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Quick LinksWhy Special Unit 2 Was Special, But Not UniqueWhy Special Unit 2 Deserves a Second LookCould Special Unit 2 Work Today?

Somewhere between light and shadow, justice and obscuration, a forgotten police procedural remains underrated 24 years later. Police dramas have always been a staple of television, drawing audiences into the suspense as they play armchair detectives. Whether following an eccentric supersleuth, a mismatched duo, or a team of young investigators, it is usually the mystery that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. But what about the mysteries that defy natural history books, the things that lurk in the shadows beyond human understanding? Enter Special Unit 2, a paranormal procedural with more revelations than just what goes bump in the night, one that speaks volumes about the landscape of cop shows, supernatural serials, and early 2000s television.

Debuting on Upn in 2001, Special Unit 2 was an underrated sci-fi show...

The iconic 1994 goth comic book action film The Crow, starring Brandon Lee, will soon be available for streaming. Two of its sequels will be joining the movie.

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, fans of gothic storytelling and supernatural vengeance can revisit this cult classic on Paramount+. Directed by Alex Proyas, The Crow combines haunting visuals, a powerful narrative, and a memorable performance by Lee, making it one of the most celebrated comic book adaptations of all time. Its atmospheric soundtrack and unique visual style have further cemented its status as a timeless masterpiece.

Related The Crow's Brandon Lee Tragedy, Explained

Alex Proya's The Crow (1994) is a beloved film that still holds up 30 years later, but it also tragically lost its breakout star, Brandon Lee.

From Comic Book to Cult Classic

The journey of The Crow from comic book to screen is as compelling as the story itself. Created by James O’Barr, The Crow...

Quick Links What was The Crow: Stairway to Heaven? How The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Became Acclaimed What The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Has to Say About the 2024 Remake Why The Crow (2024) Failed

With The Crow's 2024 remake now released, few realize it's not the franchise's first resurrection. Considered to be a film that never needed a remake, some find the concept controversial, deeming it a classic in gothic comic book cinema. Immortalized by its legacy, The Crow's enduring love always ensures its inevitable return, whether in theaters or through other mediums. The first remake of The Crow presents a curious case, aiming to expand the mythology and retell Eric Draven's story. Faced with ambitious goals, high expectations, and various challenges, eagle-eyed fans of The Crow likely drew parallels to the most recent Hollywood movie reboot, questioning if these birds of a feather really do flock together.

I’m somewhat bewildered over how outraged people have been over the new version of The Crow (don’t call it a remake!). Many are calling it a stain on the legacy of the late, great Brandon Lee, who infamously was killed in an on-set tragedy, but by examining the franchise as a whole, it’s clear that as far as these things go, the franchise has been exploited to death. There have been no less than five Crow movies at this point, and guess what? We’re going to rank them all! That said, as far as our Crow movies ranked list goes, they’re all varying degrees of bad outside the first movie and the new version, which isn’t half bad.

Dishonourable Mention: The Crow: Stairway to Heaven

Yes, ladies and germs, they once made a TV version of The Crow, and it was abysmal. You...

Ranking The Crow movies showcase the inconsistency of the franchise but the original 1994 film remains the best with unique visuals and strong performances. Despite its popularity, The Crow series lacks the box office success of other superhero franchises but holds a special place in pop culture. The later entries like The Crow: Wicked Prayer suffer in quality and failed to bring fresh ideas.

The Crow movies ranked highlight how wildly inconsistent the quality of the series can be. Inspite of the massive success that greeted Tim Burton's Batman movies, the 1990s was a grim time for comic book movies. For the most part, studios didn't take the genre seriously, leading to a line of duds like the 1990 Captain America or Spawn. A major outlier was The Crow, based on James O'Barr's deeply personal graphic novel of the same title. The movie's stylish visuals, excellent action sequences and awesome...

The latest version of The Crow falls short with a 21% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, a minor improvement over previous sequels. Every attempt to follow the original movie has stumbled, with the 1994 version widely accepted as a cult favorite. The protracted development process for The Crow saw multiple setbacks, leading to disappointment with the latest reimagining's critical response.

The early responses for the latest big-screen reimagining of The Crow are in, and it continues an unfortunate trend from the franchises later movies. Helmed by Ghost in the Shell director Rupert Sanders, and starring Bill Skarsgrd as the latest actor to step into the role of James OBarrs resurrected comic book vigilante, the new movie follows in the footsteps of the 1994 cult classic adaptation starring Brandon Lee. While Lee would tragically lose his life during production on the original movie, The Crow franchise would continue with three additional sequels and a 1999 television reboot.

Let’s dream the crow black dream. I’m Niki Minter and this week on the Eric Draven files, we have The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. This is the first time we have a series that I feel lukewarm about. However, this is one that does have its fans and there’s a reason, aside from the upcoming reimagining, that we’re discussing it. This should be a fun time.

Okay, so, I caught Stairway on the Sci-Fi channel a few times here and there during its initial run. It caught my interest but never enough to start it from the beginning. What’s interesting about this is that it’s based on the 1994 movie adaptation which was pulled from James O’Barr’s original comic. Mark Dacascos would be the one and only person ever to fill the role once held by Brandon Lee. This is an interesting take, right?...

The vengeful spirit Eric Draven first appeared in James O'Barr's indie comic "The Crow" in 1989. He became a Goth household name in 1994 thanks to the popularity of Alex Proyas' ultra-stylized, uber-Noir film adaptation starring Brandon Lee, who was infamously killed on the set of "The Crow" thanks to a misfiring prop gun. The teens of 1994 venerated the film, and "The Crow" was deeply beloved by many. The film warranted several sequels, including "The Crow: City of Angels" in 1994, "The Crow: Salvation" in 2000, and "The Crow: Wicked Prayer" in 2005. O'Barr's characters were also featured in the 1998 TV series "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven." 

Although O'Barr's Goth sensibilities were a product of their time, filmmakers and producers have been trying to get a "Crow" remake off the ground for a long while, and the project has changed hands almost a dozen times in the last 20 years. After a lot of juggling,...

After years of being stuck in development hell, "The Crow" remake is finally coming to theaters this summer. It stars Bill Skarsgard ("It") as Eric Draven, the role made famous by the late Brandon Lee in director Alex Proyas' 1994 comic book film of the same name. The reaction to the recently released trailer and images has been mixed, to put it mildly. Now, Proyas himself has weighed in, and the forthcoming remake does not sit well with him.

Proyas took to Facebook recently to share some of his thoughts on this new version of "The Crow," which was directed by Rupert Sanders ("Snow White and the Huntsman"). Proyas, for his part, didn't have anything nice to say, as he even linked to an article from Comic Book Resources titled "The Crow Remake Trailer Gets Staggering Amount of Dislikes on YouTube." While Proyas prefaced his commentary by saying that he does...

The comic book "The Crow," created by James O'Barr in 1989, should be considered a seminal work in the then-growing Goth movement. The comics were about a man named Eric who was engaged to a woman named Shelly. One evening, Eric and Shelly are savagely beaten and assaulted. Eric is shot in the head but remains alive long enough to witness Shelly's horrible murder. 

His story doesn't end there. The titular Crow appears over Eric's body and magically resurrects him, sending him on a quest for blood revenge. The unspeaking crow seems to want Eric to kill the punks that murdered Shelly, but also seemingly chastises him for brooding and remaining hung up on Shelly's death. Be angry, brood, but do not brood, and do not be angry. It's super-Goth. The comic was popular enough to warrant a celebrated film adaptation in 1994 starring Brandon Lee and directed by Alex Proyas. The film was ultra-stylized,...

It may be downright difficult to believe, but "The Crow" remake has finally happened. Yes, happened, not happening, as had been promised for so long. Lionsgate has now dropped the first trailer for the long-awaited new adaptation of the comic book by James O'Barr. After all these years, we are, at long last, going to see what Eric Draven looks like in a modern context a full 30 years after the first film arrived in 1994. Check it out for yourself above.

This time around, it's Bill Skarsgård, best known for his role as Pennywise the clown in the "It" movies, taking on the role of Eric Draven. Noticeably, his look is, well, different than what we've seen previously, most notably when the late Brandon Lee originated the role in director Alex Proyas' version of "The Crow." Whether that look is better or worse is a matter left to individual opinion, but...

The Crow reboot with Bill Skarsgård aims to revitalize a franchise in need of a fresh start after lackluster sequels. The release date is set for June 7, 2024, 21 months after filming wrapped, taking over the date from the Ballerina spinoff. The franchise's history of failed sequels prompts a new direction to honor the original Brandon Lee legacy with a new cast.

The long-gestating reboot of The Crow has finally landed an official summer release date. Based on the independent comic by James O’Barr, the movie follows the story of Eric Draven, a man who is guided back from the dead to seek vengeance upon those who murdered both himself and his fiancée. Originally played by the late Brandon Lee, who tragically lost his life filming the original 1994 movie adaptation, the latest reimagining of O’Barr’s comic will see It star Bill Skarsgård taking on the role of Draven, and recording...

It may finally be time for The Crow remake to get resurrected. For years, Hollywood has been trying to get a reboot of the franchise going, and they got alarmingly close with Aquaman star Jason Momoa and The Nun director Corin Hardy before the plug was unceremoniously pulled just ahead of production, with Sony later removing it entirely from their release calendar. Now, after nearly two years of silence in regards to the project, it looks like the reboot has once again entered development.

According to a new report from Bloody Disgusting, the project is back in development and is being retooled. Few details have been made available at this time, but it's expected that Davis Films, Highland Film Group and Electric Shadow, who had previously had a deal in place to finance and distribute the movie, are still involved. Whether or not Sony Pictures remains involved at all anymore...

The Crow is one of our favorite comic book movies of all time. A gritty supernatural revenge fantasy that takes place in Detroit on the night before Halloween, aka Devil's Night, the dark romance and gothic overtones were part of the magic, conjured most profoundly by the late Brandon Lee, who died during the production. Since the release of the 1994 original, we've gotten three subpar sequels and a short-lived TV series. But more intriguingly, there have been a number of starts, stops, and concepts for reboots, re-imaginings, and resurrections of Eric Draven. Here we'll take a look at The Crow movies we almost got.

The Crow was created by James O'Barr an orphan who was raised in institutional and foster care and a self-taught illustrator who loved Will Eisner's The Spirit. O'Barr enlisted in the Marines after his fianc&#233 was killed by a drunk driver. While stationed in Germany, he began to draw The Crow,...

There are some who think The Crow is a cursed production given the subject matter and the deaths of actor Brandon Lee and The Crow: Stairway to Heaven stuntman, Marc Akerstream. But Luke Evans is unfazed by any such rumors. Evans told The Metro, "I’m not one of those superstitious people. It is incredibly sad that Brendon died making the movie. He was a very talented actor. It is a very beautiful story, The Crow. It is a very tragic story with huge emotional themes. We plan to tell the story differently and with a lot of integrity to the original comic book." Evans recent comments concerning the comic book source material are completely different from the statement he made back in May when he said his version would essentially be a remake of the original 1994 Brandon Lee film. Perhaps there's been a change in the script since...

The launch of "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" Season two kicks off our coverage of new fights (and fighters) for the Machinima web series. Check out the first episode below. Later today, we'll bring you interviews with some of the stars and creators who've brought the battle for Earthrealm to your PC.

2:30 Est - Interview: Casper Van Dien (Johnny Cage)

4:30 Est - Interview: Director Kevin Tancharoen

He's played everything from a heartbroken assassin ("Crying Freeman") to the Crow ("The Crow: Stairway to Heaven"), to a turbo-charged martial artist with a super-powered heart (my personal favorite, "Drive"), and this week, six-time award-winning Kung Fu and karate champion martial artist Mark Dacascos takes on the role he feels he was born to play: Shaolin monk Kung Lao in the second season of "Mortal Kombat: Legacy."

Dacascos and I spoke about why this role was, in a way, a dream come true, the...

Luke Evans has revealed that The Crow remake will begin production in early 2014.

The Fast & Furious 6 star, who will play Eric Draven in the rebooted comic book franchise, told Digital Spy that he is yet to test out the character's striking facial make-up for the role.

Asked if the new version will retain an underground rock soundtrack, Evans said: "I don't know. With the face [make-up] it might be Kiss, you never know!"

The original Crow, released in 1994, starred the late Brandon Lee as a rock musician who is murdered then revived to avenge the death of his girlfriend.

In the new Crow, the eponymous character will reportedly be a slain police officer.

The Crow, to be directed by F Javier Gutiérrez, is based on the comic book series by James O'Barr. The 1994 incarnation spawned three movie sequels and short-lived TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven.

IFC Midnight has revealed that the Canadian horror production, Crowsnest, is making its limited theatrical and VOD debut in the U.S. on September 7th.

Brenton Spencer helmed this cannibal thriller; he previously directed Never Cry Werewolf and various TV shows such as 21 Jump Street, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Sanctuary and more.

Described as Duel meets Deliverance, the film's synopsis goes like this: In late summer of 2011, five young friends celebrating a birthday went missing after an unexpected detour sent them crashing into an abandoned Rv.

Video recorded by the victims & recovered by police reveals a horrific encounter with the twisted residents of a secluded community, entirely removed from civilization and not pleased at having visitors. 

You'll find a trailer inside.

Read more...

Commonly known as the Chicago Comic-Con, Wizard World Chicago has just enjoyed its 30th gathering celebrating the American Mid-West's love for all things geek.

Among the guests was film and television veteran Colin Cunningham. While he may not be a household name, Colin has credits in works that sci-fi/fantasy fans will consider mandatory viewing, such as The X-Files, The Outer Limits, Dark Angel, Smallville, The 4400, Andromeda, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven and Arnie-starring The 6th Day, just to name a few.

Best recognised as Major Davis in Stargate Sg-1, Cunningham is re-establishing himself with his latest outing as the bad guy on TNT's hit series Falling Skies, as part of a cast also including Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton, Drew Roy and Connor Jessup. Not to mention writing, directing and starring in his award-winning short film, Centigrade, which brought home hardware from multiple award shows.

Though time was tight,...

Wonder Woman (2011): Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot TV Review. Wonder Woman (2011): Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot shows the viewer just how good NBC’s The Cape really was by means of comparison. The premise of Wonder Woman (2011) makes no sense. No secret identity. Woman Woman (Adrianne Palicki) does whatever she wants in public to whomever she wants. No jail. No legal repercussions. Nonsense. In the Christopher Nolan Batman films, Batman appears and disappears so he can not be tracked. In Wonder Woman, the heroine walks away in clear view of everyone.

The Cape was not a good hero television series much like M.A.N.T.I.S., The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, and the Robocop television series because they either lacked a sustainable hardcore edge or they never had one in the first place. In The Cape‘s case, it had some edge but it also had too much gloss and not enough grit.

Eric Draven lives again.

"The Crow" has been a franchise that Hollywood has inexplicably rendered an utter and colossal failure. The original 1994 film starring the late, great Brandon Lee and directed by Alex Proyas was a genre masterpiece; a dark gothic fairy tale of tragic romance and violent revenge, with Lee as a slain musician brought back to life one year after he and his fiance are murdered to "put the wrong things right."

Lee was an A-list movie star in the making; imagine what his career -- and life -- might have been today had he survived the horrible on-set accident that took his life at age 28.

Maybe it's that so-called "Crow Curse" that has kept the franchise itself from taking flight. The 1996 sequel, "The Crow: City of Angels," was an incoherent mess (though it looked pretty), and the less said about the direct-to-video sequels, "The Crow: Salvation" (2000) and...

"Hawaii Five-0" has found the man to play the show's most famous villain, and he's a pretty fair dancer.

Mark Dacascos -- best known as the Chairman on "Iron Chef America" and as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" last year -- has been cast as Wo Fat, who was the long-time nemesis of McGarrett in the original series. Though the character (played by Khigh Dheigh) only appeared in 11 episodes over the original show's 12 seasons, he is remembered as the big bad of the show.

There's no word yet on when Dacascos will make his first appearance as Wo Fat on the new "Hawaii Five-0" or how the character might differ from the original, who was a Chinese intelligence officer.

Dacascos is a native of Hawaii and has acted in several dozen movies and TV series in addition to his time on "Iron Chef America." His notable roles include...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

8.00pm Jack Hunter: The Lost Treasure of Ugarit (Syfy)

Globetrotting action adventure starring Ivan Sergei. The murder of his mentor plunges treasure seeker Jack Hunter and his exotic side-kick Nadir into a perilous quest for some missing loot.

9.00pm Alien Intruder (Movies4Men)

Four convicts get a chance at freedom by volunteering for a salvage mission, but when other crew members start dying, they soon discover something sinister is with them.

10.00pm Hideous! (Horror Channel +1)

Grisly horror comedy directed by Charles Band. A gang that collects deformed freaks of nature must band together with the FBI agents investigating them, when their ghoulish specimens reanimate and viciously turn on them.

11.00pm The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (CBS Action)

Sci-fi drama series about...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

8.00pm Airline Disaster (Syfy)

A passenger jet being flown by the Us president’s brother is hijacked by terrorists, leaving the head of state forced to choose between her family and the lives of her citizens.

9.00pm Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Horror Channel)

Slick slasher featuring horror legend Robert Englund. Leslie aspires to become the next great psycho killer and invites a documentary film crew to chronicle his efforts.

10.00pm Digital Man (Movies4Men +1)

A crack squad of soldiers is sent to hunt down an out-of-control robot inadvertently set loose on a small community. But not all is what it seems when a saboteur is suspected within the unit.

11.00pm The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (CBS Action)

Eric Draven,...

The Expendables may have boasted a stellar line-up of 80s action stars, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hope for even more of them in its sequel. Here are Ron’s suggestions…

The Expendables isn't out just yet as I write this, but I have no doubt that it's going to be a huge hit. Well, okay, maybe it won't be a huge hit, but like Sly Stallone's return to his Rambo roots, it's going to do really well.

I mean, it's basically every major action movie star (and some minor action movie stars) from the 80s all in the same film. However, there were some shameful omissions that can be added to the mix for The Expendables 2.

I'm not talking about high profile omissions, like Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Crotchkicker Seagal, though those guys would be awesome to have in The Expendables universe. I'm talking about...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

8.00pm The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (CBS Action)

Gothic drama series about a murdered rock musician who comes back to Earth with the supernatural powers of the mystic crow. A cop killer is using women as bait. When Vincennes’ wife is kidnapped, Albrecht turns to Draven for help to save his boss who is now the target for the deranged murderer Season One, episode 21.

9.00pm Chiller (The Unexplained Channel)

Corporate Exec Miles Creighton dies and is cryogenically frozen in the hopes that he can be revived. Ten years later, the procedure is a success and he returns; but without a soul. Directed by Wes Craven.

10.00pm The Legend of Lucy Keyes (Horror Channel)

Guy Cooley moves to an old farm in Princeton...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

8.00pm The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (CBS Action)

Gothic drama series about a murdered rock musician who comes back to Earth with the supernatural powers of the mystic crow. Draven realises a song he wrote – and only performed once for Shelly – has become a hit on the radio. His search to find out how that could be possible reveals the person responsible for his murder. Season One, episode 13.

9.00pm Raging Sharks (Movies24)

Husband and wife Mike and Linda Olsen work as oceanic scientist in an underground base. When a UFO crashes near the research centre, it causes the region’s shark population to develop an insatiable blood lust. Mike and Linda face a race against time to uncover the reason behind the...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

8.00pm The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (CBS Action)

Gothic drama series about a murdered rock musician who comes back to Earth with the supernatural powers of the mystic crow. Draven realises a song he wrote – and only performed once for Shelly – has become a hit on the radio. His search to find out how that could be possible reveals the person responsible for his murder. Season One, episode 7.

9.00pm Jake 2.0 (CBS Action)

Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty) is Jake Foley, a very ordinary technician who becomes a superhero when a ‘computer virus’ infects him. Do not miss one of my favourite sci-fi adventure shows of recent years. Season One, episode 5.

10.00pm The Lawnmower Man (Movies4Men +1)

A scientist performs experiments involving intelligence...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

8.00pm The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (CBS Action)

Gothic drama series about a murdered rock musician who comes back to Earth with the supernatural powers of the mystic crow. Draven realises a song he wrote – and only performed once for Shelly – has become a hit on the radio. His search to find out how that could be possible reveals the person responsible for his murder. Season One, episode 2.

9.00pm Silent Scream (Zone Horror)

A group of college students travels to the cottage of their psychology professor Barren in an isolated island as a reward of their teamwork in the research of Barren. They expect to spend the weekend with lots of sex, but a serial-killer turns their party in a nightmare. Aka The Retreat.

Established 1974! Our news column says watch “A Space Oddity” (the CSI rerun) Thursday night.

The Remake Game

Just yesterday, we were re-examining the Heavy Metal comic book version of Outland adapted by our old boss (and legendary comics figure) Jim Steranko and wondering when someone would be silly enough to remake that 1981 Peter Hyams film. (Really! Not kidding!!) And then today, Variety reports that an Outland redux is going forward. Why?? It’s not that good a movie, and who today is better than Sean Connery? Nonetheless, Chad St. John is scripting a new version of this “High Noon in space” for Michael Davis to direct as a Warner Bros. release. When will the remake madness stop? If you must know more, see the link.

Updates

Lionsgate bit the bullet and won the rights to distribute Matthew (Stardust) Vaughn’s ultra-violent film version of the Mark Millar-John Romita Jr. comic book Kick-ass.