He remake from Crowhas generated both anticipation and controversy. This new version, directed by Rupert Sanders, is set to not only expand the universe of the unusual film series. Also, give it a more modern twist, which of course will allow the always intriguing story of comedian Eric Draven to be used on the big screen. So far, all attempts to restore the cult status of the first film have failed miserably. So it is expected that with Bill Skarsgård – Pennywise from What — Leading a cast is the best opportunity to do this.
But while Sanders’ ability to revive a franchise with all sorts of problems has been demonstrated, the premiere of the new film has had a curious effect. Not only has it revived interest in the 1994 film, which became a celebrated work of horror and action, but it also reexamines everything about the untimely death of its main character. Brandon Lee – son of the legendary Bruce Lee – died on the set, a year before he was finally Crowwill reach the public. And all this is at the center of a complicated incident, filmed by a bad crew. Death became part of the rich story surrounding the film.
At the same time, in thinking about the dangers that the action movie faces. All this in the midst of controversy caused by the incident that gave rise to all sorts of rumors and, in addition, made it difficult to distribute and market Crow . When the film finally hit billboards around the world, it was preceded by a disastrous incident. What caused its failure at the box office and what any project about exploring the universe, We will have to overcome industry resistance to avoid a similar incident.
The complex history of the Raven
In the mid-1990s, director Alex Proyas began working on a project to adapt a classic comic book. The project was about Crowby James O’Barr, a comic who holds the curious distinction of being the best-selling comic in the independent comics world. Published in 1989 in just four volumes, it tells the story of Eric Draven, a man who is murdered along with his fiancée and who returns from the dead to take revenge.
With a screenplay by David J. Shaw and John Shirley, the story made it to the cinema as a small gothic oddity. Especially since Proyas managed to hire Brandon Lee, the eldest son of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee, for the lead role. By then, the actor had followed in his famous father’s footsteps, and his career was based mainly on action films. In all of them, he stood out for his ability synchronized fights, as well as his deep knowledge of various martial arts.
But Alex Proyas needed an actor. He Eric Draven In the comics, he was a being tormented by tragic love, but also had a dark and cruel dimension. Which made the character an enigma. He could be both a romantic hero and a typical action movie anti-hero. The director wanted to combine both things into a supernatural idea that could also give him a sinister character. all the ability to charm and at times be creepy.
Brandon Lee, striving for success
Brandon Lee approached the task with such rigor that early rumors about the film emphasized his dedication and commitment to the role. Furthermore, Proyas, despite the film’s small budget, devoted time and effort to creating a world that worked both visually and interpretively. For the director, communication with his actor was of the utmost importance. He would later say in an interview that Brandon Lee He was determined to do more than just create an above-average action role.
It was of great interest to the director and actor to use the dark, gothic fantasy resources of the original comic to explore something more substantial than a revenge story. Alex Proyas had done enough research to imagine how Eric Draven could evolve. Much more, how the film could lead to an entirely new saga based on a character with so much to give. Something that seemed to be confirmed in the first months of filming and in the footage that may have been saved from Brandon Lee before his death.
The Tragedy That Shook Hollywood
On March 31, 1993, while filming a particularly complex scene in which several types of weapons were used simultaneously. According to All this is interestingevery aspect of the sequence has been tested using basic safety measures. Only, In this case, several circumstances coincided, which led to a fatal accident.
For one, his co-star Michael Massee ordered a gun to be fired and three blanks to be fired. At the moment this happened, Brandon Lee had to activate “bombs,” small mechanisms that limited the explosion in the place where he was supposedly injured. This allowed the physical damage of the gun to be shown on the characters’ bodies. Lee had already used similar devices in previous films. Therefore, the failure that caused his death was not due to his incompetence.
On the other hand, the gun Massey was holding only had propellant pellets and plastic pellets in its cylinder. But on the day of the incident, the cylinder also contained a fake bullet from another crime scene that had never been fired. The combination of the gun’s air pressure added to the fake (non-powder) but metal bullet and Lee’s device, They inflicted a deep wound that severed two abdominal arteries.
A death that sparked rumors and controversy
The film’s producer, Bob Rosen, immediately rushed the actor to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. The next step was to save Brandon Lee’s life, who underwent six hours of surgery. But the medical team could do nothing about the injury, which experts called “the size of a silver bullet.” The shot caused severe damage to his intestines and blood vessels, in addition to spreading to the spine. Brandon Lee died the same day.
Rumors of the actor’s death immediately began to circulate. Especially comparing the tragedy to what happened to his father. For years, it was mistakenly believed that the martial arts celebrity died due to an injury while filming his unfinished film, Game of Death. However, the actor died of from cerebral edema, from which he never woke up.
Of course, the dispute reached production Crow which stopped for several months. Although there was enough material for three-quarters of the film, some footage of significant interest was still missing. Among them is the film’s conclusion. In the midst of the debate over the ethical advisability of continuing the film under such circumstances, Alex Proyas decided to continue using clunky digital technology and editing with a stand-in. He insisted it was a tribute to Brandon Lee.who was the project’s biggest fan until the very last day.
The day after the fatal accident
Despite the efforts to popularize the film, it was a box office flop. Especially considering that, despite all that Proyas and his team had done, the version that hit theaters had a lot of unfinished business. The film censors several scenes, and its story tends to revise its own myth. Crow paid tribute to Brandon Lee, but rather half-heartedly. Feature film She became a cult classic and one of the most unique legends of Hollywood’s black history.
Finally, in 2012, a longer, more complete, and undeniably violent version was released with the film’s DVD release, demonstrating not only Brandon Lee’s acting talent (of course) but also his ability to bring a tortured character to life.The essence of what Rupert Sanders is trying to restore for remakewill be released soon.
Source: Hiper Textual
