The Crow (1994 film)



The Crow is a 1994 film about a man who returns from the grave to seek vengeance on the gang that killed him and his fiancée.
 * Directed by Alex Proyas. Written by David J. Schow, based on the 1989 comic book series by James O'Barr.

Believe in angels. Taglines

Eric Draven

 * Victims; aren't we all...?
 * A whole jolly club, with jolly pirate nicknames!
 * Tell them death is coming for them tonight. Tell them Eric Draven sends his regards.
 * Is that gasoline I smell?
 * He was already dead. He died a year ago, the moment he touched her. They're all dead. They just don't know it yet.
 * It can't rain all the time.
 * Take your shot, Funboy. You got me, dead bang.
 * Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children. Do you understand? Morphine is bad for you. Your daughter is out there on the streets, waiting for you.
 * Little things used to mean so much to Shelly.
 * Believe me, nothing is trivial.
 * You shouldn't smoke these. They'll kill ya.
 * Guess it's not a good day to be a bad guy, huh, Skank?
 * I'm coming home, Shelly.
 * I have something to give you; I don't want it anymore. Thirty hours of pain! All at once! ...all for you.

Sarah

 * People once believed that, when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right.
 * A building gets torched; all that is left is ashes. I used to think that was true about everything: families, friends, feelings... But now I know that sometimes, if love proves real, two people who are meant to be together — nothing can keep them apart.
 * [last lines] If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

Top Dollar

 * [Holding a graveyard snow globe] Dad gave me this, fifth birthday. He said: "Childhood's over the moment you know you're going to die."
 * [Referring to a dead woman in his bed] I think we broke her.
 * He winked at you? Tsk, musicians.
 * A boy and his bird. Awful touching.
 * [Referring to Skank's near-unintelligible rant] Maybe we oughta just video tape this, play it back in slow motion.
 * It seems our friend T-Bird won't be joining us this evening... on account of a slight case of death.
 * A man has an idea. The idea attracts others, likeminded. The idea expands, the idea becomes an institution. What was the idea? That's what's been bothering me, boys. And I'll tell you, when I used to think about the idea itself, it put a big old smile on my face. You see, gentlemen... greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy — now that's fun!
 * When I started the first fires in this goddamn city, before I knew it, every charlatan and shitheel was imitating me! You know what they got now? Devil's Night greeting cards. Isn't that precious? The idea has become the institution, boys. Time to move along.
 * I want you to set a fire so goddamn big, the gods'll notice us again, that's what I'm sayin'. I want all you boys to be able to look me straight in the eye one more time and say: "ARE WE HAVIN' FUN OR WHAT?!"
 * You're him, huh? The avenger. The killer of killers. Nice outfit. Not sure about the face, though.
 * Quick impression for you... Caw! Caw! Bang! Fuck, I'm dead!
 * You know, my daddy used to say, "Every man's got a devil, and you can't rest til you find him." What happened back there with you and your girlfriend... I cleared that buildin'. Hell, nothin' in this town happens without my say-so. So I'm sorry if I spoiled your wedding plans there, friend. But if it's any consolation to ya, you have put a smile on my face. You got a lot of spirit, son. I am gonna miss you.

Myca

 * I love her eyes. Pretty.
 * There are energies aligning against you
 * I like the pretty lights
 * Her eyes are so… innocent
 * This is all the power you ever had. Now it is mine. Pity there’s not more time… for us.

T-Bird

 * You know that Lake Erie actually caught fire on once, from all the crap floating around in it? I wish I coulda seen that.
 * Abashed the Devil stood; and felt how awful Goodness is.
 * Here's to Devil's Night, my new favorite holiday.
 * Hey, guess what. Arcade Games fell down, went boom.
 * Remember? Yeah, I remember everything ... But I don't know what ... what? What? What're you talking about. No, no, no, no. You mean that place downtown?
 * I know you. I know you. I knew I knew you. I knew I knew you, but you ain't you. You can't be you, we put you through the window. There ain't no comin' back. This is the really real world, there ain't no comin' back. We killed you dead, there ain't no comin' back! There ain't no comin' back! There ain't no comin' back! "Abash, the devil stood, and felt how awful goodness is..."
 * Whaddya want, man? Money? Drugs? I got 'em. We could use you—you did Tin Tin. This is business, right?
 * Ah look, makin' us popular. When they flash us like that, they ain't friends.
 * If you got something personal, amigo, we can work it out, right?

Tin-Tin

 * You cheap-ass, chrome-dome, child-molesting, saprophyte motherfucker!
 * Lucky I didn't stab your fat ass.
 * What the fuck you all painted up for, crackhead, huh? Halloween ain't till mañana.
 * Shelly... yeah. Yeah. I shanked her pink ass and she loved it!
 * Murderer? Murderer?! Let me tell you about murder: it's fun, it's easy, and you gonna learn all about it. I'd like you to meet two buddies of mine. We never miss.

Skank

 * I feel like a little worm on a big fuckin' hook!

Others

 * Gideon: Goddamn creatures of the night. They never learn
 * Detective Torres: Don’t any of your street demons have real grown-up names?
 * Albrecht: Oh great! Great! Guy shows up looking like a mime from hell and you lose him, right out in the open. Well, at least he didn't do that 'walking against the wind' shit. I hate that.
 * Detective Torres: I've got a goddamn vigilante killer out there knocking off scum bags left and right, and you're covering up for somebody.
 * Albrecht: So many cops, you’d think they were giving away donuts!

Dialogue

 * Albrecht: You Sarah?
 * [Sarah nods]
 * Albrecht: Yeah, look. Your sister — she's gonna be okay.
 * Sarah: She's not my sister. Shelly just takes care of me. She’s my friend. Her and Eric. You lied to her about Eric.
 * Albrecht: Look, I had to.
 * Sarah: And you're lying to me about Shelly. She's gonna die, isn't she?


 * Albrecht: How do you steer that thing on a wet street?
 * Sarah: Pure talent.


 * Tin-Tin: Pussies drink last, man.
 * Skank: [Puts gun to Tin-Tin's head] Fuck you, Tin-Tin!
 * Tin-Tin: [Puts a knife to Skank's throat] Hey... shit ain't even loaded, man.
 * Funboy: [Puts his gun to Tin-Tin's head] This one is.
 * T-Bird: [Points his gun at all three of them] Which of you Motor City motherfuckers wants to bet me this one isn't?


 * Eric: [After breaking into Gideon's pawn shop] "Suddenly, I heard a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."
 * Gideon: What on earth are you talking about?
 * Eric: You heard me rapping, right?
 * Gideon: You're trespassing. And you owe me a brand new door! [Gideon grabs a gun while Eric glances at the door.]
 * Eric: I'm looking for something in an engagement ring.
 * Gideon: Yeah?
 * Eric: Gold.
 * Gideon: You're looking for a coroner, shit-for-brains. [He fires at Eric, who is knocked off balance, but the wound quickly heals.] Oh, shit. Oh, shit on me! Shit on me. SHIT ON ME! [After being knocked over, Gideon grabs a bat to protect himself.]
 * Eric: [Having jumped onto and then up from the desk, suddenly hanging upside down from the ceiling] Mr. Gideon. You're not paying attention.


 * [Looking at a bloody crow outline on the wall]
 * Detective Torres: What the hell do you call that?
 * Albrecht: I call it blood, detective. I suppose you'll write it up as... "graffiti".


 * Albrecht: Police! Don't move — I said don't move!
 * Eric: I thought the police always said "freeze".
 * Albrecht: Well, I am the police and I say "don't move", Snow White; you move, you're dead.
 * Eric: And I say I'm dead; [raises his hands] and I move...


 * T-Bird: I got trouble. One of my crew got himself perished.
 * Top Dollar: Yeah, and who might that be?
 * T-Bird: Tin-Tin. Somebody stuck his blades in all his major organs in alphabetical order.
 * Top Dollar: Well, gentlemen, by all means, I think we ought to have an introspective moment of silence for poor old Tin-Tin. [leans down to a cocaine bowl and takes a snort]


 * Funboy: [after having shot Eric's hand only to see the wound quickly heal before his eyes] Jesus Christ!
 * Eric: Jesus Christ! Stop me if you've heard this one. Jesus Christ walks into a hotel...
 * [Funboy shoots him again]
 * Eric: Ow. He hands the innkeeper three nails and he asks...
 * [Funboy shoots him a third time]
 * Funboy: Don't you ever fuckin' die!?
 * Eric: "Can you put me up for the night?"


 * Top Dollar: All the power in the world resides in the eyes, fella. Sometimes they're more useful than the people that bear them.
 * Gideon: You know, you're directly out of your fucking mind! You know that!
 * Top Dollar: Yeah. [pause] Eyes see. One of the most important things I learned from my sister. [indicates Myca]
 * Gideon: Sister? She's supposed to be your sister?
 * Top Dollar: My father's daughter. That's right. What's the matter, you don't see the resemblance?


 * T-Bird: [being held at gunpoint by Eric] What the fuck are you supposed to be, man?
 * Eric: I'm your passenger. [cocks his gun] Drive.


 * [Two cops are on watch, drinking coffee]
 * Cop 1: You got that cream stuff? [Cop 2 hands it over.] I hate this. They can't even call it cream legally.
 * [T-Bird and Eric drive by at 90 MPH]
 * Cop 2: What in the crap...? [speeds off after T-Bird's car]
 * [Cop 1 screams as the acceleration of the car makes him spill hot coffee all over himself.]


 * Detective Torres: Who's the cartoon character in the painted face?
 * Albrecht: Hey, you're the detective. Why don't you tell me?
 * Detective Torres: Okay. Gideon blows all to hell and you’'re having a chit-chat with some weirdo who winds up in T-Bird's car when it zigs instead of zags. Then you steal one of my case files from homicide, and you're saying this is just a fucking automobile accident? Come on!
 * Albrecht: Yeah. Good speech though. I didn't wanna interrupt you. It sounded good. You gotta write that shit down!


 * Sarah: I knew it was you. Even with the makeup. I remembered your song. You said, "it can't rain all the time". That is from your song, right? [Pause. No answer.] Come on, Eric, I know you're here. I miss you... and Shelly. Get so lonely all by myself. [Pause. Still no answer.] The hell with you. I thought you cared. [She turns to leave and sees Eric's shadow on the wall.]
 * Eric: Sarah, I do care. [Sarah runs to him and they hug.]


 * Sarah: When someone's dead, they can't come back, can they?
 * Albrecht: That's what I thought. Are you referring to anyone in particular?
 * Sarah: You'll just think I'm nuts.
 * Albrecht: Yeah, well, then maybe they'll have to lock us both up.
 * Sarah: You see him too?
 * Albrecht: I saw somebody. Maybe it was your fairy godfather.
 * Sarah: [Sadly] Eric didn't come back for me. He can't be my friend anymore because, well, I'm alive.
 * Albrecht: You want a friend to walk you home?
 * [Sarah nods.]


 * Top Dollar: Problem is, it's all been done before. See what I'm saying?
 * Bad Ass Criminal: That's no reason to quit.
 * Top Dollar: Wrong. Best reason to quit. Only reason to quit. A man has an idea. The idea attracts others, likeminded. The idea expands, the idea becomes an institution. What was the idea? That's what's been bothering me, boys.


 * Eric: Gentlemen!
 * Top Dollar: So, you're him, huh? The avenger. The killer of killers. Like the outfit. Not sure about the face, though.
 * Eric: [points to Skank] I just want him.
 * Top Dollar: Well, you can't have him.
 * Eric: Well, I see you've made your decision... [Eric stands on the table, spreading his arms] Now let's see you enforce it.
 * Top Dollar: Aw, this is already boring the shit out of me. KILL 'IM!
 * [They all fire. Eric falls backwards off the table.]
 * Top Dollar: Ooh, that had to hurt.


 * [Eric throws Skank out the window. He lands on the cop car from the chase scene.]
 * Cop 2: What in the crap...?

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 * Various Police Officers: "Don't move!" "Hold it!" "That's all she wrote!" "Move and we shoot!"
 * Eric: [raises his hands as if defeated, a tragic expression on his face. He then does a high-stepping grapevine and jumps out the window.]

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 * Myca: He has power, but it is power you can take from him.
 * Top Dollar: I like him already.
 * Myca: The crow is his link between the land of the living and the realm of the dead.
 * Grange: So kill the crow and destroy the man.

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 * Sarah: You're going to say I shouldn't be in the cemetery in the middle of the night, right?
 * Eric: Safest place in the world to be.
 * Sarah: That's 'cause everybody's dead. I knew you'd come here.
 * Eric: It's really late, Sarah.
 * Sarah: You didn't say goodbye.
 * Eric: You're just going to have to forgive me for that.

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 * Eric: I can handle it. Don't worry.
 * Albrecht: I'm not worried. Look, here's the plan. You stay in front, and when they run out of ammo, I'll arrest 'em.
 * Eric: That sounds like a great plan. There's just one problem. [He indicates his bleeding shoulder]
 * Albrecht: Oh, shit. You're bleeding all over the place. I thought, you know, you were invincible.
 * Eric: [Annoyed] I was. I'm not anymore.
 * Albrecht: [Sighs] Well, I guess you really will need my help, won't you?

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 * [last words]
 * Sarah: If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

Taglines

 * Believe in angels.
 * In a world without justice, one man was chosen to protect the innocent.
 * Real love is forever.
 * Darker than the bat.

Cast

 * Brandon Lee - Eric Draven
 * Rochelle Davis - Sarah
 * Ernie Hudson - Sergeant Albrecht
 * Michael Wincott - Top Dollar
 * Bai Ling - Myca
 * Sofia Shinas - Shelly Webster
 * David Patrick Kelly - T-Bird
 * Angel David - Skank
 * Laurence Mason - Tin Tin
 * Michael Massee - Funboy

About The Crow (1994 film)

 * The Crow doesn't seem like a comic that Hollywood would be keen on turning into a big-budget motion picture. The title character also known as Eric Draven doesn't have much in common with Superman, Captain America or Ant-Man, who wear multi-colored costumes and fight to protect the innocent. Eric is angry, inconsolable and filled with hate. He kills without remorse. He knows he's a monster; he's not particularly concerned with morality. His attitude and lack of a colorful costume make him an unlikely candidate for a line of poseable action figures for kids. And yet somehow this successful underground comic book series got the green light for a movie back in 1994, long before movie executives knew that you could just throw a hunk like Ryan Reynolds in a suit and tickets would sell.
 * Danny Gallagher "Hurst Resident and Creator of The Crow, James O'Barr, on the Comic That Made Him Famous", Dallas Observer, (August 5, 2016).


 * It poses some really interesting questions. If you died, and then somehow a year later you had one day, two days, to come back, what would you do?
 * Brandon Lee as quoted in "Brandon Lee's last interview", Entertainment Weekly, (March 19, 1993).


 * This is a person who has been pushed right to the limits of his ability to cope what is going on. And in a sense is quite mad sometimes... In a sense completely insane, almost in a sense that you might think of an insane person having voices. More rational voices that try to guide him...More irrational voices that come from a more emotional... More deep-seated place. I think that the crow his that rational voice, the crow is his guide.
 * The crow helps Eric to do what he has to do in a very practical sense; it leads him to places where he has to be, it helps him find people he has to find.
 * It’s a story about justice for victims.
 * His mission is to find the people who killed himself and his fiancée, and kill them.
 * Its a wonderful role, it really is a role that you can take risks with, and gives you a wonderful opportunity to take those risks & stretch, because after all can you tell me how someone who has come back from the dead will behave.
 * That is one of the wonderful things about playing this character, its a real.... you can really take the gloves off in playing this part because there are no rules on how a person who has come back from the dead is going to behave.
 * Brandon Lee, "Final Interview", The Crows Loft.


 * I was involved on the first film, but I had nothing to do with those piece of shit sequels. I really just divorced myself from those, because it really was never meant to be a franchise and they tried to turn it into this James Bond series. I can understand doing more Crow films if they just used the themes: love and loss, reckoning, retribution and justice. Those are universal themes that can be set in any time or place. BUT trying to keep repeating that first film was just a horrible mistake.
 * James O'Barr, "Crow Interview James O'Barr", Super Hero HQ.