Ten Years Later

It was on this date, almost to the day, that the film “The Crow”, hit theaters in L.A. and N.Y. Two days later would follow the nationwide release on Friday, May 13 th , 1994. It was not known at the time just what an impact this film would have. To many, it was nothing but a troubled production. Only after 50+ rejections did Jeff Most Productions & Pressman Films finally find a distributor, Miramax/Dimension. The original distributor Paramount had exercised a back out clause of its distribution deal after the lead actor, Brandon Lee, was accidentally killed while shooting the scene where Eric Draven walks in on his fiancée's rape and beating at the hands of local thugs. It was March 31 st , 1993. It would be over a year later that the film Brandon Lee gave his all for, would debut on screens across the world.

So what exactly has transpired in the 11 years since Brandon's death and 10 years since the film's release? Three sequels have been completed; one to theaters, one direct to video, the other, still waiting for whatever release Miramax/Dimension will give it. A successful run of alternative Crow comic stories told with different characters, put out by Kitchen Sink Press in 1994 through 1996. A short-lived television series debuted in 1998. A new Crow comic series started up by Image during the same time period, as well as a crossover comic series with London Night creation “Razor”. A collection of Crow inspired poetry, images and stories were put out by the creator of The Crow himself, James O'Barr. James continues to keep the torch burning by appearing at countless conventions every year, signing autographs, retelling the events for the umpteenth time that led to the story being created. Many merchandise items; based on the first movie and the original Crow comic have been created and sold. A box set DVD of the first three films was released, though it came with as much drama and ill will that the first film seemed to be cursed with. Finally, scores of fan sites have come and gone, keeping the torch burning for new fans to the film franchise. But I ask again, what exactly has transpired since the first movie debuted?

I find myself at a crossroads. Irony and I have been in the Crow news game for over 8 years now. We have bucked the trend of “Johnny Come Lately's” and stood the test of time. I find the lack of any official recognition from Miramax/Dimension of the 10 th anniversary to be both tragic and expected. No longer is the franchise feeding the fans, the fans are feeding the franchise. A look around the net is evidence of that. While the powers that be at Miramax/Dimension spin their wheels with the 4 th movie, fans are converging around the globe to remember the movie that started it all 10 years ago. While the pencil pushers at Miramax/Dimension continue to mismanage the franchise we love, fans are taking up the slack and paying the proper respect to the emotions and images that the first movie evoked. While the criminally negligent suits at Miramax/Dimension continue to nickel and dime The Crow to death, the fans continue to invest love and time into celebrating the film that 10 years ago, changed many of our impressions of what movies can do.

Ten years ago. It is hard to fathom there not being a movie called “The Crow”. Yet that almost happened. But for a couple of believers, the film might have slipped away. At one time, 10 years ago, there was a fire within the heart and soul of those that brought the first movie to theaters. All I ask is that same fire, though slowly dying with neglect, be rekindled and someone give a damn again. I would like to be sitting here writing a 20 year retrospective. But as it stands today, all that looks to be written is a 20 year eulogy.