The Darkest Superhero Movie of the ‘90s is Finally Coming to 4K
Buildings burn, people die, but good movies are forever.
A good cult classic can capture a particular feeling of simultaneous ridiculousness and joy. But with superhero movies dominating the zeitgeist, it’s increasingly rare that one manages to attain cult status, the internet’s ironic love for Morbius notwithstanding. In 1994, however, one innovative cult hit managed to define a superhero subgenre — and the tragically shortened career of its star.
Now, after 30 years, that movie is getting a huge upgrade that will bring it to a whole new audience, all just in time for a new version to hit theaters. According to Blu-Ray.com, Paramount Pictures will release a 4K UHD version of The Crow on May 7th. The release will also include the option of a limited-edition steelbook.
The Crow is the story of Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), a rock musician who’s murdered alongside his fiancée, but rises from the dead with a clear mission: get revenge. Based on James O’Barr’s comic book series, it became a sleeper hit among the Hot Topic crowd that deserves its place among other ‘90s comic book movies like Blade and Batman and Robin.
The Crow brought a dark edge to the superhero genre years before The Dark Knight.
One of the first “gritty” superhero movies that set the stage for projects like Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Crow balances a pitch-black tone with plenty of jokes to diffuse the tension. Unfortunately, the movie is perhaps best known for the prop gun accident that mortally wounded star Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
The film was completed through careful reshoots and the use of body doubles, but the loss of Lee looms large over it. The representation of what Lee’s career could have been is part of why The Crow has such a lasting legacy, and a new 4K edition could do Lee’s legacy justice while also letting the movie stand on its own reputation. Dariusz Wolski, the movie’s cinematographer, said on Instagram that he’d overseen the new edition and that it was a “truly emotional” experience.
With a remake of The Crow starring Bill Skarsgård and musician FKA Twigs coming later this year, now’s the perfect time to either revisit this Goth classic, or experience an overlooked moment in superhero history for the first time. Then, if you’re really hardcore, you can watch the new movie in full cosplay.
