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ground on James O’Barr ’s comic book , 1994’sThe Crowwas a groundbreaking ceremony employment of stylistic fantasy action . Simultaneously merge element of the past while also open up a new style of movies for the future , Alex Proyas ' film come through over critics and audience alike with its unique blend of benighted fantasy , horror , and action , pioneer a new style of revenge film .
However , it ’s out of the question to talk aboutThe Crowwithout discuss the freak on - set fortuity that hit down a rising star in his prime . Brandon Lee , son of warlike arts legend Bruce Lee , was just beginning his rise to what was certainly go to be a long and acclaimed career when a weapon malfunctioned while shoot a shot and claimed his life during what was only his third American picture show role . Lee ’s release definitely hangs heavy over the movie , butThe Crowhas also been praised for serving as a wonderful testimonial to the late worker and will always be a memorial to the impact he had already made during his all - too - brief career .
It ’s hard to travail into the devising ofThe Crowand not get too distracted– and depressed– by what encounter to Lee to search much else about it , but the story behind the moving picture is a riveting one even apart from that issue . Below , we attend at a lot of interesting and bizarre facts about the product ofThe Crow , from the franchise ’s giving birth as a comic book serial to its long , difficult road to Hollywood .
Here are20 Crazy Details Behind The fashioning Of The Crow .
It’s Based On A Comic Book With A Tragic History
It ’s credibly not a huge surprise that the creation ofThe Crowcame from a place of substantial pain and lamentation .
James O’Barr conceived of the Crow character and report after losing his fiancee when he was only 18 .
O’Barr said that the process of create the comical book– which , fit in to O’Barr , is the best - selling ignominious and white indie comic of all fourth dimension – was a way to deal with the passing of his fianceeand help to find a mother wit of closure .
He explained that he realized all of the other way he had tried to deal with his heartache were at last just numbing his pain , and it was n’t until he found a originative electric receptacle that he was finally able-bodied to begin truly sanative .
It’s Also Based On A Real Crime
agree to Jeff Connor ’s bookThe Crow : The Movie , which chronicle various facets of the film and its origin , James O’Barr was move by another tragedy that would inform his fresh mirthful book– a couple being robbed for their engagement ring , with the thief needlessly taking their lives in the process .
O’Barr say that the sad floor inhale Eric Draven ’s missionary post of revenge after becoming the Crow , and the thing that Draven would do in fiat to go down flop the injustice that at last drove him and his love aside .
" That became the root of the focal point … the idea that there could be a dearest so strong … and this soul would not breathe until it could set things right , " he explained .
The Birds In The Movie Aren’t REALLY Crows
Some birds are less trainable than others , and crows are n’t typically a species of bird know for their power to work on command– not to mention that fact that crows are n’t picky fond of people at best , and are physically strong-growing towards them at worst .
Animal trainer Larry Madrid was brought aboard onThe Crowand decided thatravenswould be a desirable permutation for crows given their intelligence , ability to be trained , and better demeanor with humans . Plus , would the average person even known the difference of opinion anyway , especially give that much of the motion picture is shrouded in shadow ?
Only five real Corvus corax were actually used during the production– mostly for close - ups and the like– with wide shots and scene with large pot of birds rely on special effects trickery .
Other People Were Considered For The Lead Role
Even thoughThe Crowwas a pretty low - budget affaire , it still had a cast of established actors and would ’ve in spades benefited from an A - tilt lead .
Interestingly , because of the original comic ’s rock and roll music influence and its many references to real musicians , manufacturer ab initio consideredcasting a instrumentalist in the role of Eric Draven , conceive that a rocker would be a undecomposed fit for the plain stone - and - roll - inspired anti - hoagy .
O’Barr had different mind . apparently , you require to shoot for the moon when dreaming - throw a moving-picture show based on something you wrote .
O’Barr was think that Johnny Depp , Christian Slater , and River Phoenix would ’ve all been good fits for the leading .
Ultimately , Brandon Lee was chosen in with child part because he had the animalism necessary for the part in accession to the acting chops .
There Are Many Misconceptions About The Tragic Accident
When someone leaves this human race during the motion-picture photography of a movie , there is bound to be all manner of myth and exaggeration that surrounding the event– and Brandon Lee ’s passing is certainly no exclusion , with much false information being perpetuated about the incident over the years .
One of the most persistent rumors is that the present moment that Lee lose his life as the result of a malfunctioning accelerator can be seen during the movie .
This is obviously false , and in fact , groovy lengths seem to have been gone through to ensure that footage never be leak . Additionally , many have claimed that Lee ’s lifespan was lose instantaneously , but the world is thathe went through six hours of surgerybefore he ultimately lost his battle .
It was one of many accidents on set
While what happened to Brandon Lee is no doubt the biggest calamity that occur during the qualification ofThe Crow , the production had already been beset by accidents and injurieseven before that unfortunate accident .
Among the incidents that ingest property on the primed ofThe Crowwere a carpenter driving a screwdriver through his mitt , a stuntman falling through a roof , a disgruntle go off crewmember repulse his car into an on - correct shop , an injury cause by a crane hitting unrecorded power rail line , and a bad violent storm destroying large helping of the solidification .
Whether you believe in curses or not , this seems like a mass of mischance to occur during the making of a picture show .
Finishing Without Lee Was Expensive
Brandon Lee was only schedule to film forthree more dayswhen he was deal from us , which does n’t seem like much in terms of getting enough footage to cease the movie but involved a few polar shots that just could n’t be done without .
After original distributer Paramount dropped The brag play along Lee ’s snuff it , Miramax step up to give rise the motion picture .
The studiopitched in $ 8 millionfor whatever was necessary in terms of digital trickery to get Lee ’s uncompleted scene finished .
It end up method of accounting fora third of the movie ’s intact budget , and involve carving - border technology– the first of its kind to ever be used in a movie– for a product that had been largely mild and low - fi up to that stop .
Where the Iconic Make-Up came from
For anyone who show James O’Barr ’s original comics– or picked up on the theatrical rock - and - roll vibe of the movie– it seemed pretty obvious that the Crow ’s makeup was inspired by ' 70 rockers KISS and/or Alice Cooper , with the latter ’s performance make - up coming remarkably closemouthed to the Crow ’s paint look .
fit in to O’Barr himself , however , neither is true .
O’Barr borrowed the look and style of the Crow ’s make - up from a marionette masque he had seen on a sign on a London theater .
It turns out the masquerade party just fit the rock vibe of the write up , rather than the other agency around .
The Crow ’s make - up and vibe would later do some inspiring of its own , as it to a great extent informed the re - stigmatisation of wrestler Sting in the mid-1990s .
Brandon Lee Asked For An Offensive Character To Be Removed
According to directorAlex Proyas , Brandon Lee fall in a hatful of creative input on the hand forThe Crow , which Proyas says he was always open to as Lee had a lot of really interesting and valuable ideas– many that involved trying to bring the moving-picture show nigher to the tone of the original comic .
One of the biggest changes to the handwriting that Lee himself is responsible for was the staring remotion of an entire character : a baddie who would ’ve had the ability to slip Eric Draven ’s Crow powerfulness .
Seeing the character as piddling more than a one - note Asian stereotype , Lee requested the quality ’s removal– and ended up getting his style . That ’s some reformist hooey for a movie made nearly 25 years ago .
James O’Barr Felt Guilty Profiting From The Movie
James O’Barr end up feel a circle of guilt about the motion-picture show adaptation of his work lead to the passage of Brandon Lee , not only because it was tragic in general but also because the pair had become booster during the devising of the picture show .
In fact , O’Barr would later revealthat he donated most of the money he get from the movie to charity , only buying his mother a car and treat himself to a surround auditory sensation system for his house before giving the rest away .
O’Barr says he seek to hide that fact from the public for many years , as he feels that giving to Polemonium caeruleum should n’t be about announce that you did so and that " it ’s not charity if you get credit for it . "
