Something To Crow About - USA Today article from 9/29/00

Did Miramax set up The Crow: Salvation to fall? The producers of the film, starring Kirsten Dunst and Eric Mabius, say yes. As part of the distribution deal, Miramax promised to give the action film some sort of theatrical release. So Salvation, the third film in The Crow franchise, opened for a week in one theater and bombed.

Miramax says the film got a decent shot, but Salvation producer Ed Pressman begs to differ. "There was no television or radio backing," he says. "All we got was the smallest newspaper ad." Miramax exec Mark Gill says the studio picked up Salvation mainly for its value on video and cable. As for the advertising, he says: "They got the standard-size ad for that market. "

Pressman says Miramax's move makes little sense because Salvation star Dunst is coming off the $56-million-grossing Bring It On.

He has a theory as to why his R-rated movie didn't get a bigger opening: fear created by the Federal Trade Commission's report on marketing violence to children. "The Crow could be the first film to be a victim of this new climate."

Says Gill: "There is utterly no basis for that. This decision was made nine months ago." At Christmas, he points out, the studio will have Dracula 2000, an R-rated movie with a similar theme. Pressman and fellow Crow producer Jeff Most aren't deterred. Rapper DMX is set for the fourth Crow, to start shooting early next year.

ABaHB Commentary

I think Crow fans have even more fuel to add to our boycott fire of Miramax. Take a look at the last paragraph of the above article. Miramax says their decision to send Salvation to video/cable was made nine months ago, January 2000. My question is; why were the Crow fans and Pressman not made aware of this? Is it not deceptive to allow Pressman and fans to believe their movie will see a CREDIBLE theatrical release, make a decision contrary to this, then wait nine months to make that decision known? This brings into serious doubt their claims that Salvation was not sent to Spokane to fail. Why send a film to a theater for a test release when the decision to go direct video/cable has already been made? I will tell you why. They agreed to "some sort of theatrical release". In order to satisfy this agreement they sent the movie to a remote area of the country, with no viable promotional package to back it. Their claims of Salvation getting the "standard sized promotion for its market" is both patronizing and insulting to our intelligence. The mock screening that Miramax put on is the final insult in a long line of contradictions and deception. Salvation proved that it could attract an audience by the fan response that it received at Dragon-Con and Comic-Con. Pressman put time and effort into promoting the screenings during these events. This was evident by the turn out of fans to see the movie.

At this point, we just want to be allowed to see our movie. It is time for the deceptions to end. We are not a fan base to be insulted and patronized. Our boycott will continue and will now be stronger than ever. I can only hope that Pressman has a new distributor for future Crow movies. A distributor, who will stand behind the movies and not treat the Crow fans and persons who create the films like second class citizens.

Take care, LLcruize.