The Crow: Death, Revenge and Heavy Make-up

You know, Movie Night Adrian, Kevin and Sarah D, and Squeaky, have managed to catch something I know I think of as a bit of a Gothic Oddity, tonight.

Well …

Maybe oddity is the wrong word, there …

But Gothic … ?

Gothic is definitely the right word, I’m thinking.

And that’s whether you’re defining ‘gothic’ as wearing tons of white make-up and black leather fetish wear.

Or anything literary or architectural that’s covered in gargoyles and suicidal maidens in white …

Forlorn ones, that is.

Umm …

Forlorn gargoyles, I should add.

If that building’s got suicidal maidens on top of it, I’d be able to pretty much guarantee forlorn doesn’t begin to start …

AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!

I’m burbling, here, aren’t I … ?

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But, at any rate, I think I can definitely say that the Movie Night Gang have managed to catch — bless, at Sarah and Squeaky’s insistence — the 1994, Alex Proyas directed film version of James O’Barr’s comic book, The Crow.

And, as I think I’ve mentioned already, ‘gothic’ is definitely the word, here.

For starters, the fact that the late Brandon Lee — son of the equally late Bruce Lee — died as a result of a shooting incident whilst making it, certainly adds an gruesome touch!

Then there’s the plot …

Hmmm …

Actually, the plot’s fairly easy to follow.

Eric Draven — Brandon Lee — is a rock musician murdered by a gang of thugs, after they’ve broken into his home and gang-raped his fiancee, Shelley.

And is brought back from the dead by a mysterious crow, tapping on his grave-stone, in order to try and avenge her death.

Which is where the post-movie discussion only started, actually …

Seriously!

My word, didn’t the post-movie natter go around the houses …

I think we managed to cover everything from modern trade union strike tactics, through how exactly one defines a favourite something — book, movie, song — all the way to whether wrestling has an equivalent place to EastEnders — and other fantasy works — as a form of positive escapism: something I know Terry Pratchett defined as escaping to, rather than escaping from.

But I’m also very aware that we had something of a gender split, as well.

And I’m thinking it’s on how — to an extent — to define The Crow.

You see, I’m very aware that both Sarah and Squeaky thoroughly enjoyed The Crow as a gothic romance.

And not just a Mills and Boon style love-story, here: if I’ve understood the history of these things, properly, the Gothic literary movement of the 18th century emphasised passionate love affairs — whatever the mortal state of either one of the lovers — and had occasional works in the genre where a dead girlfriend/boyfriend/fiancee/wife/husband comes back as a ghost, and makes an appeal for either vengeance or declarations of love.

Or appeals for deliveries of Marmite.

Just don’t quote me on that last one!

Of course, the other end of the split … ?

The other of the split saw Adrian and Kevin D, in particular, argue that the romance side of The Crow wasn’t as important as the fact that The Crow was a vigilante movie.

With the three of us arguing about exactly how good a vigilante movie it was. And getting some very meaningful looks from the female half of the room in the process …

Which brings me to the other cross-gender split.

About any potential remake …

I think I can safely say me and Kevin D are decidedly interested, Movie Night Adrian’s possibly interested, and both Squeaky and Sarah are definitely against.

Hopefully, they’ll post up their reasons.

But here’s what I’m thinking.

I believe this original version of The Crow has a lot going for it.

Over all … ?

It’s a well paced, and visually stunning piece of work: I’m told that favourable comparisons have been made between it, Bladerunner and the two recent Batman movies, as well as the two Tim Burton Batman films, back in the day.

But the fact that Brandon Lee died so tragically young, as part of the filming … ?

That, for me, gave The Crow a very unfinished feeling.

I, personally … ?

I’d’ve loved to have seen The Crow, as it could have been done.

Or maybe should have been done.

Considering that the comic-book original has now added quite a lot of extra material, for the comic’s anniversary …

Well …

I think the remake may be a very different film, altogether.

I think seeing it — and knowing a living Brandon Lee’s opinion of it — would’ve been nice.

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