User blog:ARTaylor/25 Years of The Crow

Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the premiere of The Crow. Based on the popular independent comic series, the film follows musician Eric Draven as he is resurrected by a crow so that he can avenge his own murder as well as the rape and killing of his fiancee.

The film was a critical and financial success. It was a sleeper hit, meaning it started slow but through word of mouth gained attention giving it a long theatrical run. It was popular enough to be followed by three sequels, a television series, and a long-talked about remake.

Unfortunately, the movie has long been remembered for the tragic on-set death of titular star Brandon Lee. For one scene, a prop gun was loaded with dummy rounds to imitate real cartridges for close-ups. The gun was then loaded with blanks so it could harmlessly fire, but a dummy round remained in the chamber. The firearms specialist had been sent home early due to budget restraints and the on-set prop master was unaware of how to properly check the weapon. When the prop gun was fired the blank propelled the dummy like a real bullet hitting Lee. Lee was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery but did not survive. Since the film was nearly completed, a body double was used for Lee's remaining scenes and some parts were rewritten around him. Reportedly, the production staff burned the footage of the accident having never watched it. No charges were filed and the death was ruled accidental. The film was dedicated to his memory and critics praised the film as a touching tribute to him.

The film features the talents of Michael Massee as Funboy, the gang member who initially kills Draven. Massee was the one who fired the prop gun that accidentally killed Lee. He took a year off from acting and was so traumatized by the event that he continued to have nightmares about the event long after saying "I don't think you ever get over something like that."