|
| ../ n e w s a r c h i v e |
|
|
|
The Crow News January 1999 Something To Crow About. Interview With Mark D. SAN DIEGO -- In the new syndicated television series, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Mark Dacascos is filling some big shoes, assuming the role started by the late Brandon Lee inthe hit movie, The Crow. Sure, Vincent Perez did the same thing in the movie's sequel, The Crow: City of Angels, but he played a different character. Dacascos is playing the same Eric Draven character that Lee played in The Crow. "I think Mark Dacascos is an extreme actor, athlete and just the most empathetic and pure person -- and it comes through in the character," said Jeff Most, who produced the two Crow movies. "I think people will be turned on and excited about this series." Question: How do you feel about taking on a role that's been played by other actors, and what is your responsibility to that character? Answer: Personally, I think Brandon Lee did a fantastic job and if he hadn't, we probably would not be doing the series. So I thank him for the opportunity. I base most of what I do from the comic book and my interpretation thereof. The character has this undying love for this girl, and that is his driving force. He also has a passion for music and for life itself. What I think is wonderful about the show is that yes, the characters are not alive in the traditional way we know, but there is an incredible value on life. For example, I was in the Himalayas last year, and I've never seen people more into life than the Nepalese, because death is so prevalent. In the Hindu religion, the eldest son lights the match to cremate the father, and that tradition has been going on for centuries. That in itself shows you that life is ephemeral, and that every day, everything we do is important. If you want to go deep with this show, you can go that deep. If you wanted to see action and the music, we have that too. And the wonderful thing as an actor is that I get to sing, act, fight, love, everything in this show. It's quite challenging, but artistically cathartic, and it's just a wonderful opportunity for myself. Question: What is it like to play dual roles as Eric Draven and his alter ego, The Crow? Answer: Initially I thought it would be two roles, but it is really one character divided by one even that gives him three distinct parts. Eric Draven prior to murder, who we see in flashbacks, is naive, innocent and full of hope and passion. Eric Draven after his murder is confused and on the verge of losing hope. He's hollow on the inside, clinging to any little thing that gives him some type of connection to Shelly. He is desperately trying to figure out who and what he is and why has been sent back to Earth. The Crow takes all of the pain that Eric has and turns it into the energy that he uses that to make wrong things right. He enjoys being badder than bad. Although they are the same person, they all have different flavors. Playing The Crow is the most fun for me because he goes to that zany, crazy, psycho, over-the-edge point, but he still manages to be witty. The Crow requires a lot of energy, and playing him can be both exhilarating an exhausting. The most challenging part of this role is the Eric that has returned from the dead. There is no way that I can know first hand what it's like to die and come back, with all of the confusion that surrounds this experience. Since none of us have the real definite answer in this area, I have no concrete frame of reference. Question: Your characters in The Crow and in Crying Freeman are hard- hitting guys who are tormented by love. What similarities do you see? Answer: I think both in Crying Freeman and in The Crow my characters are both artists at heart, very passionate, very loving, but I think whenever you have passion, you'll have it for the darker side as well. I believe that energy is energy, it just depends on which direction it's steered. And I thank my parents for the martial arts training because I have a lot of stuff inside of me, and if it wasn't geared in a constructive way, I may not be here today. So I believe that it's a passion, the energy, the love for life and also the willingness to actually go to the other side. I mean, when Eric Draven makes the transition to The Crow, it's definitely a change. There are certain things that we all as people would like to do sometimes, but we don't because it's not proper -- The Crow goes there. And it's fun for me because it's very therapeutic. Question: How difficult has it been for you to learn the guitar? What can you play so far? Answer: Fortunately, I have some music background. I play drums. It's a little different from playing guitar, though. I have calluses on my fingers now. But I enjoy it, and I think it's probably going to be a hobby for the rest of my life now. I really, really enjoy it. And to live out a rock 'n roll fantasy is really cool. Question: Do you get any special thrill out of being able to ride the Big Dog Bike? Answer: I love to ride motorcycles. The Big Dog is really powerful, and totally fun. The transportation guys on the show -- who are all Harley dudes -- say it is the most powerful bike they've seen. I used to ride for fun many years ago, but I don't get to spend too much time on a bike outside the show. Question: The fact that Eric and Shelly are true soul mates is central to the series. Do you see examples of such intense bonds in real life or do you think people place less of a value on this today? Answer: I definitely believe that people can have a connection that is so strong that it can last after death. The Eric and Shelly characters are sensitive and passionate. They were luck enough to find each other and see beyond the physical to connect as souls. That intense energy and bond is more than just a fantasy; I think it exists in real life, too. I went to Nepal specifically to get away from the distractions of life and to get in touch with myself and the Earth. The way our society has developed, it is hard for people to be open to our extra senses, and we are so consumed with the overload of our lives that we are often closed off to our instincts. The same thing is true with people connecting, sometimes we run into the person who is perfect for us and we can't see beyond the clutter of our lives to make the connection. Question: The Crow is rich in mythology. Is that element important to you? Answer: What is so cool about this show (is) that it can intertwine what is concrete with what is mythological, spiritual and fantasy. When you really love somebody, it is with your body, mind and spirit. Most television shows give you the body, The Crow is trying to give some mind and spirit, too. There is more to this series than what meets the eye. Just as Eastern medicine has gained increased acceptance in Western culture, I think that there is also greater believe in ancient philosophies. I believe that. New Crow TV News. This week's episode is another rerun, "Get a Life," but a new episode, "Death Wish," is scheduled for the week of Dec. 14. Three more reruns follow, but six of the next seven shows will be first-run. The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, which is shot in Vancouver, will likely continue to get darker as the season progresses, but it might not be for the reason you would originally think. Production of the series began in July, where daylight hours dominated, and executive producer Bryce Zabel said more night-time shooting hours will be used because less daylight hours are available. "Somewhere in the middle of The Crow's first season, all of the fans will start saying, 'Y'know, that show's getting darker. It's got a different mood now,'" Zabel said. "And it'll just be because of production kinds of things." Zabel, who is working with a lot of the same Vancouver crew that worked on The X-Files, has been happy with production of the series. "Television is a percentage game," Zabel said. "If you achieve 90 percent of what you set out to do, you're doing pretty good. I'm hitting 90, and I feel pretty good about it." Other new episodes coming up include "Through A Dark Circle" the week of Jan. 11, "Disclosure" the week of Jan. 18, "The People vs. Eric Draven" the week of Feb. 1, "It's a Wonderful Death" the week of Feb. 8, "Never Say Die" the week of Feb. 15 and "Birds of a Feather" the week of Feb. 22. New Crow Episode. Here's how the episode is described: "Still trying to reconnect with Shelly, Draven visits her grave site only to stumble upon a young boy who, apparently, only he can see. The six-year-old ghost, Casey Thompson (played by Jared Zabel) is lonely, and worried about his stunt motorcyclist father, whom he believes will die soon. "Jake Thompson, 'the World's Greatest Daredevil' (John Hawkes) plans to jump 300 feet, over 30 cars, as part of a pay-per-view television event set up by shady promoter Royal Boyd (Jason Shombing). "Contacted by Draven, Jake refuses to believe that his son is desperately trying to send him a message. When Jake's stunt mechanic dies in a freak bike explosion, Draven feels compelled to intervene, despite the fact that Det. Albrecht and his uncomfortably inquisitive new partner Jessica Capshaw (Christinia Cox) have been assigned the case. "Draven finally persuades Jake to let him do the jump instead, since he cannot die, and they exchange talismans, but things go wrong when Draven is kidnapped by the professional killers who've been stalking Jake. The stunt daredevil is forced to take the jump and crashes, finding himself in the Land of the Dead where Shelly has been spending time with Casey. "It is up to Draven and Shelly, who is still cut off on the other side, to give Jake the second chance his son so desperately wants him to have." The episode was written by Jeff Androsky and Jackie Zabel and was directed by James Head. In related news, look for more casting announcements soon on the third Crow feature film, The Crow: Salvation.
Bad news for fans who enjoy the variety that publishers like the venerable Kitchen Sink Press bring to comics: it appears that the company is, at the bare minimum, discontinuing its comic book publishing operations and scaling back its book offerings, focusing instead on its candy business. So where does this leave some of Kitchen Sink's most respected properties? Well, insofar as Will Eisner's work is concerned, all the rights revert to a family-owned company, which means that Eisner can take The Spirit and other projects to a new publisher. James O'Barr reclaims the rights to J. O'Barr's The Crow; since Todd McFarlane is already publishing a Crow comic based on the syndicated series, it is possible that the rights to the black and white Crow series might find a home there as well. So where does that leave other projects, like the Li'l Abner reprints, the Zot! reprints, the long-awaited From Hell and Seduction of the Innocent volumes, etc.? For now, in limbo: while it is possible that other publishers will pick up those books, the current state of the reprint market might make it difficult for a new publisher to make these books profitable. Kitchen Sink is still in business in one capacity, however; they will continue to produce licensed candy bars for such properties as as Betty Boop, Bone, etc. And there are rumors that Denis Kitchen will re-enter publishing with a new company focusing on the works of Robert Crumb and other successful alternative comic artists. Todd McFarlane to do "Doom", "Crow"?. Additionally, McFarlane and Co. may be hired to flesh out the world of the hit video game Doom. "We are very close to signing a deal with Columbia Pictures to work on their Doom feature film based on the PC title," Fitzgerald said adding, however, that it's "too early to tell. Todd and I would exec produce, story consult and design characters." In the near future, look for TME's animated work to appear on MTV in the form of a video for the band Korn's song "Freak on a Leash." The video will be a half animated, half live-action collaboration with Dayton/Farris (the people behind the groundbreaking video for the Smashing Pumpkins tune "Tonight, Tonight"). "We are providing the animated half, DF the live action segment," Fitzgerald confided. "In ours we bring to life the cartoon children from the album cover and put them into a perilous situation by introducing a security guard with a over active ego and a .45. A bullet gets fired and all hell breaks loose. The bullet bridges the gap from animation and live action, then back to animation. MTV is already ranting about it. Expect to see it on the tube around February 1st." (A great big thanks to Terry Fitzgerald for his time!). Intro to "Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams". Stories and poems on revenge and redemption Edited by J. O'Barr and Ed Kramer "He avenges the innocent dead. He stalks the crimson road of the slain. He mourns lost love so ardently that desire and death become one. He is the dream-carrier of holy retribution. And in the name of love he delivers justice to the wicked." --From the Introduction With this chilling collection of stories and poems, J. O'Barr--the creator of The Crow--and Ed Kramer host an ominous array of interpretations of the gothic phenomenon by acclaimed writers well acquainted with the dark side, including Alan Dean Foster, Ramsey Campbell, Gene Wolfe, Storm Constantine, Nancy Collins, Andrew Vachss, Iggy Pop, and Henry Rollins. Featuring original artwork by such top artists as Ron Walotsky, Rob Prior, Tom Canty, Tim Bradstreet, Don Maitz, and Bob Eggleton, The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams evokes a modern night-world and its tormented denizens ensnared by unspeakable evil, enslaved by unquenchable longing, engulfed by the thirst for revenge, and enfolded by the enigmatic, eternal wings of The Crow. Here a resurrected gunslinger gets a final showdown with his archenemy... A murder victim and a dying boy mete out poetic justice to a sadistic criminal...A serial killer turned government assassin takes three abused children under his savage wing...A tormented rogue cop literally fights fire with fire...A wise talking crow guides the vengeful hand of a murdered girl's lover...and much more. For both the confirmed fan and the curious newcomer, this spellbinding, shocking, darkly sensual collection offers passage to an extraordinary literary realm: a place of macabre morality tales and existential adventures, of terror and tenderness-from which no reader can hope to leave unchanged. For when you take flight with The Crow, there is no turning back............... ...........J. O'Barr is the creator of The Crow. He is currently working on a screenplay for a new Crow movie. He lives in Detroit, Michigan. (so do I!!) Ed Kramer is the coeditor of The Sandman anthology with Neil Gaimen. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. More STH In the Works!!. It's not official yet, but The Crow: Stairway to Heaven television series probably will return for a second season in syndication. The series is currently on production break for the holidays, but begins work on the 18th episode of the first season in Vancouver in January. This week's episode of The Crow: Stairway to Heaven is a rerun of the "Like It's 1999" episode, which originally aired the week of Oct. 12. ... This week's episode of the NightMan syndicated television series is a rerun of "Book of the Dead," which was originally broadcast the week of Oct. 26. And Last But Not Least. THE CROW: SALVATION SHOOTING |
|
||
|
|
|||
