Cast updates

Thanks to Frank for this update on Bai Ling. Here is the latest. Let's hope this is the last we see of her in trouble.

Also an update from Frank on the latest with Rochelle Davis (Sarah from the first film). She is doing well with plans to marry. She has gone through a lot of stuff over the last year but it appears things are on the right track. I spoke with Robert Zuckerman and let him know about the issues Rochelle was having last year. He was able to make contact and I know he reached out with a lot of love to her. Our personal wishes and prayers are with Rochelle and hope for nothing but the best for her and her son and the new life they are about to have.

Let the reviews begin!

Hello everyone. As I mentioned the other day, while things are slow on the news front, we thought it would be interesting to revisit our reviews from years back and see how opinions may have changed (good or bad) or not even at all, over the years. One thing you will notice about these reviews, they are pretentious free! I am absolutely tired of these 3 and 4 page reviews that spend the majority of the review giving you the background of why the reviewer has the opinion they have, explaining their love or admiration for the source material or for like-movies or just simply go on some rant about this and that and finally by page 3 you get the review and by then could care less. We setup the reviews in a very basic format with a quick synopsis of the story and then my review. I am not posting the original synopsis, because, well, you more than likely wouldn't be here if you didn't already know about what I am talking about :)

Below is an explanation of the rating system I use. It isn’t high-tech by no means, but works for me:

1 Crow: Bad, can't recommend it.
2 Crows: Not the worst, but boarding on a total waste of time
3 Crows: Average, check it out but don’t pay full price
4 Crows: Excellent, highly recommend you check it out
5 Crows: Outstanding, perfection personified!

If you see something that has a ½ added to it that means it is a notch above the whole number rating, but not quit the next higher number. So if something is rated 3 ½ crows, that means I rate it higher than a "good" project, but not quit excellent.

So let’s get to it. The first film we will look at is what started the franchise in the first place, the original film from 1994, “The Crow”.



What I said then:

This is one of the best movies based on a comic I have seen. The performances, across the board, were excellent. Alex Proyas, acting as director and visionary, was able to recreate the look of O'Barr's alternative and gothic Detroit. Brandon Lee was elevated to God-like status for his portrayal of Eric Draven, but even more so because of his real-life death while making the film. The film was not shown until a year after his death. I remember being hesitant about watching the movie. I felt that it would be an almost sick voyeuristic peek at the life and death of Brandon Lee. I was finally able to overcome my initial reluctance to see the film. The story, which calls upon the basic premise of setting the wrong things right, touched a chord within me. I have long enjoyed movies that played on the revenge theme. However, I did not expect to ever see a movie filled with violence to be so poetic and beautiful. What sets this movie apart from other movies of this genre is the concentration on love and the extremes it takes us to. It is what continues to bring new fans to it even after 7 years. 4-Crows

My thoughts today:

Nothing much has changed about my feelings for the film 14 years later. I would say it probably isn’t the best comic to film adaptation I have seen, especially given films like Spiderman 2 and Sin City, but all in all, the film has held up for me. I don’t watch it as much anymore as I used to, but when I do, it still has a great affect on me. There are some films that you look back on and wonder how you ever thought you enjoyed it as much as you thought you did. There are many films I remember from when I was a teenager that I thought were just absolutely great and now, MANY years later, I watch them and go “meh, it is OK”. Not this one. It still remains one of my top 10 favorite films of all time and probably will stay that way. 4-Crows all the way.

We did a full-length review of the Collector's Series DVD release for this film back in 2000/2001, you can read it here. All in all, I was pleased with the release, but the politics that led to the release missing many items and contributors, mainly Proyas, still remains a sore spot with many fans. However, for all of its faults, you can not get a better edition of the film. They did a great job restoring the sound and images. I can not wait to see this film on Blu Ray. The O'Barr feature is still the definitive interview done with O'Barr. Some items missed by most fans on the DVD, such as the text commentary and script/view option only available via DVD-Rom, with the new technology could be made available via the player rather than having to be a DVD-Rom feature. Like I said back when my original review was posted, I hope that we can get a release of the film on Blu Ray that has all the players involved contributing. I'm not one of those that is clamouring for a director's cut, I would just like to have the fantastic making of "Crow Chronicles" finally seen by everyone, all the deleted footage brought together and for us to get a director's commentary. Not a lot to wish for :) I can not even imagine what this film will look and sound like in High-def, it will be great! As of today, no word on when that day will come.
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Take Care.....Come what may

Greetings!

Hey everyone. Sorry for the absence. Over the last 7 months I have been helping my wife take care of her parents who have suffered a variety of illnesses. The sad ending to all this, both have passed on; father in-law on Christmas day and mother in-law just last Thursday. They were both in their early sixties, way too young, but they are in a much better place, free of the pain that they were suffering.

Now that things are getting back to "normal" (if there ever will be such a thing) I am getting back into the update game. There has not been a lot happening, though seems our girl Bai Ling got into a little trouble at an airport recently when she fancied something other than the "pretty lights" and failed to pay. You guys of course saw the update on Statham talking a possible Crow remake (please oh please say it isn't so!!).

I will be reposting reviews of previous Crow works with a current spin on them. I think it is high time we take a look back and see what all has transpired in the Crow world. I am still working on that mega Crow article I promised that speaks to where it all started and where things ended up.

Take care & God bless

Re-Make of The Crow?

Looks like Jeff Most needs a new extension on his house - there are rumours of a Crow remake! And we thought that's what the 3 sequels were (how many times can they milk the same concept? Try something new!).

Via Moviehole, Jason Statham told IESB:

"You know, there’s talk of them redoing The Crow. That was a good movie with Brandon Lee, although that was years ago. So if that one comes my way, bang!"

What do you think, Crow Fans? Can you see Jason Statham as Eric Draven? No? Us either.

If anyone has heard any rumblings about a remake, please let us know. Add some comments and feel free to vent your thoughts...

The Crow: Final

3 NIGHTS, 5 BUCKS, 1 BADASS SHOW

Detroit, October 2012.

Six years ago, at the age of 19, Rachel Storm was brutally murdered on a bus en route from Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio to Somewhere Not Here, USA. Guided by her predecessor, Eric Draven, and the mysterious Skull Cowboy, Rachel returned to the world of the living to avenge her death and the deaths of her fellow passengers. Rachel has killed three out of the four men responsible for the murders. For unknown reasons, Rachel has let the Fourth Man, Edmund Wiley, live.

Rachel Storm, The Skull Cowboy and Eric Draven will soon learn the dark consequences of this act of mercy, this defying of the rules and traditions of the legend, the myth, and the story of
The Crow...


THE CROW: FINAL

Written and Directed by Bryan Enk
Inspired by the work of James O'Barr
Fight Choreography by Qui Nguyen


Monday, 10/29 @8PM
Tuesday, 10/30 @8PM
Wednesday, 10/31 @8PM

with:

Jessica Savage, Adam Swiderski, Britton Lafield,
Jessi Gotta, Dan Maccarone, Marguerite French,
Robert Pinnock, Sarah Jane Bunker, Carrie Johnson,
Roger Nasser, Fred Backus, and Jeff Lewonczyk

Suggested Donation: $5
100 minutes. No intermission.

The Brick Theater
575 Metropolitan Ave
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L to Lorimer / G to Metropolitan

Click here to visit their site.

Latest photo and muse from Robert Zuckerman

If you haven't picked up Robert's "Kindsight" book, get your tail off the couch and do so! It is a wonderful book. It has managed to move beyond the shelf and become a living example of how to live and view life.

Here is the latest photo and muse from Robert. Click on the image to read the story behind the photo. Fantastic stuff......enjoy

Back in the saddle

Hey folks, long time no post! Been an absolutely crazy time the last few months. Would like to say it was crazy as in crazy fun, but alas, it hasn't been. Suffice to say the "really real world" has been kicking my arse. But enough of that, on to a cool update.

There is a new Crow project about to be released by some fans that looks to be pretty cool. It is called "The Crow: Devil's Night". Give it a look come October 30th. Here is their MySpace with all the details and a sneak preview. Thanks to Deaderman for the heads up on this.

I am working on a multi-part piece that chronicles the franchise. Where it started, where it has been and where it is going. Look for it very soon.

Finally, don't forget to get registered for the Crowfans STH contest. Click here to register. Some really great prizes for the STH fans.

Take care.....