The Crow

This is it: My first movie night with the Cologne Film Club! This time they hosted it together with the Heimkino project at Cinenova rather than in cozy Studio Argento at Traumathek. I am looking forward to a screening there with lively discussions in a more intimate setting.

Co-host Alex Griffith—video editor from Canada—gave a short introduction to The Crow: How it is very much a movie of it’s time—including rock soundtrack, dialog that consists of cool oneliners to more than 90%, and Ernie “Ghostbusters” Hudson; how it was sandwiched between two other style icons—1989’s Batman by Tim Burton and 1999’s The Matrix—and how all three films influenced the look and feel of cinema at the time but also fashion and coolness in general; how it was overshadowed by the death of leading actor Brandon Lee, who was fatally wounded by a prop gun on set; how Heath Ledger drew inspiration from Lee’s character Eric Draven for his unforgettable performance as The Joker.

I watched The Crow many years ago, so tonight was a welcome refresher of a cult classic. Everything in this film is so intense and over the top: the action, the melodrama, the super-quotable script, the stereotypes. In short, the audience and I had a blast!

Only thing that is wrecking my brain: From what song do I know the quote You know, what this place needs is a good natural catastrophe? I wanna say it’s a hip hop track, underground east coast maybe, like Army of the Pharaohs?