The Crow
***Where can I find the tabs for the guitar solos performed by Eric in the movie?
Check this site for all the details.
***In the movie, T-Bird is heard reciting a poem twice that starts out “Abash the devil stood and saw how awful goodness was”. Where does that excerpt come from and who wrote it?
That famous line from the movie is taken from the epic poem “Paradise Lost”, written by John Milton. That particular quote is found in the ‘Revolt of Angels' section of the poem. David Patrick Kelly, actor who played T-Bird, insisted on purchasing an antique copy of the book to use as a prop during the shot. He based many of T-Bird's emotional characteristics on this particular section of the poem. You can get a paperback copy of this book or a hardcover, at most book outlets as well as out on Amazon.
When Eric Draven first enters Gideon's pawnshop, he recites a passage of a poem that starts out “Suddenly there came a tapping………”. What poem is this from?
This is a line taken from the first paragraph of Edgar Allen Poe's opus poem “The Raven”. A copy of the poem can be found on the Poe-Apalooza site created by Michael Cohen. Here is the complete poem for your reading.
***Was it Brandon who originated the famous “Because we do not know when we will die” that we hear him recite during his last on camera interview and which is also engraved on his headstone?
Fans have long romanticized Brandon being the originator of this famous statement. Somehow foreshadowing his own death. In actuality, it is a passage from the Paul Bowles authored book The Sheltering Sky. Click here for a nice bio on Paul Bowles and his famous book. You can purchase a copy of the book at Amazon. The recent re-released Crow DVD has a piece of the last on camera interview with Brandon and before reciting the passage; he mentions it is from Sheltering Sky (this evidently had been edited out of the version found on the VHS copy of The Crow). Thanks to Corvus for the name of the author and book.
Where can I find a “Directors cut” or “Uncut” version of The Crow?
There is no “director's cut”, or “uncut” version, of the movie available for retail sale. The re-release of the movie on DVD, referred to as a “Collectors Series” does not contain a director's cut of the movie (there is an extended scenes section and deleted scenes montage section available however). There is a VHS version titled a “Collectors” edition of both The Crow, and COA (it says “Collectors Edition” in a silver banner on the front cover of both). These however have no added scenes. The only difference between them and the original versions is that they are in wide-screen format. There is a bootleg “work copy” of The Crow that has long been passed around on eBay, sometimes referred to as the “uncut” version. Not all of the special effects are finished and the soundtrack music is in a different order. It does contain scenes not found in the theatrical release and subsequent VHS and DVD releases of The Crow. Contrary to some reports, there are no added scenes of Skullcowboy included and the scene where Brandon is actually shot is not on this. To see a rundown on what is seen on this copy, go to The Crow section of ABaHB.
***Will there be a re-release of The Crow to theaters?
Jeff Conner was asked during DragonCon 2000 if there would ever be a re-release. He said the topic has been discussed in the past, but no immediate plans are in the works. There is currently a campaign to petition Miramax to re-release the film. The petition has been sent to Miramax and we will update everyone if there is any news.
Where can I find the “behind the scenes” video from the first movie?
There is a bootleg “behind the scenes” video that has long been offered on eBay. It is not an officially sanctioned item. It is a copy (more accurately, a copy many times over) of home video footage that David Schow, Crow script co-writer, took during production of the film. There is an official 90min cut of this footage that was suppose to be on the reissue Crow DVD. However, the rights to the film became an issue, for both legal and personal reasons, thus it was not added. It is hoped that maybe in the future, the legal and personal matters can be cleared up and the footage is made available in some sort of fashion.
What scene was being filmed when Brandon was accidentally shot?
See question below.
What did the investigation into Brandon's death find?
Due to the complexity of this question, we wrote an extensive article on this question. Click here and you will be taken to the article.
How come Eric all of a sudden appears with tape on his body after he kills Funboy?
Originally, the premise of the movie was that Eric, if he helped those that are still alive, would open himself up to being hurt (this was explained to him by the edited out character SkullCowboy). Before being edited out, the scene in which Eric confronts Funboy had ended a little different. While Eric is looking at one of the used drug needles, Funboy gets up out of the tub and starts slashing Eric with a razor, which earlier Eric had taken away from Darla. Eric eventually overtakes Funboy, but the wounds from the razor do not heal due to his interference with the living and he uses electrical tape to cover the wounds. Using tape to cover his wounds was worked into the story to pay homage to the comic, which had Eric wrap his arms with tape after he had slashed them in a deranged fit. This scene was added to the DVD reissue of the movie in the “Extended Scenes” section of the DVD.
Why was SkullCowboy edited out of The Crow?
This has long been a source of debate. The official reasons, given by Alex Proyas, are this. After completion, Proyas felt the scenes with SkullCowboy were redundant. It was also felt that the SkullCowboy scenes would put too much emphasis on the supernatural element and less on the love/revenge story. Finally, Proyas was not happy with the special effects. He felt they had not given adequate support to the character from an effects standpoint. Proyas was truly sorry for having to cut out Michael Berryman's character, which he felt had given a very good performance. But given the reasons specified, he felt it best for the film not to include any of the scenes with SkullCowboy.
How did they finish the movie without Brandon & how much of the movie is he in?
There were two men who doubled for Brandon. Chad Stahelski and Jeff Cadiente (Jeff had been part of the production before Brandon had died. Chad was brought in after his death). They were used to finish the scenes that were left to shoot or re-shoot after Brandon's death. This included all of the loft scenes, Draven running on the rooftops and playing the guitar, as well as many filler scenes. During scenes when Draven's face had to be seen, Jeff wore a rubber facemask made from a plaster cast of Brandon's face. The plaster cast had originally been created by makeup artist Lance Anderson to design the Crow makeup during pre-production. The mask was not worn very much as it had a disturbing effect on the crew. Also, no photos were taken of Jeff in the mask as they felt it was inappropriate. Computers were used to add Brandon into some scenes, like when you see Eric first walk into the loft and his face in the broken mirror. Brandon did 90% of his stunts. As with any movie, even one with someone as physical as Brandon, a stuntman is required for more difficult scenes.
Where can I find the original script for the first movie?
There are several sites that have the script, including our site. If you want an easier format to print it from, try the Simply Scripts link provided. If you have a DVDrom drive on your computer and have the reissue DVD, in the DVDrom section the complete script is available for reading while the movie plays.
ABaHB Script
Simply Scripts Copy
What kind of guitar does Eric Draven use?
Eric actually is seen playing two different guitars in the movie. Before his death, Eric owned a black Ibanez EX model. This guitar can be seen in the flashback sequence that is shown while Eric is burning the photos of he and Shelly. The guitar that we see Eric take from Gideon's and later plays on the rooftop is a solid black, six string, standard Fender Stratocaster. Most fans associate the Strat with Eric since he plays it on the rooftop and the Ibenez is only shown once in a flashback. Thanks to Kel for the information on the Ibanez.
City of Angels
What brand of motorcycle was used in the movie?
The production of COA used 12 Ducati motorcycles. By the end of the production, only 2 were still in working condition. Ducati created a customized version of the cycle featured in COA called “Il Corvo”. They produced 500 of them at an asking price of $16,000.
Where can I purchase the Playstation game for COA
You can find a used and new copy of the Playstation game at VG Fanatic. Thanks to ZERO for the information:
Why does the name ‘Michael Corvin' appear on the headstone for the COA preview that is seen on The Crow VHS?
As happens with many movies early in production, the names of the characters change from what they were originally intended to be. The preview for COA that is found on the VHS version of the first movie was made very early on in the production of the movie (if you notice, no scenes of COA are even shown). Initially, the name was going to be Michael Corvin, but to go along with the use of a four-letter first name theme; they changed it to Ashe.
What is the complete Crow poem that Ashe recites before killing Nemo in COA?
If you listen closely, this poem can also be heard being recited by Shelly during the flashback sequence in the first movie that shows her and Eric running through the field. If you have closed captioning, you can turn it on and see the words being recited. In COA, Ashe starts from the “one crow” stanza. Thanks to Lyndsey Hicks for giving us the opening stanza. Here is the complete poem:
Seven blackbirds in a tree count them and see what they be…..
One crow sorrow
Two crows joy
Three crows a letter
Four crows a boy
Five crows silver
Six crows gold
Seven crows a secret never to be told
Salvation
***Has The Crow: Salvation been released?
Salvation was released on DVD March 20th, 2001, for rental and retail sale. The VHS version was released at the same time, however, for rental only. On Aug 7th, 2001, the VHS was made available for retail sale (Hollywood Video and Blockbuster Video offered previously viewed copies starting in July). The DVD can also be purchased as part of the Crow boxed set. Release overseas on DVD and VHS is up to the various overseas distributors. It was released in Australia on June 26th, 2001
Where can I find the complete Salvation script?
For those that have the DVD and have a DVDrom drive on their computer, the complete script is available for viewing along with the movie playing alongside it. If you do not have a DVDrom drive, here is a copy of the script from Simply Scripts.
***What happened to the Rob Zombie script for Crow: 2037?
This project was scraped over 4 years ago. It was to be directed and written by Rob Zombie. It was decided that the story would be better served as a stand-alone project, not part of THE CROW world. Pressman still has the script and plans to some day bring it to life, but as stated, NOT as a Crow film. Zombie does have a horror movie he directed and penned the script for entitled “House of 1000 Corpses”. It has had trouble finding a distributor. He recently announced that a R rating had finally been achieved for the film and we should see it mid 2002. Go to the official website for more information and to see the trailer. Check out the mag Cinefantastique, April 2000 edition. Jeff Most is asked about the Zombie CROW script and goes into detail about what happened with it.
Wicked Prayer
***Was the movie “Bones”going to be the next Crow movie?
No. New Line Cinema distributed this film that came out Halloween of 2001 (is currently available on DVD and VHS). It stars Snoop Dogg as a man that comes back 20yrs after his death to take revenge on those that killed him, his wife and laid waste to his neighborhood. At one time, many fans confused this movie with the rumored LAZARUS movie that had started out being Crow 4 (see question below).
***What is the latest on The Crow 4?
Originally, this was going to be called "The Crow: Lazarus". DMX and Eminem had been signed on to act, as well as Joseph Kahn to direct. However, this story has developed into a non-Crow feature (see our Lazarus section for all the details). The current Crow 4 premise is based upon the Crow novel Wicked Prayer. Go to our Crow 4 section for all of the information, to date, that has come out in regard to Crow 4.
Staiway to Heaven
***What is the latest on The Crow: Stairway to Heaven?
Mark Dacascos will not participate in a second season of the show if it were ever to happen. Too much time has passed and he has commitments that would make it impossible. He would like to do a one-time 2hr made for TV movie to bring closure to the series. He feels that closure is needed for it. Given the news about Mark, STH will not ever have a second season. The first season continues to be shown on the SciFi Channel,. Even though the STH concept is dead, there are still plans to create a weekly series based on The Crow universe. However, work on this concept is on hold and fans should not expect any movement in this area until 2004 at the earliest.
What is the name of the group that recorded the song ‘Goodbye', which is included in the episode of The Crow series that features the female avatar Talon?
The name of the group is ‘The Painkillers'. Their song ‘Goodbye' has been featured in both episodes of The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, which highlighted Bobbie Phillips' character, Hannah Foster, and has become an instant fan favorite. This song is included on their 1998 release, ‘Medicine For The Soul', and is available on Amazon.Com. This CD has since been re-released in Nov 99, with 6 more tracks, including an extra acoustic version of “Goodbye”. You can visit their official website.
Is there a soundtrack CD available from the series, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven?
There is no CD available for retail sale. However, there is a CD that was put together just for the STH crew that was given to them as a Christmas present in 1998. Copies of this CD have shown up on Ebay.com, and a few sites like ‘The Crows Nest/Loft', have offered a copy as a prize for contests. Since the series is on hiatus until Pressman gets the rights, do not look for a retail sale copy to appear anytime soon.
Will there ever be a video release of The Crow: Stairway to Heaven?
The first two episodes from the series, The Soul Can't Rest, and Souled Out, were combined for a VHS U.S. release on September 7th, 1999. There are no interviews, or behind the scenes footage with this release. However, Europe and Australia have a release for sale video that contains interviews with some of the cast members. Another difference from the U.S. release, the Australia/Europe release contains the first episode, Soul Can't Rest, and episode 15, ‘Birds of a Feather', which introduces the female Crow character Hannah Foster. You can find a copy of the U.S. release to rent at most video stores. The video in the U.S. was released for retail sale on June 6th, 2000. The retail suggested price is $14.95. Amazon.com is offering it for $12.95.
Will The Crow: Stairway to Heaven See a DVD Release?
STH was available on DVD July 23rd, 2001. However, it is an Australian region 4 release, which means it will not play on U.S. region 1 machines. If you have a multi-region DVD player or software on a PC that can play all regions, you are good to go. You can see a review at DVDbits. The DVD contains the pilot episode plus two other episodes, ‘Get a Life' and ‘Voices'. There is no news of when/if the U.S. will see STH released on DVD. Universal is in charge of the domestic release. Thanks to Frank from the CrowsLoft for the DVD review website and release date.
What kind of guitar does Eric Draven use?
In the series, a black, six string, Gibson SG is used. The most noticeable difference in this guitar compared to the movie is that the Fender (movie guitar) has all six adjuster tabs on the topside of the neck. The Gibson SG has three adjuster tabs on either side of the neck.
What is the full poem that Shelly recites to Eric before they are murdered?
I have lived a thousand lifetimes
To find a soul like yours
A soul so pure
A soul so brave
An angel that takes my breath away
I want to lie with you forever
My passion knows no bounds
I want to shield you from all evil
Protect this love we have found
Love me with your spirit
Promise we'll never part
We aren't the same as others
We are forever lovers.
James O'Barr, Comics, Books
What was O'Barr's inspiration to create “The Crow” comic?
At the age of 18, a drunk driver killed O'Barr's fiancee. Shortly afterwards, O'Barr started work on “The Crow” as a way to work through his anger and sorrow over the death of his fiancee (this was early 1980/81). O'Barr spent the 80's doing odd jobs and working on the comic until it was discovered and published in 1989.
What were James' influences while creating The Crow?
The story and art have many influences. The storyline of a man and woman attacked on a dirt road comes from a real life report James had heard of a couple being murdered for a $30.00 engagement ring. O'Barr was heavily influenced at the time by bands such as Bauhaus, Nick Cave and German industrial groups. During the actual drawing of the comic, he mostly listened to Joy Division & The Cure (lyrics from these two groups can be found throughout the comic). His comic influences are Frank Frazetta, N.C. Wyeth and Alex Raymond. Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, most directly influenced his early work.
What were O'Barr's influences in regard to the physical presentation of the Eric character?
Eric's body movements are based on punk icon Iggy Pop. The actual physical look of Eric is based on Peter Murphy from the band Bauhaus. The makeup design is not based on Alice Cooper or Kiss as is popularly assumed. The inspiration for the makeup comes directly from the British theater's three faces of Drama; Pain, Irony & Despair. These are shown in a couple of panels in the first comic book.
***What is the name of the original Crow comics?
Caliber Comics published the first Crow comic in February 1989. In all, there were four volumes put out by Caliber, numbered/titled 1-4. O'Barr named each volume, but the name only appears inside of the volumes, not on the cover. Caliber went out of business before O'Barr could finish the comic. In late 1989, Tundra picked up the rights to the story (at the same time, Jeff Most optioned it as a movie). They reissued the four Caliber comics, combining them into two volumes. Tundra volume one is entitled "Pain & Fear". Volume two is entitled "Irony/Despair". The names reference the title of each volume put out by Caliber Comics. In May 1992, O'Barr finally finished the story and Tundra released volume 3, "Death". Not too soon after, Kitchen Sink Press picked up the rights to The Crow and combined all the Caliber/Tundra volumes into one graphic novel in late 1992.
At the end of the original Crow comic story, there is a verse written in German. What is the translation?
First off, a major thanks to Corvus for all of his help with finding the information for this question. He supplied me with a letter written by a German fan, Ramona Deininger, who tried to translate the verse. One point of emphasis here; Ramona is German, yet had great difficulty translating the verse. The context and flow of some of the words is not correct. According to her, it appears it was first written in English, then sent through a translating program or looked up in a German dictionary. Ramona reversed the process and this produced a viable translation, though its complete accuracy is not guaranteed. A big thanks to Corvus for supplying me this information and to Ramona for her efforts. She dug deep and went into major detail on why she translated the verse the way she did. I do not have the room to post her whole process here; needless to say it was lengthy and in-depth.
ICH BEDÜRFNES JESUS CHRISTUS HANGELENK
MEIN GEBEIN WEINEN
ODLAND, KRIEGSBIET, LEBENWEISE
GESCHWINDIGKEIT, HALBMESSER, ABSTEIG
GNAPENSTOB
Translated:
I NEED JESUS CHRIST'S (WRIST / GUIDANCE / INSTRUCTION)
MY BONES (WEEP / CRY)
(WASTE LAND / DESERT), WAR ZONE, (HABIT / HABITAT)
VELOCITY, RADIUS, (DEPTH / DESCENT)
COUP DE GRACE
**What is James O'Barr up to right now?
O'Barr has contributed cover-art and inset illustrations for a project entitled “Savages” put out by Peregrine Entertainment (site has not been updated since Sept of 2001). This was released the last week of September 2001. It contains sword and sorcery style drawings that O'Barr created in 1987. Go to your local comic store for your copy. If they do not have it, should be able to order it for you. As for the long rumored re-issue of the Crow comics through Blue Monkey, no word on a definite date. The same for the long rumored new Crow story involving a female and male Crow. Thanks to Zerstorung for the update on “Savages”
What happened to Kitchen Sink Press?
KSP had to get out of the comic business after December 1998 (they still have an operation going, but their comic division is shutdown). You can no longer get any Crow comics from them. If you send in an order request, don't expect to see it filled. The last I saw, their website still boasted having Crow items for sale, but this is not the case.
What was Eric's last name in the comic?
He did not have a last name mentioned. The writers of the movie script added the last name ‘Draven' as play on words, D-Raven. They used a “D” in the front of “Raven” because there is a storyboard in the graphic novel that shows Capt Hook looking through files and he has one for Eric lying on his desk. The last name is covered up. The file drawer opened is ‘C-D'. Along with the film makers, fans noticed this and much debate as to what O'Barr was insinuating has come about. Would be a good question for him if anyone catches him at a comic convention to see what he intended Eric's last name to be in the comic.
What is the latest on the Crow novels?
The latest novel, ‘The Crow: Hellbound', was available June 26th, 2001. A.A. Attanasio is the author. It is the complete version of the short story entitled ‘Hellbent' that was written by Attanosio for the O'Barr edited Crow compilation book ‘Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams'. Attanasio also contributed the original forward to the graphic novel back in 1992. If you want a large update on the novels, check out the Top Dollar site. Jeff Connor, editor for TopDollar, gives a very informative rundown on what they tried to do with the novels. “Hellbound” ends the series of Crow novels that Harper will be putting out. No word as to if another series of novels will be published with Harper or another company.
To date, what novels have been released by Harper Collins? Also, are they all part of an ongoing storyline?
The Harper Collins novels are all separate stories. They are not a continuation of the same storyline. These are not to be confused with the graphic novel that was put out by Kitchen Sink Press. That was a combination of all the Crow comics that O'Barr had created. The novels here, are not a combination of comics, but actual written text novels. Here is a list of all the Crow novels that have been released to date by Harper Collins:
Quoth the Crow – written by David Bischoff
Lazarus Heart – written by Poppy Z. Brite (available in mass-paperback form only)
Clash by Night – written by Chet Williamson
Temple of Night – written by S.P. Somtow
Wicked Prayer – written by Norman Partridge
Hellbound – written by A.A. Attanasio
Misc.
***Are there any plans for new merchandise coming out?
Yes. There will be numerous items coming out in 2002 from Dynamic Forces. The first will be a bust of Eric Draven's head (as played by Brandon Lee). It will retail for 49.95. April, 2002 will see the release of the Crow: The Legacy card set, which will feature interpretations and images of the many different incarnations of The Crow, from the comic book version of Eric Draven to the movie version as played by Brandon Lee, and every twist in between. Also coming in 2002 will be exclusive lithographs and wall scrolls featuring classic images of The Crow from some of the finest illustrators the world over. Another merchandise agreement was announced for NECA (National Entertainment Collectables Association). They will be putting out numerous items, to include action figures. The difference between their merchandise and Dynamic Forces is that NECA will concentrate on only the Brandon Lee era items.
Is the Crow comic and Crow movie's based on an actual mythology?
The comic is loosely based on the Crow mythology. There is no actual mythology introduced in the story. The crow (the bird) in the comic is actually supposed to be a manifestation of Eric's deranged mind. It is only seen a few times in the comic. The movie storyline is the closest to the actual mythology, though many story elements are enhanced. The mythology actually comes from Native American stories, Greek & Norse mythology. Here is a mythology site that covers some of these myths and stories. It is quit interesting to read the basis for the crow in mythology.
I have a Crow script that I want to write and submit, how do I go about doing that?
Miramax and Pressman Films do not accept scripts sent directly to them by fans. They, like every other studio, go through the traditional channels to get scripts. Fan created scripts are sent back, with a kind note stating that they cannot be used. There is a way to submit your script to amateur competitions that could help bring attention to your script, which in turn could get it noticed by studios. We created an article that lists several of these competitions, so check it out. Also, you can visit Script Crawler where you can go for script writing resources. It lists many great sites for you to go to that will help with how to put your ideas down, format, you name it.
***How can I get a copy of the IN-D film, “James O'Barr's; The Crow”, by David Ullman, which follows the comic book storyline, rather than the feature film storyline?
This video is no longer available for distribution. Due to some legal obligations that Pressman has with Miramax/Dimension, David was asked not to distribute his video anymore. This is a shame since the video is a great piece of fan work. However, there are many legal constrictions that come with a registered name like The Crow, and Pressman regrettably had to ask David to stop.
With the help of David Ullman, we ran a massive update on David's film the beginning of the year. It contains the production notes, behind the scenes stories and photos from the production. Go give it a look here if you want to see the fantastic work.
Where can I find the Movie Maniacs 2 figure line that includes the Eric Draven?
The original figure can be found in most Babbages, Toys R Us, Spencers Gifts, and KB Toys stores (quantities are limited). Discount stores like Wal-Mart, K-mart, and Target will not carry the line. A 12inch Draven figure is available at Toys R Us stores only. The figure is the same as the original 6inch figure, just bigger (the crow has its own stand rather than pirch holes in Eric's shoulder as is the case with the 6inch version). Also, the original 6inch figure was re-released in a new collector's fishbowl box with the loft window serving as the backdrop. The following stores will carry the re-released 6inch figure: Tower Records, Virgin Entertainment, Diamond Comics, Musicland, Fandom, Spencer's and TNC Universe. The original figure can still be found out on eBay auctions as well as the mentioned stores.
