"People used to think that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes... only sometimes, the crow brings that soul back to set the wrong things right."

The Crow is the story of Eric Draven; boy meets girl, boy and girl are horribly murdered, boy returns from dead, boy avenges murder in gruesome ways. Pretty standard comic book stuff, what makes this film special is the way that director Alex Proyas shows us the story. The casting of Brandon Lee probably couldn't have been any more perfect, it's tragic that he died during the filming of it.

It is a perfect comic book film. Everything about it; the way it's lighted, the harsh black shadows, the drab simple colors, the way it's framed and edited feels like a comic, the dialogue almost seems to hang there in little bubbles above their heads, and of course it's got a bit of the ol' ultra-violence thrown in for good measure. It's art direction of Tim Burton, mixed with a dash of David Fincher moodiness. The Crow is not a perfect film, but it's a lot of fun to watch.

Things I love about this film.

Things I don't like.

"When was the last time you remember doing something during the day? And I'm not talking about some half-forgotten childhood memory, I mean like yesterday. Last week."

Maybe you've read my page about how close the Wachowski Brothers came to my vision of a film with The Matrix. In truth Dark City came a lot closer to that vision of mine. And I was actually a little pissed when it came out, but of course I saw the film the 1st weekend and absolutely loved it. Although not many other people did, except maybe Roger Ebert who thought it was the best film of 1998.

Why did this film come closer to my vision? Because Dark City starts with a man who has amnesia. I wanted the audience to be as clueless as the hero, and as he finds out what's going on so does the audience. Unfortunately the studio forced an opening narration upon Proyas, that explains to the audience where they stand. I hate that, why does the audience need it's hand held, throw them right into something, confuse them, it makes for a better ride.

If The Crow was a comic book, Dark City is a graphic novel. Actually a lot of critics thought the film was based upon a comic book, but it's purely Proyas' idea. Photographically this is probably my favorite film. It's an absolutely gorgeous film, every single shot is a work of art. Pure film noir, photographically of course, the architecture, the clothing, the cars, it's the 1940's gone sci-fi, it looks like a Humphrey Bogart film.

Dark City is the story of John Murdoch, who comes into the world as an infant, naked, wet, and without a clue of what's happening to him. Slowly we learn, along with John that the world is not what it seems, that aliens are controlling everything, including who people are. They are studying humans, to see what makes us tick, they want to use this knowledge to save their own race. But more than that, it's a tale about humanity. What is it that makes us human? Is it the sum of our memories, or is it something more, our soul? Roger Ebert calls it a visionary film. When it was first released, it wasn't much appreciated, it is much more now, but in 10 years I think it will be talked about like Blade Runner.

Things I love about this film.

Things I don't like.

I have yet to see his 1st film, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989), a mind boggling title, for what sounds like a trippy film. Made in his homeland of Australia, the film is unavailable in the States. (I'll probably have to pick up a bootlegged VCD off eBay, if I ever want a copy. If you have any idea of a way for me to see it, email me.)