quotes. Like "Greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy... now that's fun!"

    Paired with an entertaining script full of great zingers, the acting is first rate all around. Each & every character, no matter how large or minor, delivers a memorable performance. Of course Brandon Lee is the standout, playing the cold-hearted, vengeful killer but with a gentleness that makes you want to take him home to meet your folks. Conversely, the bad guys are brutal but so comic you can't help but love them.

    A word about Brandon's death... yes, it's true that he was killed by a malfunctioning prop gun during the apartment scene. But that reel of film was reportedly destroyed by the director. The movie still had several scenes that needed to be filmed, and the director compensated by recycling other scenes with some very interesting effects. For example, when Brandon punches the mirror, it's actually a double punching the mirror with Brandon's "reflection" (from another scene) digitally imposed on the glass. Tricks like that are not obvious, and they add a certain otherworldly feel to the movie. It also makes the film feel more fragmented and incomplete (in a good way), leaving more to the imagination. If you're like me and you hate movies that over-explain everything, the minimalistic presentation of The Crow will be right up your alley.

    Lastly, the music. If you were alive & remotely cool in the 90s you'll love the soundtrack. The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Violent Femmes, Stone Temple Pilots, Henry Rollins, the list goes on...

    If you're familiar with the director Alex Proyas, you'll recognize this as possibly his greatest work (alongside "Dark City", "Garage Days" and some great, surreal music videos like Sting "All This Time"). The feel of The Crow is also reminiscent of director Frank Miller's work ("The Spirit", "Sin City"). And although I haven't seen it, I've heard the Batman film "Dark Knight" pays tribute to this film, particularly Heath Ledger's Joker who is hauntingly close to Brandon Lee's character. If you like artsy movies, this fits right in, reminding me of Jean Pierre Jeunet ("City of Lost Children", "Delicatessen") and the darker side of Tim Burton ("Sweeny Todd"). Maybe there's even a bit of "Blade Runner" thrown in.

    If you get a chance, see The Crow on a rainy night with all the lights off. Lose yourself in the mood, the music and the memory of Brandon, the greatest star who never was. Halloween is coming up, so get your favourite Crow costume ready. If you live in a sheltered town like mine, chances are nobody will recognize who you're supposed to be. Although quite a few people think I'm Edward Scissorhands who is also pretty cool, so whatever...
    7Mr-Fusion

    There will be blood

    I never had a goth phase growing up and I can't stand The Cure, but god help me, I love a good revenge flick. To that end, The Crow is as pure as they come; an attractive couple with a bright future, brutalized and murdered by a street gang; a kid with an absent mother; a good cop in a rotten system.

    All of these characters exist in what is quite possibly the worst city there could be; an oppressively dark cesspool, somehow more dreary than Seven, more rainy than Blade Runner, cloaked in death. Just thinking about this depiction of Detroit is depressing, but it's what makes The Crow so well-realized, gives its antihero definition.

    This is a movie I didn't want to like but can't help it. Brandon Lee personifies the roles, his life tragically mirroring that of the title character, all of this weaving into the film's tapestry. This isn't a movie, it's a cultural artifact, morose and impactful in its own right.
    9justin-fencsak

    Brandon Lee was to the crow what heath ledger was to the joker

    Nearly 25 years ago the only son of Bruce Lees final film came out and became a sensation and changed the way comic book movies were aimed at mature audiences. The alt rock soundtrack along with an epic score by Graham revell that has been used for trailers for movies such as pearl harbor makes this movie a must own.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In his bluray commentary, Alex Proyas said that Brandon Lee was unhappy with the way his face paint looked when the makeup department applied it to him before shooting. Lee and Proyas then agreed that it would look best if Lee applied his own makeup every night before going to bed so that when he woke up his face paint would naturally look more worn out.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 29 mins) Shelly is shown being defibrillated while fully-clothed. Defibrillators are used only on bare skin.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Sarah: [voiceover] If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

    • Crazy credits
      The end credits opened with the message "For Brandon and Eliza".
    • Alternate versions
      Two different work prints are available. One is 122 minutes long and other is 103 minutes long. Some scenes that were cut for R rating are uncut in both of the work prints.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Crow Fan Film (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Burn
      Performed by The Cure

      Courtesy of Fiction Records Ltd. (worldwide) / Elektra Entertainment (in U.S. and Canada) / Warner Music (Australia and New Zealand) / Polydor Records (all other territories)

      Written by Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Boris Williams and Perry Bamonte

      Produced by Robert Smith and Bryan 'Chuck' New

      ©1993 Fiction Songs Ltd. (ASCAP)

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    FAQ26

    • How long is The Crow?Powered by Alexa
    • What is 'The Crow' about?
    • Is 'The Crow' based on a book?
    • This film is dedicated to "Brandon and Eliza". Who are they?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 13, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El Cuervo
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Miramax
      • Entertainment Media Investment Corporation
      • Pressman Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $23,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $50,693,129
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $11,774,332
      • May 15, 1994
    • Gross worldwide
      • $50,844,565
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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