Revisiting The Crow

This week I finally got around to reading The Crow, a 1981 graphic novel by J. O'Barr which I picked up second hand at Oldham Comic Con in May.

Most of the time when people think of comics- particularly when British people think of them- we imagine publications for children, for pre-teens. The Crow is anything but that: a tale of a rock star revived from the dead to avenge his own murder, and that of his girlfriend. It's bleak, violent and dark, an atmos exacerbated by the monochrome presentation and punctuated at each chapter beginning with a short poetry quote.

I think I first saw the 1994 movie adaptation when I was 14 or 15, over the summer before 5^th Form. 1997. Although a fairly routine revenge / action film, it's unique Gothic set design and almost-mythical almost-future bleak setting made it instantly stand out from the 30-or-so films I'd watched that holiday.

I got the DVD in '02/03, and decided now was a good a time as any to catch up on it. It's still a brilliantly conveyed story, with a well-thought out colour pallet. I thought Brandon Lee's svelte physique suited the character a lot more than O'Barr's more muscular creation. I can't imagine a rock star spending all that time in the gym and dieting so strictly.

It's also packed with cameos and supporting roles from a host of familiar faces: Ernie Hudson (Winston in Ghostbusters), Michael Wincott (Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) David Patrick Kelly (Sully from Commando) Tony Todd (The Candyman) and Jon Polito (Caspar in Miller's Crossing). Hollywood sure got its money's worth from actors in the 90s.

The 2-disc DVD is a good example of how I don't think streaming sites will have a complete stranglehold on the entertainment market. The discs are stuffed with commentary tracks (with the writer and producer, but strangely not the director), interviews with O'Barr and the cast, Brandon Lee's last on-screen interview before his tragic on-set accidental death, and raw footage from the film's production. It's a gem. I'm not aware that Netflix and the like provide the extras, nor would there be particular demand for it. That's why I'm likely to stick with DVDs for a long time.