31 Days of Draughts and Darkness: Volume III
The Crow (1994)
It's rare to find a Halloween-themed superhero movie. Spawn and the Blade trilogy come to mind, but other than that, supernatural
heroes from beyond the grave can be tough to find on film. Tonight's feature is
one of the few, and in my opinion, one of the best.
The Crow gets a
bad reputation as an advertisement for the Hot Topic craze of the early
90's. While I'll admit the fashion choices and costuming make this film a
product of its era, the tone is far from 'goth'.
It's classic Gothic, moody not
in emotion, but sheer atmosphere. Looming buildings, like castles out of the
Dark Ages, claw into the skyline. Dark alleys are filled with all manner of
murderous rogue. And the innocent large pay the price for the sins of the
wicked. This is classic Gothic horror, folks.
The Crow is not intent on whining about the difficulty of life. It
acknowledges it from the get-go, amplifies it even, and then decides to bite
back with some supernatural justice. It is as
much as revenge slasher as it is superhero movie.
The Plot:
Guitarist Eric Draven and his
fiancée Sarah are planning their wedding night for All Hallows Eve. The couple is flat broke, but happy. The evening before, "Devil's
Night", is one to be feared in their hometown of Detroit. The city sees a
gigantic spike in crime each year on October 30th. Detroit's criminal element
views Devil's Night as a holiday, a chance to spread fear and chaos in the
streets, all to assert control.
Sarah and Eric fall victim, their
apartment invaded by a band of thugs. The couple is tormented, tortured, and
ultimately killed. The police arrive far too late and only to clean up the
mess. No arrests are made that night. The killers run free. The city is ripe
with corruption, and violent crimes are becoming all the more common,
especially on Devil's Night. Sarah and Eric's names get added to a growing list
of victims.
A year passes, and not much has changed.
Detroit is still rife with decay, it's streets ruled by the mob. As Devil's
Night approaches, the city's underbelly once more plans to stir up havoc. Only
this year, one of their victims has returned with revenge on the mind.
A supernatural force, embodied
only by a single, unassuming crow, has breathed life back into a very angry
Eric Draven. And he will not rest until his and Sarah's killers are brought to bloody
justice. With the crow ever-closely flying nearby, Draven ventures out into the
night. Stronger, faster, but with the entire mob between him and his
prey, Draven has a long battle ahead of him.
The Flavor:
The Crow features
the sort of tragic elements that more than justify the morose tone. It's not so much a
nihilistic eye-roll as it is an angry cry for justice in a nasty world.
Yes, Eric may brood a bit upon being resurrected, but it's not long before he's
cutting a bloody swathe through those responsible for his death. The overall
vibe is gritty, reeking of urban decay. The world of The Crow is depressing because it is a legitimately dangerous,
dirty place.
The villains of the films really cement this, too. These
mobsters may be mere mortals, but they are some of the most vile human filth
imaginable It's as if the screenwriter was twirling their mustache while writing
their characters. From the moment the antagonists are introduced, you will
loathe them. And not in the comeuppance sort of way, either. More the wanting to see them 6-feet under kind of way.
Eric Draven is more than happy to oblige us this request.
On that note, much of
what makes The Crow so memorable
isn't just the tone, but also a manic and (unfortunately) tragic final
performance by Brandon Lee. His avenger is far from righteous do-gooder. Eric's
got more than a few screws loose, I
supposed understandably so considering he's a newly-resurrected
vengeance-zombie.
Eric seethes with pain and is unapologetic over revenge, even
appearing to enjoy the chase. He's not above toying with criminals before dropping the axe. Brandon Lee is the sort of off-the-wall demented
that's almost like a pseudo-heroic Joker at times, equal parts charismatic and
terrifying.
And he's not even the film's villain! That role goes to
Michael Wincott who, trivia-time, portrayed more than 50% of all villains in
90's-era films. Tim Curry played the other 50%.
Best Paired With:
For fans of the Gothic horror and superhero genres alike, The Crow is a great watch. The film is
dark, drearily so, but that's much of its charm. It is a tragic tale, but also
one about finding redemption in the face of that tragedy. Or, in lieu of
redemption, revenge.
Brew:
The Crow features
a protagonist tortured enough to be the villain, himself. I've got just the
brew...
Name:
Golden Pumpkin Ale
Brewery:
Anti Villain Ale Co.
Where
Brewed: N. Kingstown and Newport, RI
ABV:
5.5%
Style:
Pumpkin Ale
Color: AntiVillain's
take on the classic pumpkin brew features a classic color palette of deep
golden-to-orange.
Aroma: The spice character of the Fall Trio (cinnamon,
nutmeg, clove, ASSEMBLE!) is strong with this one, though the sweetness I've
grown used to smelling alongside it is reduced. In its place is a dry, hoppy
scent that pairs nicely with the spices. It's different, and after so many
sweeter brews, much welcome.
Taste: Funny, while this brew's aroma is light on the
sweetness, the forward notes of the flavor are actually quite sweet. The spices
are pronounced and blend well with the sweetness. Also joining the party is a
nice, toasty malt presence. Though a strong sweet flavor begins each taste,
AntiVillain's pumpkin ale has additional staying power via the ending flavors.
That hop note that appeared in the aroma shows up towards
the end of each sip. And it goes a long way towards mellowing out what starts
as a sweet beer. The hops have a surprising degree of bitter punch which tempers many of the earlier flavors. This serves to reset the
palate in-between sips, as you're only getting the sweet, and much of the
spices, early on in each taste.
Aftertaste: The hops are powerful enough to carry dominantly
into the aftertaste, with only the remnant of spices left on the tongue in
between sips.
Body: Though sweet to start, and sweeter beers always feel a
bit heavier to me, AntiVillain's pumpkin ale has a body that's light enough to
be refreshing. This is a pint-night sort of brew, meant to be enjoyed alongside
food. Speaking of which...
Pair: This brew's bittering component at the back of each
sip opens up additional pairing space. Typically, I recommend pumpkin beers
with Fall fare such as hearty stews, roast pork, and squash. Those will pair
just fine here, too, but equally well can I see more salty, savory foods
working with the bitter hops in the mix.
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