Product Description

Catch the explosive, action-packed hit that thrilled moviegoers and dazzled critics everywhere! Brandon Lee (RAPID FIRE) plays Eric Draven, a young rock guitarist who, along with his fiancee, is brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals. Exactly one year after his death, Eric returns -- watched over by a hypnotic crow -- to seek revenge, battling the evil crime lord and his band of urban thugs, who must answer for their crimes. Loaded with intense, nonstop action and a hot #1 hit soundtrack, THE CROW delivers exhilarating, fast-paced entertainment!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1441 in DVD
• Brand: Crow Tools Inc
• Released on: 2001-03-20
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Collector's Edition, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
The Crow set the standard for dark and violent comic-book movies (like Spawn or director Alex Proyas's superior follow-up, Dark City), but it will forever be remembered as the film during which star Brandon Lee (son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee) was accidentally killed on the set by a loaded gun. The filmmakers were able to digitally sample what they'd captured of Lee's performance and piece together enough footage to make the movie releasable. Indeed, it is probably more fascinating for that post-production story than for the tale on the screen. The Crow is appropriately cloaked in ominous expressionistic shadows, oozing urban dread and occult menace from every dank concrete crack, but it really adds up to a simple and perfunctory tale of ritual revenge. Guided by a portentous crow (standing in for Poe's raven), Lee plays a deceased rock musician who returns from the grave to systematically torture and kill the outlandishly violent gang of hoodlums who murdered him and his fiancée the year before. The film is worth watching for its compelling visuals and genuinely nightmarish, otherworldly ambience. --Jim Emerson

From The New Yorker
Alex Proyas's pulp revenge fantasy, based on a comic-book saga by James O'Barr, is dark, moody, and seductively overwrought; it's an amazingly pure expression of morbid adolescent romanticism. The movie tells the story of a young rock musician named Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), who, guided by an otherwordly crow, returns from the grave to hunt down the thugs who killed him and his fiancée. Proyas, whose previous experience is in commercials and music videos, has a flamboyantly artificial style that's peculiarly well suited to this pop-mythic universe. The picture's darkness is so complete that it becomes a kind of light. What gives the movie its greatest allure is the performance of Brandon Lee (who died, near the end of filming, in a freakish accident on the set). He incarnates this character so unself-consciously that glum Eric seems like teen-age despair apotheosized-Everykid as the most beautiful of losers. Also with Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and David Patrick Kelly. Screenplay by David J. Schow and John Shirley. -Terrence Rafferty
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

It Can't Rain All The Time...
Tragedy was thick with the production of this film. Not only did a relative of star Ernie Hudson's die during production, we also lost a great actor and indeed a great person on the set with Brandon Lee, who died of a malfunction during a scene in which he gets shot. Ironic and tragic, Brandon Lee left us with a fantastic swansong, and a bitter taste of what would have come had he not tragically met fate during shooting.

As sad as that is, we are blessed with a beautiful, moody film that can only be described as a true gothic offering. James O'Barr's simple, yet completely captivating, comic set the grounds for what can easily be described as one of the best comic book movies to ever grace the cinematic world.

Eric Draven, along with his fiancee, Shelly, are brutally murdered by a gang of vicious thugs the night before their wedding- October 31st. Exactly one year later, Eric is brought back from the dead to avenge their deaths, and in his quest for vengeance, clean up the streets of the city in which they lived.

Alex Proyas shot a film that easily defined his career. There's an abundance of moody, gothic atmosphere that has the classic feel of an Edgar Allen Poe world. Indeed, the film matches up to the very definition of Gothic, both in terms of the set pieces and the overall look of the film. Everything seems so saturated, with greys and blacks being the primary colors, but we also get to be treated to a tone of orange and reds throughout the film. Alex got everything he could out of his actors, but with such a stunning cast as it was, he didn't have to give much direction to any of them.

Astounding in the role of Eric Draven is Brandon Lee, who was the definitive Crow, and also the only man I can ever see playing the Crow. Brandon really embodied the role, seeming to put a lot of himself into, though I doubt Brandon was such a vindictive person in real life. Even though coated with makeup, you could still tell that this was Brandon Lee, the ultimate Brandon Lee, the only and only Brandon Lee. Like Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, we can see that to Lee, this was more than just another role- this was something that Brandon believed in, and he gave it his all, both in terms of what he was able to do as an actor and, tragically, his own life.

Ernie Hudson, who I have always thought is an extremely underrated actor, gives us a great performance as Sergeant Albrecht. He is witty, smart, clever, and extremely unique, doing things his own way and not caring what the consequences may be. His eventual role as a partner to Eric is completely believable, and to see him in one of his best roles ever was a breath of fresh air.

Young Rochelle Davis as Sarah also did a good job, though at time I felt that she was a little too dry, and that she didn't really know at times what she was doing. In some ways, that worked in her favor. It described the naivety of children, and also fit her character at times, who has seen darkness and just stopped caring about the light. Her tragic loss of two people that took care of her, loved her, is apparent, and you can't help but feel something when she finally reunites with Eric.

We don't even need to go into how good Michael Wincott was as Top Dollar, nor do we need to dissect David Patrick Kelly as T-Bird. These two did a fantastic job in their respective roles, bringing truly evil characters to life.

What this DVD has for us is something wonderful. Deleted scenes, an interview with James O'Barr, a behind-the-scenes feaurette with some great interviews with Brandon Lee and Ernie Hudson, story boards, extended scenes- everything you could want from a movie. The folks at Miramax gave us what will probably always be the definitive version of the film, and they did a good job with what they gave us. There could be more, but I am happy with what we were given.

All in all, The Crow is a intense, moody film, packed with rich, interesting characters played by top-notch performers. Tragic that Brandon Lee is no longer with us, but we can always thank him for giving us this triumphant film, and hope that wherever he is, he knows that we have not forgotten about him. Rest in peace, Brandon Lee. You are dearly missed.

R.I.P. Brandon Lee
This is such a great movie. It has the look of Batman and Batman Returns, and has the feel of all the gothic literature/films that have been seen. Brandon Lee's (sadly) final performance is a treat: he is the one and only "Eric Draven", and all the others are just copycats of him. Pacing and direction of this film is compelling, while the wicked art direction stands out. Action sequences are a must-see, and the script is purely well-written. ***** out of *****.

A great DVD!!! A real collector's item!!!
This is one of my all time favorite DVD's and I was so fortunate to find it available on Amazon at an amazing price. It is now safely in my collection where I will watch it over and over again.