The Crow (1994)

May 13, 1994

The Crow is a 1994 American superhero film directed by Alex Proyas and written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, based on the 1989 comic book series by James O'Barr. It stars Brandon Lee in his final film role, as Eric Draven, a rock musician who is resurrected from the dead to seek vengeance against the gang who murdered him and his fiancée.

Lee was fatally wounded by a prop gun during filming. As he had finished most of his scenes, the film was completed through script rewrites, a stunt double and digital effects. After Lee's death, Paramount Pictures opted out of distribution and the rights were acquired by Miramax Films. The film is dedicated to Lee and his fiancée, Eliza Hutton.

The Crow premiered in Santa Monica on May 10, 1994, and was released in the United States on May 13, 1994, by Dimension Films. The film received positive reviews for its style and Lee's performance. It grossed $94 million on a $23 million budget and has gained a cult following. The success led to a media franchise that includes the sequels The Crow: City of Angels (1996), The Crow: Salvation (2000), and The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005). The sequels, which mostly featured different characters and none of the original cast members, were unable to match the success of the first film. A reboot of The Crow was released in 2024, which was a critical and commercial failure.

Storyline

On Devil's Night, in a crime-ravaged and decrepit Detroit, a young woman, Shelly Webster, is raped and seriously wounded while her rock musician fiancé Eric Draven is shot and thrown to his death from the window of their loft apartment. Police Sergeant Daryl Albrecht accompanies Shelly to the hospital, but she eventually dies from her injuries. A narration states the legend of a crow that carries souls to the land of the dead; if the person died in tragic circumstances, the crow can resurrect their restless spirit to set things right.

One year later, Shelly's and Eric's graves are visited by Sarah, a young girl the pair cared for due to her absent mother. A crow lands on Eric's gravestone and taps on it, resurrecting him. Disoriented and distressed, Eric returns to his ravaged loft apartment and experiences flashbacks of the murders: A gang of men—Tin Tin, Funboy, T-Bird, and Skank—targeted the pair, because they were protesting forced evictions in their apartment building which the gang's leader, ruthless crime boss Top Dollar, intended to seize. Realizing that any injuries he suffers are immediately healed, Eric dons black-and-white face paint and sets out to avenge himself and Shelly, guided by the crow.

The crow leads Eric to Tin Tin, whom Eric stabs to death. He next travels to the pawn shop where Tin Tin had pawned Shelly's engagement ring. Eric recovers the ring and blows up the shop, but spares the owner Gideon so he can alert Top Dollar's men that Eric is coming for them. Albrecht begins investigating the apparent vigilante disturbances while Eric finds Funboy taking drugs with Sarah's estranged drug addict mother, Darla. He gives Funboy a fatal overdose and purges the drugs from Darla's body, telling her that Sarah needs her.

Eric visits Albrecht and confirms his suspicions regarding the vigilante's identity. Albrecht tells Eric that he stayed with Shelly until she died, witnessing the thirty hours of suffering she experienced. Eric touches Albrecht, absorbing the pain Shelly felt. Later, Eric saves Sarah from being hit by a car, revealing to her that he has returned. Eric next targets T-Bird, killing him in an explosion. The following morning, Sarah and Darla reconcile and Sarah reunites with Eric at his apartment. Top Dollar holds a meeting with his associates to discuss his plans to burn the city to the ground on Devil's Night. Eric arrives for Skank but a gunfight erupts, ending with Eric throwing Skank from a window to his death. Top Dollar, his lover and half-sister Myca, and his right-hand man Grange escape. Myca correctly hypothesizes that the crow is the source of Eric's immortality.

Satisfied with his vengeance, Eric gifts Shelly's engagement ring to Sarah and returns to his grave. Grange abducts Sarah as she is walking home and takes her to an abandoned church with Myca and Top Dollar, who takes Shelly's ring. Eric is alerted to her plight by the crow and rushes to rescue her, but he is ambushed by Grange who wounds the crow, rendering Eric vulnerable. Albrecht arrives and kills Grange, while Myca attempts to take the crow for its immortality; it claws her eyes out, causing her to fall to her death from the bell tower. Top Dollar retreats to the church roof with Sarah, where he fights and badly wounds Eric. Eric transfers Shelly's pain into Top Dollar, causing him to stumble off the roof and be impaled on a gargoyle, killing him.

Sarah and a wounded Albrecht are recovered from the church, while a pained Eric goes to Shelly's grave where her spirit arrives to comfort him and return his body to rest. Sometime later, Sarah visits the graves and the crow returns Shelly's ring to her.

Also See

• The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
• The Crow: City of Angels (1997) (Video Game)
• The Crow: Stairway to Heaven
• The Crow: Salvation (2000)
• The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005)
• The Crow (2024)

Sound Effects Used

• Ben Burtt Punching Sounds
• Hollywoodedge, 357 Magnum Pistol Sho PE092801/Hollywoodedge, 22357 Magnum Fire Clo TE029501 (1st and 2nd shots)
• Hollywoodedge, Ar15 Automatic Rifle PE093401
• Hollywoodedge, Baby Crying Slowly PE144001
• Hollywoodedge, Bell Tower ClassicT PE191201
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Impact GlassD PE112601
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Impact Sweete PE115101
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Impact Sweete PE115201
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Ricochet OffD PE096901
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Ricochet OffD PE097001
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Ricochet OffD PE097201
• Hollywoodedge, Bullet Ricochet OffH PE096801
• Hollywoodedge, Cats Fighting Loud Sc PE917007/Hollywoodedge, Cats Two Angry YowlsD PE022601
• Hollywoodedge, Doppler Car Horn By Ap PE077401/Hollywoodedge, Doppler Horn By HighP CT053001
• Hollywoodedge, Doppler Horn By LeftT PE079801
• Hollywoodedge, Kick Body Hit 3 Thud PE101501
• Hollywoodedge, Glass Crashes Large W TE023101
• Hollywoodedge, Gto Mix Revs Peel Out PE074101
• Hollywoodedge, Gun Classic Pistol Co PE090601
• Hollywoodedge, Lincoln Town Car In Sk PE073501
• Hollywoodedge, Pistol Dry Fire Multi PE091101
• Hollywoodedge, Pistol Or Rifle Shot 1 PE096001
• Hollywoodedge, Pistol Or Rifle Shot 2 PE096101
• Hollywoodedge, Police Wailer Siren PE080801
• Hollywoodedge, Police Whooper Siren CT062001
• Hollywoodedge, Thunder Dry Rumbles PE050901
• Hollywoodedge, V8 Car Fast Skid To Sto PE072701
• Hollywoodedge, Wood Break Or Shatter PE113401
• Hollywoodedge, Wood Crash Large PE113501
• Hollywoodedge, Wood Door 3 Open SlamM PE180301
• SKYWALKER, JET - ARTOO'S ROCKET THRUSTERS
• SKYWALKER, METAL - HUMAN BODY IMPACT ON METAL
• SKYWALKER, THUNDER - LOUD CRACKLING IN A DARK NIGHT
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Werewolf - 1 Wolf Moans Set Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 1 Hyena Moans Set Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 1 Whale Moans Set Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 2 Whale Moans Set Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 2 Wolf Moans Set Eerie Processed Tones Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 3 Whale Moans Singles 2 Mid Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 3 Wolf Moans Set Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 4 Hyena Moan Single Mid Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 4 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 4 Wolf Moans Set Eerie Processed Tones Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 5 Wolf Moans Set Eerie Processed Tones Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 6 Hyena Moan Single High Eerie Processed Vocals Crow Fla (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 6 Whale Moan Mid Low Single Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 6 Wolf Moan Single Mid High Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 7 Hyena Moan Single Mid High Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 7 Whale Moan Single Low Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 7 Wolf Moan Mid Low Single Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 7A Wolf Moan Double 2Tone Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 8 Whale Moan Single Low Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 8 Wolf Moan Single Mid High Eerie Processed Tone Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 9 Whale Moan Single Mid High Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 9 Wolf Moan Single Mid Eerie Processed Tone Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 10 Wolf Moan Single 2Tone Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 11 Wolf Moan Single Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 12 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 12 Wolf Moan Single 2Tone Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 13 Whale Moan Single Mid Eerie Processed Vocals Tones Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 13 Wolf Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 14 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 14 Wolf Moan Single 3Tone Eerie Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 15 Whale Moan Single Mid Eerie Processed Tone Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 15 Wolf Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 16 Whale Moan Single Mid High Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 17 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 17 Wolf Moan Single 2Tone Mid Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 18 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 18 Wolf Moans Small Set Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 19 Whale Moan Single Mid High Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 19 Wolf Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 20 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 20 Wolf Moans Small Set Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 21 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 22 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 23 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 23 Wolf Moans Singles Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 24 Whale Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 24 Wolf Moans Singles Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 25 Whale Moan Wolf Single Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 25 Wolf Moans Singles Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 27 Wolf Moan Single 3Tone Eerie Processed Vocal Crow Fla (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 28 Wolf Moans Singles Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 30 Wolf Moan Single Mid Eerie Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 31 Wolf Moan Single 2Tone Mid Eerie Processed Vocal Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Monsters, Wolfs Hyenas Whales - 33 Wolf Moan Single Mid Low Eerie Processed Vocals Crow (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - 03 Hum Power Buzz Steady Elhum 01 17 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Anton Ghost Presence Bed Mix 01 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Anton Ghost Presence Bed Mix 04 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Anton Ghost Presence Bed Mix 05 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Anton Ghost Presence Bed Mix 07 Ending (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Alien Whale Texture (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 01. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Low Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 02. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Low Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 03. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Low And Mid Range Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 04. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Low And Mid Range Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 05. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Low Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 06. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Low Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 07. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. High And Mid Range Long Breathing Pulses (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 08. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Close Up Breathing Inhales And Exhales (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 09. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Close Up Breathing Inhales And Exhales. Lower Pitch (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 10. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Close Up Breathing Inhales And Exhales. High And Mid Range Breaths (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Room Breathing Ambient 11. Used For Interior Haunted Submarine. Close Up Breathing Inhales And Exhales. Low Pitched (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Tonal Conveyor Ambience. Good Dreamy With Lots Of Harmonics (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Eerie Wire Tona Ambience. Dreamy Scraping Metal Background (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Game 'Crowd' Thunder Reverbed Vers (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Game Thunder Dry ( Alt ) (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Ghost Rumble Shaking Elements 01 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, BGs Ghost Crow - Ghostly Rumble 01 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Drones & Tones, Ropes & Climbing - Anton Ghost Presence Bed Mix 03 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie FX, Cool Stuff FX - Eerie Crow Flashback Louder (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie FX, Cool Stuff FX - Sting 201 Crow 1 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie FX, Cool Stuff FX NBK - Flashback Hits Various Crow Scifi 03 01 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Fx, Water Crow - Eerie Water Whoosh & Wave Combine (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Fx, Water Crow - Splash Thump With Weird Descend (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Fx, Water Crow - Splash With Weird Descend Effect (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Flashback Impact Crow Vocal Screech Mix C (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Flashback Sting Whoosh Crow Stinger (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Flashback Zap Impact Crow Vocal Mix For Ashe Appear (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Flashback Zap Impact Water & Crow Whoosh Verb Mix C (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Flashback Zap Whoosh Sting Crow Land Sweetener C Mix (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Heartbeat Loop From Mix Crow 2 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Split Crow Growl Impact C (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Sting Crow Songer Stinger (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sci-Fi Eerie Stingers, Stingers & Whooshes - Eerie Stings Crow Songer Stinger 2 Times Both Different (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sound Design, Production Elements - Metal Groan Whine Flacrow 01 21 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sound Design, Production Elements - Warp Stinger 1 Flacrow 01 12 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Sound Design, Production Elements - Warp Stinger 2 Flacrow 01 13 (debut)
• SoundDogs, Water-Splashes & Sprays, Splashes - Eerie Water Splash Mix Ashe Crow Off Dock C (debut)
• SoundDogs, Water-Splashes & Sprays, Splashes - Splash Slow X6 Crow Water Hit 2 (debut)
• Sound Ideas, EXPLOSION - INCREASING RUMBLE LEADING TO EXPLOSION
• Sound Ideas, EXPLOSION - LARGE EXPLOSION 05 (Series 6000)
• Sound Ideas, EXPLOSION - MEDIUM EXPLOSION 02
• Sound Ideas, FIRE, BALL - IMPACT AND LARGE FIRE BURST, RUMBLE
• Sound Ideas, SIREN - 'WAIL' SIREN, POLICE, AMBULANCE, FIRE TRUCK 01

Image Gallery

• The Crow (1994)/Image Gallery